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July 24, 2026
 

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Francis Tang
An oil refinery in Yokohama. The government has stressed that the total volume of oil needed for Japan as a whole can be sourced from reserves and alternate locations that do not require transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 17, 2026
Japanese government urges suppliers not to hold back critical materials from the market
It insists that shortages are in part the result of companies limiting sales due to fear of future scarcity.
Alipay has been mentioned by legislators in discussions about the use of foreign payment apps in Japan.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 10, 2026
Chinese payment apps raise questions in Japan
Legislators and regulators wonder if the apps are being used to bypass the domestic financial system.
The Nikkei 225's point gain on Wednesday was the third-largest ever.
BUSINESS / Markets
Apr 8, 2026
Stocks rally 5% and yen strengthens 1% after U.S. and Iran agree to ceasefire
The Strait of Hormuz will be open during that period, allowing for the safe passage of oil tankers.
Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said she is in close contact with Group of Seven counterparts.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 7, 2026
Japanese bond rout continues, taking 10-year yields to a 27-year high
Fiscal worries and inflationary pressures are being made worse by the war in the Middle East and oil shortage concerns.
Industry minister Ryosei Akazawa speaks during an online gathering of officials of Group of Seven leading industrialized nations on Monday. Akazawa has been named Japan¡¯s critical-materials czar by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
BUSINESS
Mar 31, 2026
Akazawa appointed critical-materials czar in response to conflict in the Middle East
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the industry minister is tasked with reviewing the supply situation and developing policy responses.
The yen traded above ?160 to the dollar over the weekend ¡ª a threshold that some investors and traders see triggering government intervention.?
BUSINESS / Markets
Mar 30, 2026
Tokyo stocks decline to a 2026 low after yen breaks ?160 to the dollar
Brent crude is up and trading above $115 per barrel on supply concerns related to the war in the Middle East.
At 10:59 a.m. on Thursday, the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security commenced the release of about 400,000 kiloliters of oil from the Kikuma National Petroleum Stockpiling Base in Imabari, Ehime Prefecture.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 26, 2026
Oil starts flowing from Japan¡¯s national reserves
The release is part of the country¡¯s 80-million-barrel contribution to a coordinated global intervention.
Prices are displayed at a gas station in Nagano last week. Japan's government is making efforts to prevent the prices of petroleum products rising excessively.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 24, 2026
Oil tankers that did not transit the Strait of Hormuz to arrive in Japan soon
One departed from the Red Sea and the other from a port just beyond the strait
Toyota's Tokyo headquarters. The company is investing another $1 billion in its U.S. operations.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 24, 2026
Toyota plans $1 billion investment in two of its U.S. plants
The automaker is increasing production and preparing one plant for electric vehicle manufacturing.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and U.S. President Donald Trump along with Japanese and U.S. senior officials in the White House in Washington on Thursday
BUSINESS
Mar 20, 2026
Japan and U.S. announce second round of projects from Tokyo¡¯s $550 billion pledge
The next step in the deal made during tariff negotiations comes as Takaichi makes first trip to the U.S. as prime minister.
A gas station in Tokyo on Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 18, 2026
Japan to roll out gasoline subsidies amid record-high prices
The national average retail prices of gasoline have exceeded ?190 per liter.
Damage on the cargo ship was likely caused by a collision with a fishing boat that occurred Tuesday morning.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Mar 17, 2026
Four dead in Aomori after cargo ship¡¯s collision with fishing boat
Crew members from the fishing boat said they had stopped the engine early on Tuesday and were preparing to fish when the cargo ship rammed into them.
Tanks at an oil refinery in Yokohama in February. Japan said Monday it began to release strategic oil reserves.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 16, 2026
Japan begins its largest-ever oil release from strategic reserves
Crude oil prices have soared as the Strait of Hormuz, through which most Japan-bound oil passes, remains effectively closed.
The U.S. trade representative announced an investigation into overcapacity on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 13, 2026
Japan listed in second U.S. trade investigation announced in as many days
Sixty jurisdictions are mentioned in the new inquiry, which deals with forced labor.
The yen has lost ground against the dollar as oil prices have soared after Israel and the United States attacked Iran in late February.
BUSINESS / Markets
Mar 13, 2026
Yen tests ?160 to the dollar and nears levels not seen in 39 years
Japan¡¯s currency is approaching a key red line that could trigger intervention.
The U.S. is investigating a total of 16 jurisdictions for unfair trade practices related to excess capacity.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 12, 2026
U.S. to investigate Japan and other countries for unfair trade practices
President Donald Trump could impose tariffs based on findings of Section 301 inquiries.
Tankers in the Persian Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday
BUSINESS / Markets
Mar 12, 2026
Japan promises 80 million barrels of oil to support 400 million-barrel global intervention
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced the commitment hours before the IEA announced the unprecedented coordinated effort by 32 nations.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Feb. 24. The prime minister announced on Wednesday that Japan will tap its oil reserves for the first time since 2022.
BUSINESS
Mar 11, 2026
Takaichi says oil reserves to be tapped as Iran conflict hits crude flows
Japan holds stockpiled oil equivalent to about 254 days of domestic demand. The release of some of that could begin as soon as Monday.
Mitsui OSK Lines headquarters in Tokyo
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Mar 11, 2026
Japanese-flagged container ship sustains damage in the Persian Gulf
The news comes as reports emerged that Iran had begun laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, a key passage for oil shipments.
Tankers off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. More than 70% of Japan-bound oil shipments pass through the Strait of Hormuz between the UAE and Iran.
BUSINESS / Markets
Mar 11, 2026
Japan ready to join coordinated intervention in oil markets
Concerns have intensified as crude oil tankers bound for Japan ceased navigating the Strait of Hormuz 10 days ago because the war made the passage too dangerous.
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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