The IMF's April 2026 Article IV report recommends the BOJ continue gradual rate hikes toward neutral. With two hikes in 2026 and one in 2027 targeting 1.5%, we analyze the impact on yen, JGB yields, carry trades, and the IMF's warning on consumption tax cuts.
Trump told nations to 'go get your own oil.' Japan imports 93% of its crude from the Middle East — so what would a serious Japanese oil retrieval fleet actually look like? From helicopter carriers to world-class minesweepers, we assemble a fantasy task force, explore the legal hurdles, and see how the internet reacted to this wild thought experiment.
Japan's Financial Services Agency greenlit a proof-of-concept for interbank settlement using tokenized deposits and stablecoins, led by DeCurret DCP, GMO Aozora Net Bank, and ABeam Consulting. We analyze its significance alongside the US GENIUS Act, EU MiCA, and Japan's CBDC progress.
Japan's Children and Families Agency, launched in 2023 with great fanfare, faces growing calls for abolition just three years in. With a $50 billion annual budget under fire as 'wasteful spending' and births hitting a record low of 671,236 in 2025, we examine why Japan's 'unprecedented' measures against the declining birthrate have failed, and how other countries are tackling the same crisis.
Japan's Forum for the Future We Choose has published its first-ever Population Problem White Paper. A nationwide survey reveals 70% of people over 50 feel a sense of crisis about population decline, while 2025 births fell to a record low of 705,809 for the tenth consecutive year. We explore Japan's dual strategy of adapting to population decline while trying to reverse the birthrate trend, with comparisons to South Korea, China, and Europe.
The Japanese government's JAPAN SUI COLLECTION project made its European debut in Paris in March 2026, showcasing Living National Treasure lacquerwork, Sendai Tansu cabinets, and a Junko Koshino fashion show at Le Royal Monceau. Here's how 'Sui', Japan's philosophy of refined elegance, captivated 200 European leaders.
Japan's 2025 Business Manager Visa reform — raising capital requirements from $33,000 to $200,000 — is forcing authentic Chinese restaurants to close across Tokyo. Owner-chefs who serve rare regional cuisines face impossible new hurdles. A look at how immigration policy is reshaping Japan's food diversity.
Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama warns the forex market has become 'highly speculative' as the yen falls to 160 per dollar. We analyze the structural forces behind yen weakness, carry trade risks, and G7 emergency coordination.
The BOJ published a landmark review on March 30, 2026, analyzing trend inflation through three approaches. We explain the new CPI core indicators stripping out special factors, compare methods with the Fed's PCE and ECB's HICP, and assess whether this signals more rate hikes ahead.
The BOJ released its 'Summary of Opinions' from the March meeting on March 30. Despite surging oil prices from the Iran crisis, multiple board members called for continued rate hikes. We analyze the path from the current 0.75% rate, accelerated hiking scenarios, comparisons with the Fed and ECB, and yen carry trade risks.
Japan's Cabinet approved a new 5-year tourism plan expanding overtourism countermeasures from 47 to 100 regions by 2030, tripling the departure tax to ¥3,000 ($19). Learn about specific measures in Kyoto, Mt. Fuji, and Kamakura, plus how to enjoy Japan responsibly.