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June 30, 2026
 

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FINANCE MINISTRY

A female technician maintaining and inspecting machinery
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 26, 2026
Takaichi’s blueprint of women’s policies focuses on menopause, education and housekeepers
Support for women’s health in different stages of life forms one of the main pillars of the government plan.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a news conference in Tokyo in April
JAPAN / Politics
Jun 25, 2026
Japan unveils multiyear framework as part of budget reform
The mechanism is expected to start next fiscal year and will be used to fund measures including investments in economic security and crisis preparedness.
The trade balance flipped to a ¥378.6 billion ($2.36 billion) deficit in May on an unadjusted basis, according to the Finance Ministry.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 17, 2026
Japan’s trade balance swings to deficit as yen inflates imports
The deficit suggests trade may weigh on growth in the second quarter, when economists largely expect a slowdown due to the impact of the war in Iran.
Vice Finance Minister for International Affairs Atsushi Mimura speaks to reporters in Tokyo on May 1 following reports of Japan's possible intervention in the currency market.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jun 5, 2026
Japan likely sold Treasurys to fund yen intervention
Treasury sales may not go down well in Washington where officials have become increasingly focused on the stability of the U.S. government bond market.
The Japanese government and the Bank of Japan conducted foreign exchange market interventions totaling over ¥11 trillion between April 28 and May 27.
BUSINESS
Jun 4, 2026
Japan official calls forex intervention a key tool to send message
Such intervention should be used when foreign exchange market moves that clearly deviate from economic fundamentals persist, Mimura said.
Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama's comments on the yen came after the Finance Ministry disclosed monthly intervention data on Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 2, 2026
Katayama restates readiness to act on yen after data shows record intervention
Ministry figures released Friday show that Japan spent ¥11.73 trillion supporting the yen between April 28 and May 27, in a record for a monthlong period.
Capital expenditure excluding software fell 3.5% from the previous quarter in the three months through March, according to the Finance Ministry.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 1, 2026
Japan’s firms cut spending over Iran stress despite record profits
Capital expenditure excluding software fell 3.5% from the previous quarter in the three months through March, the Finance Ministry reported Monday.
Passersby walk past a screen displaying the Nikkei share average and current yen exchange rate against the U.S. dollar outside a brokerage in Tokyo on Monday.
BUSINESS / Markets
May 30, 2026
Japan used record $73.6 billion to support yen over past month
Finance Ministry data for the month from April 28 to Wednesday showed a total intervention of ¥11.73 trillion ($73.6 billion) over a period marked by several spikes in the yen.
Initial analysis of Bank of Japan accounts indicates as much as ¥10 trillion ($63 billion) was spent to bolster the yen from April 30 through May 6.
BUSINESS / Markets
May 28, 2026
Japan intervention data eyed as yen hovers near 160 per dollar
A person familiar with the matter said intervention took place on April 30 and price moves through May 6 bear the hallmarks of government purchases.
Japan’s net external assets rose to an all-time high at the end of 2025, but the total was surpassed by China, Finance Ministry data shows.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 26, 2026
Japan slips to world’s No. 3 creditor behind Germany and China
Japan’s net external assets rose to an all-time high at the end of 2025, but the total was surpassed by China’s, which climbed at a faster pace.
Japan's trade balance in April was a ¥301.9 billion ($1.9 billion) surplus on an unadjusted basis, according to the Finance Ministry, remaining in the black unexpectedly on strong exports and a sharp drop in energy imports.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 21, 2026
Japan’s trade surplus remained in the black in April as energy imports plunged
Exports remained robust, with chip exports rising 44% amid strong demand for artificial intelligence-related products.
An electronic screen displays the yen exchange rate against the U.S. dollar, euro and other foreign currencies in Tokyo on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Markets
