• Hyundai Motor holds handover ceremony with Iwasaki Group on Yakushima Island, Japan, for Hyundai ELEC CITY TOWN electric buses
• Hyundai ELEC CITY TOWN buses are optimized for Yakushima's environment, with Vehicle Dynamics Control and advanced battery management and cooling systems
• The initiative demonstrates Hyundai Motor's strong commitment to its vision of 'Progress for Humanity' and to building a more sustainable future worldwide

Seoul, South Korea and Yakushima, Japan, (ANTARA/PRNewswire)- Hyundai Motor Company today held a handover ceremony to deliver Hyundai ELEC CITY TOWN electric buses to Tanegashima Yakushima Kotsu, a regional transportation and tourism service provider operated by the Iwasaki Group in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.

The initiative marks a significant step in transitioning to zero-emission public transport on Yakushima Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The event was attended by Jaehoon Chang, Vice Chair of Hyundai Motor Group; Toshiyuki Shimegi, CEO of Hyundai Mobility Japan; Yoshitaro Iwasaki, CEO of Iwasaki Group; and Koji Araki, Mayor of Yakushima.

The handover follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in July 2024 between the two parties for the purchase of Hyundai ELEC City TOWN buses.

"I am delighted to see Hyundai's ELEC City electric buses running here on Yakushima, contributing towards a cleaner island environment," said Hyundai Motor Group Vice Chair Jaehoon Chang. "Being part of Yakushima's zero-emission island initiative is a significant step towards achieving carbon neutrality on the island by 2050."

Starting from June 2025, five Hyundai ELEC CITY TOWN buses will operate on Yakushima. These medium-sized, low-floor electric buses will be tailored to local conditions. They are equipped with a 145 kWh battery and a high-efficiency motor delivering a power output of up to 160 kW/217 PS.

The buses are equipped with Vehicle Dynamics Control to ensure safe and stable driving on the island's mountainous roads, characterized by steep slopes and sharp curves.

The buses also feature advanced battery management and cooling systems, optimized for Yakushima's hot and humid climate, enhancing charging performance, efficiency and driving range.

On Sunday, April 20th, ahead of the handover ceremony, Hyundai Motor signed a partnership agreement for the use of electric vehicles on Yakushima. The agreement includes utilizing the ELEC CITY TOWN's Vehicle-to-Home capabilities to supply power to evacuation shelters and medical facilities during natural disasters such as typhoons or periods of heavy rainfall.

Yakushima is located at the southwestern end of the Japanese archipelago and is known for its stunning natural scenery, often referred to as the 'Alps of the Ocean'. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the island is recognized as a leading eco-tourism destination, making emissions control essential for environmental preservation.

Kagoshima Prefecture has designated Yakushima as a key area in its plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Yakushima aims to transition its vehicle fleet to primarily EVs as part of its aim to become a zero-emission island.

Hyundai Motor anticipates that the ELEC CITY TOWN buses will contribute to Yakushima's carbon neutrality goals by providing a mobility solution that supports local sustainability efforts and reflects the needs of the community.

This initiative aligns with Hyundai Motor's global vision of 'Progress for Humanity' and its ongoing commitment to building a more sustainable future.


 

When a severe rice shortage sent prices skyrocketing in Japan last year, Tokyo restaurant owner Arata Hirano did what had once seemed unthinkable: he switched to an American variety.  

The price of the Californian Calrose rice he buys has doubled since his first purchase last summer, but even so it's far cheaper than home-grown grains.
"Unless domestic prices fall below Calrose prices, I don't plan to switch back," said Hirano, whose restaurant offers meal sets of fish, rice, soup and sides.

His willingness to embrace foreign rice may presage a seismic change in mindset for Japanese businesses and consumers - one that could allow Tokyo leeway to relax some restrictions if rice becomes a thorny topic in tariff talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, who has called out Japan's high levies on its staple grain.

Wholesale prices for domestic rice have surged about 70% over the past year to hit their highest levels since current records began in 2006. Crops were hit by extreme heat while a tourism boom has added to demand. Worries abound that not much will change this year.

With inflation also raising the cost of living, businesses are now betting that a nation of people known for their discerning palates and pride in their staple grain is open to change.

Supermarket giant Aeon last week began selling an 80-20 American-Japanese blend that's about 10% cheaper than domestic rice after a test sales-run proved a hit. Fast-food chain Matsuya and restaurant operator Colowide began serving pure American rice this year. At supermarket chain Seiyu, Taiwanese rice has been flying off the shelves since last year.

It's a sharp contrast to 1993, when the Thai rice the Japanese government imported during an acute shortage was largely shunned, leaving supermarkets with piles of unsold bags.

Rare shortages aside, for most of the past six decades, nearly all of Japan's so-called staple rice - which is consumed at meals as opposed to rice used for feed or ingredients in other products - has been home-grown. There hasn't been much need for imports while high tariffs, put in place to ensure Japanese self-sufficiency for its most basic food, have protected local farmers from competition.

Japan limits tariff-free "minimum access" imports of staple rice to 100,000 metric tons a year, or around 1% of total consumption. The U.S. accounted for roughly 60% of that amount last fiscal year, trailed by Australia, Thailand and Taiwan. Anything above that is subject to a levy of 341 yen per kilogram.

When Trump announced sweeping tariffs on much of the world this month, he lambasted Japan for what he said was a 700% tariff on rice, a reference to that levy. Japanese policymakers called his remarks on the sensitive topic "regrettable". They also dispute the 700% figure, saying it's based on outdated international rice prices.

It's unclear, however, just how much - if at all - rice will be discussed in bilateral tariff negotiations that began this week. Some analysts think Trump's Republican administration might not be focused on rice as exports to Japan come from California, a Democratic-leaning state. Nor is it clear how much Japan might be willing to yield in opening up its rice market.

In one sign that there might be room for some change, a panel advising the finance ministry on Tuesday proposed expanding imports of staple rice, saying that lifting the 100,000-ton tariff-free cap could help stabilize supply.

That said, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party is unlikely to risk angering farmers, traditionally a strong support base, ahead of upper house elections in July.

"It's not possible to make big concessions on rice just before the elections," said Junichi Sugawara, senior fellow at Tokyo-based Owls Consulting Group.

 

MORE IMPORTS TO COME

What is clear is that supply remains an issue. 
In the financial year that ended in March, tariff-free imports of staple rice hit Japan's 100,000-ton cap for the first time in seven years. 

The amount of tariffed imports, while still tiny, also jumped, quadrupling in the first 11 months of fiscal 2024 to just under 1,500 tons.

And this year, rice importer Kanematsu is shipping in its first large-scale purchase of American staple rice, 10,000 tons worth. 

"We're receiving many enquiries from the restaurant industry, convenience stores, supermarkets and rice wholesalers," a Kanematsu spokesperson said. 
In the week to April 6, Japanese supermarket rice prices hit an average of 4,214 yen ($29.65) per 5 kg, marking their 14th straight week of increase and more than double the same period a year earlier.

That's despite a rare release of rice from the government's emergency stockpiles that started last month and is set to continue every month through July.

As for the quality and taste of imported rice, Miki Nihei, a customer at Hirano's restaurant, Shokudou Arata, said she had no complaints and was surprised to learn it wasn't Japanese.

"I had no idea," she said. "I have no qualms about eating imported rice. Prices have gone up, so I'm always looking for cheaper options."
 
 

Core consumer prices in Japan’s capital rose 3.4% in April from a year earlier, data showed on Friday, accelerating for the second straight month and making the central bank’s task of balancing risks from higher U.S. tariffs and rising prices more challenging.

The increase in the core consumer price index (CPI), which excludes volatile fresh food costs, was faster than a median market forecast of 3.2% and followed a 2.4% gain in March.

The Tokyo core CPI rose above 3% for the first time since July 2023.
The higher reading reflected a reduction in government subsidies to curb electricity and gas bills, as well as a series of price hikes for food that took place on April 1, the start of Japan’s new financial year.

A separate index that strips away the effects of both fresh food and fuel costs, closely watched by the Bank of Japan as a broader price trend indicator, rose 3.1% in April from a year earlier after a 2.2% rise in March.
The Tokyo inflation figures are considered a leading indicator of nationwide trends.

The data comes ahead of the BOJ policy meeting on April 30-May 1, where the central bank is widely expected to keep short-term rates steady at 0.5%.

While BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda has signaled the central bank’s readiness to keep raising rates, sweeping U.S. tariffs have complicated its decision on when and how far it could hike.

The BOJ will cut its economic growth forecasts and warn of escalating risks from U.S. tariffs, which are expected to dent global demand, sources have said.
 
 

A Türkiye-Japan economic partnership agreement seeking to reduce the imbalance in bilateral trade is still under negotiation, Trade Minister Ömer Bolat has said.

Attending a Türkiye-Japan CEO Round Table Meeting in the capital Tokyo on April 24, he said: "We believe that the agreement will be a strategic tool for diversifying and balancing trade, increasing investments, and establishing a true 'win-win' partnership."

"As we approach the final stages of negotiations, we are confident that we will find common ground that respects the sensitivities of both sides and paves the way for new opportunities," he added.

He said Türkiye has proven itself as a “regional center” in production and logistics with access to markets such as Europe, Asia, and Africa, adding that the two countries’ trade volume last year reached $5.4 billion.

Türkiye welcomed the 11.4 percent increase in Türkiye's exports to Japan last year, Bolat said, but added that the structural imbalance in trade is still an important problem.

The countries are determined to eliminate this imbalance and create a more sustainable trade structure, he stressed.

In Tokyo, he met with Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Minister Nakano Hiromasa.

They reaffirmed their commitment to deepening cooperation in transportation, infrastructure and projects carried out in third countries based on a long-term partnership vision and sustainable development goals, Bolat said in a post on X.
 
 

Japanese auto giant Nissan on Wednesday announced the launch of two models aimed at picking up speed in its key market of China, where it has been outpaced by local rivals.

At industry show Auto Shanghai, the group announced an investment of 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion) into China, and said it would increase the number of new models it planned to launch by summer 2027 to 10, up from eight.

The group's China chief, Stephen Ma, told a press conference the aim was to match Chinese competitors, and that Nissan had been slow in approaching the market with new models.

"We were not at the same speed, mainly because the Chinese brands were exceptional with speed," Ma said.

With fewer than 800,000 vehicles sold, in the 2023 financial year Nissan's sales fell by 24.1 percent in China, the world's leading car market.

The company is struggling on several fronts, with fragile accounts and an aborted merger attempt with Honda exacerbated by the tariff turmoil affecting its biggest market, the United States.

The group's renewed China offensive was on display at its booth on Wednesday, in the hulking form of the Frontier Pro truck.

It is Nissan's first plug-in hybrid vehicle, and designed to appeal to Chinese consumers' tastes.

