Japanese workers’ real wages fell in every month of 2025, underscoring the persistence of inflation and bolstering the case for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to continue down a more expansionary fiscal path. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/02/09/economy/real-wages-drop/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #sanaetakaichi #japaneseeconomy #wages #inflation #2026lowerhouseelection #ldp #boj
Japan's ratio of household spending on food hit a 44-year high in 2025, reflecting elevated food prices, according to an internal affairs ministry survey. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/02/08/economy/japan-household-food-spending-ratio/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #food #inflation #economicindicators
A Bank of Japan board member highlighted the need for further increases to the benchmark interest rate in order to complete the process of normalizing policy settings. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/02/06/economy/boj-member-signal-rate-hikes/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #boj #japaneseeconomy #inflation
Rising food prices are a big issue for Prime Minister Sanae ahead of a national election on Feb. 8 that will make or break her government. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/02/06/economy/food-cost-rise-election/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #consumptiontax #food #2026lowerhouseelection #japaneseeconomy #inflation #economicindicators #sanaetakaichi
Wealthier households in the United States are benefiting from rising asset values, but median- and lower-income families increasingly struggle as a “K-shaped economy” takes hold, analysts warn. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/02/06/economy/us-households-living-costs-struggle/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #us #donaldtrump #food #inflation
Japan’s long experiment with massive government debt and suppressed interest rates is unraveling as inflation returns, bond yields rise and the yen weakens. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2026/02/04/japan/japan-bond-markets-warning-for-america/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #bonds #markets #fed #boj #inflation #monetarypolicy #japaneseeconomy #useconomy
As parties fanned out across the country, Japan’s voters voiced hope for a range of policy measures as the country grapples with a series of challenges — including soaring prices. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/02/02/japan/politics/japan-voters-voices-election/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #2026lowerhouseelection #japaneseeconomy #inflation #ldp #cra #sanaetakaichi #yoshihikonoda
A summary of opinions from the Bank of Japan’s January policy meeting indicated a growing awareness of the need to raise interest rates in a timely fashion as authorities monitor the impact of the weak yen on inflation. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/02/02/boj-summary-of-opinions-january-meeting/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #boj #yen #forex #inflation #sanaetakaichi
A labor-management forum hosted by the Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, was held in Tokyo on Friday, kicking off full-fledged shuntō spring wage negotiations. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/01/30/economy/wage-talks-forum/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #shunto #wages #japaneseeconomy #keidanren #unions #inflation
Inflation in Tokyo slowed to 2% year-on-year in January from 2.3% in the previous month, hitting the lowest level since October 2024. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/01/30/economy/tokyo-cpi-january/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #inflation #tokyo #japaneseeconomy #economicindicators #food #energy
Japan is set to see close to a 60% drop in the number of food and beverage price increases in February in comparison with a year earlier, a sign that inflation might be slowing down. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/01/30/economy/food-hikes-drop-february/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #food #japaneseeconomy #surveys #inflation
U.S. removes call for BOJ to raise interest rates https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/01/30/economy/us-removal-call-boj-interest-rates/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #us #usjapanrelations #boj #japaneseeconomy #inflation #yen #currencies
Japan's private-sector rice imports surged 95-fold in 2025 from the previous year to 96,834 tons, as demand for foreign rice was strong despite high tariffs because of surging prices for domestically grown rice https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/01/29/economy/japan-private-sector-rice-imports/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #rice #trade #inflation
Consumption tax and rising prices have been the most frequently mentioned issues on social media ahead of Japan's upcoming election, an analysis has found. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/29/japan/politics/japan-lower-house-election-social-media-posts/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #2026lowerhouseelection #socialmedia #consumptiontax #taxes #inflation #japaneseeconomy
New condominium prices in Tokyo hit a record in 2025, driven by ballooning construction costs, supply constraints and more expensive luxury apartments hitting the market. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/01/27/economy/tokyo-condo-prices-record-high/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #economicindicators #japaneseeconomy #realestate #inflation
Japanese consumers have expressed worries about rising prices of goods ahead of the Feb. 8 general election for the Lower House, the all-important lower chamber of parliament. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/24/japan/politics/consumers-inflation-worries-election/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #2026lowerhouseelection #diet #inflation #food
Japanese labor leader Tomoko Yoshino said Friday that she aims to secure wage hikes in the 5% range for a third consecutive year in spring labor talks. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/01/23/rengo-leader-wage-hikes/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #rengo #unions #jobs #wages #tomokoyoshino #inflation #shunto
Japanese financial authorities are watching currency movements with a sense of urgency, Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said Friday, after a moment of yen volatility that transpired more than an hour earlier. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/01/23/markets/katayama-yen-rate-urgency/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #markets #yen #dollar #forex #boj #financeministry #satsukikatayama #inflation #sanaetakaichi
Japan’s inflation slowed for the first time in four months on the impact of government subsidies, in a report that highlighted the underlying strength of price pressure hours before the central bank decides policy. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/01/23/economy/japan-inflation-slows-december/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #inflation #economicindicators #japaneseeconomy #boj #yen
Takaichi’s plan to cut Japan’s food tax is a short-term political move with limited consumer benefit, and the resulting bond market turmoil is largely exaggerated. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2026/01/22/japan/takaichis-bad-tax-plan/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #japaneseeconomy #taxes #sanaetakaichi #inflation