Japan’s GDP, or gross domestic product, grew at an annualized rate of 2.1% from January to March, marking a second consecutive quarter of positive growth, with the impact of Middle East tensions remaining relatively limited during the period. (News On Japan)

Toyota has begun selling vehicles produced in the United States and "reverse-imported" into Japan following Japan-U.S. negotiations over the Trump administration's tariffs. (News On Japan)

Japan’s financial markets continued to suffer a so-called “triple decline” on May 18th, with stocks, the yen and government bonds all falling sharply amid growing concerns over worsening fiscal conditions and rising geopolitical tensions surrounding Iran. (News On Japan)

The Japanese government and the Bank of Japan are believed to have conducted yen-buying intervention since the end of last month in an effort to slow the currency’s decline, though the broader trend of yen weakness has shown little sign of reversing. (News On Japan)

Yama Style is a captivating combination of aesthetics and functionality which showcases the splendor of the outdoors with a distinctive Japanese lens. (News On Japan)

The worsening situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect Japan’s automotive sector, with shortages of engine oil and other lubricants emerging alongside rising prices, creating mounting pressure across the industry. (News On Japan)

Complaints are mounting across a wide range of industries over shortages of naphtha-related materials, but the government insists the issue is not a lack of overall supply, describing it instead as a “bottleneck” in distribution and processing. So what exactly is happening behind the scenes? (News On Japan)

Japan’s corporate goods prices rose 4.9% in April from a year earlier, far exceeding market expectations as soaring crude oil prices linked to tensions in the Middle East pushed wholesale inflation to its highest level in nearly three years. (News On Japan)

Subaru announced on May 15th that it will postpone the launch of its self-developed EV, or electric vehicle, which had been scheduled for 2028, as the automaker shifts its strategy toward hybrid and gasoline-powered vehicles. (News On Japan)

Free roll-type plastic bags once available to shoppers at supermarkets are being removed one after another as shortages of naphtha, a petroleum-derived raw material used in plastic production, spread across Japan amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East. (News On Japan)

Kagome announced on May 14th that it will temporarily redesign several ketchup products by reducing printed packaging areas and adopting mostly transparent labels as worsening tensions in the Middle East continue to disrupt supplies of white ink and other petroleum-based packaging materials across Japan. (News On Japan)

JR Hokkaido is moving ahead with discussions over a so-called "vertical separation" system for railway lines the company says it can no longer maintain on its own. (News On Japan)

ENEOS Holdings announced that a tanker operated by one of its group companies has successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East. (News On Japan)

Aichi Financial Group, which owns Aichi Bank, and Mie Prefecture-based Sanjusan Financial Group announced that they have reached a basic agreement toward a management integration. (News On Japan)

Nissan Motor announced its financial results for the year through March 2026 on May 14th, reporting a net loss for the second consecutive year as the company continues efforts to rebuild its business. (News On Japan)

Despite a prolonged downturn in the publishing industry, a bookbinding machine manufacturer based near Lake Biwa has continued to expand globally by adapting to a major shift in the way books are produced. (News On Japan)

The impact of Japan’s growing naphtha shortage is spreading across a widening range of industries, raising concerns about manufacturing, logistics, and even daily consumer life. (News On Japan)

The yield on Japan’s benchmark newly issued 10-year government bond rose to 2.60% in the Tokyo bond market on May 13th, marking its highest level in approximately 29 years since June 1997. (News On Japan)

The “ink shock” caused by tensions in the Middle East is beginning to spread across Japan’s food packaging industry, prompting manufacturers to simplify designs and reduce ink usage as concerns grow over naphtha supplies and rising printing costs. (News On Japan)

Bloomberg reported on May 11th that SoftBank Group Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son held discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron regarding investment in AI data centers in France. (News On Japan)