The N7 electric sedan, meanwhile, produced with local partner Dongfeng, promises a range of up to 635 kilometers, customisable lighting and advanced driving assistance systems.

Nissan also plans to export the two models outside of China "in less than a year", Ma said, without specifying where -- other than not to the United States.
 
 

The finance chiefs of Japan and the United States are expected to hold talks on currency this week with Japanese representative Katsunobu Kato departing Tuesday for Washington to attend international gatherings.

The U.S. dollar fell below 140 yen on Tuesday for the first time since September, after U.S. President Donald Trump criticized Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for not reducing interest rates.

At around 2:30 p.m. in Tokyo, the U.S. dollar fell to around 139.90 yen. It traded at 140.83-93 yen in New York and 140.55-57 yen in Tokyo at 5 p.m. Monday.

The dollar also came under pressure amid speculation that the U.S. administration will urge Japan to address the yen's weakness against the dollar when the Japanese and U.S. finance chiefs meet in Washington.

The bilateral talks will likely take place on Thursday, and come after Trump accused Japan of pursuing a policy to reduce the yen's value, a claim rejected by the Japanese government.

Before his departure, Kato said he intends to discuss exchange rate issues with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as part of broader talks between the two governments centered on tariff negotiations.

The two previously confirmed they will discuss the issues closely, the finance minister said, while declining to comment further as it could cause speculation and unforeseen impact on the market.

During his visit, Kato will attend a two-day gathering from Wednesday of finance ministers from the Group of 20 major economies, to be held on the fringes of the spring meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda will also join the gatherings.
The U.S. dollar has been declining against the yen recently amid speculation the U.S. administration will urge Tokyo to address the dollar's strength against the Japanese currency, as Trump seeks to reduce his country's hefty trade deficit.

The Japanese government has rejected Trump's claim that it has devalued the yen and put U.S. manufacturers at a disadvantage, pointing to its yen-buying, dollar-selling interventions in recent years to prop up the currency.

Japan and the United States have been engaging in trade talks, with the Asian nation urging its close ally to reconsider tariffs introduced by the U.S. president.

Last week, economic revitalization minister Ryosei Akazawa, Japan's chief negotiator, held the first round of talks with Bessent in Washington, but said exchange rates were not discussed.
 
 

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba plans to launch a new program next month to reduce gasoline prices by 10 yen per liter, in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff measures and the rising cost of living, informed sources said Tuesday.

He also plans to bring back subsidies aimed to cut down on electricity and gas bills during the July-September period, as part of the central government's efforts to tackle the torrid summer heat, according to the sources. Such subsidies had been provided up until March this year.

The government is now not expected to submit a fiscal 2025 supplementary budget bill featuring cash handouts during the ongoing ordinary session of the Diet, Japan's parliament.

 

By implementing measures in place of the proposed extra budget, Ishiba hopes to alleviate the financial strain on members of the general public in their daily lives ahead of a House of Councillors election to be held this summer.

Currently, the government is offering oil wholesalers subsidies to ensure that gasoline prices are kept at around 185 yen per liter.

Ishiba is considering implementing a program starting next month to set the gasoline price reduction rate at 10 yen, instead of deciding target gasoline prices, the sources said.
 

 

The Japanese currency strengthened to the 140-yen level against the dollar in Tokyo on Monday. It's the first time in about seven months that it's climbed to that range.

The move comes after US President Trump described "currency manipulation" as a non-tariff trade barrier in a social media post. Japan has repeatedly denied that it has a policy to devalue its currency.

Market players took Trump's comment as a sign the US will pressure Japan to take steps to reverse the weakening of the yen against the dollar.

The issue is likely to be on the agenda when Japan's Finance Minister Kato Katsunobu meets Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in the US later this week.
Investors are buying the yen in anticipation of those talks.
 
 

Japan’s Nikkei share average dropped more than 1% on Monday, weighed down by a stronger yen that pressured exporters, while investors looked ahead to currency talks between Japanese and U.S. finance chiefs later this week.

The Nikkei ended 1.3% lower at 34,279.92, while the broader Topix slipped 1.2% to 2,528.93.

“Investors bought back stocks as the Nikkei extended losses during the session, but the buy-back did not last long. But it is not like what happened earlier this month, where any drop in the index drove further sell-offs,” said Shuutarou Yasuda, a market analyst at Tokai Tokyo Intelligence Laboratory.

“The market was not ready to become a risk-on mode yet.”

The yen rose to a seven-month high against the dollar as shaky confidence in U.S. assets was exacerbated by U.S. President Donald Trump’s attacks on the Federal Reserve.

A stronger yen typically weighs on exporter shares by reducing the value of overseas earnings when converted back into Japanese currency.

Automakers declined, with Toyota Motor and Honda Motor slipping 2.9% and 1%, respectively. Suzuki Motor lost 3.9%.

Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato plans to visit Washington later this week, where he is expected to meet U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for discussions on currency rates.

Shares of domestically focused companies advanced, with the railway sector rising 0.86%, while the retail sector was little changed, edging up 0.03%.
The pulp and paper sector rose 3.5%, making it the top performer among the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s 33 industry sub-indexes.

Oji Holdings jumped 6.68% to become the top percentage gainer in the Nikkei after the paper products maker raised its dividend payout ratio and announced a share buyback.

Nitori Holdings, an operator of home interior goods stores which relies heavily on imports for materials, jumped 2.8%.
 
 

Plug and Play Japan has launched its first fund, “Plug and Play Japan Fund I,” to support startups in Japan.

The fund aims to solve key challenges such as limited access to global markets for Japanese startups.

It has secured over 3 billion yen (around US$21.1 million) in its initial closing, with backing from Mitsubishi UFJ Bank, the Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation, Tokyu Land Corporation, and Sazaby League.

The target is to expand the fund to 5 billion yen (around US$35.1 million).
Around 80% of the fund will go to Japanese startups, while the remaining 20% will be allocated to international startups that align with Japan’s market.
 
 

The Shibuya Ward Tourism Association and local businesses in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, are working together to turn paper bags, receipts and other scrap paper into toilet paper for local elementary schools.

The association is asking other businesses and retail outlets to participate in the project, saying, “Our goal is to realize the ‘local production, local consumption’ of paper in [Tokyo’s] Shibuya Ward.”

A key component of the project is collecting used paper from participating businesses. In mid-March, a collection wagon stopped outside Freak’s Store Shibuya, a local clothing and goods retailer, and a female employee handed over a box of discarded receipts and flyers.

Daytona International, the Shibuya Ward-based company that operates the Freak’s Store outlet, said that from December through February, about 2,800 kilograms of used paper was collected from its stores and headquarters and turned into more than 15,600 rolls of recycled toilet paper.

Daytona International distributed some of the toilet paper to public elementary schools in the ward and gave some to customers as a souvenir.
Recycled paper is also used in the toilet paper’s packaging, which has information on it about the company’s recycling efforts.

“Awareness of the effort to collect used paper is spreading within the company,” said Mami Saikawa, 33, a member of the company’s brand strategy department. “The feedback from our customers has also been very positive.”

Initiated by the association in 2023, the project aims to “contribute to sustainable urban development and create products that can be used locally.”

The project includes plans to collaborate with Shizuoka-based paper
manufacturer Corelex Shin-Ei Mfg. Co. to produce toilet paper from used paper collected from businesses and stores in Shibuya Ward. Daytona International joined the initiative last summer, and paper collection began in December.

Corelex Shin-Ei has been collecting used paper in collaboration with more than 100 institutions, including inns in Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, since 2010. It continues to supply them with recycled toilet paper.

While the Shibuya Ward Tourism Association currently only collects used paper from Daytona-affiliated businesses, it hopes to expand its collection network to include local hotels and commercial facilities and has cited the efforts of those involved with the program in Atami.

“If many businesses and stores participate, it will reduce waste and lower the cost of buying toilet paper,” said Hiroyo Koike, 45, the association’s secretary general. “Eventually, we may be able to sell it as a product of ‘local production, local consumption’ in Shibuya Ward.”
 
 

Fukoku Mutual Life Insurance plans to invest in Japan’s super-long government bonds this fiscal year after their yields skyrocketed, and is considering shifting from foreign debt.
 
"Yields have risen to levels that align with our investment perspective, so we will proceed with bond re-balancing while actively increasing holdings,” said Junya Morizane, general manager of the insurer’s Investment Planning Department. "There is ample room to continue purchasing super-long bonds.”
 
The debt, the main investment for Japan’s life insurers, has seen wild swings along with its U.S. counterparts as the global trade war deepens. After a steep selloff drove the 20-year sovereign yield to its highest since 2004, super-long bonds rebounded this week as Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda suggested a policy response to higher U.S. tariffs.
 
Investment decisions by Japan’s life insurers are closely tracked as they can move global markets, and Fukoku will be the first among its major peers to report such plans for this fiscal year. They have combined invested assets of about ¥390 trillion ($2.7 trillion), according to the Life Insurance Association of Japan.
 
Fukoku aims to increase domestic government bond holdings by ¥30 billion, and gross purchases may reach ¥300-400 billion. The company is taking a proactive approach to investing even as U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war roils global markets.
 
"It has been a tiring couple of weeks,” said Morizane. "We decided on this plan in March, but the underlying assumptions have changed significantly.”
 
"There’s been so many meetings and we are analyzing how far our revenue will fall and how much we can recover in this environment,” he said.
 
Expectations for further rate hikes by the BOJ had helped boost yields earlier this year, but tariffs have muddied the picture, with overnight index swaps showing a 54% chance of an increase by the end of this year.
 
Fukoku sees two rate hikes this fiscal year, and expects Japan’s 10-year yield to sit at 1.7% at the end of March 2026, up from 1.305% as of Thursday. Yields on 20-year bonds may end the financial year at 2.4%, according to Morizane, compared with about 2.23% recently.
 
"The 20-year has reached more than 2%, so it’s sufficient,” said Morizane, adding that Fukoku is already making considerable efforts to buy Japan’s super-long bonds. "It’s totally possible to switch from foreign bonds to domestic without compromising profitability, and we are considering revising our plan in May.”
 
Japanese investors offloaded foreign bonds at a slower pace last week amid the worst selloff in Treasuries in over two decades.
 
"Our strength lies in refraining from investing during the era of aggressive monetary easing,” Morizane said. "Even if other companies can’t act in this high-volatility environment, we are able to invest steadily.”
 

Japan recorded a trade deficit in its March-April fiscal year but racked up a surplus with the U.S., the Finance Ministry reported Thursday.

Japan’s global trade deficit totaled 5.2 trillion yen for the fiscal year through March, for the fourth straight year of deficits, according to the provisional statistics.

The surplus with the U.S. ballooned to 9 trillion yen.
Exports to the U.S. are a contentious issue for U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese negotiators are in Washington to argue their case against higher U.S. tariffs. Japan is a key longtime U.S. ally and major investor in the U.S., employing hundreds of thousands of Americans.

