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Bank of Japan

The latest news and top stories on the Bank of Japan. A prominent Tokyo-based governmental body, the Bank of Japan (BOJ) serves as Japan’s central bank, established in 1882. Its primary mission is to maintain price stability and ensure financial system stability, aiming for a 2 per cent inflation target. Key activities include issuing banknotes, implementing monetary policy, providing settlement services and conducting economic research. The BOJ is notable for pioneering ultra-loose monetary policies, including Zero and Negative Interest Rate Policies, significantly influencing the global financial landscape as the central bank of the world’s fourth-largest economy.

Union members from Samsung Electronics stage a protest in front of the company’s plant in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi province last month. Photo: The Korea Times

South Korea

Samsung union’s strike threat fuels fears of South Korea’s economic slowdown

The AI boom and SK Hynix’s profit-sharing arrangement with its workers have reportedly galvanised Samsung’s biggest union to take action.

14 May 2026 - 5:00PM

Banking & finance

Macroscope | Australia’s interest rate rise signals growing hawkish stance in Asia

7 May 2026 - 4:30PM

Japan

Macroscope | Why fixing Japan’s monetary policy isn’t getting any easier

23 Apr 2026 - 5:20PMvideocam

Japan

Macroscope | Will Japan’s corporate bond initiative signal a shift in Asia financing?

Japanese authorities are promoting the domestic corporate bond market as an alternative for firms seeking funding without losing control.

18 Apr 2026 - 5:33PMvideocam

A man stands in front of an electronic board displaying the closing numbers of the Nikkei Stock Average on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, in Tokyo, on April 2. Photo: AFP

South Korea

No oil for BBQ: South Korean restaurants gasp for help amid fuel crisis

Prices for ingredients and packaging have risen by as much as 30 per cent since the start of the Iran war.

1 Apr 2026 - 2:44PMvideocam

Hong Kong stock market

Markets brace for rate hikes as prolonged Iran war stokes tightening fears

The European Central Bank has become more hawkish, reverting to wording that analysts say often precedes interest-rate increases.

23 Mar 2026 - 9:46PM

South Korea

South Korea risks US rift over Iran’s Hormuz Strait squeeze

Any deal with Iran could undermine South Korea’s alliance with the US and their US$350 billion trade deal.

20 Mar 2026 - 8:10AMvideocam

South Koreans protest against US President Donald Trump’s request to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz in front of the US embassy in Seoul on Monday. Photo: TNS

China's population

Can AI help China cushion economic fallout from its rapidly ageing population?

As fertility rates fall, Asian economies face a daunting challenge – sustaining growth with fewer workers.

13 Mar 2026 - 3:04PMvideocam

Japan

Macroscope | Why the IMF is right to press Japan on its fiscal risks

The fiscal and monetary policies of advanced economies have global repercussions, and Takaichi’s expansionary fiscal agenda risks market pushback.

21 Feb 2026 - 4:30PMvideocam

Japan

Macroscope | Japan will soon learn how far Takaichi can ride her luck

While Japan is unlikely to have its own Liz Truss moment, high debt levels and an empowered populist in charge are still reasons for concern.

12 Feb 2026 - 4:30PMvideocam

Japan

Japan’s wage squeeze undermines Takaichi’s ‘trickle down’ plans

Fresh labour ministry figures show the cost of living crisis is deepening, as inflation continues to outpace salary increases for workers.

11 Feb 2026 - 7:25PM

Shoppers walk through the Nakano area of Tokyo on Sunday. Inflation-adjusted wages have fallen for the past four years in Japan. Photo: AFP

Banking & finance

Macroscope | Trump-Takaichi meddling in finance spells more turbulence ahead

The two leaders’ moves into economics despite their lack of knowledge threaten to further destabilise global finance and inflate debt levels.

7 Feb 2026 - 4:30PMvideocam

Japan

Macroscope | Could Japan stop being the ballast of the bond market?

A lower house election victory would give flight to Prime Minister Takaichi’s fiscal expansionism – and introduce upheaval far beyond Japan.

31 Jan 2026 - 5:41PM

Interest rates

Spiking yen fuels risk-averse mood as investors take defensive stance

Yen hits two-month high amid fears US and Japan will intervene to prop up the currency ahead of Japan’s election next month.

