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August 12, 2026
 

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INFLATION

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham speaks to members of the media in Dover, southern England, on Aug. 2.
WORLD / Politics
Aug 10, 2026
Burnham begins U.K. cost-of-living tour amid row over prisoners
The British prime minister is rolling out ¡°fixes¡± for smaller problems that contribute to the cost of living, as scrutiny grows of his approach to reducing prison overcrowding.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda speaks during a news conference after the bank's policy meeting on July 31.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 10, 2026
BOJ summary flags upside price risks and possible faster hike pace
At its July meeting, the BOJ held its policy rate at 1% and signaled it could possibly raise it in September, saying it¡¯s watching the weak yen¡¯s impact on prices and growth.
Universal Studios Japan in Osaka will introduce a system on Sept. 1 that enables it to flexibly change prices for specific days on which the park is likely to be crowded.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 9, 2026
Amusement parks across Japan raising fees amid higher costs
Tokyo Disney Resort and Universal Studios Japan are among the parks that are rolling out new pricing structures.
Japan's household spending fell 3.3% in June from a year earlier, led by drops in spending on food and apparel, among others.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 7, 2026
Â鶹´«Ã½ households continue to cut spending amid persistent inflation
Outlays by households adjusted for inflation dropped 3.3% in June from a year earlier, compared with a 0.9% increase forecast by economists.
Apple raised the price of iPhone models in Japan by between ?8,000 to ?25,000 on July 18, with even the lowest-priced model, the iPhone 17e, now costing over ?100,000.
BUSINESS
Aug 6, 2026
Weak yen and industry shifts drive greater demand for used smartphone handsets
Â鶹´«Ã½ secondhand smartphone market has expanded for seven consecutive years, hitting record highs of 3.6 million units and a 10% market share in fiscal 2025.
The effort to cut consumption tax on food has created a rift between Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and several senior members of her own party who are openly critical of the plan.
JAPAN / Politics
Aug 5, 2026
Takaichi¡¯s Cabinet approves consumption tax cut on food
While the majority of the Liberal Democratic Party endorsed the cut, some party veterans opposed lowering the tax rate, fearing it will lead to economic and political chaos.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda (center) attends a monetary policy meeting with members of the policy board at the central bank's headquarters in Tokyo on Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 31, 2026
Japan likely intervened to prop up yen, with possible help from U.S.
Analysts believe Japanese financial authorities moved to lift the yen on Thursday night after it suddenly spiked against the dollar.
The total number of food and beverage products subject to price hikes this year, including already announced planned hikes, reached 18,347.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 31, 2026
Prices of 2,311 food products to rise in Japan in August
The number soared 83.1% from a year earlier, reflecting rising materials and logistics costs amid tensions in the Middle East.
Tokyo's consumer price index excluding fresh food, considered a leading indicator for nationwide price trends, rose 1.9% in July from a year earlier.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 31, 2026
Tokyo inflation up on year for second month, keeping BOJ on rate hike path
The Tokyo consumer price index is considered a leading indicator for nationwide price trends.
Japan's offshore wind power projects face rising costs that threaten their viability despite being a key part of the country's renewable energy strategy.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 30, 2026
BP exit to add strain on Japan offshore wind as costs climb
Offshore wind power is regarded as a key element in the country¡¯s renewable energy strategy, but soaring construction costs are eroding project viability.
The government has lowered its fiscal 2026 real growth forecast to 0.9% from the previous estimate of 1.3% made in January, the Cabinet Office said Thursday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 30, 2026
Japan trims economic outlook as elevated oil prices weigh on growth
The government has cut its projection for real growth in fiscal 2026 to 0.9% from the January forecast of 1.3%.
Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Itsunori Onodera, who chairs the National Council, speaks in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 29, 2026
Takaichi finalizing plan to cut consumption tax rate on food products
The prime minister is expected to make a formal decision on the matter as early as Thursday.
A reduction of the sales tax on food has made slow progress as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi opted for multiparty talks that failed to reach a consensus.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Jul 28, 2026
Takaichi¡¯s long-term vision may fail to dispel inflation angst
The one issue on which voters sought quick and clear action ¡ª a reduction of the sales tax on food ¡ª has made slow progress.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a budget committee session at the Lower House in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Jul 27, 2026