Trump said on April 2 that he planned to impose a 24% tariff on imports from Japan as part of an announcement of higher tariffs on dozens of countries. After financial markets panicked, he put a partial 90-day hold on the import taxes, while increasing his already steep tariffs on Chinese goods to as much as 145%.

Japan still faces a 10% baseline tariff and a 25% tax on imported cars, auto parts, steel and aluminum exports. Most of those duties took effect recently, but they pose a grave challenge for embattled Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

Some analysts say Tokyo could at some point announce surprise concessions, like importing more American rice. Rice holds a special place in the Japanese psyche as the nation’s staple and has long been a protected sector in Japan. But recently a rice shortage has been pushing up prices.

Japan’s annual exports climbed 5.9% from a year earlier, helped by strong shipments of goods like computer chips and vehicles. Imports rose 4.7%. But a weaker Japanese yen made imports more costly.

A recent influx of foreign tourists to Japan has pushed exports higher, since such spending counts as exports.

For the month of March, Japan recorded a trade surplus of 544 billion yen ($4 billion). Exports climbed nearly 4% from a year earlier, for the sixth straight month of gains, although the surge was slower than in February.

Exports to the U.S. rose 3%, while shipments to the rest of Asia grew 5.5%. Exports to China fell, while shipments to Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea surged.

“This is likely due to the rerouting of exports within Asia to avoid tariff conflicts with the U.S.,” Min Joo Kang, a senior economist at ING, said in a report.
 
 

With U.S.-Japan trade negotiations beginning in earnest on Thursday, Japanese companies face increasing uncertainty regarding their export prospects, especially with some sectors already feeling the initial impact of the new U.S. tariff policies.

While they have seen significant growth in the U.S. market due to the popularity of Japanese cuisine and a weaker yen, the potential impact of the tariffs is a major concern, creating both anticipation and anxiety about the outcome of the talks.

Fenix Co., a frozen food manufacturer in Kitakyushu, has seen a sharp drop in wholesale orders for squid products exported to Japanese restaurants in the United States this month, with only one order received compared to the usual five or six on a monthly basis, it said. The company attributes the drop to customers holding off on purchases in anticipation of increased import costs due to the tariffs.

The company exports its products to the United States, South Korea and Australia, with the U.S. market accounting for 30% of its overseas sales.

The president of the frozen food company voiced his concerns about potential costs of freezing and storing raw materials, saying: “If this situation persists into next month, it will be a major blow. Given the significant U.S. role in these negotiations, we hope the Japanese government will stand firm and not be swayed.”

Eco-rice Niigata Co., a rice producer in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, has applied to the government to export about 200 tons of last autumn’s harvest, 70% of which is bound for the United States.

The company wants to export it during the 90-day temporary suspension of reciprocal tariffs, which ends in early July. However, it anticipates congestion at U.S. customs due to a surge in other exports, which may prevent its rice from being cleared by the deadline, it said.

Due to regulations, rice destined for export is usually not allowed to be sold domestically. Commenting on this restriction, President Yu Toyonaga, 61, said: “It is simply not feasible to export an entire year’s rice production in 90 days. We want these negotiations to at least secure an extension of the temporary suspension.”

In Aomori Prefecture, the nation’s second largest scallop-producing region after Hokkaido, many people are closely watching the progress of the trade talks.

“We hope that the fisheries and agricultural sectors will not be unduly burdened by being used as bargaining chips for automobiles and other sectors,” said Harumi Niki, chairman of the prefecture’s federation of fisheries cooperative associations.

In 2023, Aomori Prefecture’s agricultural, forestry and fisheries product and food exports to the United States totaled about ¥900 million, with scallops accounting for more than 40% of that export value.

Scallops have been exempt from tariffs, but the imposition of reciprocal tariffs would significantly increase costs for American buyers. “If Hokkaido’s scallops destined for export to the United States are redirected within Japan, we could see a drop in the price of Aomori scallops,” Niki said.

Meanwhile, some companies are looking to diversify their sales channels beyond the United States. Tsutomu Foods, a konnyaku yam cake manufacturer and seller in Tomioka, Gunma Prefecture, already exports to 12 countries and regions, where it enjoys strong sales in Japanese supermarkets.

The company’s sales in the United States have experienced significant growth, rising from about ¥70,000 in fiscal 2020 to ¥40 million in fiscal 2023. Yet, this progress was directly affected by the high tariff policy.

To maintain consumer demand despite potential tariff-related price increases, the company plans to begin exporting konnyaku noodles. “We aim to differentiate our new offerings from our existing products and expand our sales channels to the Middle East and other regions,” said Kazumi Tsuchiya, 45, managing director.
 
 

Japanese manufacturers expressed improved business sentiment in April versus March though are bearish about their outlook over the next three months as they brace for the impact of sweeping U.S. import tariffs, a Reuters Tankan poll found.

The poll, which tracks the Bank of Japan quarterly business survey, yielded a manufacturers' business sentiment index of plus 9 in April, recovering from minus 1 in March.

For the three months ahead, however, the index was seen falling back to zero.

A positive figure indicates optimistic respondents outnumber those who are pessimistic about their business outlook.

The poll was conducted over April 2-11, just as U.S. President Donald Trump introduced a 25% tariff on car and truck imports and a further 24% tariff on Japanese goods - though the latter has been cut to 10% for 90 days.

The outlook turned sour particularly among export-heavy businesses such as automotive and machinery makers.

"With uncertainty increasing around Trump's tariffs and other global affairs, we've seen a slump in orders since late February and there are a number of other worrying factors ahead," a manager at a precision machinery maker wrote in the survey on condition of anonymity.

"It's absolutely impossible to predict the impact of Trump's tariffs," wrote a manager in the automotive sector.

Another manager at a machinery maker said clients have been cautious about investing due to tariff uncertainty.

Some also cited weakness in China's economy as a source of concern.
"Weak demand in China has caused low-priced products to flow into the Japanese market," a chemicals firm manager wrote.

Of 505 major, non-financial companies surveyed, 222 responded.
The poll's service-sector business sentiment index rose to plus 30 in April from plus 25 in March, while the index was seen at plus 21 in the three months ahead.

Real estate and information service firms were confident about their outlook whereas shipping firms voiced concern about rising labour costs and falling volume due to intensifying Sino-U.S. trade tension.
 
 

Automaker Honda said Wednesday it will shift production of its hybrid Civic model from Japan to the United States in June or July, but stopped short of saying the reason was US tariffs.

The rationale behind the decision "is not a single issue", a spokesman for the Japanese firm said. "The decision is based on the company's policy since its foundation that we produce cars where the demand is."
 
 

For the whole of 2025, tourist arrivals are on pace to eclipse last year’s all-time level of 36.87 million

Japan crossed the 10 million visitor mark at the fastest ever pace this year, reaching that level already in March, official data showed on Wednesday (Apr 16), as the weak yen propelled an unprecedented tourism boom.

Arrivals of foreign visitors for business and leisure reached 3.5 million last month, bringing the total through the first quarter to 10.5 million, data from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) showed.
Last year, Japan reached 10 million visitors in April.

For the whole of 2025, tourist arrivals are on pace to eclipse last year’s all-time level of 36.9 million. The nation’s famed cherry blossom season helped boost demand in March, which saw record arrivals for any single month among travellers from the United States and Canada, the JNTO said.

The boom in tourist numbers, and their spending, has been a welcome boost to Japan’s economy. Purchases by visitors, classified as exports in national accounts, are now Japan’s second-biggest export sector after autos and ahead of electronic components.

Spending by foreign visitors in the January–March amounted to 2.3 trillion yen (S$20.89 billion), preliminary data from the transport ministry showed, up 28.4 per cent from last year. Last year, visitors spent a record 8.1 trillion yen, up 53 per cent from the prior year.
 

 

Three companies including Waymo LLC, a self-driving vehicle company affiliated with Google LLC’s parent Alphabet Inc., announced Thursday that they will begin test runs of self-driving taxis in Tokyo from Monday.

Taxi drivers belonging to Nihon Kotsu Co., a major taxi company in Tokyo, will drive 25 such vehicles in Chiyoda, Minato and five other wards as part of preparations to introduce the self-driving cars into service.

The cars are equipped with cameras and radars to collect data such as road conditions as part of efforts to adapt self-driving technology to Japan’s traffic rules.

On Thursday, a demonstration run of a self-driving vehicle was held at Takanawa Gateway City in Minato Ward. Ichiro Kawanabe, chairman of Go Inc., the operator of taxi-dispatch app “GO,” said, “We will proceed with absolute safety to secure transportation methods in Japan, which is facing a declining birthrate, an aging population and labor shortage.”
 
 

Japan's defense-related spending for fiscal 2025 is expected to total about 9.9 trillion yen ($70 billion), equivalent to 1.8 percent of gross domestic product three years earlier, Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said Tuesday.

Nakatani told a press conference that the government will allocate around 8.5 trillion yen for its defense budget and about 1.5 trillion yen for related outlays in its initial budget for the current fiscal year starting this month.

In updating the long-term National Security Strategy policy guidelines in late 2022, the government set a goal of raising defense-related spending to 2 percent of that fiscal year's GDP by fiscal 2027 and pledged to obtain "counterstrike capabilities" to strike enemy territory directly in an emergency.

The latest estimate was released at a time when the United States under President Donald Trump has been increasing pressure on its allies, including Japan, South Korea and NATO members, to shoulder more of the costs for their defense and for hosting U.S. military forces.

The figures "show our efforts to strengthen our defense capabilities are steadily progressing" toward the numerical target, Nakatani said. Japan is increasing its spending in response to security challenges, such as China's rapid military buildup and North Korea's missile and nuclear development.

Having a war-renouncing Constitution, Japan had long capped its defense spending at about 1 percent of GDP, or around 5 trillion yen.
 
 

If humans eventually colonize the moon, the early settlers might toast their success with a bottle of sake, realizing the dream of brewer Asahi Shuzo Co.
Yamaguchi-based Asahi Shuzo, known for its Dassai sake brand, in February took a leap forward, unveiling at an event in Tokyo a bottle of high-end sake that it will attempt to brew in space.

The price for the 100-milliliter bottle of Dassai Moon is 110 million yen -- the going rate for an alcoholic beverage produced in space given that it will be the first of its kind.

Inspired by the U.S.-led Artemis moon exploration program and other efforts to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon, Asahi Shuzo is serious about wanting the eventual inhabitants to be able to enjoy a low-gravity tipple.

"It's not a case of trying it out once for the sake of publicity but rather starting with the Moon and moving on to other possibilities," Asahi Shuzo President and CEO Kazuhiro Sakurai told Kyodo News.

