Japan's core consumer prices were expected to show their seventh straight month of annual increases in July, a Reuters poll found, offering the central bank some hope a strengthening economic recovery will gradually lift inflation toward its 2 percent target. (Reuters)

Lack of sunshine caused by prolonged cloudy conditions and lingering rain in Pacific coastal areas of northeastern Japan may cause problems for the rice harvest. (NHK)

Japan's cautious consumers are starting to loosen up, spending more on cars and home appliances and offering hope that domestic demand - and not just exports - will be strong enough to reflate an economy that has been sluggish for many years. (Japan Today)

Japan posted surpluses in its public pension accounts in fiscal 2016, which ended in March, thanks to large investment returns, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said Thursday. (the-japan-news.com)

The latest data shows Japan continues to depend on imported food. (NHK)

The Japanese market has been in a strange place for some time now. While Abenomics has certainly shown some promise, albeit without managing to live up to the hype that it suggested, the truth of the matter seems to be that the market is unsure as to whether Japan is about to enter a period of time where uncertainty causes an end to the bull market that has been in place since Abenomics hit full flow, sustained in part by increased government investment. (newsonjapan.com)

The Democratic Party's former secretary-general has formally entered the race to lead Japan's main opposition party, laying the groundwork for a battle over whether the Democrats can offer viable alternatives to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's economic policies, known as Abenomics. (Nikkei)

Japan's Finance Ministry says the country's current account surplus for the first half of 2017 was the highest in 10 years. (NHK)

The Tokyo Stock Exchange and Nikkei Inc. announced Monday they will reshuffle the component issues of the JPX-Nikkei Index 400 and the JPX-Nikkei Mid and Small Cap Index following a periodic review. (Nikkei)

Rising labor costs are casting shadows over the management of Japanese businesses amid escalating manpower shortages in the country. (Jiji)

The Bank of Japan and the Hong Kong central bank plan to link their settlement systems, informed sources said Thursday. (the-japan-news.com)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe still faces a host of tough economic challenges after he shuffled his cabinet on Thursday. (Jiji)

Japan's labor ministry says the average wage has declined for the first time in 13 months. (NHK)

Japan is considered a "super-aged" nation, where more than 20% of the population is over 65 and the birth rate has reached record lows. (CNN)

The Japanese government has yet to achieve its policy targets set under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Abenomics economic policy mix as inflation remains "stubbornly low," the International Monetary Fund said Monday. (Jiji)

Japan's direct investment beyond its borders climbed to a record $169.6 billion in 2016, according to an annual report Monday from the Japan External Trade Organization. (Nikkei)

The Bank of Japan has released minutes of its board meetings during the first 6 months of 2007. They show policymakers were not fully aware of the risks looming because of the subprime mortgage issue in the US. The resulting collapse of the investment bank Lehman Brothers led to a global financial crisis the following year. (NHK)

Japan had more than one regular full-time job opening for every applicant on average -- the first this has occurred since November 2004 when the government started collecting data. (Nikkei)

Raising wage levels will ensure that the economy breaks free from deflation and working conditions for non-regular workers improve. To accomplish these goals, we want the government to swiftly create an environment in which increases in the minimum wage can be steadily continued. (the-japan-news.com)

Japan's severe labor shortage is at levels last seen about a quarter-century ago, states a government white paper presented to the Cabinet on Friday which also highlights the country's need to resolve the issue in order to achieve sustainable economic growth. (Japan Times)