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July 24, 2026
 

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John Cheng
The $1.8 trillion Government Pension Investment Fund maintains benchmark allocations of 25% each to domestic bonds, domestic equities, foreign bonds and foreign equities, according to its latest review in March 2025.
BUSINESS
Jul 14, 2026
SocGen sees $76 billion of JGB buying if GPIF rebalances assets
The estimate follows Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama¡¯s call last week for Japan¡¯s large pension funds to increase investment in domestic assets.
Traders see little long-term relief from the Japanese government¡¯s repeated warnings that it will take bold action to stem the yen's decline.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 2, 2026
Traders plot worst-case scenario for yen if currency crisis hits
The yen sliding to a once-unthinkable ?200 to the dollar level is now a risk ¡ª albeit an extreme one ¡ª for some investors.
Electronic boards display the foreign exchange rate of the Japanese yen against the U.S. dollar at a foreign exchange brokerage in Tokyo on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 1, 2026
Yen¡¯s slide puts market on lookout for Japan¡¯s next red line
Strategists have increasingly pointed to ?163 and beyond as the next levels to watch.
What is known as the yen carry trade, which involves borrowing in the relatively low-yielding Japanese currency and investing in other currencies offering higher returns, is thriving again.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jun 15, 2026
Yen short bets jump to nine-year high as carry trade revives
Leveraged funds increased their bearish positions on the yen to over 115,000 contracts in the week through June 9, the highest level since November 2017, data has shown.
The most up-to-date data for April shows that overseas investors sold more superlong Japanese debt than they bought for the first time since 2024.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 15, 2026
Global funds pull back from long-dated JGBs amid concern of pressure on BOJ
Data for April shows that overseas investors sold more superlong Japanese debt than they bought for the first time since 2024.
The Marunouchi business district of Tokyo. Upward pressure on Japanese government bond yields is building as oil prices remain high.
BUSINESS / Markets
May 13, 2026
Japan¡¯s 20-year bond yield rises to 1997 high on inflation woes
Upward pressure on Japanese government bond yields is building as oil prices remain elevated after the U.S. and Iran rejected each other¡¯s proposals to end the conflict.
While refraining from confirming intervention to support the yen, Japan¡¯s top currency official said authorities are prepared to respond on all fronts to speculative moves.
BUSINESS / Markets
May 11, 2026
Yen bears retreat as intervention seen capping currency weakness
The pullback followed multiple rounds of intervention by Japanese authorities starting April 30 and through the Golden Week holiday.
An oil tanker docked at an oil refinery in Yokohama. Japan is feeling the pain of the war in Iran acutely as it imports more than 90% of its crude oil from the Middle East.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 27, 2026
Investors game out stagflation risk in Japan as oil prices rise
Global funds including Allianz Global Investors and Amundi are already hedging against stagflation with the Iran conflict nearing the one-month mark.
Despite fears higher oil prices and inflation would hurt the market, Japan¡¯s 20-year bond auction was well-received on Tuesday due to the appeal of higher yields.
BUSINESS / Markets
Mar 17, 2026
Relief as Japan¡¯s 20-year bond sale draws strong demand despite Gulf crisis
Higher yields attracted buyers, easing concerns that rising oil prices and inflation risks would damp appetite.
The yen dropped as much as 0.5% to 155.51 against the dollar on Monday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Feb 2, 2026
Yen drops after Takaichi comment cools intervention speculation
The currency dropped as much as 0.5% to 155.51 against the dollar on Monday.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. is ¡°absolutely not¡± intervening in the dollar-yen market.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jan 29, 2026
Traders highlight risks for Japan going solo on yen intervention
Hopes were dented after Bessent said on Wednesday the U.S. is ¡°absolutely not¡± intervening in the dollar-yen market.
Japan¡¯s retail investors continue to have a good appetite for foreign assets, despite the rally in Japanese equities last year.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jan 5, 2026
Japan retail investors ignore domestic bull market to opt for U.S.
Individuals unloaded a net $24.3 billion of Japanese stocks and related investment trusts through November, the most in more than a decade.
Japan¡¯s two-year note yield, which is sensitive to monetary policy expectations, rose to its highest level since 2008.
BUSINESS / Markets
Dec 1, 2025
Japan¡¯s two-year yield hits highest since 2008 on rate-hike bets
The swap market is now pricing in about a 76% chance of a rate hike when the central bank delivers its next policy decision on Dec. 19.
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.
The yen has fallen about 4.5% against the dollar so far this quarter, the most among its Group of 10 peers.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 13, 2025
Japan¡¯s slumping currency intensifies debate over intervention
As the yen slumps toward levels that previously drew authorities into the market, traders are increasingly skeptical that direct intervention will work this time.
The yen-dollar exchange rate is displayed outside a securities firm in Tokyo on Oct. 27. The yen slid about 4% against the dollar in October.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 4, 2025
Goldman and BofA see no immediate intervention risk as yen nears 155
The yen weakened further after BOJ held rates steady last week, with little guidance offered on future hikes.
For decades, investors have turned to the yen during market shocks, but that instinct is now under strain.
BUSINESS / Markets
Oct 9, 2025
Yen¡¯s haven status undercut by gold surge and BOJ rate-hike doubts
For decades, investors have turned to the yen during market shocks, from financial crises to geopolitical blowups.
A screen displays Japan's 10-year government bonds and the rate of the yen against the dollar outside a securities firm in Tokyo on Monday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Oct 6, 2025
Goldman sees Japan bond ¡®shocks¡¯ spilling over to Treasurys
Global bonds feel the ripple from Tokyo as investors react to Sanae Takaichi¡¯s election win and looming fiscal stimulus.
Hedge funds have been piling into Chinese equities at the fastest pace in months as bullishness on the DeepSeek-driven technology rally adds to hopes for more economic stimulus.
BUSINESS / Markets
Feb 16, 2025
DeepSeek drives $1.3 trillion China stock rally as funds pile in
DeepSeek¡¯s breakthrough in artificial intelligence is helping drive a rotation of stock funds back into China from India.
A drum sits inside the Korea Exchange in Seoul on June 13. South Korea is extending a ban on stock short selling through March 30 next year and planning harsher penalties for illegal trades.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jun 30, 2024
High-speed traders and short sellers face growing Asia crackdown
Recent developments show the difficulty of keeping up with increasingly sophisticated trading strategies and their market impact ¡ª challenges set to grow further with AI.
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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