Before any lunar endeavor, Asahi Shuzo will attempt to brew sake on the International Space Station where equipment will recreate the gravity of the moon's surface. The specialized brewing equipment and ingredients could be launched into orbit as early as September.

Speaking at the event in Tokyo, Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi said that he and other astronauts are excited by the project, especially as brewing sake on the Moon would be a step beyond what has been achieved in space so far.

"Until now, we were just taking something into space. Now they are actually going to make sake in space, which is a huge undertaking," Noguchi said.
Asahi Shuzo has made a habit of looking far beyond its base in the mountains of Iwakuni to seek new undertakings and new markets for its Dassai brand.

In early December, when much of the industry was congratulating itself after the traditional knowledge and skills used in sake-brewing were added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list, Asahi Shuzo was sending out updates about its aim to brew sake on the Moon.

While Sakurai recognizes the UNESCO listing as a potential boon for sake, he is wary of complacency.

"I believe that sake can and must evolve," he said. "There's a significant risk of becoming fixated on the history when, with a higher quality of sake, there is potential to reach bigger markets."

The bold ambitions of Asahi Shuzo came from a basic need to survive. When Sakurai's father took over the family business in 1984, Asahi Shuzo was selling directly to local stores with a consumer base confined to a radius of around five kilometers.

Across the sake industry, sales were in decline following the oil crisis of the early 1970s, a trend that would extend to the local population in the decades to come.

The new president decided to break out of Yamaguchi, and Asahi Shuzo took its sake to Tokyo, in the form of the high-end junmai daiginjo choice brew.

That year, the company recorded sales of around 100 million yen. Between October 2023 and November 2024, sales reached 19.5 billion yen, with 45 percent coming from exports.

Eyeing the world stage, in January, Asahi Shuzo announced more developments. From June, it will change its name to Dassai Inc. to strengthen its brand globally.

After the Oscars ceremony in Los Angeles on March 2, Dassai was served to Hollywood's elite at the Governors Ball afterparty -- the first time for a Japanese sake brand to feature on the cocktail menu as an event sponsor.

Despite the glamor and the globetrotting, the company maintains its roots at its headquarters in a remote corner of western Japan. The approach follows mountain roads through a landscape of farms and quiet villages.

Until, that is, the main brewery building comes into view. At 12-stories, it would not look out of place in central Tokyo. The on-site store has the interior of a boutique.

Inside, there is no veteran toji, or master brewer. Instead, Asahi Shuzo employs a young crew of brewers, largely focused on making junmai daiginjo sake.

Speaking in the brewery's analysis room in February, Sakurai was clad in an immaculate suit befitting his surroundings.

"I think it is important not to make sake the same way it was a hundred years ago," he said. "For us, making good sake means going beyond tradition. It means innovating and taking on new challenges."

Behind Sakurai, staff in lab coats carried out tests and analyzed data. At one end of the room, charts covered the wall, each one detailing the alcohol content and temperature, among other conditions in tanks containing fermenting sake mash.

"It allows us to see what's going on in each tank at a glance," Soya Uetsuki, chief of innovation and research, said. With around 200 tanks to be monitored each day, that is 200 graphs to take in.

Even with all the data and innovation, there are elements of sake-brewing at Asahi Shuzo that still demand the human touch.

Inside the koji muro, the room where koji mold is added to steamed rice, the work of separating rice grains is hot, sweaty and hands-on. In the fermentation room, staff plunge poles deep into tanks to stir the sake mash within, and in doing so release fruity aromas.

At the end of the brewing process, the president and others gather to sample the pressed sake. Objectivity is key. "This is not a discussion about how delicious it is, it's about judging whether or not it can be shipped," Uetsugi said.

As for where Dassai will be shipped next and in what surroundings it will be served, there appears to be no limits. New York, Hollywood. The moon.

"It's so interesting to see how our sake can go out into the world and interact with the cultures and people of other countries to create something new," Sakurai said.


© KYODO
 
 

Japan will not use its US Treasury holdings as leverage in upcoming trade talks with the US, scheduled for April 17.

Itsunori Onodera, policy chief of the Liberal Democratic Party, emphasized that Japan, as a US ally, wants to avoid actions that could disrupt financial markets. “Causing market disruption is certainly not a good idea,” he said.

This announcement follows Japan’s pullback from US Treasuries last week, which caused long-term yields to rise.

The move has sparked speculation that global reserve managers, including China, might reconsider investments in US government debt amid trade tensions.

Japan is seeking an exemption from the US tariffs imposed on April 9, which include a 24% tariff on Japanese goods and a 25% tariff on Japan’s auto industry. The US, in turn, is asking for concessions on agricultural products and LNG.

 
1️. Japan faces unprecedented auto industry impact despite alliance status

Japan’s response to the tariffs reveals the difficult position of a traditional US ally facing significant economic damage.

The 25% tariffs on its vital auto industry could cost Japanese manufacturers an estimated $24 billion according to industry analysis.

This represents a serious threat to Japan’s economy, with UN trade agencies projecting potential losses of $17 billion in car exports alone.

The Japanese government’s explicit statement that they “would not intentionally take action against U.S. government bonds” highlights their delicate position, needing to defend economic interests while maintaining alliance obligations.

Japan’s automotive industry has relied heavily on exports to the US market, with companies like Toyota and Honda now facing dramatically reduced profitability that threatens their global business models.

 
2. New tariffs mark historic shift in US trade policy

The current tariffs represent a significant protectionist shift in American trade policy.

The average effective US tariff rate has risen to 22.5%, reaching levels not seen since 1909 according to economic analysis by Capital Group.

These tariffs end over three decades of relatively free trade in North America, fundamentally altering the economic landscape that Japanese companies had built their strategies around.

The broader regional impact is significant, with Japan highlighting the challenges faced by ASEAN neighbors who are also impacted by the new system.

This protectionist approach marks a departure from the multilateral trade framework Japan and other countries had operated within since World War II.
 

3. Economic ripple effects extend beyond direct tariff costs
 
The tariffs will trigger complex economic consequences beyond just the immediate impact on Japanese exports.

Analysts project that the tariffs will increase US consumer prices by 2.3% on average, resulting in approximately $3,800 in lost purchasing power per American household.

For Japanese automakers specifically, the situation forces difficult choices about production locations, with many having invested heavily in Mexican manufacturing facilities that are now disadvantaged by the new tariff structure.

The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association has warned that production adjustments will be necessary, potentially affecting jobs both in Japan and at Japanese-owned plants in the US.

These interconnected impacts demonstrate how modern global supply chains make tariff impacts far more complex than in previous eras of trade conflict.
 

 

World Expo opened on Sunday with 160 countries and regions showcasing their technology, culture and food, with host Japan hoping to provide the world with some much-needed hope.

Expo 2025 opened with the theme of life, world and the future, and Japan hopes to bring unity and portray a future society.
 
But the event's celebrations have been somewhat dampened by U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent tariff threats, which add to global tension and uncertainty.
 
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, speaking at the opening ceremony expressed his hope that the event will help restore global unity in a world plagued by conflicts and trade wars.
 
Expo is also known as a World's Fair, and the phenomenon, which brought the Eiffel Tower to Paris, began with London's 1851 Crystal Palace exhibition and is held every five years.
 
The 2020 edition in Dubai was postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic, so Osaka Expo organisers say it will "restore much-needed connections" and "provide the opportunity to create a better tomorrow."
 
It is Osaka's second world expo after the 1970 event that scored a huge success and attracted 64 million visitors — a record until Shanghai in 2010.
This time, Japan has faced dwindling public interest, and support and was hit by soaring construction costs due to the weaker yen.

The cost nearly doubled from the initial estimate to 235 billion yen ($1.64 billion), about 14% of which went to the ring, triggering criticisms from many Japanese over the government's use of their tax money.
 
 

 

The East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) announced Tuesday it plans to experimentally deploy a system that will use facial recognition technology to allow passengers to move through ticket gates for the Joetsu Shinkansen bullet train line at Niigata and Nagaoka stations.

The company will confirm the system’s accuracy and determine the best position to install the devices, among other measures, with the goal of establishing ‘walk-through’ ticket gates within the next 10 years.

The experiment will start around autumn this year and continue until spring 2026, and JR East will ask for participation from passengers who have passes for the Shinkansen line section between the two stations.

At Niigata Station, facial recognition devices from NEC Corp. will be attached to existing ticket gates. At Nagaoka Station, new gates will be installed that will incorporate facial recognition devices from Panasonic Connect Co.

Facial recognition systems for passengers have already been introduced in airports in Japan and abroad and are scheduled to be used to allow staff through entrance gates at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo.

If facial recognition systems for train lines are realized, passengers will be able to pass through ticket wickets without using IC cards or paper tickets, even if their hands are occupied by large baggage or baby strollers.

JR East President Yoichi Kise said at a press conference Tuesday, “The system will be so easy to use that it will work even for passengers wearing glasses or masks.”
 
 

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and NATO chief Mark Rutte vowed Wednesday to further deepen military ties while stressing the need to tackle together growing threats from China, North Korea and Russia.

Japan, which has stepped up defense ties with the United States, its key ally, and other friendly nations in the Indo-Pacific, has also sought closer ties with NATO, fearing that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could embolden China’s assertiveness in the region.

“A stronger NATO will benefit Japan greatly,” Ishiba told a joint news conference after his talks with Rutte, who was in Japan for the first time since becoming secretary general of the organization in October.

In a joint statement released after their talks, Ishiba and Rutte said strengthening defense industrial cooperation is “a shared priority” and that they plan to focus on developing dual-use and advanced technologies while enhancing their standardization.

They also agreed to step up cooperation in cyber defense and space, as well as joint military exercises. Drones and Artificial Intelligence were also discussed.

Ishiba and Rutte also stated they “strongly condemn” growing military ties between North Korea and Russia, including Russia’s use of North Korean missiles and troops against Ukraine, while expressing concern about China’s support for the Russian defense industrial base.

Russia continues to wage war against Ukraine while maintaining its ambitions to “reshape European security,” Rutte said.

Both also called for upholding a free and open Indo-Pacific and opposed unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force in the East and South China Seas, and encouraged Beijing to improve the transparency of its military and to cooperate in arms control, calling on peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

The NATO chief told reporters that China has been pursuing a major military buildup, seeking to control key technologies, critical infrastructure and supply chains, and continues to carry out “destabilizing activities” in the Indo-Pacific.

Rutte praised Japan’s contributions to support Ukraine in the war against Russia, and welcomed Tokyo’s willingness to participate in a NATO command for the support of Ukraine, expressed by Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani on Tuesday.

The NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine, or NSATU, is headquartered at a U.S. military base in Wiesbaden, Germany. Rutte said NSATU “helps Ukraine fight today but also for Ukraine to build up its armed forces for tomorrow.”

