- 3d ago
Bank of Japan holds rate at 1%, warns it could accelerate hikes as yen intervention talks intensify
Governor Kazuo Ueda said the central bank could speed up interest rate increases after keeping borrowing costs steady, while Japan and the US appeared to coordinate on propelling the yen higher.
- 5d ago
13 dead, dozens injured as magnitude 7.1 earthquake hits Japan's Kumamoto
Rescue workers search for survivors after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture on Tuesday, collapsing buildings, derailing a freight train, and leaving at least 48,000 without power.
- 5d ago
Magnitude 7.1 quake rocks Japan's Kumamoto; mall explosion traps dozens, one dead, over 90 injured
A powerful earthquake struck southwestern Japan on Tuesday afternoon, collapsing part of a shopping centre and triggering a gas explosion that trapped 20–30 workers. A factory chimney also fell, burying 11, while one person was killed by a collapsing house.
- 5d ago
Japan quake death toll reaches 35; search continues at collapsed mall with rescue dogs amid heat wave
Rescuers used sniffer dogs on Friday to search the collapsed Aeon Mall in Kashima, where seven workers died in a post-quake explosion, as the confirmed toll from Tuesday's magnitude 7.1 quake in Kumamoto prefecture climbed to 35.
- Jul 21
Japan protests China's first live-fire drill in its EEZ as Russian frigate looks on
A Chinese destroyer conducted a machine gun test 180 km southwest of Okinotori island early Sunday, with a Russian frigate nearby. Tokyo filed a diplomatic protest, calling the drill a danger to navigation.
- Jul 1
Mercosur kicks off free trade talks with Japan as EU deal quarrels dominate Asunción summit
South America’s Mercosur bloc formally launched negotiations with Japan for an economic partnership deal, while longstanding internal friction over EU trade quotas overshadowed the leaders’ gathering in Paraguay.
- Jun 29
China adds 20 Japanese defence-linked entities to export blacklist, citing remilitarisation push
Beijing on Monday expanded its export controls on dual-use items to Japan, blacklisting 20 additional companies and research bodies, drawing a sharp protest from Tokyo.
- Jun 29
Japan targets over 1% real growth in draft blueprint, doubling current pace and urging BOJ coordination
A draft long-term economic blueprint from Japan's government sets a goal of more than 1% real growth, more than double the recent average, alongside a push for 370 trillion yen in combined investment and closer Bank of Japan coordination.
- Jun 26
BOJ hawk calls for rate hikes every few months as Tokyo inflation picks up; government unveils $2.3 trillion investment plan
Bank of Japan board member Naoki Tamura said the central bank should raise rates once every few months toward 2%, while Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government outlined a 370 trillion yen investment plan and a shift away from large supplementary budgets.
- Jun 16
Bank of Japan lifts key rate to 1%, highest since 1995, as oil shock from Iran war drives inflation
The Bank of Japan raised its short-term policy rate by a quarter point to 1% on Tuesday, the highest level since 1995, as rising oil costs from the Iran conflict fuel price pressures.
- Jun 1
Japan's defence chief rejects China's 'new militarism' label, warns of Beijing's opaque military buildup at Singapore summit
Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi dismissed Beijing's accusations of 'new militarism' as hypocritical during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, while criticising China's rapid and opaque military expansion.
- May 26
Quad ministers launch energy, minerals, and maritime pacts in New Delhi as Strait of Hormuz crisis and China tensions loom
Foreign ministers from the US, India, Japan, and Australia met in New Delhi on Tuesday, agreeing to new frameworks on critical minerals, energy security, and maritime surveillance, while the Iran conflict's disruption of global shipping overshadowed the talks.