After a legislative sweep, Takaichi faces public confidence test
A recent poll shows 71% of respondents disapproved of the government¡¯s response to rising living costs as talks remain stalled over a reduction of the consumption tax for food.
A traditional Shinto wedding takes place at the Meiji shrine in Tokyo. Â鶹´«Ã½ wedding gift custom has stayed fixed at outdated prices even as inflation sharply raises the real cost of such ceremonies.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 26, 2026
Â鶹´«Ã½ wedding gifts are leaving couples deflated
Wedding cash gifts in Japan remain fixed at ?30,000 even as inflation drives ceremony costs higher, leaving newlyweds to shoulder the extra burden.
The Mitsukoshi department store in the Nihonbashi district of Tokyo. Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings, Â鶹´«Ã½ largest department store operator, saw jewelry and watches continue to lead domestic sales, according to a company spokesperson.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 24, 2026
Japanese shoppers drive up jewelry sales to a record
Strong domestic demand for jewelry has helped lift the outlook for Â鶹´«Ã½ luxury market as a whole, as the sector faces headwinds including a slowdown in inbound tourism.
The consumer price index excluding fresh food rose 1.6% in June from a year earlier, supporting the Bank of Â鶹´«Ã½ case for continuing to raise interest rates.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 24, 2026
Â鶹´«Ã½ inflation picks up, keeping BOJ on path for rate hikes
Consumer prices excluding fresh food rose 1.6% in June from a year earlier.
The Bank of Japan's headquarters in Tokyo
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 23, 2026
Half of economists still see BOJ waiting until December to hike
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi¡¯s government is seen as a key obstacle to further action, according to a survey.
A rickshaw puller drinks a bottle of barley tea in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture.
BUSINESS
Jul 22, 2026
Â鶹´«Ã½ electricity price hits highest in over three years on triple blow
With a triple whammy of blistering heat, yen weakness and escalating fuel costs, the nationwide day-ahead spot price surged to ?24.78 a kilowatt-hour on Wednesday.
In Tokyo's 23 wards, the average price of a new condominium rose 9.1% to a record high of ?142.49 million.
BUSINESS
Jul 21, 2026
Tokyo-area condo prices hit record high in first half of 2026
The average price of new condominiums in the Tokyo metropolitan area rose 13.1% from a year before to ?101.35 million.
¡®Total whiplash¡¯: Foreign residents react to Â鶹´«Ã½ changing permanent residency rules
The entrance to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in March. For some foreign residents of Japan, tightening measures for permanent residency have become one factor in a broader calculation over whether remaining in the country makes financial sense over the long term.
Yasukuni Shrine introduces ban on military attire and cosplay
People gather in front of thousands of lanterns on display at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on July 15 during the Mitama Matsuri, one of the capital's largest summer o-Bon festivals.
Many Indonesians named after Japanese anime characters
Some people in Indonesia are named Doraemon, the name of a lead character of the blockbuster anime series with the same title.
Strong wind and heavy rain forecast as tropical storm approaches Japan
Tropical Storm Chan-hom is expected to make landfall in northern Kanto between late Tuesday and early Wednesday.
Where do foreign residents in Japan want to die?
The Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery is one of the few cemeteries in Japan that allows burials, albeit with conditions for the deceased, including foreign nationality and permanent residency in Kanagawa Prefecture.
¡®Total whiplash¡¯: Foreign residents react to Â鶹´«Ã½ changing permanent residency rules
The entrance to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in March. For some foreign residents of Japan, tightening measures for permanent residency have become one factor in a broader calculation over whether remaining in the country makes financial sense over the long term.
As Â鶹´«Ã½ concrete jungles sizzle, urban forestry offers an all-natural fix
People and birds find relief from the sun in Tokyo's Nakano Ward earlier this month. While experts agree that urban greening is crucial to mitigating the impact of climate change, trees are becoming even more scarce in Japanese cities.
Â鶹´«Ã½ brewers experiment with a secret ingredient: music
At Smoke Craft, a craft beer brewery in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, music isn't just a background to the brewing process ¡ª it's an ingredient.
As countries ban social media for children, Japan mulls a different approach
Data from NTT Docomo¡¯s Mobile Society Research Institute released in June found that 55% of respondents across all age groups said they fiddled with their phones when they had nothing to do, even when another person was in front of them.
J. League enters new era as league kicks off first fall-spring campaign
Players from each J. League club pose during a kickoff event on Monday ahead of the start of the 2026-27 campaign.

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One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
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Disaster relief workers Taichi Kato (left) and Seiji Yoshimura enter the collapsed living quarters at Kyuganji temple in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture.
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