Details of Japan’s participation still need to be discussed, but the Japanese Self Defense Force, if stationed, is not expected to involve combative roles because of the country’s postwar pacifist principles.
 
 

Japan will sell more rice from its emergency stockpile through July in an attempt to stabilise soaring prices, the agricultural minister said Wednesday.

After rice prices nearly doubled year-on-year, the government began auctioning its stockpile last month -- the first time since it was started in 1995.

"In order to stabilise rice prices that have soared, the government will sell off its reserve rice every month until this summer" when newly harvested rice enters the market, agricultural minister Taku Eto said.

The shortages have been driven by factors including poor harvests due to hot weather in 2023 and panic-buying prompted by a "megaquake" warning last year.

Record numbers of tourists have also been blamed for a rise in consumption.
And some businesses are thought to be keeping their inventories and waiting for the most opportune time to sell.

The government has so far released around 210,000 tonnes of rice.
The next auction of 100,000 tons will take place in the week of April 21.
The retail price for five kilograms of rice in the last week of March was 4,206 yen ($29), up 104.5 percent year-on-year.

Japan is aiming to boost its rice exports almost eightfold to 350,000 tonnes by 2030, the government said last month.

Rice consumption in Japan has more than halved over the past 60 years as diets have changed to include more bread, noodles and other energy sources.

The new target is part of a long-term national policy to boost overseas rice shipments and make farming it more efficient as the country's ageing population shrinks.

Rice also appears to have been a factor in US President Donald Trump's hefty tariffs of 24 percent on Japanese imports into the United States.

The White House has accused Japan of imposing a 700-percent tariff on US rice imports, a claim that Eto was quoted as calling "incomprehensible".
 
 

Unit sales of Fujifilm Corp's "instax" instant camera series have exceeded 100 million, the company said Tuesday, with the brand's roughly 30-year run continuing to draw interest both in Japan and abroad as new models go into production.

The first-generation instax camera debuted in 1998, becoming especially popular among young people. Even as digital and later smartphone photography became the norm, the series has endured thanks to its instant film printing function -- a nostalgic element.

For the year through March 2024, sales reached a record of around 150 billion yen. Sold in more than 100 countries and regions, over 90 percent of total revenue was driven by overseas markets, the firm said.

Fujifilm is also expanding its product lineup with palm-sized models that are easy to carry, along with devices that print smartphone photos onto instax film. In Japan, instax is used at a variety of events, such as trips and parties including weddings.
 
 

Anxiety over tariff policies announced by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is spreading throughout Japan.

Regional economic assessments remained unchanged in all nine regions of the country in the Bank of Japan’s April Regional Economic Report released on Monday. However, it pointed out uncertainty about the future due to the tariff policy is increasing.


Grim views

General managers indicated concern from firms about the U.S. trade policy’s impact on production and corporate earnings at a general managers’ meeting of the BOJ’s branches.

Some reported a grim corporate outlook at the meeting, which took place at the bank’s head office prior to the release of the report.

Every three months, the BOJ gathers branch general managers from across the country to share and study regional economic trends. Each branch already completed their research by around mid-March, so the report and regional economic assessments do not take into account the impact of the reciprocal tariffs that Trump announced in detail on April 2.

Nevertheless, the report contained a series of anxious comments.

“Amidst growing uncertainty, some companies are beginning to take a wait-and-see approach to capital investment, which is putting downward pressure on production,” said a person from the electrical machinery industry in the Kyoto Branch.

Another person from production machinery industry in the Takamatsu Branch area said, “With no sign of where the U.S. trade policy will ultimately go, overseas customers are continuing to hold off on purchases.”

Atsushi Dono, the general manager of the Nagoya Branch, stressed at a press conference at the BOJ’s head office in Tokyo on Monday that “the impact of the reciprocal tariffs on production and exports must be closely monitored.”
The Nagoya Branch oversees the Tokai region, which is home to manufacturing industries.

Kenji Sakuta, general manager of Fukuoka Branch, also stated that “concerns are spreading throughout the export manufacturing sector.”


Positive personal consumption

According to the report, there were many positive views on current personal consumption.

In addition to strong consumption related to events, some said that service consumption was also firm due to strong demand from visitors to Japan.

“Sales of high-end items such as jewelry were strong mainly among wealthy individuals and visitors to Japan,” said a representative of a department store in the Nagoya branch’s jurisdiction, according to the report.
 
 

Shares of U.S. Steel are hitting a 52-week high after President Donald Trump ordered a new national security review of Nippon Steel's proposed bid to buy U.S. Steel for nearly $15 billion.

President Joe Biden blocked the deal just before leaving office and Trump had vowed to do the same in previous months. Late Monday Trump ordered the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to review the transaction “to assist me in determining whether further action in this matter may be appropriate.”

Shares soared 16% Monday and rose modestly Tuesday.
The confidential review will look for potential national security risks from the proposed deal and the U.S. will give Nippon and U.S. Steel time to respond to any concerns.

CFIUS will have 45 days to submit a recommendation to Trump detailing whether any measures proposed by Nippon and U.S. Steel are sufficient to mitigate identified risks.

Ancora Holdings Group, which has a minority stake in U.S. Steel, said Tuesday that it won't stand in the way of Nippon's proposed bid for the company. The asset manager also said that it wants U.S. Steel to delay its annual shareholders meeting, which is scheduled for May 6, until after June 18 in order to give shareholders time to learn the outcome of the 45-day review by CFIUS.

“There is no legitimate reason for U.S. Steel to rush to hold its Annual Meeting before the governmental review concludes,” Ancora said in a statement.

Nippon Steel made a nearly $15 billion offer to buy U.S. Steel in 2023, giving rise to a political issue in the 2024 presidential election as the fate of the Pittsburgh steelmaker potentially carried with it the swing state of Pennsylvania.

Biden agreed with the United Steelworkers in seeking to block the merger, while Trump as a candidate said he was in outright opposition to the sale.

CFIUS sent its long-awaited report on national security concerns about the merger to Biden late last year. But the government panel failed to reach a consensus as to whether there were national security issues.

A month later Biden blocked the proposed transaction, affirming an earlier vow to prevent the acquisition of Steeltown USA’s most storied company.

Biden previously came out against the deal during the presidential campaign — and was backed by the United Steelworkers, concerned over whether the company would honor existing labor agreements or slash jobs, as well as over the firm’s financial transparency.

Nippon and U.S. Steel countered by filing a federal lawsuit shortly after, challenging Biden's decision to block the proposed acquisition of the Pittsburgh company and claiming that the head of the Steelworkers union and a rival steelmaker worked together to scuttle the buyout.

In February Trump suggested that Nippon Steel would no longer buy U.S. Steel as planned, but the Japanese company would instead invest in the symbolically important American business.
 
 

Honda's executive vice president resigned on Monday over "an allegation of inappropriate conduct", the Japanese automaker said.

The incident occurred "during a social gathering outside of work hours", Honda said in a statement without specifying what accusations were made against Shinji Aoyama, who is also the company's director.

"It is deeply regrettable that an individual positioned as a leader in the management of the company, and who is expected to set an example for the respect of human rights... has become the subject of an allegation of conduct contrary to these principles," the company statement said.

Honda declined to reveal details of Aoyama's conduct, citing privacy concerns for the victim, Kyodo news agency reported.

The firm's audit committee had investigated the incident and presented a disciplinary action plan to the board of directors, who were "scheduled to make a decision".

However, Aoyama submitted his resignation letter before the board had made any move, the statement said.

"The Company's Board of Directors has determined that it is appropriate for Mr. Aoyama to resign from his position," it said.

Honda President Toshihiro Mibe will voluntarily return 20 percent of his monthly compensation for two months due to "the seriousness of this matter", the company said.

"The company sincerely apologises for any discomfort caused by such conduct, and for the significant disturbance and concern it has caused to all stakeholders."
 

 

Japan's Nikkei share average closed 6% higher on Tuesday, recovering from a 1-1/2-year low hit in the previous session, as investors scooped up stocks, encouraged by signs of a recovery on Wall Street.

The Nikkei index climbed 6.03% to 33,012.58, marking its sharpest daily percentage gain since August 6.

The broader Topix also recorded a more than 6% gain, closing at 2,432.02.
"Investors bought back stocks as they thought the shares were oversold. They saw signs of a market recovery as U.S. stock futures rose in Japan trade," said Takamasa Ikeda, senior portfolio manager, GCI Asset Management.

The S&P 500 and the Dow closed lower, while the technology-heavy Nasdaq posted marginal gains on Monday following a roller coaster session.
U.S. semiconductor index climbed 2.7% overnight, while S&P and Nasdaq futures each rose more than 1% in Asia trade on Tuesday, signalling cues of a recovery.

Both the Nikkei and Topix are down roughly 13% from levels before U.S. President Donald Trump's Liberation Day tariff announcement, raising concerns about the impact on export-dependent Japan.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Monday that during a phone call with Trump, he expressed disappointment with the tariff policies and urged him to reconsider.

The gains are not sustainable as there are still uncertainties surrounding the Japanese corporate outlook and the global economy, said Naoki Fujiwara, senior fund manager at Shinkin Asset Management.

"I think today's jump was led by speculative investors who bought futures. And their bets will control the market move for a while," said Fujiwara.
Nikkei and Topix futures surged overnight trading, triggering trading halt by a circuit breaker by the Japan Exchange Group's Osaka bourse.

Among individual stocks, chip-making equipment maker Tokyo Electron jumped 8.7% and chip-testing equipment maker Advantest surged 11.8%.
Cable maker Fujikura a gauge for data centre investments, surged 19.4%.
Bank shares advanced, with Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group surging 10.7% and Mizuho Financial Group up 13.5%.

All 33 industry sub-indexes of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) posted gains, with the non-ferrous sector jumping nearly 12% to become the top gainer.

Of the more than 1,600 shares traded on the TSE's prime market, 99% closed in green.
 
 

Asian shares nosedived on Monday after the meltdown Friday on Wall Street over U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff hikes and the backlash from Beijing.

U.S. futures also signaled further weakness. The future for the S&P 500 lost 4.2% while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 3.5%. The future for the Nasdaq lost 5.3%.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index lost nearly 8% shortly after the market opened and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 tumbled more than 6%.
South Korea’s Kospi lost 4.4%.

Oil prices sank further, with U.S. benchmark crude down 4%, or $2.50, at $59.49 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, gave up $2.25 to $63.33 a barrel.

On Friday, Wall Street’s worst crisis since COVID slammed into a higher gear. The S&P 500 plummeted 6% and the Dow plunged 5.5%. The Nasdaq composite dropped 5.8%.

The losses came after China matched President Donald Trump’s big raise in tariffs announced last week, upping the stakes in a trade war that could end with a recession that hurts everyone. Even a better-than-expected report on the U.S. job market, usually the economic highlight of each month, wasn't enough to stop the slide.

