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July 12, 2026
 

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BOJ

The most popular timing for the next hike is July, by a wide margin, with 48% of economists picking that month, according to the Bloomberg’s survey of 52 economists.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 16, 2026
BOJ watchers see next rate hike by July with yen as the X factor
All the respondents to a survey predicted policymakers will keep the benchmark rate unchanged at the next BOJ gathering this month, with the most popular timing being July.
The Bank of Japan risks weakening its independence by treating silence and limited transparency as protection rather than accountability.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 15, 2026
Silence won’t protect the Bank of Japan’s independence
Why then does silence persist? Because in today’s institutional environment, speaking carries visible political risk, while silence carries little immediate cost.
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.
A narrowing of the yield premium of U.K. debt over Japanese government bonds has led to the appeal of gilts fading.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jan 13, 2026
Japanese funds sell most U.K. bonds since 2011 amid fiscal concern
Higher bond yields in Japan also sapped demand for gilts.
The Bank of Japan's headquarters in Tokyo
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 9, 2026
BOJ indicates it’s eyeing more rate hikes with regional report
Most BOJ watchers expect the pace of rate hikes to be once in every six months or so.
Outlays by households adjusted for inflation gained 2.9% in November from a year earlier, with the advance driven by outlays on cars and communications, according to the internal affairs ministry.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 9, 2026
Japan’s household outlays rose ahead of Takaichi’s stimulus plan
Outlays by households adjusted for inflation gained 2.9% from a year earlier, with the advance driven by outlays on cars and communications, the internal affairs ministry reported.
The Japanese government's dependence on ad hoc spending measures and temporary revenue boosts conceals the real scope and effects of government expenditures, making fiscal transparency and clear reporting vital for economic accountability.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 8, 2026
Japan needs fiscal transparency more than ever
Oversized supplementary budgets, symbolic tax measures and broad transfers cannot substitute for clarity and coherence.
2026 is shaping up as a year of competing forces for Japan, with strong underlying momentum and reform potential outweighed by the risks from inflation, geopolitics and policy missteps if leadership does not act decisively.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 8, 2026
The top 10 surprises for the Year of the Fire Horse
For 2026, the only certainty is that this year of the Fire Horse will be shaped both by existing trends that evolve and genuine surprises.
Base pay in Japan increased 2% in November from a year earlier, according to the labor ministry.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 8, 2026
Japan’s base pay growth holds steady, but nominal wage increases slow
The mixed signals come two weeks before the Bank of Japan next meet to decide policy.
A screen displays Japan's 10-year government bonds (left) and the rate of the yen against the dollar outside a securities firm in Tokyo on Monday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 6, 2026
Japan’s 10-year bond sale draws investor demand on high yields
Japanese government bond yields have recently risen to around multi-decade highs as investors consider the Bank of Japan’s rate-hike path.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 5, 2026
Ueda highlights BOJ’s intention to keep raising rate to bankers
The central bank raised its benchmark rate to 0.75% on Dec. 19, the highest level in three decades, with some expecting the next move to come around the middle of the year.
The year-end balance of bank notes in circulation in Japan fell for a third consecutive year amid the rise of cashless payments, according to data released Tuesday by the Bank of Japan.
BUSINESS / Markets
Dec 31, 2025
Japan’s year-end balance of bank notes in circulation falls for 3rd straight year
The declining trend emerges as consumers embrace cashless payments.
Nintendo’s upcoming film, Super Mario Galaxy Movie, is positioned as a major 2026 soft-power moment for Japan, with expectations it could replicate the franchise’s 2023 $1.36 billion box office success.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 29, 2025
Takaichi, Mario, baseball and the Year of the Fire Horse
2026 marks the Year of the Horse in Japan. It’s one demographers have been awaiting for decades — the return of the Fire Horse.
The Bank of Japan’s headquarters in Tokyo. The central bank on Dec. 19 raised its policy rate to 0.75%, the highest since 1995.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 29, 2025
Summary of BOJ’s December meeting hints of further rate hikes
Some members of the central bank’s board signaled that Japan’s real interest rate remains very low.
Consumer prices in Tokyo, excluding fresh food, rose 2.3% in December from a year earlier, slowing from 2.8% in November, the internal affairs ministry said Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 26, 2025
Yen weakens as Tokyo inflation cools more than expected
Consumer prices excluding fresh food in the capital rose 2.3% in December from a year earlier, slowing sharply from 2.8% in the previous month.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda attends a meeting with business lobby Keidanren in Tokyo on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 25, 2025
Ueda signals further hikes with more confidence over price goal
The remarks underscore investor expectations that the bank isn’t done with hikes even after it raised borrowing costs to the highest level since 1995 last Friday.
Asia’s economic growth in 2025 was sluggish, central banks acted cautiously amid low inflation and political pressures and the full impact of U.S. tariffs and policy choices will become clearer in 2026.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 25, 2025
Easy money defined Asia in 2025. It gets harder now.
If predictions are hazardous at the best of times, they are more fraught today.
The Bank of Japan should take a cautious approach to raising interest rates further, a former BOJ policy board member has said.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 25, 2025
BOJ needs caution on rates during growth push, ex-official says
The former board member said the government should fully utilize fiscal, monetary and tax policy to stimulate demand and realize a “high pressure” economy.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda attends a news conference in Tokyo on Friday. The BOJ raised its benchmark interest rate to the highest in 30 years and indicated more increases are in the pipeline if conditions allow.
COMMENTARY
Dec 24, 2025
Bank of Japan’s rate hike likely first of many
Today’s Japan is different. Friday’s decision is a milestone. To hear it from the bank, there is still some distance to go.
Bonds and the yen have been week since the Bank of Japan increased rates on Friday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Dec 22, 2025
Japan’s 10-year government bond yield hits 2.1% as rout continues
The yen is also weak after the BOJ’s rate increase and as the approval of a record-busting budget looms.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

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