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June 26, 2026
 

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Leika Kihara
A draft of the government's economic blueprint urges the Bank of Japan to align its decisions with Prime Minister Sanae ?Takaichi's drive to reflate growth.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 25, 2026
Japan¡¯s government blueprint nudges BOJ to fuel demand, clouding rates path
The draft urges the Bank of Japan to align its decisions with Prime Minister Sanae ?Takaichi¡¯s drive to reflate growth.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda speaks during a news conference after a BOJ policy meeting in Tokyo, on April 28.
BUSINESS
Jun 10, 2026
BOJ Gov. Ueda hospitalized and will miss June meeting
The governor will submit a written statement on ?his view on policy but will ?not participate in next week¡¯s vote, the BOJ said in a statement.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda arrives for a news conference after a BOJ policy meeting in Tokyo last month.
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
May 9, 2026
Japan bets on Washington and BOJ for extra punch in yen battle
The strategy is reliant on a small cast of heavyweights and is aimed less at a dramatic turnaround than at raising the cost of betting against the yen.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda has spoken of the need for vigilance to the impact of escalating conflict in ?the Middle East.
BUSINESS
Apr 13, 2026
BOJ¡¯s Ueda calls for vigilance against impact of Middle East war
The reference to Middle East uncertainty marks a shift from March¡¯s guidance.
The International Monetary Fund has urged the Bank of Japan to keep raising rates even as the war in Iran poses new risks.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 4, 2026
IMF urges BOJ to keep raising rates even as Iran war poses new risks
The proposal comes amid market expectations the BOJ ?will raise ?interest rates as soon as April in the face of mounting inflationary ?pressure.
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde is said to be considering stepping down early to deny euroskeptic leaders the chance to influence who follows in her role.
BUSINESS / Markets / ANALYSIS
Feb 27, 2026
Under pressure from populist politicians, central bankers face tricky trade-off
How can central banks defend their independence and their credibility without appearing political themselves?
Former Bank of Japan Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda speaks during an interview in Tokyo on Tuesday. Kuroda has warned that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's spending plans could stoke an inflationary upswing.
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 25, 2026
Former BOJ chief Kuroda calls for rate hikes and tighter fiscal policy
Former Bank of Japan Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda has warned that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi¡¯s spending plans could stoke an inflationary upswing.
U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. The Bank of Japan's decision not to sign a statement expressing solidarity with Powell was in line with its long-held ?practice of withholding comment on controversial topics, analysts say.
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Jan 15, 2026
BOJ puts self-defense ahead of solidarity with Fed¡¯s Powell
The BOJ¡¯s decision not to sign the statement was in line with its long-held ?practice of withholding comment on controversial topics, analysts say.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda meets with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the Prime Minister's Office on Nov. 18. During the meeting, Takaichi reportedly acknowledged the central bank's plan to gradually raise rates.
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Dec 4, 2025
BOJ¡¯s Ueda won Takaichi over this time. What happens next?
Gov. Kazuo Ueda¡¯s recent pitch for a December rate hike seems to have been accepted by markets and the administration, but how will the bank communicate its longer-term intentions?
Labor unions in Japan have already made clear they will again demand bumper pay hikes, as real wage growth has remained negative despite hefty increases in recent years.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 24, 2025
Early signs for 2026 wages bolster case for near-term BOJ rate hike
Sustained wage growth would underpin private consumption, giving Japan¡¯s central bank confidence to raise rates without derailing Japan¡¯s economic recovery.
Sanae Takaichi, the newly elected leader of Japan's ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party, attends a news conference after the LDP presidential election in Tokyo on Oct. 4.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Oct 18, 2025
Japan¡¯s fractured politics could ensnarl Takaichi¡¯s economic plans
Sanae Takaichi may have found the political support she needs to become Japan¡¯s next prime minister ¡ª but the new cross-party alliances come with risks.
People work at an automotive parts factory in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, on April 11. Export powerhouse Japan saw manufacturing activity shrink in September.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 1, 2025
Asian factories struggle as soft China and U.S. demand takes toll
Export powerhouse Japan and global tech hub Taiwan saw manufacturing activity shrink in September, leaving businesses in Asia on fragile footing.