So far there have been few, if any, winners in financial markets from the trade war. Stocks for all but 14 of the 500 companies within the S&P 500 index fell Friday.

The price of crude oil tumbled to its lowest level since 2021. Other basic building blocks for economic growth, such as copper, also saw prices slide on worries the trade war will weaken the global economy.

China’s response to U.S. tariffs caused an immediate acceleration of losses in markets worldwide. The Commerce Ministry in Beijing said it would respond to the 34% tariffs imposed by the U.S. on imports from China with its own 34% tariff on imports of all U.S. products beginning April 10, among other measures.

The United States and China are the world’s two largest economies.
The central question looking ahead is: Will the trade war cause a global recession? If it does, stock prices may need to come down even more than they have already. The S&P 500 is down 17.4% from its record set in February.

Trump seemed unfazed. From Mar-a-Lago, his private club in Florida, he headed to his golf course a few miles away after writing on social media that “THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO GET RICH.”

The Federal Reserve could cushion the blow of tariffs on the economy by cutting interest rates, which can encourage companies and households to borrow and spend. But the Fed may have less freedom to move than it would like.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell said Friday that tariffs could drive up expectations for inflation and lower rates could fuel still more price increases.

“Our obligation is to keep longer-term inflation expectations well anchored and to make certain that a one-time increase in the price level does not become an ongoing inflation problem,” Powell said.

Much will depend on how long Trump’s tariffs stick and what kind of retaliations other countries deliver. Some of Wall Street is holding onto hope that Trump will lower the tariffs after prying “wins” from other countries following negotiations.

Trump has said Americans may feel “some pain” because of tariffs, but he has also said the long-term goals, including getting more manufacturing jobs back to the United States, are worth it.

On Wall Street, stocks of companies that do lots of business in China fell to some of the sharpest losses.

DuPont dropped 12.7% after China said its regulators are launching an anti-trust investigation into DuPont China group, a subsidiary of the chemical giant. It’s one of several measures targeting American companies and in retaliation for the U.S. tariffs.

GE Healthcare got 12% of its revenue last year from the China region, and it fell 16%.

In the bond market, Treasury yields fell, but they pared their drops following Powell’s cautious statements about inflation. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.01% from 4.06% late Thursday and from roughly 4.80% early this year. It had gone below 3.90% in the morning.
 
 

The Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry is aiming to support companies likely to be affected by the United States’ reciprocal tariff policy.

Senior Vice Minister Yuichiro Koga was set to visit Subaru Corp.’s factory in Gunma Prefecture on Monday to meet its vice president and others. He is also scheduled to exchange opinions with parts manufacturers.

The ministry set up consultation desks at around 1,000 locations, including government-affiliated financial institutions and chambers of commerce and industry nationwide, and is increasing its financing support.

The Japan Finance Corporation’s Safety-net Loans for small- and medium-sized enterprises previously established conditions stating, for a company to be eligible for the loans, they must have suffered a “5% or more decrease in sales across the previous three months compared to the same period the prior year.”

This requirement will be relaxed so the loans are available regardless of sales fluctuations if impacted by the tariff hikes.

The ministry subsidy system will give priority to auto parts suppliers to help small- and medium-sized companies change their business. Government-funded Nippon Export and Investment Insurance has positioned the U.S.

tariff increase as a “political risk,” on par with war and natural disasters, and will cover losses incurred from cancellation of export contracts.
 
 

Businesses in Japan are feeling increasingly anxious about U.S. President Donald Trump’s high tariff policy.

Additional U.S. tariffs on imported automobiles took effect on Thursday, and parts manufacturers are feeling a sense of crisis, claiming that it is a matter of life and death.

“Prices are high, and costs are rising, so what kind of impact will this have on the future?” said Mitsunari Nomizu, director of Nomizu Seisakusho, a Tokyo-based metal processing manufacturer that makes parts for truck engines.

The price of steel, which is used to make the parts, has seen a 50% increase in the past five years. While the price increases for electricity and oil, which are necessary to operate manufacturing machinery, have also put pressure on businesses, the price per part has remained unchanged.

“It would be fine if we had the strength of big companies, but we are suffering when the tariffs are compounded with bad [business] conditions,” Nomizu said, regarding the tariff policy.

Sakae Industry Co., a metal parts coating and assembly company in Ota, Gunma Prefecture, receives more than 90% of its orders from Subaru Corp., which has a production base in the city.

“If automobile exports decline, and Subaru adjusts its production, our sales could significantly drop,” said Sakae Industry President Yuki Uda.

A 26.4% tariff on beef will be imposed if it exceeds a certain amount, and estimates show that total tariffs could reach 50.4%.

Saga Prefecture began exporting the prefecture’s brand Saga beef to the United States in July last year. As the prefecture promoted the beef in the United States last year to expand sales channels, the prefectural government’s livestock department felt a sense of crisis.

“We have been closely watching President Trump’s moves, but we did not expect this,” said a person in the department.

Steel giant JFE Steel Corp. will suspend the operations of one blast furnace at its West Japan Works in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, in around mid-May. The company’s operations have not only been affected by the decline in domestic demand but also by the U.S. high-tariff policy.

“If local small and medium-sized businesses are heavily impacted, we will consider establishing a consultation service and providing necessary support,” said an official from the prefectural government’s industrial promotion division.
 
 

U.S. President Donald Trump's substantially higher tariffs, including those on all car imports, are set to slow export-oriented Japan's annual economic expansion by up to around 2 percent in the coming years, analysts warned.

Concerns are mounting that Asia's second-biggest economy, which has already been sluggish due in part to sharp inflation, could slip into recession if a downturn in exports stemming from U.S. tariff hikes weighs on corporate performance and hinders wage growth.

Takahide Kiuchi, executive economist at the Nomura Research Institute, estimates that the U.S. tariffs could push down Japan's gross domestic product by over 0.7 percent over roughly a year, urging vigilance against a possible recession.

Daiwa Institute of Research said Thursday that the reciprocal tariffs announced by the United States are projected to drag down Japan's inflation-adjusted GDP by about 1.8 percent in 2029, the year Trump is scheduled to leave the White House.

Trump, who started his nonconsecutive second term on Jan. 20, imposed 25 percent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports in March and began applying an additional 25 percent levy on all automobiles produced outside the United States.

On Wednesday, Trump said he will slap a minimum 10 percent reciprocal tariff on all exports to the United States and further duties on Japan, home to Toyota Motor Corp and Honda Motor Co, and other selected countries, which face higher rates.

Trump's car tariffs would have a particularly huge impact on Japan, as the auto industry, its core business, has been a major driver of the broader economy. The United States remains the top market for Japan's carmakers working with many subcontractors at home.

More than 1.3 million vehicles were shipped to the United States in 2024, the Japanese government said. The volume accounted for 28.3 percent of Japan's total exports, the highest share among all items to the world's largest economy.

Business confidence among major Japanese manufacturers, however, deteriorated in March for the first time in a year, the Bank of Japan's quarterly Tankan survey showed earlier this month, as Trump's tariffs have blurred the outlook for the global economy.

The heavier tariffs by the United States come at a time when Japan is at a juncture where the pace of wage growth could outpace that of price hikes -- a goal sought by the government and the central bank, which have strived to combat decades-long deflation.

Last year, domestic companies agreed to wage increases averaging 5.28 percent at annual negotiations with labor unions, marking the sharpest gain in more than 30 years, while Japan's core consumer prices rose 3.1 percent in 2023, the fastest climb in 41 years.

In the latest shunto spring talks, firms offered average pay raises that reached 5.42 percent above the previous year's level, according to the Japanese Trade Union Confederation's interim survey, indicating a second straight yearly rise exceeding 5 percent.

The BOJ, meanwhile, has expressed eagerness to continue tightening its monetary policy to prevent inflation from hurting the economy. In January, the bank lifted short-term interest rates to 0.5 percent, the highest level seen in 17 years, from about 0.25 percent.

Nevertheless, economists said achieving wage growth that can surpass inflation remains challenging, as many companies, affected by the upturn in global raw material prices and the yen's depreciation, cannot afford to spend on human resources.

In addition, the Japanese government hopes that wage expansion will spread to small and medium-sized firms, which employ around 70 percent of the nation's workforce, but the U.S. tariffs and their side effects could pour cold water on the trend, they added.

Shinichiro Kobayashi, principal economist at Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting, said that escalating trade frictions triggered by the U.S. tariffs could hamper business activities across the board, describing it as the "worst-case scenario."

"If the world economy decelerates, Japan's exports would decline, with repercussions for the domestic economy," such as reductions in capital spending, another key component of GDP, Kobayashi said.

Japan's GDP expanded an annualized real 2.2 percent in the October-December quarter, posting a third consecutive quarter of growth. An economy is technically considered in a recession if it contracts for two straight quarters.
 
 

Japan's job availability ratio in February fell 0.02 point from the previous month to 1.24, marking the first deterioration in six months, as employers grappled with surging material and utility costs, according to the latest government data.

Separate data showed the country's unemployment rate declined to 2.4 percent in February from 2.5 percent in January, improving for the first time in five months, as the number of people seeking jobs decreased.

The latest job-to-applicant ratio released by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare means there were 124 job openings for every 100 job seekers.
New job offers fell in all surveyed industries, with hotel and restaurant services plunging 17.6 percent from a year earlier, and lifestyle and entertainment services dropping 10.5 percent.

Among other sectors, construction shed 9.1 percent and manufacturing saw a 6.5 percent decrease.

In addition to increasing costs affecting many industries, some manufacturers voiced concern about the tariff policies of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, a labor ministry official said.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said the number of people with jobs fell 0.2 percent from the month before to a seasonally adjusted 68.16 million, while those without jobs also dropped 3.4 percent to 1.68 million.

Of those not in work, 390,000 people were let go by their employers, up 5.4 percent, while 760,000 people left their jobs voluntarily, unchanged from January.

Meanwhile, the number of people newly seeking jobs dropped 6.3 percent to 450,000, helping to push down the overall unemployment rate, according to the ministry.
 
 

After the Switch 2 Direct wrapped up, Nintendo put out a press release announcing its pricing in different regions, including Japan. However, it appears that Japanese gamers will have an extra, cheaper option if they're happy to have a Japanese-language-only Switch 2.

"The Japanese-Language System" is priced at 49,980 yen (approximately $333.87 USD at the time of writing), versus 69,980 yen ($467.48 USD) for the Multi-Language equivalent, which will only be available from the Japanese My Nintendo Store. The base system will retail for $449.99 in the US.

Why the different tiers and prices? This option has presumably been made available as a reaction to the weak yen, which makes Switch 2's launch price even harder to swallow on Nintendo's home turf than elsewhere.

