The Bank of Japan's April 2026 Sakura Report kept economic assessments unchanged across all 9 regions. With the Hormuz Strait effectively blocked, energy prices soaring, and 10-year bond yields hitting 2.425% — a 27-year high — all eyes turn to the April 27-28 policy meeting.
Astroscale and France's Exotrail sign a deal for satellite deorbiting missions, with President Macron and PM Takaichi visiting Astroscale's Tokyo HQ. The partnership targets space debris removal technology by 2030 amid a booming orbital servicing market.
Former BOJ Governor Haruhiko Kuroda has proposed a 'coalition of the willing' among Japan, the EU, and Southeast Asian nations to preserve free trade amid WTO dysfunction and Trump-era tariffs. His proposal calls for expanding frameworks like the CPTPP and strengthening economic security cooperation.
As drone warfare extends to the seas, Japan leads the world in autonomous ship technology. From the MEGURI 2040 project to combat-support USV development and lessons from Ukraine, explore the future of maritime security.
Japan's METI raises the subsidy cap for quantum technology business demonstrations to ¥2 billion ($13M) per project, a tenfold increase. With ¥15 billion earmarked for business applications out of a quantum budget exceeding ¥100 billion, Japan pushes to industrialize quantum computing in logistics, drug discovery, and beyond.
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.