The Nikkei Stock Average rose for the second consecutive day to reach a new record, surpassing 43,000 yen for the first time on August 14th. The rally was fueled by expectations of a U.S. interest rate cut as early as next month and relief that the worst-case scenario from planned Trump tariffs had been avoided. (News On Japan)

Tokyo's Nikkei surpassed its previous all-time high set in July 2024 when trading resumed this week, a move attributed to eased trade concerns, a weaker yen, and investor momentum driven by fear of missing out. (News On Japan)

The Nikkei Stock Average closed at a record high of 42,718 yen on August 12th, surpassing the previous peak of 42,224 yen set on July 11th last year for the first time in over a year. The benchmark index gained more than 1,100 yen at one point before ending the day 897 yen higher than last Friday’s close. (News On Japan)

Tesla has opened its first direct store in Okinawa, located in the city of Tomigusuku. (News On Japan)

The iconic stick-shaped chocolate snack Pocky has been officially registered as a three-dimensional trademark, marking a major milestone for manufacturer Ezaki Glico. (News On Japan)

Seven & i Holdings has announced a new mid-term strategy targeting the addition of 2,300 stores globally by 2030—1,000 in Japan and 1,300 overseas—amid concerns that the company has grown complacent in its dominant market position. (News On Japan)

A severe and prolonged heatwave is taking a widespread toll across Japan, affecting everything from traditional summer events to vegetable harvests and dairy farms. (News On Japan)

The impact of Trump-era tariffs is being strongly felt. Mazda has announced its financial forecast for the fiscal year through March 2026, which had previously been left undecided due to the uncertainty surrounding the tariffs. (News On Japan)

Japan’s government plan to flood the market with stockpiled rice to lower prices is facing setbacks, as demand slumps and cancellations from retailers increase. Initially popular, the rice is now piling up on shelves, prompting calls to extend the end-of-August sales deadline. Even discounted imported rice is struggling to sell. Meanwhile, rice prices have unexpectedly risen for the first time in 10 weeks. (News On Japan)

A severe water shortage is spreading across Japan, triggering fears of a significant impact on this year’s rice harvest and prompting farmers and local governments to call for urgent conservation efforts. Some are warning that the current situation may rival or even exceed the infamous drought of 1994, known as the "Heisei Great Drought." (News On Japan)

Japan's national average hourly minimum wage for this fiscal year has been set at 1,118 yen, marking a record increase of 63 yen from the previous year. (News On Japan)

Rice harvesting has already begun in Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture, the southernmost town on Japan’s main island of Honshu. In some areas of Kushimoto, early harvesting is carried out around this time of year to avoid damage from typhoons, which tend to approach during the late summer season. (News On Japan)

VIRTU Financial Inc., a global leader in electronic trading and liquidity provision headquartered in New York, has officially announced the launch of its new intelligent investment strategy initiative in the Japanese market — the Future Savings Project. (News On Japan)

As of July, high school students across Japan have effectively begun their job hunt, entering a job market where demand far exceeds supply. With a record-high job-offer-to-applicant ratio of 4.1, companies are fiercely competing to secure these “golden eggs”—young workers straight out of high school—who are seen as a valuable alternative to university graduates. (News On Japan)

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday, increasing tariffs on imports from dozens of countries, including Japan. The administration says the new rates will go into effect from midnight Aug. 7. (NHK)

Aeon has announced its 2026 New Year osechi offerings on July 31st, with reservations beginning on August 1st. Among the lineup is its most popular product, the "Kyoen" osechi, which maintains its price while expanding to a record 75 items under the Topvalu brand. The assortment includes a colorful mix of Japanese, Western, and Chinese dishes designed to appeal to all age groups. (News On Japan)

Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings reported a net loss of 857.6 billion yen for the April to June 2025 quarter, driven by newly booked special losses totaling 903 billion yen. (News On Japan)

Driving school fees in Japan have been steadily increasing. Over the past decade, the nationwide average has risen by about 15%. According to the Internal Affairs Ministry’s Consumer Price Index, as of July, the average cost for automatic transmission training in Tokyo stood at 335,078 yen. (News On Japan)

Toyota Motor has resumed part of its advertising on Fuji TV, returning in late July with sponsorship of a motorsports segment in the evening news after a suspension that began in January. (News On Japan)

Why was SoftBank Group Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son able to secure a meeting with Donald Trump before any other Japanese business leader? How did he manage to attract trillions of yen in investment from global leaders and major investors? And how did he build SoftBank into a global tech empire? (News On Japan)