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May 04, 2026
 

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Toru Fujioka
The consumer price index excluding fresh food rose 1.5% in April from a year earlier in Tokyo, the smallest gain since March 2022, according to the internal affairs ministry.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 1, 2026
Tokyo inflation cools on childcare support, backing BOJ caution
The consumer price index excluding fresh food rose 1.5% in April from a year earlier in the capital, the smallest gain since March 2022.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda speaks during a news conference in Washington on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 17, 2026
Ueda cites upside and downside risks, avoiding clear hints before BOJ meet
The BOJ Policy Board meets on April 28.
The Bank of Japan¡¯s board will likely discuss lifting its key price projection for this fiscal year after oil prices surged roughly 50% since the outbreak of the U.S.-Iran war.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 15, 2026
BOJ could raise price outlook sharply on oil shock, central bank watchers say
Uncertainty over the Middle East conflict will also likely lead officials to consider lowering the economic growth forecast.
The Bank of Japan will hold a policy meeting on April 27 and 28, which "will be a close-call meeting,¡± an ex-official says.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 13, 2026
BOJ¡¯s usual stance amid uncertainty is to hold, ex-official says
Developments in the Middle East are "putting the BOJ in a very difficult situation right now," said Kazuo Momma.
The Bank of Japan's headquarters in Tokyo. Recent commentary from the central bank suggests it doesn¡¯t want to paint itself into a corner three weeks ahead of its next decision on April 28.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 6, 2026
BOJ keeps options open by citing dual risks in regional reports
Traders see a roughly 66% chance of a rate hike this month, according to pricing in the overnight swaps market, as the war in Iran could raise upside inflation risks for Japan.
A former Bank of Japan chief economist said the Iran war is increasing inflation risks, strengthening the case for a possible interest rate hike as early as this month.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 2, 2026
Former BOJ chief economist sees likelihood of April rate hike
Toshitaka Sekine, now an economics professor at Hitotsubashi University, thinks there are more upside risks for inflation.
The business sentiment index advanced in March to 17 from a revised 16 in the previous quarter, the Bank of Japan¡¯s <i>tankan</i> business survey showed Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Apr 1, 2026
Japan¡¯s manufacturer mood improves, supporting BOJ¡¯s rate stance
The business sentiment index advanced in March to 17 from a revised 16 in the previous quarter, the BOJ's tankan business survey showed Wednesday.
The latest Bank of Japan summary signals that the bank is worried about the upside inflation risks stemming from the escalating Middle East conflict.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 30, 2026
BOJ summary displays hawkish tilt with debate on size of hike
One member hinted at the possibility of a bigger rate hike than those recently undertaken due to the Middle East conflict.
Japan¡¯s core consumer prices, excluding fresh food, rose 1.6% year on year in February, the smallest increase since March 2022, the internal affairs ministry said Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 24, 2026
Japan¡¯s inflation slips below BOJ¡¯s target for the first time since 2022
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda said he isn't ruling out an interest rate hike at the next meeting in April, citing the need to monitor both upside and downside risks to prices.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda has pledged to closely monitor developments as the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran reverberates across the region.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 4, 2026
Middle East conflict could affect Japan¡¯s economy significantly, says BOJ's Ueda
Japan¡¯s reliance on Middle Eastern oil has hovered around 90%, the economy ministry has said, with much of that oil traveling through the Strait of Hormuz.
Bank of Japan Deputy Gov. Ryozo Himino has said he is closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East as the outlook for the economy became murkier after the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 2, 2026
BOJ deputy chief refrains from signaling rate hike in March
"I want to closely monitor the situation¡± in the Middle East, Bank of Japan Deputy Gov. Ryozo Himino said in a speech to local business leaders in Wakayama Prefecture.
Consumer prices excluding fresh food in the Tokyo area rose 1.8% from a year earlier in February, the smallest gain since October 2024, indicating Japan¡¯s price growth has entered a cooler phase.
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 27, 2026
Tokyo CPI falls below BOJ¡¯s target, complicating rate hike message
The data poses a communication challenge for the Bank of Japan as it looks to proceed with interest rate hikes.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has nominated a pair of university professors associated with reflationary economic policies to replace outgoing members of the Bank of Japan policy board.
