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July 24, 2026
 

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Howard Schneider
Reuters
Former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan speaks in New York in 2012.
WORLD
Jun 22, 2026
Alan Greenspan, longtime U.S. Federal Reserve chairman, dies at 100
Greenspan died at his home from complications of Parkinson¡¯s Disease.
An employee at Emerald Packaging operates a machine that prints grocery bags at the company¡¯s facility in Union City, California, on Monday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 9, 2026
From falling U.S. wealth to Indian factory closures, oil shock raises global recession risk
As oil prices surge in the sixth week of the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø, businesses across the world are feeling the strain of a widening energy shock.
A shopper browses the coffee aisle at a supermarket in Canada. The world's central bankers are trying to get a read on how people are navigating their finances through yet another energy shock.
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Apr 3, 2026
Central banks¡¯ inflation mood puzzle: more judgment than science
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, central banks have ?developed new tools to fill gaps in data about behavior, but measuring expectations remains more an art than an exact science.
Former U.S. Federal Reserve Gov. Kevin Warsh speaks during a monetary policy conference at Stanford University¡¯s Hoover Institution in Palo Alto, California, in May last year.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 14, 2026
Warsh¡¯s room to move at the Fed may narrow in a war-clouded outlook
Despite moves by major nations to release stockpiled oil reserves, the price of benchmark Brent Crude meanwhile remained near $100 a barrel on Friday.
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde is said to be considering stepping down early to deny euroskeptic leaders the chance to influence who follows in her role.
BUSINESS / Markets / ANALYSIS
Feb 27, 2026
Under pressure from populist politicians, central bankers face tricky trade-off
How can central banks defend their independence and their credibility without appearing political themselves?
U.S. President Donald Trump and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speak during a tour of the Federal Reserve Board building in Washington in July 2025. Even if there are some shared views about the economy's near-term trajectory, the tension between Trump's administration and the Fed over interest rates isn't likely to fade.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 30, 2026
Despite clashing over rates, Fed and Trump administration share key outlook points
The alignment is not perfect, however, and there is a particularly big gap in attitudes between the central bank and the administration about how to manage risks.
On Sunday, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the central bank had received subpoenas from the U.S. Justice Department.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jan 13, 2026
Trump administration probe of Powell sparks pushback
The move has drawn condemnation from former chiefs of the central bank and a chorus of criticism from key members of the U.S. president¡¯s Republican Party.
A cargo ship full of shipping containers is seen at the port of Oakland, California, in August. U.S. President Donald Trump predicted that foreign countries would pay the price of his protectionist policies, wagering that exporters would absorb the cost to keep a foothold in the U.S. market.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 13, 2025
U.S. firms and consumers paying most for Trump¡¯s tariffs, data suggests
Trump predicted that foreign countries would pay the price of his protectionist policies, wagering that exporters would absorb the cost to keep a foothold in the U.S. market.
A view of the city skyline in Shanghai. Threats to the global economic order have come at a furious pace during U.S. President Donald Trump's first eight months in office, but the global economy has kept growing.
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Sep 19, 2025
Global economy takes Trump shocks in stride, for now
While many players worry that things could still unravel given the right spark, it is a far cry from the most dour predictions early in Trump¡¯s term.
Lisa Cook (right) is sworn in to become a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors by Powell, at the central bank's headquarters in Washington on May 23. Trump this week said he is firing Cook over alleged improprieties in obtaining mortgage loans.
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Aug 27, 2025
Fed¡¯s credibility is an asset whose decline could be costly
Once eroded, markets will see monetary policy decisions from the central bank as likely to be more politically motivated.
(Left) Bank of England Gov. Andrew Bailey, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde (second from left), Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda (third from left) and U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell pose for a picture during the Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium in Moran, Wyoming, on Friday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Aug 25, 2025
Central bankers fear being caught in Federal Reserve¡¯s storm
Politically motivated attacks on the Fed could spill over to the rest of the world.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell said that at this point, it isn't clear if the economy will continue its steady pace of growth, or wilt under mounting uncertainty and a possible coming spike in inflation.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 8, 2025
Fed sees rising risks to economy as it leaves rates unchanged
With so much uncertainty over Trump¡¯s tariff moves, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said ¡°It¡¯s really not at all clear what it is we should do.¡±
Jerome Powell, chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, speaks during an event in Chicago earlier this month.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 24, 2025
Federal Reserve at a policy and political crossroads poses global risks
A divergence between the Fed and other central banks could stress dollar funding markets and make financing more expensive for less-developed countries.
A worker arranges cases of avocados at a packaging facility in Mexico on Tuesday. U.S. President Donald Trump has said he will follow through next month on twice-delayed plans to impose 25% levies on goods from Mexico as well as Canada.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 21, 2025
Trump trade upheaval leaves foreign central banks guessing
The stagflationary direction noted of the U.S. outlook has central banks across the globe parsing what the fallout may mean for them.
The Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve Board Building in Washington. Companies have told the U.S. central bank they generally expect to raise prices to pass along the cost of import tariffs.
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 20, 2025
Federal Reserve noted Trump policies could stir inflation, minutes show
Companies have told the U.S. central bank they generally expect to raise prices to pass along the cost of import tariffs.
U.S. think tanks from across the political spectrum have compiled a report to address the nation's social and fiscal issues in an effort to show that compromise is still possible.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 5, 2024
U.S. think tanks¡¯ policy ¡®grand bargain¡¯ comes amid deep partisanship
The authors of the outline have no illusions about how their plan will be greeted by the incoming administration of Donald Trump, though.
The Federal Reserve building in Washington. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said last week he felt that the pre-pandemic years during which the Fed's rate hovered near zero for years and Europe delved into the exotic world of negative rates are gone for good.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 27, 2024
A global hunt for neutral rates to shape world finance costs
Policymakers are exploring whether the rates required to keep inflation in check and economies growing are higher now than the ultra-low ones before the pandemic.
A television station broadcasts U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Chair Jerome Powell speaking in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York on Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Aug 24, 2024
Powell¡¯s Fed not shy about election-year cuts and ready to defend job market
The Fed chief sent a strong signal that the central bank will start cutting interest rates in mid-September, roughly seven weeks before the Nov. 5 election.
IMF chief economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas says Japan's inflation is higher than 2% and inflation expectations have started to move toward, or "maybe even a little bit above" the BOJ's 2% target. As a result, the BOJ is normalizing the extremely loose monetary policy it has had for decades.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 24, 2024
IMF sees scope for Bank of Japan to keep raising rates
The BOJ can raise interest rates gradually as heightening inflation expectations leave further scope for normalization, the IMF said.
U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell delivers remarks during a press conference following the announcement that the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged, in Washington on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jun 13, 2024
Fed leaves rates unchanged and says cuts delayed to possibly December
U.S. policymakers are content to leave rates where they are until the economy sends a clear signal that something else is needed.
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.
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.
Intervention is the word after yen moves beyond ?163 and sits there
The government could prop up the yen at any moment, though its signaling is hard to read.
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.
Summer has arrived in Japan and so have hot sleepless nights
Amid the heat and humidity in Japan, a good night¡¯s sleep is growing increasingly elusive without the heavy use of air conditioning.

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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