Japan’s trade balance remained in the red for a fifth consecutive year in 2025, but the deficit narrowed sharply as exports, led by semiconductors, rose to a record high. (News On Japan)

Sony has announced it will spin off its television business as competition in the global TV market continues to intensify, saying it has reached a basic agreement with major Chinese electronics maker TCL to begin talks toward a strategic partnership. (News On Japan)

Japan’s long-term interest rates, which directly influence fixed mortgage borrowing costs and broader financing conditions across the economy, continued their rapid climb and reached the 2.35% range on January 20th, marking the highest level in roughly 27 years as investors grew increasingly uneasy about Japan’s fiscal outlook and stepped up bond selling amid political pledges for consumption tax cuts that some market participants believe could become permanent. (News On Japan)

More people in Japan are looking to change jobs as work styles and values shift in the post-pandemic era, pushing individuals to seek better roles that match their skills, experience, and lifestyle, while companies facing digital transformation and new business pressures are also reshaping hiring by expanding mid-career recruitment. (News On Japan)

Japan’s long-term interest rates continued to climb on growing concerns over worsening public finances, with the yield on the benchmark 10-year Japanese government bond rising above 2.2%, marking its highest level in roughly 27 years. (News On Japan)

Moving to a new country can be exciting, but it also comes with a host of logistical and emotional challenges. (News On Japan)

At the start of the year, gold and silver briefly reclaimed their positions as the world’s largest assets by market capitalization amid heightened global uncertainty. (News On Japan)

In the year 2026, the concept of scarcity for assets like Bitcoin, gold, and silver has evolved beyond traditional boundaries of supply constraints. (News On Japan)

A wave of new subscription-style services is drawing attention in Sapporo, with everything from coffee and craft beer to cleaning now being offered for a flat monthly fee. (News On Japan)

A logistics company based in Tosu, Saga Prefecture, a key transport hub in Kyushu, has developed a massive high-performance refrigerated warehouse in-house, using advanced technology to extend the freshness of vegetables and fruit and help farmers avoid the income squeeze known as “bumper crop poverty.” (News On Japan)

Asahi Beer’s sales in December fell by more than 20% from a year earlier, as the effects of a prolonged system disruption continued to weigh on shipments. (News On Japan)

Bitcoin's trajectory is showing promising signs of significant growth, with projections suggesting a possible 50% price increase by March, as its correlation with gold diminishes. (News On Japan)

Japan’s stock market extended its rally as election-related buying and a weaker yen pushed the Nikkei Average to a record close above the 54,000 mark for the first time. (News On Japan)

JR East and Japan Airlines have launched a joint logistics service that relays cargo between bullet trains and aircraft, aiming to shorten transport times for fresh products. (News On Japan)

For more than three decades, Shinsaibashi OPA, long regarded as a landmark in Osaka’s Minami district, closed its doors on January 12th, bringing an end to 31 years of history. (News On Japan)

As mass production and mass consumption continue to drive the disposal of some 560,000 tons of clothing each year, there is growing urgency to reduce waste and build systems that circulate garments as reusable resources rather than discards. (News On Japan)

The Wall Street Journal reported on January 8th, citing two Chinese exporters, that the Chinese government has started imposing limits on shipments of rare earths and related materials bound for Japan. (News On Japan)

A 27-story building will serve as the core facility of the integrated resort (IR) that includes a casino now under construction in Osaka City, it has been learned. (News On Japan)

According to vehicle-by-model new car sales figures released on January 8th by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association and the National Light Motor Vehicle Association, the best-selling vehicle in Japan in 2025 was Honda’s light vehicle N-BOX, marking its fourth consecutive year at the top of the rankings. (News On Japan)

In Japan, real wages in November, adjusted for price fluctuations, fell 2.8% from the same month a year earlier, marking the 11th consecutive month of decline. (News On Japan)