May 16, 2026
Curious yen spikes have traders gaming Japan ‘warning shots’
Investors and strategists are debating whether Japanese authorities are trying to stem further weakness in the yen through smaller operations.
Talk about Japan’s market action has dominated trader discussions in recent days, with many seeing the 160 level as a trigger point for currency officials.
BUSINESS / Markets
May 7, 2026
Yen spikes to 10-week high and sparks intervention chatter
Japan is prepared to respond on all fronts to speculative moves in the foreign exchange market, the nation’s top currency official signaled.
Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama speaks during a news conference in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Monday.
BUSINESS / Markets
May 6, 2026
Yen rallies to build on gains spurred by recent intervention
Japan’s currency rose as much as 1.8% to ¥155.04 per dollar in Asia trading, its strongest level since Feb. 24, before paring the move to trade around ¥156.37.
Ohbuchi Sasaba, a popular scenic spot in Shizuoka Prefecture known for its breathtaking view of Mount Fuji and tea fields, in May 2022
BUSINESS
May 1, 2026
Japan’s green tea exports surged in fiscal 2025 amid matcha boom
By value, exports rose more than twofold to ¥84.7 billion due to soaring prices amid growing global demand.
Sapporo Station, which is set to be the terminus of the Hokkaido Shinkansen line extension.
JAPAN
Apr 24, 2026
Panel questions profitability of Hokkaido Shinkansen project
Rising prices, which are one of the reasons for the increase in the project’s cost, may also push profitability upward through an increase in fare and real estate income.
The Finance Ministry in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward
JAPAN
Apr 24, 2026
Japan proposes drastic cut in medical school enrollment
The Finance Ministry is considering the reduction because of an expected surplus of doctors due to the country’s declining population.
Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama
BUSINESS
Apr 22, 2026
Japan finance minister to discuss Mythos threat with banks
Satsuki Katayama plans to meet officials from the country’s biggest financial institutions to discuss Anthropic’s latest AI model as early as this week.
New ¥1,000 Showa Era commemorative coins will be priced at ¥34,800 apiece.
JAPAN
Apr 21, 2026
Japan to issue coins marking 100th anniversary of Showa Era
Made of pure silver, the Showa coin has a diameter of 40 millimeters and weighs 31.1 grams.
The Finance Ministry in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 15, 2026
Finance Ministry discloses last set of Moritomo papers
Since last April, the ministry has disclosed a total of about 140,000 pages deemed closely related to the document-tampering scandal.
Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit
Uruguay's Jose Maria Gimenez reacts after the team's loss against Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
India’s gig workers pay the price for exposure to New Delhi’s hazardous air
Rohit Kushwaha waits for a customer as he delivers his last parcel of the day, in New Delhi in January. His work as a delivery driver has helped pay the family’s bills, but has had a significant impact on his health.
Chinese and Russian bombers and fighter jets stage joint patrol near Japan
A Chinese Air Force H-6 bomber is seen during a joint patrol with Russian military aircraft on Saturday.
U.S. missile moves in Japan send China clear message: A new era has arrived
Soldiers conduct the first Typhon midrange capability live-fire exercise outside of the continental United States, firing an SM-6 missile in July last year in Australia's Northern Territory during Exercise Talisman Sabre.
Japan’s fertility system offers few safe paths for same-sex couples
A Tokyo Pride parade participant holds a sign that says "we want to be a married couple, not a couple."
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
A French ship with close ties to Japan combines arts and sciences on the high seas
Romain Troublé, the executive director of Tara Ocean Foundation, speaks to visitors aboard the Tara during a rare port call in Tokyo in April.
In Kyushu’s far south, Senti.U sparks a culinary destination
Chef Yasuhiko Uchida was born in Saga Prefecture but has made his home in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, since 2012.
‘The colors speak for themselves’: How Japan’s chroma bible went global
“A Dictionary of Color Combinations” is meant to function as a quick-reference guide for artists, designers and anyone with a passing interest in aesthetics as a quantifiable pursuit.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

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