Japan's exports tumbled and the country logged a surprise trade deficit in August, data showed on Wednesday, reviving concerns about the economy just before the Bank of Japan wraps up a closely watched meeting. (Japan Today)

Pharmaceutical terms are often used when talking about monetary policy. In that sense, Japan has been a country on monetary steroids -- quantitative and qualitative easing and, more recently, a negative interest rate. (Nikkei)

Policymakers at the Bank of Japan have decided to adopt a target for long-term interest rates in an effort to meet their inflation goal as soon as possible. (NHK)

Japanese government data released Tuesday showed a stark contrast in the effects that new Shinkansen bullet train routes have had on land prices in areas along the lines. (Jiji Press)

Average commercial land prices in Japan were almost flat in July, an improvement from eight straight years of decline, thanks partly to robust demand for city hotel and shop construction to meet foreign tourist demand, the government said Tuesday. (Japan Times)

The Bank of Japan is at a crossroads, and the direction it takes this week will help determine the next phase of the era of ultra-loose monetary policies that has defined the post-GFC investment landscape and underpinned financial asset prices. (smh.com.au)

An aging population is not the only cause of headache for policymakers trying to keep the nation's medical costs down - now they have "superexpensive" drugs to deal with. (Japan Times)

Higher interest rates may not be so bad after all, especially if you're in Japan. (wsj.com)

More than half of 106 regional banks across Japan will suffer losses in their lending operations in the year ending March 2025, the country's financial regulator predicts, due to the double headwinds of shrinking demand and narrowing margins. (Nikkei)

Japan's medical expenses in fiscal 2015 rose 3.8 pct from the previous year to 41,462.7 billion yen, topping 40 trillion yen for the first time, the health ministry said in a preliminary report Tuesday. (Jiji Press)

The government unveiled plans Monday to raise productivity at construction sites by 20 percent from current levels by 2025 through the use of drones and artificial intelligence in the construction industry. (Japan Today)

The biggest business groups in Japan and Europe are preparing a joint letter to call for an early conclusion of economic partnership agreement negotiations between the Asian country and the European Union, Jiji Press has learned. (the-japan-news.com)

An extraordinary session of Japan's Diet is set to be convened in September for the ratification of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has previously pledged the swift passage of the TPP. (globaltimes.cn)

Japan's central bank is facing a new problem: It could be running out of government bonds to buy. (wsj.com)

Japan's economy grew faster over April-June than initially estimated, the Cabinet Office said on Thursday, with upward revisions to capital expenditure and inventories, but the lack of a strong growth driver is seen undermining momentum for the rest of this year. (Reuters)

The Bank of Japan's deputy governor has given another possible clue about the direction the bank will take at its next policy meeting. (NHK)

Bank lending for real estate in Japan is surging following the Bank of Japan's introduction of a negative interest rate policy in February, with the BOJ downplaying concerns about a new bubble in the realty market for now. (Jiji Press)

Japan has sent warning about Brexit in a 15-page message to the United Kingdom and the European Union. The Asian nation is worried that the UK's exit from the EU would negatively impact the Japanese businesses operating in Europe, and has therefore warned that some companies might have to transfer headquarters from the UK. (ibtimes.com.au)

Bank of Japan Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda took aim Monday at critics arguing that the central bank's monetary easing has hit a wall, though his discussion of the side effects of negative interest rates hinted at a more measured approach. (Nikkei)

Japan's price-adjusted real wage index in July rose 2.0 pct from a year earlier, up for the sixth straight month, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said in a preliminary report Monday. (Jiji Press)