The Bank of Japan raised its policy rate from 1.0% to 1.25% on September 18, taking borrowing costs to their highest level in 31 years and accelerating the pace of monetary tightening as persistent inflation and concerns over fiscal expansion put upward pressure on interest rates. (News On Japan)

A market spread is generally the difference between two market prices. Most commonly, traders use the term to describe the bid-ask spread: the difference between the highest price a buyer is currently prepared to pay and the lowest price a seller is prepared to accept. (News On Japan)

The yen strengthened by more than 1 yen against the dollar in a short period late on September 18 after the Bank of Japan conducted a rate check, a step commonly taken in preparation for possible intervention in the foreign exchange market. (News On Japan)

Tokyo stocks rose sharply on September 18, with the Nikkei 225 climbing to around 65,350 in afternoon trading after the Bank of Japan raised interest rates to 1.25%, as the yen weakened and investors bought artificial intelligence and semiconductor-related shares. (News On Japan)

The Bank of Japan raised its policy interest rate from 1.0% to 1.25% on September 18, lifting borrowing costs to their highest level in 31 years as policymakers moved to contain growing inflation risks, but the yen weakened sharply after the decision as markets focused on two dissenting votes and uncertainty over the pace of further increases. (News On Japan)

Starbucks is considering selling a majority stake in its Japanese business, potentially valued at as much as $3 billion, or about 470 billion yen, as the U.S. coffee chain seeks to concentrate management resources on its struggling North American operations. (News On Japan)

Tokyo stocks rose on September 17, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 64,136, up 213.25 points, as investors bought selected technology, pharmaceutical, insurance and consumer-related shares after the Federal Reserve’s rate hike, though gains were capped by a stronger dollar, renewed yen weakness and caution before the Bank of Japan’s policy decision. (News On Japan)

Hakone, one of the Kanto region's most popular tourist destinations, has been left with just two operating gas stations after a series of closures, prompting the town to provide more than 10 million yen in subsidies to help reopen a shuttered facility. (News On Japan)

Japan's Halloween Jumbo Lottery went on sale nationwide on September 16, offering a combined top payout of 400 million yen for the first prize and its adjacent-number prizes. (News On Japan)

Japan's National Tax Agency is preparing a major overhaul of the way unlisted shares are valued for inheritance tax, a reform that could significantly affect business succession at profitable, asset-rich companies and would mark the first fundamental revision of the rules since they were introduced in 1964. (News On Japan)

Tokyo stocks rose on September 16, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 63,923, up 438.90 points, as futures-led buying lifted the index into a high close before the Federal Reserve’s policy decision, while investors remained cautious over oil prices, rising interest rates and the Bank of Japan’s meeting later this week. (News On Japan)

As global financial markets face shifts in liquidity and heightened volatility in 2026, the demand for high-performance brokerage infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific region has reached an all-time high. (News On Japan)

Benchmark land prices released on September 15 showed continued gains in urban areas across Kansai, led by strong increases in central Osaka and parts of Kyoto, with experts expecting the upward trend to continue for the time being while warning of growing effects on housing costs and regional disparities. (News On Japan)

Japan's benchmark land prices rose for a fifth consecutive year on average, with commercial land posting stronger gains as demand for hotels and other properties remained firm in major cities, according to figures released by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. (News On Japan)

Tokyo stocks ended almost unchanged on September 15, with the Nikkei 225 closing around 63,485, down about 8 points, as a rebound in SoftBank Group and selected artificial intelligence-related shares offset caution over oil above $107, rising bond yields and this week’s Federal Reserve and Bank of Japan policy meetings. (News On Japan)

The Osaka prefectural and municipal governments said on September 14 that they have set a minimum sale price of 92.113 billion yen for the second-phase development area on Yumeshima, the site of the Osaka-Kansai Expo. (News On Japan)

Rising long-term interest rates in Japan and the United States are increasing pressure on households and businesses, with more than 5,600 additional small and midsize Japanese companies at risk of falling into the red if borrowing rates rise by 0.5 percentage point. (News On Japan)

Rakuten Mobile said on September 14 that it has withdrawn a plan to forcibly cancel mobile service contracts for customers who fail to link their accounts to a Rakuten ID by the end of November. (News On Japan)

Tokyo stocks were mixed on September 14, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 63,499, down 511.89 points, as selling in artificial intelligence and semiconductor-related shares weighed on the headline index, while the broader TOPIX rose 32.88 points to 4,061.18 on buying in value, defensive and domestic-demand shares. (News On Japan)

Japan's major banks are intensifying competition for household money as rising interest rates revive the appeal of deposits, prompting lenders to launch new savings products, wealth-management services and point-based incentives. (News On Japan)