Japan Update

Takaichi Considering Snap Election as Soon as February Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is said to be considering a snap election as soon as February. According to articles published in the Saturday morning (Japan time) edition of Yomiuri Shinbun, Takaichi is planning to dissolve the Diet on the first day of the regular session for 2026, […]

• China Expands Rare Earths Export Restrictions to Civilian Applications
• BoJ Branch Managers Meeting: Wage Hikes Same as Last Year
• November Real Consumption Up 2.9%
• Average Age of Cars on the Road Nears 10 Years
• 30-Year JGB Auction Weak
• Non-Profit Organizations Increase Investment in Corporate Bonds
• Minamitorishima Rare Earths Test Mining to Begin Next Week

• China Imposes Export Restrictions on “Dual Use” Materials Including Rare Earths
• Major Companies Expect to Boost Wages by More Than 5%
• 10-Year JGB Auction Smooth as MoF Boosts Coupon
• Is Strong USDJPY Forcing Japanese Long Rates Higher?
• July-September 2025 GDP Gap Shrinks
• Japan at Full Employment for 59 Months, Exceeding 1980s Bubble
• Young NISA Investors Push Top S&P 500 Fund AUM Over ¥10 Trillion
• 10-Year JGB Yield Tops Dividend Yield for First Time Since 2008

• BoJ Hints at Faster Pace of Rate Hikes
• FY 2026 Budget Set at ¥122.3 Trillion, JGB Issuance Down
• Takaichi Cabinet Approval Rating 75%
• JGB Yields Sharply Higher as Equities Rally
• USDJPY Trades at 157 as NISA Accounts Buy US Equities
• Department Stores Report Slower Duty-Free Sales in December
• Record Price Paid at First Tuna Auction of 2026

 

• BoJ Expected to Continue Rate Hikes in 2026
• November Tourist Arrivals Up 10.4%, Growth in Chinese Arrivals Slows
• October Machinery Orders Up 7.0%
• November Exports to US Rebound
• ¥18.3 Trillion Supplementary Budget Passes
• 10-Year JGB Yield Hits New Cycle High
• Government Considers Ending Road Tax Subsidy for Electric Vehicles
• Honda Motor (7267) Japan, China Production Halted by Chip Shortage
• Toray (3402) to Raise Carbon Fiber Prices by 10% to 20%

• Tankan Shows Continued Improvement
• Katayama Signals MoF on Board with Rate Hike
• BoJ Report Shows Most Firms Plan to Raise Wages by Same Amount as Last Year
• JGBs Sold as Rate Hikes Expected to Continue
• Winter Bonuses Top ¥1 Million for First Time

• Nikkei Confirms BoJ Rate Hike Next Week
• Impact of US Tariffs on Japanese Corporate Earnings Less Than Expected
• Corporate Tax Incentives for Wage Hikes to be Eliminated for All but Small Companies
• Government Considers Minimum Tax for Incomes Over ¥100 Million
• November Central Tokyo Office Vacancy Rate Drops to 2.44%
• Nippon Steel (5401) Boosts Capital Spending as China Acts to Curb Steel Dumping
• 2025 Rice Harvest Up 10%