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April 28, 2026
 

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Yoshiaki Nohara
Japan¡¯s export growth beat analysts¡¯ forecast in March as demand in China rebounded, while the impact from the Middle East conflict has yet to surface.
BUSINESS
Apr 22, 2026
Japan¡¯s export growth quickened as China returned from holidays
The value of overall exports rose 11.7% in March from a year earlier, accelerating from a revised 4% pace in February.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks to reporters Wednesday at the Prime Minister¡¯s Office following an online meeting with Southeast Asian leaders.
JAPAN
Apr 15, 2026
Japan to provide $10 billion to Southeast Asia to secure oil
Sanae Takaichi added that Japan relies on Asian nations to secure medical supplies like surgery gloves.
New trucks bound for shipment at a port in Yokohama
BUSINESS
Mar 18, 2026
Japan¡¯s export growth slows on China holidays and U.S. tariffs impact
The value of overall exports rose 4.2% in February from a year earlier, after a big jump in the previous month.
Japan's gross domestic product rose at an annualized 1.3% in the three months through December, with the revised figures showing that business spending was stronger than reported in preliminary figures.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 10, 2026
Japan confirms economy expanded as Takaichi urges investment
Gross domestic product rose at an annualized pace of 1.3% versus the prior quarter in the three months through December.
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.
Japan's overall exports gained 3.1% in 2025 from the previous year, led by electronic parts and food.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 22, 2026
Japan¡¯s exports rise in 2025 despite drag from U.S. tariffs
Overall exports gained 3.1% in 2025 from the previous year, led by electronic parts and food, the Finance Ministry has reported.
Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama in Washington on Monday
BUSINESS
Jan 14, 2026
Japan warns speculators after yen sets fresh 18-month low
¡°We won¡¯t rule out any means and will respond appropriately to moves that are excessive, including those that are speculative,¡± said Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama.
A mine containing rare earth minerals in China's Inner Mongolia province.
JAPAN
Jan 10, 2026
Japan seeks support as fears rise over China¡¯s rare earth grip
Tensions have continued to rise between Asia¡¯s two biggest economies, dragging out a dispute that began in early November.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara speaks to reporters Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 8, 2026
Japan protests China¡¯s gas drilling vessel in East China Sea
In 2008 Japan and China had reached an agreement to jointly develop gas fields in the East China Sea, but talks stalled since then.
A prototype of a Rapidus 300mm wafer displayed at the Semicon Japan exhibition. The industry ministry has earmarked ?150 billion for state-backed chip venture Rapidus, bringing the cumulative government investment in the venture to ?250 billion.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 26, 2025
Japan to quadruple spending support for chips and AI in budget
The jump in chips and AI spending comes at as Japan is trying to strengthen its capacities in frontier technology, and the U.S. and China race ahead.
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.
Magnitude 6.2 quake shakes Hokkaido
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake, measuring an upper 5 on Japan¡¯s seismic intensity scale, struck Hokkaido before 5:30 a.m. on Monday.
Beyond the hub-and-spoke: Japan quietly emerges as a secondary connector
Commander of the Ground Self-Defense Force's Amphibious Rapid Deployment, Maj. Gen. Toshikatsu Musha, and commander of the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Amphibious and Mine Warfare Force, Rear Adm. Ikeuchi Izuru, attend the opening ceremony of the U.S.-Philippines Balikatan joint military exercises, in Quezon City, Metro Manila, on April 20.
The Japanese dietitian who keeps the Blue Jays¡¯ engines running
Sports dietitian Yuka Sanui works behind the scenes to ensure Blue Jays players get the most out of their bodies when they step on the field.
The language around Japan¡¯s new bike rules leaves no room for ¡®maybe¡¯
Under the new blue ticket system, cyclists will have one week in which to pay fines for minor traffic violations.
China holds live-fire drills in waters near Luzon as Japan joins military exercises in Philippines
Head of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Chief of Staff Romeo Brawner Jr., speaks during the opening ceremony of the U.S.-Philippines Balikatan joint military exercises, at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Metro Manila, on Monday.
Beyond the hub-and-spoke: Japan quietly emerges as a secondary connector
Commander of the Ground Self-Defense Force's Amphibious Rapid Deployment, Maj. Gen. Toshikatsu Musha, and commander of the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Amphibious and Mine Warfare Force, Rear Adm. Ikeuchi Izuru, attend the opening ceremony of the U.S.-Philippines Balikatan joint military exercises, in Quezon City, Metro Manila, on April 20.
The Japanese dietitian who keeps the Blue Jays¡¯ engines running
Sports dietitian Yuka Sanui works behind the scenes to ensure Blue Jays players get the most out of their bodies when they step on the field.
The American chef reconnecting with Japan through a Kyoto restaurant
SoNoMa chef partner Kyle Connaughton (right) and chef de cuisine Keita Tominaga both have ties to Sonoma County in Northern California, the restaurant¡¯s namesake. Connaughton rose to prominence there with SingleThread, while Tominaga¡¯s father ran a Japanese restaurant in the region.
Hokusai¡¯s erotic art on display at a Kabukicho noh theater
¡°The Dream of the Fisherman¡¯s Wife,¡± a rarely exhibited print by Hokusai, will be on display at the Shinjuku Kabukicho Noh Theater for a limited time, from May 1 to 10.?

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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