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July 24, 2026
 

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Hideyuki Sano
Evening commuters in front of Tokyo station.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 11, 2026
Japan¡¯s top pension fund likely to brush off political pressure
The Government Pension Investment Fund, one of the world¡¯s largest, will likely ignore the finance minister¡¯s call to boost domestic investment, at least in the short run.
Japanese AI-related shares are likely to correct over the next two months, but the sector may rebound next year on the prospect of favorable U.S. policy measures, RBC BlueBay Asset Management says.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 29, 2026
BlueBay sees near-term risk in Japan AI stocks followed by rally
AI-related shares are likely to correct over the next two months but the sector may rebound next year on the prospect of favorable U.S. policy measures, says one portfolio manager.
Seth Fischer, the founder of Oasis Management, says Japan¡¯s plan to tighten the threshold for shareholder proposals will hurt retail investors more than it affects activist funds.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 28, 2026
Curb on shareholder rights will hurt retail investors not activists, says Oasis
The government and LDP suggest limiting shareholder proposals to those holding at least 1% of voting rights, up from the current threshold of 300.
Share buybacks by Japanese companies dropped in fiscal 2025 as uncertainty over U.S. tariff policy likely made companies more inclined to hold onto cash.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 3, 2026
Japanese firms reduce share buybacks for first time since 2020
Uncertainty over U.S. tariff policy under U.S. President Donald Trump¡¯s administration likely made companies more inclined to hold onto cash.
For Aeon, Kusuri no Aoki represents a potential valuable addition to its strategy of consolidating Japan¡¯s fragmented retail market.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 16, 2026
A family fights to keep control of 157-year-old firm in Japan
Kusuri no Aoki, run by two brothers, are fighting for control of the firm with their largest outside shareholders, Aeon and the activist fund Oasis Management.
A man uses a phone in front of an electronic board displaying Japan's 10-year government bonds level outside a brokerage in Tokyo on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jan 24, 2026
Sudden chaos in Japan¡¯s bond market puts stock bulls on notice
A bond slump that sent yields soaring to records on her election pitch to cut taxes on food has rippled through markets in Tokyo.
A stock board shows major gains by the Nikkei 225, in Tokyo on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jan 17, 2026
¡®Takaichi trade¡¯ faces risks from inflation, yen slump and yield jump
While Japan¡¯s equity benchmarks are repeating a familiar pattern of rallying ahead of Lower House elections, further gains may depend on details of Takaichi¡¯s spending plans.
Foreign investors have bought ?5.4 trillion ($34.6 billion) of Japanese stocks this year, the largest net inflow since 2013.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 30, 2025
New Japanese hedge fund RFM attracts $800 million in first year
Foreign investors have bought $34.6 billion of Japanese stocks this year, the largest net inflow since 2013.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Investors are worried that Japan may be spending beyond its means.
BUSINESS / Markets
Nov 22, 2025
Takaichi faces market tests from yen to stocks and bonds
Markets have lost their enthusiasm for Japan¡¯s new prime minister, with about $127 billion wiped off the value of Tokyo-listed stocks over the past week.
Sanae Takaichi, newly elected leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, speaks during a news conference at the party's headquarters in Tokyo on Saturday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Oct 5, 2025
Takaichi¡¯s win to support Japanese stocks but weigh on yen and bonds
Bank stocks will likely struggle on expectations rate hikes will be pushed back, while domestic demand and small-cap shares may get a ¡°significant tailwind,¡± experts say.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda announces the central bank's plan to start offloading its massive exchange-traded fund holdings, at a news conference in Tokyo last week.
BUSINESS / Markets
Sep 23, 2025
BOJ seeks to remove stocks overhang with slow sell-down of ETFs
The century-long plan to offload its massive holdings of ETFs, through which it indirectly owns about 7% of Japanese stocks, could begin in early 2026.
SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son¡¯s bets on artificial intelligence have fueled a 146% surge in the stock since the fiscal year began in April.
BUSINESS / Markets
Sep 22, 2025
SoftBank¡¯s heavy weight forces skeptical stock investors to buy
SoftBank shares provided almost 10% of the increase in the Topix¡¯s market capitalization since the end of March.
Drawn by reforms and growing shareholder focus, activist investors are ramping up buying Japanese stocks.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 16, 2025
Activist funds ramp up Japan bets after record bids last year
The 10 largest activist investors in Japan put an estimated ?890 billion into Japanese stocks in the first half of this year.
Chugai Pharmaceutical shares sank as much as 20% in Tokyo on Friday after a study revealed that an obesity drug it licensed to Eli Lilly & Co. resulted in lower weight loss and higher rates of nausea and vomiting than anticipated.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 8, 2025
Chugai stock drops the most since 1977 on disappointing obesity drug data
A study showed the drug, which it has licensed to Eli Lilly & Co., resulted in lower weight loss and higher rates of nausea and vomiting than anticipated.
Government Pension Investment Fund President Kazuto Uchida says there is no need to change the fund's portfolio even after a trade deal was reached between Japan and the United States.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 25, 2025
Japan¡¯s top pension fund keeps strategy amid volatility
As it seeks to ride out the turmoil, the Government Pension Investment Fund aims to enhance portfolio rebalancing with futures and analyze correlations between different assets.
Analysts say the failure of Alimentation Couche-Tard¡¯s attempt to acquire the operator of 7-Eleven stores runs counter to the broader trend in Japan's investing landscape.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 18, 2025
Couche-Tard¡¯s failed bid for Seven and I sparks debate over foreign acquisitions
Couche-Tard¡¯s acquisition failure is seen as running counter to the broader trend in the investing landscape in Japan.
The Government Pension Investment Fund suffered a loss in the January-March quarter as a global trade war due to higher U.S. tariffs hurt equities and the outlook for interest-rate cuts dragged down the dollar against the yen.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 4, 2025
GPIF logs $61 billion loss as weak dollar hits overseas assets
The pension fund incurred losses on all four of its asset classes in the January-March period, the first time this has occurred since July-September 2022.
Foreign investors bought Japanese stocks for 13 straight weeks to June 27, their longest buying spree since 2013, data from Japan Exchange Group showed.
BUSINESS
Jul 3, 2025
Foreign buying of Japan stocks hits longest spell since 2013
The persistent buying ¡ª despite lingering concerns over U.S. tariffs and still sluggish domestic consumption ¡ª likely points to diversification away from U.S. equities.
Foreign investors bought a net ?88.4 billion of Japanese equities in the week that ended on June 20, data has shown.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jun 26, 2025
Foreign buying of Japanese stocks marks 12-week streak, TSE data shows
According to data, foreign investors bought ?88.4 billion of Japanese equities in the week that ended on June 20.
An Aeon store in Osaka. Aeon, the country¡¯s largest supermarket chain operator, last month said it will launch a tender offer to make Tsuruha a consolidated subsidiary at ?11,400 per share.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 23, 2025
Tsuruha shareholders to vote on criticized Aeon merger plan
The chorus reflects rising shareholder activism in Japan in recent years as the country¡¯s governance reforms embolden investors.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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