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July 24, 2026
 

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51³Ô¹ÏÍøESE ECONOMY

The Mitsukoshi department store in the Nihonbashi district of Tokyo. Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings, Japan¡¯s largest department store operator, saw jewelry and watches continue to lead domestic sales, according to a company spokesperson.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 24, 2026
Japanese shoppers drive up jewelry sales to a record
Strong domestic demand for jewelry has helped lift the outlook for Japan¡¯s luxury market as a whole, as the sector faces headwinds including a slowdown in inbound tourism.
A display shows currency rates in Tokyo's Shinjuku district on Friday. The yen hit a fresh four-decade low against the dollar on Thursday night.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 24, 2026
Despite weakening yen, intervention may have to wait for right timing, analysts say
Japan¡¯s government is probably seeking effective timing ¡ª a moment when yen-buying pressure increases ¡ª to amplify its effect, some say.
The consumer price index excluding fresh food rose 1.6% in June from a year earlier, supporting the Bank of Japan¡¯s case for continuing to raise interest rates.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 24, 2026
Japan¡¯s inflation picks up, keeping BOJ on path for rate hikes
Consumer prices excluding fresh food rose 1.6% in June from a year earlier.
The Bank of Japan's headquarters in Tokyo
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 23, 2026
Half of economists still see BOJ waiting until December to hike
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi¡¯s government is seen as a key obstacle to further action, according to a survey.
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo. Japan could enlist the BOJ to support yield management through a more active role in the bond market, potentially by resuming bond purchases.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 23, 2026
Japan may move to managing yields, not yen, Deutsche Bank says
Controlling the yield curve to tamp down borrowing costs is a tactic Japan has deployed in the past, between 2016 and 2024.
A rickshaw puller drinks a bottle of barley tea in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture.
BUSINESS
Jul 22, 2026
Japan¡¯s electricity price hits highest in over three years on triple blow
With a triple whammy of blistering heat, yen weakness and escalating fuel costs, the nationwide day-ahead spot price surged to ?24.78 a kilowatt-hour on Wednesday.
The value of Japan's imports rose 25.4% in June from a year ago, as the war in Iran continues to disrupt the country¡¯s energy supplies.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 22, 2026
Japan¡¯s trade deficit widens as yen and 51³Ô¹ÏÍø inflate imports
The trade deficit expanded to ?406.9 billion on an unadjusted basis from a revised ?391.8 billion gap in May.
In Tokyo's 23 wards, the average price of a new condominium rose 9.1% to a record high of ?142.49 million.
BUSINESS
Jul 21, 2026
Tokyo-area condo prices hit record high in first half of 2026
The average price of new condominiums in the Tokyo metropolitan area rose 13.1% from a year before to ?101.35 million.
The Cabinet of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi approved the government's annual economic and fiscal policy blueprint on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 21, 2026
Cabinet approves Japan economic blueprint with BOJ independence stressed
A line in a draft of the blueprint that had suggested a weakening of central bank autonomy has been rewritten in the final version.
The Tokyo Stock Exchange and the Financial Services Agency have revised Japan's corporate governance code.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 21, 2026
Japan updates corporate governance code for listed firms
The revised code urges boards of directors to constantly examine whether resources such as cash and deposits are allocated appropriately.
Corporate bond issuance reached a record ?16.7 trillion in the financial year through March, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 21, 2026
Climbing interest rates reshape Japan¡¯s corporate bond market
While higher rates have raised borrowing costs for issuers, they have also incentivized investors toward fixed-income securities, setting in motion a new cycle of capital flows.
The yen trades in the ?162 range against the dollar in the afternoon of the June 30.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 21, 2026
Japan¡¯s next economic challenge: bringing yen home
Now, with the yen seen as problematically weak, there are overdue reasons to encourage local capital to stay here.
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike has launched initiatives to establish Tokyo as a global financial center and startup hub as part of an effort to boost economic growth and innovation.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 21, 2026
Weak yen gives Tokyo edge in global startup race, Koike says
Under Koike¡¯s leadership, Tokyo has launched initiatives to establish itself as a global financial center and startup hub as part of an effort to boost economic growth.
A 7?megawatt wind turbine, a pilot project led by Marubeni and funded by the Japanese government, at a port in Onahama, Fukushima Prefecture
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 20, 2026
Blow winds blow: Time to harvest wind power off Japan¡¯s coast
Japan is investing heavily in offshore wind abroad while its domestic sector still lags due to policy and infrastructure hurdles.
Houses in Inzai, Chiba Prefecture. Japan may not defend the yen with rate hikes, but it could tighten quickly if rising housing costs begin to threaten social stability.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 19, 2026
The right recipe for a more aggressive Bank of Japan
Are rising property prices putting homeownership out of reach for the next generation? And could that threaten social cohesion?
Japan's central bank is likely to consider raising its economic growth forecast at its July meeting while leaving the policy rate unchanged after last month hiking it to the highest level since 1995, according to people familiar with the matter.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 18, 2026
BOJ likely to raise growth forecast and stand pat, sources say
The officials will make final decisions on policy and the economic outlook after assessing all available data and information up to the last minute, the sources said.
The lack of movement in the yen following Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama's warning speaks to the diminishing power of verbal intervention if it isn¡¯t backed up with further action.
BUSINESS
Jul 18, 2026
Japan¡¯s ¡®decisive action¡¯ threat does little to scare yen bears
The lack of movement in the yen speaks to the diminishing power of verbal intervention if it isn¡¯t backed up with further action.
Yasuo Yamazaki, 69, stands next to a protest flag reading, 'Do Not Push Forward with the Data Center Construction!', in the city of Hino, Tokyo, on June 30.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Jul 18, 2026
Opposition to data centers grows in cramped urban Japan
The explosion in resource-hungry data centers ¡ª housing the hardware ¡°brains¡± of artificial intelligence ¡ª is fueling unease worldwide.
The 225-issue Nikkei stock average slipped below 63,000 on Friday for the first time in about a month on an intraday basis.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 17, 2026
Nikkei briefly dives over 4,100 points in afternoon
It slipped below 63,000 for the first time in about a month on an intraday basis.
Bloomberg's top-ranked dollar-yen forecaster, Vikram Murarka of Kshitij Consultancy Services, predicts the yen could weaken to ?170 per dollar next year based on a technical analysis-driven model.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 17, 2026
Top currency forecaster says yen may reach ?170 against dollar
Kolkata-based Vikram Murarka uses a prediction model that largely ignores the news and focuses on technical analysis instead.
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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