26 Jan 2026 - 7:00PM

Media reports on Friday said that the New York Federal Reserve had checked dollar-yen rates with dealers, widely seen as a precursor to intervention. Photo: Reuters

Bonds

Japan bond volatility raises contagion alarm for Asia’s stocks and debt

Japan’s yield spike is testing safe-haven assumptions, with markets debating whether the movement is local or systemic.

21 Jan 2026 - 3:11PM

A monitor displays long-term interest rates in Tokyo, Japan, on January 19, 2026. Photo: EPA

International Property

Heightened tensions with China rattle Japan’s property market: analysts

Bilateral friction is expected to impact assets tied to tourism, including hotels and high-street retail shops, CBRE’s Chinatsu Hani says.

11 Jan 2026 - 9:30AM

Japan

Bank of Japan’s historic rate increase signals new era for economy

Bank of Japan lifts rates to 0.75 per cent – a 30-year high – ending zero-interest era, paving the way for further increases amid rising inflation.

19 Dec 2025 - 4:52PM

Banking & finance

Macroscope | Inflated asset prices show markets don’t always know best

With hyperinflated sectors across multiple asset markets, the next crash could be so severe that it prompts a restructuring of global finance.

6 Dec 2025 - 4:30PMvideocam

People take photos by the bull statue in Shanghai, on August 7. Photo: EPA

Hong Kong stock market

Hong Kong stocks edge higher as weak jobs data firms up rate-cut bets

Rates traders price in more than 90 per cent probability of a quarter-point reduction next week after private US labour market report.

4 Dec 2025 - 4:45PM

Hong Kong stock market

Hong Kong stocks stumble after 2 days of gains as investors await policy signals

Caution returns ahead of US Federal Reserve and Bank of Japan meetings, as well as China’s economic work conference.

3 Dec 2025 - 4:32PM

South Korea

Macroscope | South Korea’s challenges a taste of what’s to come for global economy

While South Korea has been a big beneficiary of the AI boom, the surge is also highlighting its domestic and geopolitical vulnerabilities.

20 Nov 2025 - 4:30PMvideocam

A cyclist rides past residential buildings in Seoul on November 11. Flat prices in the capital increased at the sharpest pace since 2018 last month while rents rose at the fastest clip on record. Photo: AFP

Japan

Japanese yen weakens to 9‑month low, hits 155 to US dollar amid uncertainties

Stocks and bond market slump as investors fret over expansionary fiscal plans, fading US rate-cut bets, and a China-Japan diplomatic row.

18 Nov 2025 - 5:43PM

The Japanese yen’s exchange rate briefly weakened beyond 155.3 to the US dollar on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

Asia housing and property

The View | Why South Korea’s house prices continue to be out of control

Alarmist talk from the South Korean president, following three rounds of cooling measures, is not inspiring confidence.

3 Nov 2025 - 5:40PMvideocam

South Korea

Can South Korea and US seal a trade deal? Chances look slim

Trump has offered to cut tariffs if Seoul commits US$350 billion in investment.

25 Oct 2025 - 9:30AMvideocam

Japan

Macroscope | Japan’s political turmoil will weigh heavily on its economy, and beyond

More than just who heads the government, the fate of Japan’s leadership race has implications for markets, regional economies and geopolitics.

18 Oct 2025 - 4:30PMvideocam

Japan

‘Mixed bag’: how Japan’s PM-in-waiting may fuel growth, defence – and debt

After the ruling Liberal Democratic Party elects new leader, economists assess what lies ahead.

6 Oct 2025 - 9:00PMvideocam

Newly-elected Liberal Democratic Party leader Sanae Takaichi celebrates after winning the LDP leadership election on Saturday. Photo: TNS

Japan

Macroscope | 4 reasons Japan’s yen safe haven trade is a distant memory

While the Japanese currency’s reputation as a safe haven was always overblown, the stability that supported it is now a thing of the past.

25 Sep 2025 - 4:30PMvideocam

Asia housing and property

The View | Asian governments may have a housing affordability crisis on their hands

From Singapore to Seoul, piecemeal efforts to expand affordability have only limited options for policymakers as housing prices rise.