(Left) Bank of England Gov. Andrew Bailey, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde (second from left), Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda (third from left) and U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell pose for a picture during the Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium in Moran, Wyoming, on Friday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Aug 25, 2025
Central bankers fear being caught in Federal Reserve¡¯s storm
Politically motivated attacks on the Fed could spill over to the rest of the world.
LDP lawmaker Ken Saito
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 6, 2025
Japan ruling party heavyweight warns against BOJ rate hike
The remark highlights the political pressure the BOJ could face in resuming rate hikes as higher U.S. levies hurt corporate profits.
The Bank of Japan may face pressure to avoid rate hikes if opposition parties gain traction in the upcoming Upper House election.
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Jul 14, 2025
Upper House election could further hamper BOJ¡¯s drive to raise rates
Surveys suggest Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba¡¯s coalition may lose its majority, and empowered opposition parties could pressure the central bank to avoid rate hikes.
Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato listens to a question during an interview at the Finance Ministry in Tokyo on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 18, 2025
Japan¡¯s finance minister is ¡®deeply concerned¡¯ over impact of Trump¡¯s tariffs
The minister also voiced concern over volatile market moves that Trump¡¯s tariffs triggered, saying they could hurt Japan¡¯s economic recovery.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba gives instructions to Economic Revitalization Minister Ryosei Akazawa (third from left) and others at the Prime Minister's Office on Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 11, 2025
Japan braces for talks on yen and BOJ in trade negotiations with U.S.
Ryosei Akazawa, who is heading the task force, is reportedly set to meet U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent next week.
Containers are loaded onto a ship at the Port of Baltimore, Maryland, on Wednesday ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of new tariffs.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 3, 2025
Trump tariffs pile stress on ailing world economy
They will sap yet more vigor from a world economy barely recovered from the post-pandemic inflation surge.
Former Bank of Japan Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda said Japan must fix "any misunderstanding" held by U.S. President Donald Trump that its central bank was intentionally weakening the yen with monetary policy.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 8, 2025
Japan must fix ¡®misunderstanding¡¯ it is manipulating yen, says ex-BOJ chief Kuroda
Trump said he had told Japan and China they could not continue to reduce the value of their currencies, as doing so would be unfair to the United States.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda explains the central bank's decision on its interest rate hike during a news conference after a policy meeting on Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
Jan 27, 2025
BOJ may revert to fuzzy communication after Fed-style rates clarity
The BOJ fumbled its communication in December, surprising investors, but then telegraphed Friday¡¯s increase so unambiguously that the rate hike was 90% priced in.
Magnitude 7.2 quake hits northern Japan
A screenshot of the Japan Meteorological Agency website shows the seismic intensity of Thursday morning's earthquake.
Double barrage of storms to hit Japan this week
A map depicting the paths of Typhoon Mekkhala and Tropical Storm Higos
Two Japanese held in China for allegedly smuggling export-restricted goods
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara speaks during a news conference on Wednesday at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo.
Masayoshi Son dismisses Musk¡¯s idea for orbital data centers
SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son dismissed the idea of space-based data centers, arguing that the AI race will be won by computing power on Earth.
Two storms approach Japan, with possible convergence complicating forecasts
A map depicting the paths of Tropical Storm Mekkhala and Tropical Storm Higos
This is not AI. It¡¯s intentionally, painstakingly human-made art.
Artist Yoshitoshi Kanemaki's exhibition "Emergence Entity" at Shibuya Parco is a rare chance to see a bigger collection of his works together, as they sell out fast.
Remembering the wrestlers who rarely make the headlines
Tsurugisho throws salt at a one-day sumo event at the Kokugikan in Tokyo in February 2020.
China¡¯s mineral squeeze testing Japan¡¯s military buildup
Samples of rare earth luminescent materials displayed at an exhibition on China¡¯s manufacturing achievements at the National Museum in Beijing in March
Stepping up, not aside: Japan¡¯s retirement-age tour guides
Yoichi Miura (third from left) now divides his time between his import business and guiding international visitors across Japan.
Japan-South Korea detente persists ¡ª but breakthrough remains elusive
While Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung have kept relations from sliding backward, experts say they have struggled to turn stability into concrete steps forward.

Podcast

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

Longform

Social camouflaging can help neurodivergent people navigate social situations, but researchers say the effort often comes with significant emotional and mental strain.
The challenge of being neurodivergent in Japan¡¯s culture of conformity
By Tomoko Otake

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