The ability to play games from any region on any Switch 2 around the world makes importing a Japanese console very financially attractive for people living outside the country, so language-locking this cheaper version aimed specifically at the Japanese market will dissuade people who don't speak or understand Japanese from importing the cheaper model.

US tariffs have been a hot topic recently, too, so Nintendo is having to get creative with its Switch 2 pricing strategy.

Additionally, the website says that there'll be a lottery system in place in Japan for anybody wanting to buy a Switch 2 at launch, which is fairly standard practice for the country when it comes to hot-ticket gaming hardware.

More details on the lottery system will be announced on 4th April, while Nintendo has an invite system in place in the West for anyone looking to pre-order from the platform holder itself, although there are certain criteria to qualify. Retailer pre-orders have yet to be announced.
 
 

Tokyo stocks plunged on Monday, the final day of Japan's 2024 fiscal year, with the Nikkei index ending down 4 percent at a seven-month low amid selling triggered by concern over the adverse impact of U.S. tariffs on the Japanese economy.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average slid 1,502.77 points, or 4.05 percent, from Friday to 35,617.56, its lowest closing since Aug. 9, and finishing down 11.8 percent from a year earlier. The broader Topix index finished 98.52 points, or 3.57 percent, lower at 2,658.73.

All sectors lost ground on the top-tier Prime Market, with decliners led by insurance, nonferrous metal, and oil and coal product issues.

The U.S. dollar briefly weakened to the upper 148 yen range in Tokyo, as the yen, seen as a safe-haven asset, was bought on fears of an economic slowdown in the United States due to President Donald Trump's trade policies, dealers said.

At 5 p.m., the dollar fetched 149.13-15 yen compared with 149.75-85 yen in New York and 150.38-40 yen in Tokyo at 5 p.m. Friday.

The euro was quoted at $1.0831-0832 and 161.53-57 yen against $1.0828-0838 and 162.18-28 yen in New York and $1.0786-0788 and 162.21-25 yen in Tokyo late Friday afternoon.

The yield on the benchmark 10-year Japanese government bond ended at a four-week low at 1.485 percent, down 0.060 percentage point from Friday's close. The debt was bought as a safe asset as the Nikkei stock index sharply dropped.

On the stock market, the Nikkei benchmark followed Wall Street's plunge late last week as fears grew over a potential economic slump accompanied by high inflation in the world's largest economy.

Heavyweight technology stocks fell sharply following declines by their U.S. counterparts, while auto shares were sold off ahead of Trump's additional 25 percent tariffs on all vehicles made outside the United States, set to take effect on Thursday.

"Concern about the Japanese economy has started to smolder, considering (the tariffs' expected) adverse impact on the auto industry, which is the country's key industry," said Kazuo Kamitani, a strategist at the Investment Content Department of Nomura Securities Co.

While optimism prevailed before Trump took office in January, as he was seen as mindful of financial markets, sentiment has since worsened as he announced a series of aggressive tariff measures despite continued stock declines, brokers said.

"The market saw that the effects of the tariffs have started to influence the real economy in the United States," dealing a blow to Japanese equities as well, said Masahiro Yamaguchi, head of investment research at SMBC Trust Bank.

"Investors have found it difficult to factor in the impact of the tariffs, as the U.S. administration is taking time to announce measures one after another, possibly leading to a risk of stocks sliding further," Yamaguchi added.
 
 

Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co. and Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance Co. have entered into merger discussions, with the target date for the merger set for April 2027.

If the merger is realized, the domestic non-life insurance sector will be dominated by three mega-companies, representing a shift to a structure similar to that of the banking industry.

The sector’s reorganization over the past quarter century, which kicked into full gear during a period of liberalization in the insurance sector and the accompanying intensification of competition, has reached its final stage.


Survival

A little after 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, the day before the announcement, Shinichiro Funabiki, president of both MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings, Inc. and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co., and Keisuke Niiro, president of Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance Co., met with Yutaka Ito, director-general of the supervision bureau, at the Financial Services Agency (FSA) in Kasumigaseki, Tokyo.

It was a 15-minute meeting, during which the two presidents informed Ito that they planned on Friday to proceed with discussions on a merger of their companies. As they left the room after the meeting, the two were seen chatting amicably.

“We aim to become a world-leading insurance and financial group by working toward consolidating our strengths and improving management efficiency,” MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings, which controls the two firms, emphasized in an announcement made on Friday.

To survive in the domestic market, where population decline and other factors have made little room for further growth, MS&AD Group has shifted toward the judgment that a merger of the two companies is more desirable than the current structure, in which the two firms coexist under a joint holding company.


Concern

However, before the decision was made, a series of twists and turns took place due to persistent reluctance on the part of Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance. Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance, whose earning power falls short of Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance’s, had been rife with concerns that it “might be swallowed up” by its merger partner.

In the fiscal year ended on March 31, 2024, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance’s net income totaled ¥167.7 billion. Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance, on the other hand, posted a total of ¥56 billion net income, about one-third of Mitsui Sumitomo’s.

What Niiro was concerned about in particular was how the company’s employees would be treated. He laid bare his concern to those around him, saying, “Unless the merger is made in a manner that is mutually satisfying, we will end up having many unhappy people.”

While approving the merger plan, senior FSA agency officials asked Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance to “proceed carefully with dialogue.”

Funabiki and Niiro have had a series of behind-the-scenes talks since last year to reconcile their views. At the same time, Funabiki got other related major companies on board with the merger plan, thus clearing the way for it to happen.

In 1996, the non-life insurance industry started to see the effects of moves to liberalize the insurance sector, such as allowing insurers to freely set their premiums.

Those moves brought about the collapse of the “convoy system,” under which government regulation had prevented weak companies from going under, and led to a succession of mergers and corporate integrations amid an intensification of market competition.

The birth of Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Insurance Inc. — presently Sompo Japan Insurance Inc. — through a merger of Sompo Japan Insurance Inc. and Nipponkoa Insurance Co. in 2014 ushered in a domestic non-life insurance sector comprised of four major insurers. Now, the next chapter in the history of the sector is being written.


‘Thorny issues’

The crucial moment for the merger has yet to come. How to allot executive posts and what to do with employees who become redundant are the toughest issues to be tackled, and finding a way to conclude the deal with mutual satisfaction will be an uphill battle.

“The merger ratio is connected to the number of executive posts allocated, so that will be a difficult topic of discussion,” said a senior executive of Aioi Nissay Dowa. “Disputes over the name of the new company are also inevitable, so there are many thorny issues ahead.”
 
 

 

Core consumer inflation in Japan’s capital stayed above the central bank’s target and accelerated in March on steady gains in food costs, data showed on Friday, keeping alive market expectations of a near-term interest rate hike.

The data, which is closely watched by policymakers as a leading indicator of nationwide price trends, highlights mounting inflationary pressure as companies continue to pass on rising raw material costs to households.

The Tokyo consumer price index (CPI), which excludes volatile fresh food costs, rose 2.4% in March from a year earlier, government data showed, faster than a median market forecast for a 2.2% increase. It accelerated from a 2.2% gain in February.

A separate index for Tokyo that strips away both fresh food and fuel costs — closely watched by the BOJ as a measure of domestic demand-driven prices — rose 2.2% in March from a year earlier after a 1.9% rise in February, the data showed.

Food prices rose 5.6% in March, faster than a 5.0% gain in February. The cost of rice surged 92.4% in March, a sign of the pain households were feeling from rising living costs.

The BOJ exited a decade-long, radical stimulus program last year and raised short-term interest rates to 0.5% in January on the view Japan was on the cusp of sustainably hitting its 2% inflation target.

Governor Kazuo Ueda has said the BOJ will keep pushing up borrowing costs if continued wage gains underpin consumption and allow firms to raise prices, thereby maintaining inflation stably around its 2% target.

The Tokyo CPI data will be among factors the BOJ will scrutinize in producing fresh quarterly growth and price forecasts at its next policy meeting on April 30-May 1.

A Reuters poll showed many analysts expect the BOJ’s next rate hike to come in the third quarter, most likely in July.
 
 

Prices of rice in Tokyo jumped around 90 percent in March from a year earlier, with the government's recent release of stockpiles having limited impact, consumer price data showed Friday.

The 89.6 percent increase, bigger than the 77.5 percent year-on-year growth in February, was the largest rise since 1971, when comparable data became available, according to the government's preliminary data for Tokyo's 23 wards.

Among prices of rice-related items, rice balls climbed 11.8 percent, bento boxed meals increased 8.4 percent, while those of sushi served at restaurants rose 8.7 percent, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said.

The price surges came even as the government started auctioning its stockpiles earlier this month to ease soaring prices of the Japanese staple.

The spike in rice prices followed a poor harvest in the summer of 2023 due to high temperatures that reduced the amount of rice available for distribution the following year. A sharp rise in foreign tourists has also driven up rice consumption at restaurants.

Core consumer prices excluding volatile fresh food rose 2.4 percent in Tokyo, the ministry said. The gauge is seen as an indicator of what to expect nationwide.
 

 

Foxconn, a Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturer, will hold a seminar in Japan on April 9 to outline its EV strategy.

The seminar aims to provide Japanese automakers and suppliers with insights into Foxconn’s EV plans. Jun Seki, Foxconn’s chief EV strategy officer and a former Nissan executive, is expected to speak. Foxconn has not commented on the event.

This seminar follows Foxconn’s recent agreement with Mitsubishi Motors to produce EVs for sale in Oceania, including Australia, New Zealand, and Taiwan.

This marks Foxconn’s first outsourcing deal with a Japanese automaker. It suggests a possible shift in Japan’s automotive industry amid growing competition from Chinese EV manufacturers like BYD.
 
 

The Japanese agriculture ministry on Wednesday began to accept bids in the second round of its auction for government-stockpiled rice.

The focus is on whether the release of reserve rice will help curb soaring rice prices. The government plans to consider a further release if necessary.

The ministry decided in February to release 210,000 tons of government-stockpiled rice, of which 140,000 tons were sold in the initial auction. The latest auction covers the remaining 70,000 tons.

The ministry will announce at a later date the average of successful bids and other results of the latest auction.

A total of 35 rice brands have been put out to tender, including Haenuki from Yamagata Prefecture, Tennotsubu from Fukushima Prefecture and Koshihikari from Niigata Prefecture.

The auctioned rice is expected to be handed over to successful bidders from mid-April.
 
 

The Japanese Bankers Association, or Zenginkyo, plans to terminate the exchanges of promissory notes and checks at its national electronic clearing system in April 2027.

Companies and financial institutions will still remain able to exchange such financial instruments among them including by mail.

However, many financial institutions will stop handling promissary notes and checks, making it difficult to continue using such instruments.

The government aims to abolish promissory notes and paper checks in 2026. Japan’s three megabank lenders including Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. are set to terminate the issuance of such instruments within fiscal 2025 through March 2026.

