A summary of the Bank of Japan’s most recent meeting hints of further rate hikes, with some board members noting that the country’s real interest rate remains very low. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/12/29/economy/bank-of-japan-december-meeting/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #boj #japaneseeconomy #inflation #kazuoueda
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the nation’s primary balance is set to return to a surplus for the first time in 28 years, in an apparent attempt to ease market concerns over her proactive stance on spending. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/12/27/economy/primary-balance-surplus/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #sanaetakaichi #ldp #budgets #debt #japaneseeconomy
Japan’s efforts to to halt rural depopulation and revive its countryside have failed because jobs alone are insufficient, requiring a broader focus on quality of life, productivity and realistic population goals. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/editorials/2025/12/26/japans-regional-revitalization-policy/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #editorials #depopulation #japaneseeconomy #meti #robots #localgovernment #rurallife #tech
Japan’s industry ministry is set to nearly quadruple its budgeted support for cutting-edge semiconductors and AI development to about ¥1.23 trillion for the next fiscal year. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/12/26/economy/ai-budget-support/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #ai #japaneseeconomy #chipmakers #meti #cabinet #us #china #sanaetakaichi #tech #budgets
Tokyo’s inflation cooled more than expected as pressures from food and energy prices faded, triggering yen weakness on bets the Bank of Japan may delay the timing of its next interest rate hike. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/12/26/economy/tokyo-inflation-december/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #tokyo #inflation #japaneseeconomy #food #internalaffairsministry #boj
Bank of Japan’s Ueda signaled that further interest hikes are likely coming next year, by projecting rising confidence that the central bank is closer to attaining its sustainable price target. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/12/25/economy/boj-ueda-speech-rate-hike/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #kazuoueda #boj #japaneseeconomy #keidanren
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the door to communications with China remains open and Tokyo’s goal of building a constructive, stable relationship with Beijing has been consistent through her two months in office. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/25/japan/politics/japan-pm-takaichi-china-communication-open/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #sanaetakaichi #chinajapanrelations #japaneseeconomy
This year’s winter bonuses at large companies in Japan averaged ¥1,004,841, topping ¥1 million for the first time since comparable data became available in 1981, a survey showed. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/12/25/companies/japan-big-firms-winter-bonus/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #companies #wages #japaneseeconomy #surveys #keidanren
The government plans to scrap its target of turning the primary budget balance at the central and local governments into a surplus in a specific fiscal year. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/12/25/economy/japan-primary-surplus-goal/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #japaneseeconomy #sanaetakaichi #budgets #debts
Housing loans with repayment periods of up to 50 years, far longer than the standard 35-year term for long-term mortgages, are gaining popularity in Japan, particularly among people in their 20s. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/12/25/economy/japan-superlong-housing-loans/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #housing #realestate #debt #japaneseeconomy
Japan's government revised up its economic forecast for the fiscal year to next March and projected that growth would accelerate in the following year, on the view that a massive stimulus package will boost expenditure. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/12/25/economy/japan-govt-economic-growth-projection/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #japaneseeconomy #consumption #taxes #budgets #sanaetakaichi
The Bank of Japan should take a cautious approach to raising interest rates as the government pulls out all the stops to energize the economy, according to a former board member. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/12/25/economy/boj-cautious-rate-hikes/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #boj #japaneseeconomy #yutakaharada #inflation #wages
The Finance Ministry will set a key rate used to calculate the country’s likely interest payments on bonds next fiscal year at 3.0%, the highest in nearly three decades. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/12/24/economy/interest-payments-on-bonds/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #budgets #bonds #debt #financeministry #japaneseeconomy
Despite lifting rates to a three-decade high, the Bank of Japan is signaling a cautious, gradual path toward further hikes while insisting policy remains accommodative. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/12/24/japans-rate-milestone-just-step/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #boj #fed #interestrates #monetarypolicy #japaneseeconomy #kazuoueda
Governments such as Japan and their businesses must forge stronger relationships in a world dominated by economic security. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/12/24/japan/a-new-era-new-public-private-partnerships/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #japan #japaneseeconomy #economicsecurity #nationalsecurity #publicsector #privatesector #businesses #supplychains #trade #us #keidanren #meti #defense
Japan and the U.S. held a second consultation meeting on Japan’s $550 billion investment pledge, with both Economy Minister Ryosei Akazawa and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick attending. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/12/24/economy/550-billion-consultation/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #ryoseiakazawa #tariffs #donaldtrump #trade #carmakers #us #japaneseeconomy #usjapanrelations
Japan ranked 28th in labor productivity in 2024 among the 38 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, falling by two notches from the previous year. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/12/23/japan-labor-productivity-oecd/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #japaneseeconomy #jobs #economicindicators #oecd
Japan adopted a strategy on regional revitalization, such as drawing more tourists to rural areas, designed to help realize a strong economy — a goal of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's administration. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12/23/japan/local-revitalization-strategy/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #japaneseeconomy #sanaetakaichi #disasterpreparedness #localgovernment
Beijing’s expansion of export controls on rare earth elements could redefine global production. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/12/23/world/china-weaponized-rare-earths/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #rareearths #supplychains #china #trade #defense #chinajapanrelations #chineseeconomy #japaneseeconomy #globaleconomy
Japan’s bond rout continues after the BOJ’s rate increase and as a record-busting budget approval looms, and the yen has been weak despite the higher yields. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/12/22/markets/japanese-bond-rout/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #markets #japaneseeconomy #kazuoueda #us #boj #economicindicators #jgb #bonds