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May 16, 2026
 

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Mia Glass
An electronic screen displays the yen exchange rate against the U.S. dollar, euro and other foreign currencies in Tokyo on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Markets
May 16, 2026
Curious yen spikes have traders gaming Japan ¡®warning shots¡¯
Investors and strategists are debating whether Japanese authorities are trying to stem further weakness in the yen through smaller operations.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. is ¡°absolutely not¡± intervening in the dollar-yen market.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jan 29, 2026
Traders highlight risks for Japan going solo on yen intervention
Hopes were dented after Bessent said on Wednesday the U.S. is ¡°absolutely not¡± intervening in the dollar-yen market.
Japan¡¯s 40-year bond yield has reached 4%, the highest since its 2007 debut and the first time any Japanese government bond has hit this level in over 30 years.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 20, 2026
Japan¡¯s 40-year yield hits 4% as Takaichi¡¯s tax plan sinks bonds
Investors have been dumping Japanese bonds amid speculation Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi¡¯s party will win more seats in a Feb. 8 vote, giving her a freer hand to boost stimulus.
An employee counts Turkish lira banknotes at a currency exchange bureau in Istanbul. The lira has for years been one of the world¡¯s most volatile currencies, but offers carry traders interest rates that are hard to beat.
BUSINESS / Markets
Nov 20, 2025
Japan traders' fondness for Turkish lira prompts fears of intervention losses
The lira is one of the world¡¯s most volatile currencies and Tokyo is increasingly uneasy with the weakness of the yen, leaving day traders exposed on all sides.
The yen has fallen about 4.5% against the dollar so far this quarter, the most among its Group of 10 peers.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 13, 2025
Japan¡¯s slumping currency intensifies debate over intervention
As the yen slumps toward levels that previously drew authorities into the market, traders are increasingly skeptical that direct intervention will work this time.
Nomura Asset Management has been buying U.K. government bonds as their yields appear more attractive than those of other European countries.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 31, 2025
Nomura¡¯s Maeda says gilts are most compelling bet in Europe
Despite a tumble in gilt yields this month, the 10-year maturity is yielding about 4.4%, making it appealing for investors in Japan.
Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 1, 2025
Japan¡¯s Kato voices concern with yen at weakest since March
Kato¡¯s comments came after the yen slid past the 150 level against the dollar on Thursday, following the BOJ¡¯s decision to leave interest rates unchanged.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, also president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, speaks to reporters at the party's headquarters in Tokyo on Monday. The party¡¯s loss in the July 20 Upper House election has become the defining factor for the yen.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 30, 2025
Yen option traders brace for more weakness ahead of BOJ decision
Analysts warn that Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba may resort to populist spending to shore up support for his weakened coalition.
An electronic board shows the broad Topix index hitting a record high on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 27, 2025
Japan investors brace for BOJ and earnings results after Trump-fueled rally
As the dust settles following the U.S.-Japan trade deal that sent markets on a wild ride, investors are questioning whether the rally was a sign of things to come.
The BOJ holds its next policy meeting on June 16-17, when the board is widely expected to keep the benchmark rate unchanged.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 6, 2025
Pressure mounts for Japan to adjust bond sales as soon as July
The BOJ holds its next policy meeting on June 16-17, when the board is widely expected to keep the benchmark rate unchanged.
The Finance Ministry in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward
BUSINESS / Markets
May 28, 2025
Weak 40-year bond sale keeps pressure on Japan to tweak issuance
The 40-year yield rose 5 basis points following the sale, to 3.335% as of 4:20 p.m. in Tokyo, while the 30-year rate jumped 7 basis points.
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo. Investors are shunning an auction of government debt and yields are soaring as the BOJ reduces its purchases of government bonds.
BUSINESS / Markets
May 21, 2025
Buyers recoil from Japanese bonds in warning to BOJ on balance-sheet cuts
The rout in the nation¡¯s $7.8 trillion government bond market is most acute for longer-maturity debt.
Yields in Japan¡¯s $7.8 trillion government debt market are now rising rapidly after years of moving at a glacial pace.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 16, 2025