Zenginkyo will promote a transition to online banking and electronically recorded monetary claims, which are settled automatically at due dates.
 
 

The Yomiuri Shimbun began publishing the Yomiuri Stock Index (Yomiuri 333) on Monday. The closing price on the first day was 35,507.74, a fall of 155.90 points from Friday.

The proportion of stocks that fell in price on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s Prime Market, where the majority of the 333 stocks that make up the Yomiuri 333 are listed, was nearly 70% on Monday.

This trend was due to a lingering sense of caution about the tariff policy of the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

The Yomiuri 333 is a stock price index that indicates trends in the Japanese stock market. The index incorporates the stocks of 333 Japanese companies with equal weighting.

The index value is calculated once a day on weekdays and published in the evening on the Yomiuri Shimbun Online website and elsewhere.

The calculation is entrusted to Nomura Fiduciary Research & Consulting Co.

The stock index was shown on the day on a street display of IwaiCosmo Securities Co. in Tokyo’s Kayabacho district.
 
 

Japanese online shopping giant Rakuten Group Inc is considering introducing autonomous mobile robots to deliver goods amid a severe labor shortage in the transportation sector, according to a senior official.

The company plans to expand the technology to its flagship Rakuten Ichiba online shopping operations, having already launched a robot delivery service in Tokyo for groceries and other items bought from local stores, Fukutaro Yamashita, a senior manager in the company's unmanned solution department, said in a recent media briefing.

"This is a business that is needed in an era of population decline," he said.
The plan comes as e-commerce firms such as Rakuten are facing a severe shortage of delivery personnel at a time when the number of packages is increasing.

Yamashita said autonomous robots will be especially useful for last-mile deliveries, the final stage when shipments reach their destinations.

He did not specify when the company plans to introduce the robots for its e-commerce service or how many it aims to deploy.

Rakuten's current service, which started in Tokyo's Harumi district and neighboring areas in November, employs robots made by U.S. start-ups to transport groceries ordered on a dedicated smartphone site from a local supermarket to designated pickup points for a fee of 100 yen.

Rakuten has also teamed up with beef bowl restaurant chain Yoshinoya Co, U.S. coffee chain Starbucks and other businesses, and is planning to expand the number of partner stores and the area covered by the service.

Japan's revised road traffic law in 2023 made it easier for unmanned delivery services to gain traction, with autonomous delivery robots now allowed to operate on public roads under certain conditions.

The Japanese operator of the Uber Eats online food ordering platform is also offering robot delivery services in the country.
 
 

Three winters from now, Japan’s snowy Myoko highlands will be home to a $1.4 billion mega-resort built by a Singaporean fund, with hotels charging some $1,350 a night.

The project by Patience Capital Group (PCG) promises to create 1,000 jobs and spur winter tourism. But for many Myoko locals, foreign interest has become a double-edged sword, threatening overdevelopment, sky-high prices and the sweeping away of traditional culture.

Even before news of PCG’s interest, many inns, ski rental shops and restaurants in Akakura — one of five major ski resort towns in the Myoko region — had been snapped up by foreigners.

But they’re only interested in the snow and once that melts, those businesses shut. The town, also once a bustling hot-spring destination, no longer has enough going on to attract many visitors during the rest of the year.

If you come to Akakura in summer, it’s pitch dark at night, said Masafumi Nakajima, owner of local inn Furuya and head of the 200-year-old town’s hot spring-inn tourism association. He estimates only 10 of about 80 inns in Akakura operate year-round.

Located roughly 2.5 hours from Tokyo by train in Niigata prefecture, Myoko, along with the more famed Japanese ski resorts of Niseko and Hakuba, is known for powder snow, dubbed “Japow.”

The resort areas are a huge part of Japan’s tourism boom, also fueled by a weak yen, which saw inbound tourist numbers jump 17% in February, hitting a record high for that month.

Nakajima said many foreign business owners in Akakura have refused to join the local tourism association. One consequence is a lot of broken rules on the part of businesses and tourists that range from not disposing of garbage properly, to overparking to late-night fireworks.

We have no idea who they are and what they’re doing. They just come in December and disappear when spring comes, he said. Nakajima recently started approaching foreign businesses to offer lectures on the town’s rules.



Priced out

Many locals fear Myoko could go the way of Niseko.
The resort on the northern island of Hokkaido has become a world-renowned winter sports destination on the back of high-end foreign developments, but the surge in property prices brought higher taxes for locals choosing not to sell.

Inflation there — from labor costs to a bowl of ramen — has gone through the roof, pricing locals and most domestic travelers out of the market.

Hakuba, in the Japanese Alps, has followed a similar path, while one township in Myoko has already seen land prices jump as much as 9% last year.

PCG’s Tokyo-born founder, Ken Chan, said he’s mindful of local fears about his project, which will span 350 hectares and two ski slopes.

To attract visitors year-round, PCG wants to promote its two planned luxury hotels for business conferences and is considering discounts during non-peak times for local residents who want to ski or snowboard, he told Reuters.

He also intends to host a meeting with residents in the coming months.
Myoko City mayor Yoji Kido said he’s cautiously optimistic about PCG’s development plans but has heard few specifics.

Kido has been fielding more enquiries from foreign investors and conscious of local concerns, the city is considering new regulations for larger projects from the 2027 fiscal year.

It’s going to be an unusually big development for our city, he said. “I can’t deny that things aren’t worry-free.”

Koji Miyashita, the owner of a half-century-old shop in Akakura that sells steamed buns filled with red bean paste, said he sometimes feels like he doesn’t live in Japan as Westerners throng the town’s streets.

Development in Myoko should sustain the region’s culture, he said, adding: “We don’t want to be another Niseko.”
 
 

Household assets in Japan totaled 2,230 trillion yen ($15 trillion) at the end of December, growing 4.0 percent from a year earlier to a new record on rising stock prices, Bank of Japan data showed Friday.

Assets were boosted by investment trusts that jumped 27.4 percent to 136 trillion yen after the revamp last year of Japan's tax-free investment program.

Stockholdings rose 9.5 percent to 298 trillion yen while cash and deposits, which accounted for half of the total, edged up 0.6 percent to 1,134 trillion yen.

Cash fell, declining 3.4 percent to 105 trillion yen amid higher prices and an increase in cashless payments.

The proportion of Japanese government bonds held by the BOJ stood at 52.05 percent, down from 52.64 percent at the end of September.

The central bank, which held 559 trillion yen worth of government bonds at the end of December, has been reducing its purchases as part of efforts to shift away from a decade of ultraeasy monetary policy.
 
 

Japan will provide up to about 13.7 billion yen ($90 million) in loans for a hydropower plant project in Bhutan as part of efforts to deepen ties with the landlocked nation sandwiched between India and China.

Japanese Ambassador to Bhutan Keiichi Ono, who doubles as the envoy to India, and his Bhutanese counterpart, Vetsop Namgyel, signed documents regarding the loan agreement in New Delhi in February, according to the Foreign Ministry.

The construction of three waterpower stations, one in the district of Samdrup Jongkhar and two in Samtse, both bordering India, is set to start in May and is scheduled to be completed in 2029, according to the government-backed Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Selling surplus hydro-energy to India during the rainy season from around June to October is one of Bhutan's major industries, accounting for approximately 40 percent of its annual exports in value terms, according to the ministry.

The small Himalayan kingdom almost exclusively relies on hydroelectricity and has difficulty in securing enough power in the dry season, with the country's energy demand expected to keep rising along with its economic growth, the ministry said.

One of the three facilities will be a "storage hydropower" plant that uses a dam to store water in a reservoir so that it can adjust the timing of electricity generation. A Japanese ministry official said it will help meet some of the demand for power during dry spells.

By helping Bhutan realize a stable energy supply and promote power exports in the wet period, Japan aims to "contribute to the country's economic and social development and decarbonization of the Southwest Asian region," the ministry said.

For Bhutan, it is the first hydraulic plant project supported by Japan, the official said. The mountainous state is heavily dependent on India economically, and has no diplomatic ties with its northern neighbor China.

Japan views Bhutan, which has a population of nearly 800,000 and is known for its emphasis on the Gross National Happiness index, as geopolitically important and has maintained amicable relations.
 
 

U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed tariff hike on vehicle imports from April will likely lead to fewer Japanese exports and reduced domestic production, the head of the country's auto industry body said Wednesday.

If the planned tariffs are imposed, "significant domestic production adjustment is expected," said Masanori Katayama, chairman of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, at a press conference in Tokyo.

Katayama, chairman and CEO of Isuzu Motors Ltd, said the association, in coordination with the Japanese government, also needs to discuss measures to support parts suppliers as they play a critical role in the industry.

Trump has said tariffs of around 25 percent on imported cars will likely be imposed on April 2, a significant increase from the current 2.5 percent.

Japan, a key security ally of the United States, sought an exemption from the new tariffs, but the United States made no promises when trade minister Yoji Muto met with officials in Washington earlier this month.

According to official Japanese trade data, about 1.37 million vehicles were shipped to the United States in 2024, accounting for 28.3 percent of its total exports to the world's largest economy in terms of value.
 
 

A consortium formed by representatives of industry, government and academia has set a target of using over 15% recycled plastic in the production of cars in Japan in 2031, and over 20% from 2036, it has been learned.

The goal is to encourage the domestic recycling of plastics from the perspective of economic and resource security in response to new regulations to be introduced by the European Union in 2031.

The consortium includes the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, Inc. — of which Toyota Motor Corp. is a member — the Japan ELV Recycler’s Association, the Japan Plastics Industry Federation, the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry, the Environment Ministry and academic experts.

An action plan, which includes the targets, has been decided at a meeting held at the Environment Ministry on Monday.

Plastic is a common material in automobile parts such as bumpers and engine covers, and the amount used in the production of vehicles in Japan can reach 1 million tons per year.

However, little progress has so far been made in utilizing recycled plastic. In the future, it will be necessary to be aware of recycling from the design stage in order to increase the proportion of plastic which can be recovered and then recycled.

Based on the action plan, the government intends to support related capital investment and demonstration tests and build a supply chain for recycled plastic among automobile manufacturers, dismantling companies and recycling organizations.

The supply of recycled plastic made from end-of-life vehicle (ELVs) parts is planned to increase to 21,000 tons per year by 2030. By focusing on the use of plastics retrieved from products other than ELVs, the overall supply will be increased to 25,000 tons by 2031 and then will be increased in stages to 157,000 tons in 2036 and 200,000 tons from 2041.

The European Parliament is debating a draft regulation that would require at least 20% of the plastic used in the production of cars to be recycled plastic, which would come into effect as early as 2031.

The recycling of plastic scraps from the manufacturing process would be included in the overall percentage. If the consortium’s action plan includes plastic scraps, it is expected to be able to comply with the new regulation.