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July 12, 2026
 

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Yoshiaki Nohara
A U.S.- Japan consultation panel on a $550 billion investment mechanism will give its input to U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
BUSINESS
Dec 18, 2025
U.S.-Japan panel convenes to mull projects for $550 billion fund
The investment pledge is a pillar of the trade deal between the two countries.
Japan's exports gained 6.1% in November from a year earlier, according to the Finance Ministry, beating economists' forecasts.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 17, 2025
Japan’s exports to U.S. rise for first time since Trump’s April tariffs
A turnaround in shipments to the U.S. helped power the biggest gain in overall exports since February, paving the way for a widely expected interest-rate hike later this week.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks at a Lower House Budget Committee meeting on Nov. 7. Although Takaichi has refused to recant her comments on Taiwan, she said in parliament later last month that she learned her lesson and will avoid speaking about specific scenarios.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 12, 2025
Takaichi’s Taiwan comment that sparked China spat apparently unscripted
The discrepancy between the prepared response and the prime minister’s actual comment suggests she veered off-script from official policy.
Komeito leader Tetsuo Saito says he hopes to visit China soon to help ease tension between Beijing and Tokyo.
JAPAN / Politics
Dec 11, 2025
Japan-China spat lacks immediate off-ramp despite Komeito talks
Tetsuo Saito, the head of former ruling coalition partner Komeito, says he’s spoken several times with China’s ambassador.
Consumer prices excluding fresh food in the Tokyo area advanced 2.8% in November from a year earlier, matching the result for the previous month.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 28, 2025
Tokyo inflation beats forecast, keeping BOJ on rate hike path
Consumer prices excluding fresh food in the capital advanced 2.8% this month from a year earlier, the internal affairs ministry said Friday.
Hei Seki, member of the House of Councilors, speaks during an interview in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Nov 21, 2025
Japan should counter China threats with U.S. help, lawmaker says
Washington has been asking Japan to join forces to cripple China’s ability to make advanced semiconductors, which are critical for economic security and defense capabilities.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and other members of a government panel on economic growth strategy gather for their first meeting at the Prime Minister's Office on Monday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 11, 2025
Takaichi eyes stimulus package to jump-start growth plan
Takaichi has signaled a shift toward more expansionary fiscal policy and said that Japan remains only halfway toward achieving stable inflation supported by wage growth.
Satellite view of Minamitorishima Island
JAPAN
Nov 7, 2025
Japan and U.S. to join forces to mine rare earths near Pacific island
The move comes after the two allies struck an agreement to work together to cut their reliance on China for the critical material.
Outlays by households gained 1.8% in September from a year earlier, led by transportation and entertainment, but the rise was lower than expected, reflecting falling spending on housing and education.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 7, 2025
Japanese households boost spending despite inflation hit
Outlays by households adjusted for inflation gained 1.8% in September from a year earlier, led by transportation and entertainment.
Consumer prices excluding fresh food gained 2.8% in October from a year earlier in the Tokyo area, with subsidies for water having run their course.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 31, 2025
Faster Tokyo inflation supports BOJ rate hike case and boosts yen
Consumer prices excluding fresh food gained 2.8% in October from a year earlier in the capital.
Japan's exports gained 4.2% in September from a year earlier, with analysts noting the strong euro and China’s domestic demand-stimulating policies benefiting the country.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 22, 2025
Japan’s exports advance for first time since April on chips
Exports rose for the first time in five months as shipments of chips and electronic parts advanced, while goods destined for the U.S. continued to decline.
Outlays by households adjusted for inflation rose 2.3% in August from a year earlier, driven by transport and entertainment, the government said Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 7, 2025
Japan’s household spending rises more than expected in August
Outlays by households adjusted for inflation gained 2.3% from a year ago in August, led by spending on transport and entertainment.
Haruo Tsukamoto, a rank-and-file member of the Liberal Democratic Party and a rice farmer in Ibaraki Prefecture, questions if the party still stands for people like him.
JAPAN / Politics
Oct 2, 2025
The party that ruled Japan for decades is in danger of crumbling
Long-time supporters are questioning if the Liberal Democratic Party still stands for them even as populist and far-right challengers make inroads.
Japan's exports slipped 0.1% in August from a year earlier, led by a 13.8% drop in the value of shipments to the U.S., with cars the main drag.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 17, 2025
Japan’s exports fall for fourth month as U.S. shipments tumble
Exports slipped 0.1% in August from a year earlier, led by cars and steel, the Finance Ministry reported Wednesday.
Gross domestic product grew at an annualized pace of 2.2% last quarter, the revised report said, indicating that consumer spending is gaining momentum.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 8, 2025
Japan confirms GDP growth as spending holds up amid U.S. tariffs
The Japanese economy grew at an annualized pace of 2.2% in April-June, exceeding an initial estimate of a 1.0% expansion, the Cabinet Office said.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 3, 2025
Ishiba meets with BOJ’s Ueda to discuss economy and markets
The pair’s first meeting since February suggests Ishiba is trying to show market participants that his government and the BOJ will be coordinating closely.
Capital expenditure by Japanese businesses on goods excluding software gained for a fifth consecutive quarter in the three months through June.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 1, 2025
Japanese firms pare back capital spending as U.S. tariffs hit
Capital expenditure on goods excluding software gained for a fifth consecutive quarter, but slowed to a pace of 0.2% compared to the previous period.
Japan's chief tariffs negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, expects to visit the U.S. at least once more before the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump issues an executive order to formally lower tariffs on Japanese imports.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 29, 2025
Akazawa expects to make another trip to U.S. ahead of executive order
Various consultations need to be completed before the agreement can be implemented, Japan’s chief tariff negotiator says.
Ryosei Akazawa, Japan’s top trade negotiator, said U.S. officials expressed regret that the stacking rule had been applied to Japan despite a verbal agreement, and said Washington would refund any overpaid levies.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 10, 2025
U.S. and Japan working to announce tariffs won’t stack
The United States is working to finalize an announcement that would end the stacking of universal tariffs on Japanese goods.
A Bank of Japan board member suggested the possibility of a rate hike by year-end, depending on the impact of U.S. tariffs, according to a summary of opinions from the central bank’s policy meeting last week.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 8, 2025
BOJ may exit wait-and-see mode by year-end, policy meeting summary says
Depending on the impact from U.S. tariffs, another rate hike then might be possible, an unnamed board member hinted.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

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The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
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