Japan¡¯s steep bond curve divides investors and challenges economy
Yields in the country¡¯s $7.8 trillion government debt market are shifting higher at breakneck speed after years of moving at a glacial pace.
As the global trade war intensifies, the debt, the main investment for Japan¡¯s life insurers, has seen wild swings along with its U.S. counterparts.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 18, 2025
Major Japan life insurer to pile into domestic superlong bonds
Investment decisions by Japan¡¯s life insurers can move global markets, and Fukoku Mutual Life Insurance will be the first among its major peers to report such plans.
The yen rose 2.3% against the dollar last week and hit its strongest level since September on Friday.
BUSINESS
Apr 14, 2025
Hedge funds and asset managers boost bullish yen bets amid tariffs
The yen has been one of the best performers against the dollar this month as investors anticipate that the trade war may hurt global economic growth.
Some market participants predict that benchmark 10-year borrowing costs won¡¯t climb as sharply as the fiscal year that ended Monday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Apr 1, 2025
Japan confronts biggest bond loss globally as BOJ rate hikes upend market
The past year marked a sixth straight year of losses for Japan¡¯s sovereign debt as the central bank raises rates while its other counterparts elsewhere are cutting them.
According to the Nippon Bonsai Growers Cooperative, there were about 30 cases of bonsai theft last year.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 14, 2025
Bonsai thefts sweep Japan as miniature trees grow more popular
About 30 cases of such theft occurred last year, according to the Nippon Bonsai Growers Cooperative.
The yield on Japan¡¯s 10-year note climbed 7 basis points to 1.5%, the highest since 2009.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 6, 2025
German bond rout goes global as yields surge in Japan
The yield on Japan¡¯s 10-year note climbed 7 basis points to 1.5%, the highest since 2009.
Japanese nominal wages rose at the fastest pace in nearly three decades according to data out this month, and GDP figures showed Japan¡¯s economy outperformed forecasts.
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 27, 2025
Yen traders raise focus on Japanese data as economy shifts gears
The news marks a mindset change since the Bank of Japan ended its negative-rates policy last March.
The Japanese currency climbed as much as 1% to ?149.95 against the dollar on Thursday, a level it hasn¡¯t touched since Dec. 9.
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 20, 2025
Yen advances past ?150 per dollar as BOJ rate-hike bets ramp up
Japan¡¯s currency climbed as much as 1% to ?149.95 against the dollar, a level it hasn¡¯t touched since Dec. 9.
After rule change, Japan see 96% drop in business manager visa applications
Manish Kumar, an Indian national who has run an Indian restaurant in Saitama Prefecture for 18 years, speaks at a rally in Tokyo in protest of new business manager visa requirements.
Strong earthquake jolts Tohoku region
A Japan Meteorological Agency map shows where shaking was felt in Friday evening's earthquake.
Legendary figure skater Kaori Sakamoto announces marriage
Figure skater Kaori Sakamoto smiles as she holds a bouquet of flowers at a news conference in Kobe on Wednesday.
Convenience store operators work to have their stores act as disaster hubs
A conceptual image of a FamilyMart convenience store offering emergency information on electronic displays usually used for advertising
Cyclists issued ¡®blue tickets¡¯ in over 2,000 cases since April 1 rollout
Japan implemented a new system in April that penalizes minor bicycle traffic rule violators with a "blue ticket" that carries a fine of up to ?12,000.
Strategic stalemate: Xi and Trump summit to test limits of managed competition
U.S. President Donald Trump participates in a friendship walk through Zhongnanhai, the tightly guarded headquarters of China¡¯s ruling Communist Party, in Beijing on Friday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
How Japanese grammar captures the gap between legal outcomes and public judgment
Even a slight brush with the law can be enough to cause reputational damage for public figures.
Walton offers Japanese investors a hedge with exposure to U.S. land assets
James Buchanan, managing director, South Asia, Walton Global, says there has been ¡°a huge demand for alternative real estate investments.¡±
Legendary figure skater Kaori Sakamoto announces marriage
Figure skater Kaori Sakamoto smiles as she holds a bouquet of flowers at a news conference in Kobe on Wednesday.
Hello Panda: A globally loved snack Japan said goodbye to in 1989
Meiji's Hello Panda chocolate cookies are displayed for sale at a store in Manhattan in April.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

Japanese content creators in China have emerged as informal ¡°digital diplomats,¡± using social media to share everyday experiences amid a period of deepening tension between Tokyo and Beijing.
How Japanese influencers in China are bridging a growing divide
By Mike Fu

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