Economy

The yen weakened against the euro and the dollar after the Bank of Japan decided to maintain its ultraloose monetary policy.
Currencies

Yen plunges to lowest in over 14 years against euro after BOJ decision

Bank of Japan stands pat ahead of another expected ECB rate hike

29 April 2023
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda speaks after chairing his first meeting on April 28 in Tokyo. (Photo by Shinya Sawai) 
Bank of Japan

BOJ's Ueda underlines easing side effects, but preaches patience

Central bank keeps easy monetary policy unchanged in Ueda's debut; will conduct review

28 April 2023
Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is expected to announce soon that South Korea has been restored to the "Group A" list of countries eligible for preferential export treatment.
International relations

Japan to resume preferential trade status on exports to South Korea

Tokyo to put Seoul back on its 'Group A' list after 2019 downgrade

28 April 2023
A greater burden on working-age Japanese could discourage them from having children. (Photo by Wataru Ito)
Society

Japan's shrinking population defies efforts to stave off decline

Better pay needed to attract foreign workers, economists say

27 April 2023
Japan's estimated total fertility rate, or the number of births per woman, was lowered to 1.36 from 1.44 in the previous estimate, reflecting the falling birthrate. (Photo by Yosuke Kurabe)
Society

Japan population to fall below 100m by 2056: new estimate

Shrinking working-age population to weigh on country's economic growth

26 April 2023
Shinzo Abe, center, then Japan's prime minister, pushed his Data Free Flow with Trust plan at the 2019 Group of 20 leaders' summit in Osaka. (Kiyoshi Ota/Pool via Reuters)
Opinion

G-7 can turn the tide on digital trade restrictions

Japan's DFFT plan can be foundation for trusted global data sharing

26 April 2023
Rapidus is a key piece of Japan's efforts to bring advanced semiconductor manufacturing back to the country.
Semiconductors

Japan to give chipmaker Rapidus nearly $2bn more in aid

Money going to R&D, including dispatching of engineers to IBM

26 April 2023
People who work multiple part-time jobs fall through the cracks in Japan's unemployment insurance system. (Photo by Kosaku Mimura)
Work

Japan weighs jobless benefits for part-timers below 20 hours a week

Proposal expands access to parental leave and skill development

25 April 2023
A crew member on a long-term specified skilled worker visa operates a concrete pump in Japan's Gifu prefecture. (Photo by Yuki Nakao)
Japan immigration

Japan eyes long-term stays for wider range of skilled foreign workers

Proposal allows visa renewals for industries beyond construction, nursing

25 April 2023
Masakazu Tokura, leader of Japan's top business lobby Keidanren, says companies must raise wages to offset inflation until around 2030. (Photo by Yutaka Miyaguchi)
Economy

Consumption tax a way to fund Japan plan to up birthrate: businesses

Keidanren chief says companies must hike wages to offset inflation until 2030

24 April 2023
A lithium extraction site in Chile. Global demand for lithium-ion batteries for EVs and plug-in hybrid vehicles is projected to increase sevenfold by 2030. (Photo by Nozomu Ogawa)
Economy

Japan to subsidize half of costs for lithium and key mineral projects

Push to reduce reliance on China for crucial materials in EV batteries and motors

23 April 2023
A hotel in Tokyo's Asakusa district. Room rates in major cities are seeing big jumps over last year's levels. (Photo by Taro Saeki)
Travel & Leisure

Japan hotel prices surge as domestic and inbound travel rebound

Rates for Golden Week holiday up more than 50% in many cases

22 April 2023
Kazuo Ueda took over as governor of the Bank of Japan in April. (Photo by Uichiro Kasai)
Bank of Japan

BOJ to review a quarter century of unconventional easing measures

With Ueda now Japan's top central banker, six tools to get a closer look

22 April 2023
U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai speaks at a media briefing in Tokyo on April 20. The U.S. is working to create the 14-nation Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. (Photo by Natsumi Kawasaki) 
Trade

U.S.-led Pacific trade framework may see results this year: USTR

U.S. Trade Representative Tai says goal is not to decouple from China

20 April 2023
Sumitomo Life Insurance CEO Yukinori Takada. (Photo by Hiroshi Endo)
Currencies

Currency hedging costs in bonds to stay high: Sumitomo Life CEO

Insurer sees no narrowing of Japan-U.S. interest rate gap this year

20 April 2023
Tourists are returning to Japan, especially from the U.S., Europe and the Middle East. (Photo by Satoko Kawasaki)
Travel & Leisure

Spending by visitors to Japan on track to top pre-COVID levels

1.82m people arrived in March, surpassing 1.5m for first time since January 2020

20 April 2023
For Japan, getting additional buy-in from Warren Buffett, the most celebrated living investor, matters.  (Photo by Shinya Sawai) 
Opinion

Kishida must seize the opening Buffett has given him

Getting investors to look past narrow sectors will take reform revival

19 April 2023
Hedge funds and private equity companies are coming to Japan because 'things around the world are expensive,' analysts say. (Source photos by Getty Images, Mizuho Miyazaki and Shinya Sawai) 
Market Spotlight

Warren Buffett leads global investors into 'cheap' Japan

Hedge fund billionaires Ken Griffin and Steve Cohen build up operations in Tokyo

17 April 2023
An artist rendering of the planned casino resort in Osaka due to open in late 2029. (Image courtesy of MGM Resorts International and Orix)
Travel & Leisure

Japan's 1st casino looks to copy Singapore's success

Osaka resort counts on gambling revenues but faces capacity limits

15 April 2023
Changing the Bank of Japan's yield curve control policy could cause a chain of spillover effects in markets, the International Monetary Fund warned.
Bank of Japan

Communication a must if BOJ opts to change course: IMF official

Tobias Adrian expects Ueda to stand pat, but high inflation could prompt a shift

15 April 2023
Although Sri Lanka still lacks the foreign currency it needs to buy crucial imports, President Ranil Wickremesinghe says there are signs the economy is improving.
Sri Lanka crisis

Japan and India to organize Sri Lanka creditors meeting

Successful resolution could serve as model for future debt restructuring

12 April 2023
The Bank of Japan could move to end its negative interest rate policy next fiscal year if the conditions are right, a Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group exec says.
Interview

BOJ may end yield curve control by September: MUFG markets chief

Central bank could lift negative rate policy next fiscal year, says Hiroyuki Seki

12 April 2023
Visitors crowd Tokyo's popular Asakusa district in mid-February, with Japan's tourist industry kicking back into gear in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Yo Inoue) 
Economy

Japan's February GDP grows 1.8% on tourism recovery: JCER

Exports of goods and services, private consumption lead economy

11 April 2023
Kazuo Ueda spoke to reporters as Bank of Japan governor for the first time on April 10. (Photo by Uichiro Kasai)
Bank of Japan

Marathon, not sprint: 4 takeaways from new BOJ head's briefing

Ueda steps back from talk of policy tweaks amid banking turmoil

11 April 2023
The Bank of Japan under new governor Kazuo Ueda should stick with its 2% inflation target, says William Dudley, former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. (Photo by Hideyuki Miura)
Interview

BOJ 2% inflation goal 'reasonable' for Ueda to keep: ex-N.Y. Fed chief

Dudley 'cautiously optimistic' about Kuroda's easing but says 'premature' to judge

11 April 2023