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July 03, 2026
 

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ECONOMIC INDICATORS

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.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (left) speaks with Roland Lescure, France's economy, finances and industry minister, prior to a meeting of G7 finance ministers and central bank governors, in Paris on Tuesday.
WORLD / Politics
May 20, 2026
G7 finance ministers urge action on economic imbalances; some point to China
G7 finance ministers and central bank governors have met in Paris to discuss the fallout from the Iran war and volatility on ​global markets but were light on concrete measures.
Real gross domestic product rose 2.1% on an annualized basis in the first quarter, according to a Cabinet Office report on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 19, 2026
Faster economic growth supports BOJ’s case for hike
Real gross domestic product rose 2.1% on an annualized basis in the first quarter, according to a Cabinet Office report.
Japan’s corporate goods prices in April posted their biggest rise in 12 years, driven by higher oil and naphtha prices, the Bank of Japan said.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 15, 2026
Japanese producer prices jump by the most since 2014, backing case for rate hike
The measure of input prices for Japanese firms rose 2.3% in April from a month earlier, a full point above the highest estimate in a survey of economists.
A man fuels up his vehicle at a gas station during a gas giveaway event in Chicago last month. More than 6 in 10 Americans say their household's finances have taken a hit from higher gas prices, according to a poll taken in May.
WORLD / Politics
May 15, 2026
White House scrambles for gas-price relief as Iran war drags on
Gasoline prices are averaging more than $4.50 a gallon nationwide, and historically, $4 per gallon has been a level that triggers public backlash and economic anxiety.
A crossing in Tokyo earlier this month. Japan's economy is projected to have grown at an annualized pace of 1.8% in the first three months of the year.
BUSINESS
May 14, 2026
Japanese economy projected to have grown at 1.8% rate in first quarter
The impact of the war in Iran is believed to have been limited during the first quarter, but is expected to be felt in the second quarter.
The Reserve Bank of India headquarters in Mumba on April 8
BUSINESS / Economy
May 14, 2026
War turmoil saps Asian reserves with Philippines and India hit most
The slide in reserves adds to evidence that Asia has been one of the biggest losers from the Middle East conflict due to its reliance on energy imports.
Japan’s current account surplus in March rose to the highest on record, as the nation has apparently benefited from strong global artificial intelligence-related demand and a weaker yen.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 13, 2026
Japan’s current account surplus hit record high in March
Data on the nation’s balance of payments with the rest of world showed that the surplus climbed in March to ¥4.7 trillion, up 29.1% from a year earlier.
The Marunouchi business district of Tokyo. Upward pressure on Japanese government bond yields is building as oil prices remain high.
BUSINESS / Markets
May 13, 2026
Japan’s 20-year bond yield rises to 1997 high on inflation woes
Upward pressure on Japanese government bond yields is building as oil prices remain elevated after the U.S. and Iran rejected each other’s proposals to end the conflict.
Spending on food, utilities and clothing also dragged down household spending figure for March.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 12, 2026
Japan’s households cut spending even as wages kept growing
Transportation and communications made up the biggest drag on spending in March, while food, utilities and clothing also weighed on the figure.
Inflation-adjusted wages increased 1% in March from a year earlier, slowing from a revised 2% gain in February, according to the labor ministry.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 8, 2026
Japan’s real wages rise for third month to keep BOJ on hike path
It remains unclear whether higher wages will lift consumption.
Shoppers at a store in Sao Paulo.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 5, 2026
Drowning in debt, 8 million firms miss payments in Brazil
Much of the pain has fallen on smaller companies, a group that powers almost 30% of Latin America’s largest economy.
Loaded trucks on a road in India. The country's state-dominated refining sector has kept fuel prices steady despite surging crude costs.
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
May 5, 2026
Asia absorbs rising, uneven cost of energy crisis caused by war on Iran
The disruption has spurred the Asian Development Bank to cut its growth forecast for developing Asia and the Pacific to 4.7% this year, down from 5.1% previously.
People walk past the Taipei 101 skyscraper. Taiwan’s economy grew at its fastest since 1987, with its gross domestic product expanding almost 13.7% in the first quarter from a year earlier.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 1, 2026
Taiwan blows past forecasts with economic growth at 39-year high
Gross domestic product expanded almost 13.7% in the first quarter from a year earlier, compared with about 12.7% in the previous three months.
The consumer price index excluding fresh food rose 1.5% in April from a year earlier in Tokyo, the smallest gain since March 2022, according to the internal affairs ministry.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 1, 2026
Tokyo inflation cools on childcare support, backing BOJ caution
The consumer price index excluding fresh food rose 1.5% in April from a year earlier in the capital, the smallest gain since March 2022.
A worker cultivates rice plants at a farm in Bangkok. Rice supply is expected to fall this year due to impacts of the Iran war and an emerging El Nino weather phenomenon that is set to usher in hotter, drier conditions.
BUSINESS
May 1, 2026
From surplus to strain: Iran war and El Nino threaten global rice supply
Rice is central to global food security, and even small supply disruptions can ripple through countries, raising prices and straining household budgets.
People shop in a store in Tehran on Tuesday. Despite an oil-export squeeze, Iran has plentiful internal supplies, steady trade with neighbors and only limited signs of immediate stress from state-revenue losses caused by the U.S. blockade.
WORLD / Politics / FOCUS
May 1, 2026
Iranian economic collapse may come too late for Trump
If U.S. President ​Donald Trump expects Iran to blink first in their game of economic chicken, he may be waiting a while.
Japan's industrial production dropped 0.5% in March from the previous month, as the war in Iran clouded prospects for global demand.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 30, 2026
Japan’s factory output fell in March as Iran war clouded demand outlook
The data reflects a period in flux, with business prospects for manufacturers starting to dim as the impact of the Middle East conflict rippled through the global economy.
Prediction markets are touted on social media as a lucrative side hustle, but in reality, most traders are losing money.
BUSINESS / Markets
Apr 28, 2026
Most prediction market traders are losing money while bots rack up gains
Among the winners, a majority of the profits were raked in by a tiny slice of what look to be automated bots.
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo. Expectations of a rate increase cooled over the past few weeks in part due to the absence of clear signals from BOJ officials.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 28, 2026
Three dissents at BOJ policy board meeting suggest hawkishness ahead
The war in Iran was a factor in keeping the policy rate at 0.75% at the April meeting.
Japan triples departure tax in push to combat overtourism
Tourists in Yanaka Ginza, Tokyo, on Wednesday. Japan tripled its International Tourist Tax (departure tax) to ¥3,000 from ¥1,000 on Wednesday for all travelers leaving Japan, regardless of nationality.
‘My dream is broken’: Japan visa rules push out foreign residents
A man orders from a kebab shop in the Okubo district in Tokyo.
More facilities in Japan placing sanitary bins in men’s restrooms
A sanitary bin with an awareness sticker placed in a men's restroom in the Nagasaki Municipal Government building
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.
Why is the yen so weak and what can Japan do about it?
Japan spent ¥11.7 trillion ($73 billion) between late April and late May to prop up the weak yen.
Six of the best: rikishi of note in each sumo division
Kazuma (right) faces off against future <i>yokozuna</i> Onosato during the All Japan Amateur Sumo Championships at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo in December 2020.
Some startups see opportunity in an aging Japan
Yasmin Baba, CTO of Amilis, wins the Grand Prize at the Pitch2Tokyo Grand Final on Feb. 19.
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."
Life inside Japan’s largest prison for women
Western-style rooms spanning the size of four tatami mats with hardwood floors, a toilet and soft mattresses on bed frames are designated for foreign nationals and those with health conditions at Tochigi Prison.
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.

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