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July 09, 2026
 

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INFLATION

The diffusion index for Japan’s three-month rice price outlook fell 4 points to 19 in June, matching the record low set in August 2014 and staying below 50 for a ninth straight month, according to an agricultural group.
JAPAN
Jul 7, 2026
Japan’s rice prices likely to fall in coming months
An index for the outlook on rice prices over the next three months has shown stronger expectations for lower prices.
An electronic board displays the exchange rate of the yen against the U.S. dollar and other currencies on a street in Tokyo on June 22.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 6, 2026
Fighting yen psychology is a losing battle
Turning the currency around, never easy at the best times, has just become harder given the renewed embrace of the greenback.
Electronic boards display the foreign exchange rate of the yen against the U.S. dollar at a brokerage in Tokyo on Tuesday.
EDITORIALS
Jul 3, 2026
Little hope for a declining yen amid structural pressures
Ultimately, the value of the yen reflects faith in the Japanese economy’s long-term prospects.
Products at the Oshikatsu Expo in Tokyo
BUSINESS
Jul 3, 2026
Inside Japan’s $25 billion consumer market built on fan devotion
From collecting Hello Kitty goods to manga figurines, what was once considered a niche hobby has evolved into a fan-merchandising economy estimated to be worth ¥4.1 trillion.
The Hakuba Cross-Country Course in the village of Hakuba, Nagano Prefecture, in February. For a third year in a row, roadside land prices in the village have increased at the highest rate across Japan.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 1, 2026
Roadside land prices rise in popular Japanese tourist sites
Across the board, the prices of land facing major roads in Japan as of Jan. 1 went up by 2.9%, marking a fifth consecutive year of increases.
Ayano Sato in Tokyo on Tuesday
BUSINESS
Jun 30, 2026
Takaichi’s new BOJ board pick signals tame view on inflation
Ayano Sato begins her five-year term just two weeks after the BOJ raised its benchmark interest rate to the highest level in 31 years.
The government kept its view that the economy is "recovering moderately,” signaling its expansion still has room to run.
BUSINESS
Jun 30, 2026
Japan nears longest postwar growth even as households struggle
The government kept its view that the economy is “recovering moderately,” signaling the expansion still has room to run.
Higher crude oil and naphtha prices have pushed up the costs of packaging and raw materials, leading to price increases mainly for processed foods, including instant noodles, and bread products.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 30, 2026
Japan to see price hikes for 2,566 food items in July
Higher crude oil and naphtha prices have pushed up the costs of packaging and raw materials, leading to price increases mainly for processed foods like instant noodles.
The consumer price index excluding fresh food for the Tokyo area, considered a leading indicator for nationwide price trends, rose 1.6% in June from a year earlier.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 26, 2026
Tokyo inflation picks up, keeping BOJ on track for further hike
The consumer price index excluding fresh food rose 1.6% in June from a year earlier in Japan’s capital.
Bank of Japan board member Naoki Tamura is a widely known hawk on the board who frequently calls for interest rates to be raised to a more normal setting.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 25, 2026
Rate hikes needed every few months, hawkish BOJ board member says
While the remarks suggest another rate hike may come earlier than BOJ watchers expect, they also show there is some caution around raising rates again in July.
A draft by a tax panel calls for reducing the consumption tax rate to 1% for food for two years from April 2027.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 25, 2026
Interim draft on two-year food tax cut presented
The proposal calls for reducing the tax rate to 1% for food for two years from April 2027.
While Japanese government bonds saw yields rise to multiyear highs in May, the attractiveness has been offset by concerns that the Bank of Japan is unlikely to tighten monetary policy quickly enough to contain inflation.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 22, 2026
Japanese insurers sold domestic superlong bonds as yields soared
Local insurers sold a net ¥201.2 billion ($1.25 billion) of Japanese sovereign debt due in more than 10 years, according to the latest Japan Securities Dealers Association data.
Toichiro Asada disagreed with his peers on the biggest risks facing the economy as he voted against the Bank of Japan’s most recent interest rate hike.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 22, 2026
Dissent by Takaichi’s BOJ pick hints at case for faster hikes
Toichiro Asada, the first policy board member appointed by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, left little doubt about his commitment to monetary stimulus.
Bank of Japan Deputy Gov. Ryozo Himino warns that the central bank could be forced to conduct more rapid interest rate hikes later on if it is late with necessary adjustments.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 19, 2026
BOJ’s Himino sees risk of price trend rising above 2% target
The central bank deputy governor warned that it could be forced to conduct more rapid interest rate hikes later on if it is late with necessary adjustments.
Japan's core consumer prices, excluding fresh food, in May rose 1.4% from a year earlier, matching the lowest level since 2022.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 19, 2026
Japan’s inflation holds steady as subsidies restrain energy
Core consumer prices, excluding fresh food, rose 1.4% year on year in May, in line with economists’ expectations and matching the lowest level since 2022.
The national average price of a packet of 10 eggs stood at ¥309, matching the highest level marked in March and May.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 17, 2026
Prices of chicken and eggs in Japan hit record highs
The national average price of chicken rose has risen to ¥155 per 100 grams while that of a packet of 10 eggs is now at ¥309.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party pledged during February’s general election campaign to speed up discussions on suspending the tax on food for two years.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 16, 2026
LDP still considering cutting sales tax to zero for food
The ruling party pledged during February’s general election campaign to speed up discussions on suspending the tax on food for two years with a view to going ahead with it.
Urea, ammonium phosphate, and potassium chloride — raw materials for chemical fertilizers — are almost entirely imported in Japan.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Jun 15, 2026
Fertilizer prices rise in Japan due to Strait of Hormuz squeeze
While shortages like those for naphtha have yet to emerge, warnings of an international shortage have been issued amid uncertainties in the Middle East.
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.
A consumption tax cut on groceries is intended to help households struggling to make ends meet.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 12, 2026
Consumption tax cut on groceries could do more harm than good
It could lead to less confidence in Japan’s fiscal state, a weaker yen, higher rates and slower economic growth.
Japan needs caregivers. Young Indians are answering the call.
Young people in India's northeast are increasingly studying Japanese in hopes of building new lives and careers in Japan.
Osaka trumps Tokyo as both ranked among world’s top 10 most livable cities
Osaka’s infrastructure earned higher marks than Tokyo’s in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s latest Global Liveability Index.
Japanese teen arrested for booting users off streaming service
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has arrested a 15-year-old boy for allegedly creating a malicious program and canceling subscription accounts on the Bandai Channel.
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.
Long-stalled maglev line finally gets green light from Shizuoka Prefecture
Environmental concerns relating to the construction of Central Japan Railway’s high-speed maglev line had contributed to years of delays for the project.
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.
Filmmaker explores history of discrimination against foreign nationals in Japan
Takashi Nishihara, the director of "Now and Then," in Tokyo on Wednesday. The director has spent 10 years traversing politically charged terrain while exploring youth-driven grassroots political movements that scrutinize the status quo.
Okinawa’s prized seaweed under threat as oceans warm
Local harvesters gather <i>mozuku</i> during low tide at Hyakuna Beach in the city of Nanjo, Okinawa Prefecture. As the planet warms, rising ocean temperatures are placing increasing pressure on the seaweed industry.
Japanese nail salons are tourists’ new obsession
Tourists in Japan have always been interested in quintessentially Japanese approaches to modern culture, and, increasingly, visits to nail salons have become the new hot thing.

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