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 25, 2026
Takaichi¡¯s reflationist BOJ picks push up long-term bond yields
The nomination of pro-reflation academics is likely to further fuel speculation that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is cautious of the central bank raising interest rates quickly.
Consumer prices excluding fresh food rose 2% from a year earlier in January, the smallest gain since January 2024, after the gauge climbed 2.4% in the previous month.
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 20, 2026
Japan¡¯s CPI cools to slowest pace in two years on distortions
Temporary factors and food prices drove the slowdown.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government is likely to propose replacements for two of the nine-member board at a parliamentary session as soon as next Wednesday, sources say.
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 19, 2026
Takaichi¡¯s first BOJ member picks could hint at her desired rate path
Following her landslide election victory, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has a chance to use her historic mandate to stack the board with reflationists.
The International Monetary Fund has issued a warning that a reduction of Japan's consumption tax would erode its fiscal space and add to fiscal risks.
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 18, 2026
IMF urges Japan to avoid cutting sales tax amid higher expected borrowing costs
The fund described such a move as ¡°an untargeted measure that would erode fiscal space and add to fiscal risks.¡±
Japan¡¯s exports rose 16.8% in January from a year earlier, the fastest pace since November 2022, driven by strong chip shipments to China and auto exports to the EU, the Finance Ministry said Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 18, 2026
Japan¡¯s exports rise most in three years as AI underpins chips
The value of overall exports gained 16.8% in January from a year earlier, the sharpest increase since November 2022, the Finance Ministry said.
Tatsuo Yamasaki, former vice finance minister for international affairs
BUSINESS / Markets
Feb 13, 2026
Japan¡¯s ex-FX chief sees yen firming as Takaichi¡¯s stance clears
Tatsuo Yamasaki also largely ruled out the likelihood of the United States helping Japan with joint currency intervention.
Naoki Tamura, a member of the Bank of Japan's policy board
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 13, 2026
BOJ hawk Tamura flags spring as possible timing for rate hike
Naoki Tamura's remarks suggest that Gov. Kazuo Ueda will probably face increased opposition if he decides to stand pat at the next policy meetings through April.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks at a news conference on Monday following a landslide victory of her Liberal Democratic Party in Sunday¡¯s Lower House election.
BUSINESS / Markets
Feb 12, 2026
Japan investors remain wary Takaichi will spur another meltdown
Worries that she would add to Japan¡¯s mountain of public debt prompted yields to spike last month to the highest levels in decades.
Yen soars as Japan intervenes after issuing 'final' warning
Pedestrians walk past a stock quotation board showing the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen, outside a brokerage in Tokyo on Thursday.
Not even Japanese bathhouses are immune from shocks of Iran war
The interior of Ume-no-yu, a public bathhouse in the city of Nagano. Soaring oil prices driven by the war in the Middle East are threatening to deal a final blow to a storied Japanese institution: the sento, or traditional public bathhouse.
New Zealand officials reject statue remembering 91²Ö¿â comfort women
A statue symbolizing former South Korean comfort women in Seoul
Water shortages hit tourist spots in Japan during Golden Week
A hot spring facility in the city of Tomioka, Gunma Prefecture, has suspended the operation of its open-air baths since March.
For tourists in Japan¡¯s outdoor sports scene, safety is not guaranteed
Each winter, countless tourists flock to Japan&#039;s famous snow-covered mountains, but a lack of top-down regulation on the country&#039;s outdoor sports industry can make certain activities unnecessarily risky.
¡®Sashiko¡¯ needlework artisan says craft is about 'the stories behind the stitching'
Traditional Japanese needlework has exploded in popularity, but a book from a third-generation artisan aims to bring more context to the craft&#039;s newfound popularity.
Tennis trailblazer Kei Nishikori announces his retirement
Kei Nishikori, who has won 12 titles on the ATP Tour and climbed as high as No. 4 in the world rankings, on Thursday announced his retirement.
Japanese fried chicken with a Southern twist
A buttermilk-inspired marinade gives a rich umami flavor to your fried chicken.
Documentary captures the long echo of Fukushima's nuclear disaster
Toru Yamada¡¯s documentary ¡°At the Triangle Intersection,¡± which delves into the lingering impact of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, follows Tetsu (center), the matriarch of the Watanabe family, her son, Takemasa (right) and her daughter-in-law, Shigeko.

Podcast

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

Longform

Projects like the BuddhaBot aim to re-create dialogue once lost to time, raising questions about whether AI can extend the teachings of Buddha or merely simulate them.
Can AI replace a priest? Japan¡¯s temples and shrines are testing the limits.
By Alex K.T. Martin

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