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July 12, 2026
 

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Japan’s top pension fund likely to brush off political pressure
BUSINESS / Markets
Japan’s top pension fund likely to brush off political pressure
The Government Pension Investment Fund, one of the world’s largest, will likely ignore the finance minister’s call to boost domestic investment, at least in the short run.
BUSINESS / Markets
Yen gains after finance minister urges pension funds to invest more at home
Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama’s remarks caught markets off guard, leading to a jump in the yen and a drop in bond yields.
BUSINESS / Markets
Yields hit three-decade highs as BOJ behind-the-curve narrative debated
Some analysts argue that the central bank is not being overtaken by the market even as the 10-year yield crosses 2.9%.
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built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 9, 2026
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Buyers in major cities are putting their money into flats that were largely built in the 1970s and 1980s, overlooking their flaws because of their attractive locations.
Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama has issued verbal warnings recently using the same language and the same tone, saying authorities “will take appropriate action at any time, as necessary.”
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 6, 2026
Japan might be giving the currency market the silent treatment
By Kazuaki Nagata
Officials are saying less than they did before to defend the yen, and when they do speak, they opt for vague and relatively weak statements.
Foreign exchange dealers work inside the Woori Bank trading room in Seoul.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 3, 2026
South Korea opens 24-hour won trading at a fraught moment
By Hooyeon Kim and Heesu Lee
The launch onto the global stage is taking place just as the won is revisiting low levels last seen in 2009, which leaves the currency and economy more open to speculators.
Traders see little long-term relief from the Japanese government’s repeated warnings that it will take bold action to stem the yen's decline.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 2, 2026
Traders plot worst-case scenario for yen if currency crisis hits
By Ruth Carson and John Cheng
The yen sliding to a once-unthinkable ¥200 to the dollar level is now a risk — albeit an extreme one — for some investors.
Electronic boards display the foreign exchange rate of the Japanese yen against the U.S. dollar at a foreign exchange brokerage in Tokyo on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 1, 2026
Yen’s slide puts market on lookout for Japan’s next red line
By John Cheng
Strategists have increasingly pointed to ¥163 and beyond as the next levels to watch.
Japan's currency broke ¥162 to the dollar on Tuesday in Tokyo.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jun 30, 2026
Yen hits 40-year low against the dollar, breaking ¥162 level
By Kazuaki Nagata
The market remains skeptical about the effectiveness of government efforts to prop up the yen, and pressure on the currency has been steady.
Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto has pushed for an increased role of the government, including expanding the economic power of its sovereign wealth fund Danantara.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jun 29, 2026
Prabowo risks prompt global banks to pull cash out of Indonesia
By Harry Suhartono
Some banks decided to curb exposure to Indonesia as they became increasingly concerned over the country’s policy direction that has dented foreign investors’ confidence.

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.

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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