15 Sep 2025 - 5:49PM

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Bank of Japan

Samsung union’s strike threat fuels fears of South Korea’s economic slowdown

The AI boom and SK Hynix’s profit-sharing arrangement with its workers have reportedly galvanised Samsung’s biggest union to take action.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Macroscope | Australia’s interest rate rise signals growing hawkish stance in Asia

Macroscope | Why fixing Japan’s monetary policy isn’t getting any easier

Macroscope | Will Japan’s corporate bond initiative signal a shift in Asia financing?

Japanese authorities are promoting the domestic corporate bond market as an alternative for firms seeking funding without losing control.

No oil for BBQ: South Korean restaurants gasp for help amid fuel crisis

Prices for ingredients and packaging have risen by as much as 30 per cent since the start of the Iran war.

Markets brace for rate hikes as prolonged Iran war stokes tightening fears

The European Central Bank has become more hawkish, reverting to wording that analysts say often precedes interest-rate increases.

South Korea risks US rift over Iran’s Hormuz Strait squeeze

Any deal with Iran could undermine South Korea’s alliance with the US and their US$350 billion trade deal.

Can AI help China cushion economic fallout from its rapidly ageing population?

As fertility rates fall, Asian economies face a daunting challenge – sustaining growth with fewer workers.

Macroscope | Why the IMF is right to press Japan on its fiscal risks

The fiscal and monetary policies of advanced economies have global repercussions, and Takaichi’s expansionary fiscal agenda risks market pushback.

Macroscope | Japan will soon learn how far Takaichi can ride her luck

While Japan is unlikely to have its own Liz Truss moment, high debt levels and an empowered populist in charge are still reasons for concern.

Japan’s wage squeeze undermines Takaichi’s ‘trickle down’ plans

Fresh labour ministry figures show the cost of living crisis is deepening, as inflation continues to outpace salary increases for workers.

Macroscope | Trump-Takaichi meddling in finance spells more turbulence ahead

The two leaders’ moves into economics despite their lack of knowledge threaten to further destabilise global finance and inflate debt levels.

Macroscope | Could Japan stop being the ballast of the bond market?

A lower house election victory would give flight to Prime Minister Takaichi’s fiscal expansionism – and introduce upheaval far beyond Japan.

Spiking yen fuels risk-averse mood as investors take defensive stance

Yen hits two-month high amid fears US and Japan will intervene to prop up the currency ahead of Japan’s election next month.

Japan bond volatility raises contagion alarm for Asia’s stocks and debt

Japan’s yield spike is testing safe-haven assumptions, with markets debating whether the movement is local or systemic.

Heightened tensions with China rattle Japan’s property market: analysts

Bilateral friction is expected to impact assets tied to tourism, including hotels and high-street retail shops, CBRE’s Chinatsu Hani says.

Bank of Japan’s historic rate increase signals new era for economy

Bank of Japan lifts rates to 0.75 per cent – a 30-year high – ending zero-interest era, paving the way for further increases amid rising inflation.

Macroscope | Inflated asset prices show markets don’t always know best

With hyperinflated sectors across multiple asset markets, the next crash could be so severe that it prompts a restructuring of global finance.

Hong Kong stocks edge higher as weak jobs data firms up rate-cut bets

Rates traders price in more than 90 per cent probability of a quarter-point reduction next week after private US labour market report.

Hong Kong stocks stumble after 2 days of gains as investors await policy signals

Caution returns ahead of US Federal Reserve and Bank of Japan meetings, as well as China’s economic work conference.

Macroscope | South Korea’s challenges a taste of what’s to come for global economy

While South Korea has been a big beneficiary of the AI boom, the surge is also highlighting its domestic and geopolitical vulnerabilities.

Japanese yen weakens to 9‑month low, hits 155 to US dollar amid uncertainties

Stocks and bond market slump as investors fret over expansionary fiscal plans, fading US rate-cut bets, and a China-Japan diplomatic row.

The View | Why South Korea’s house prices continue to be out of control

Alarmist talk from the South Korean president, following three rounds of cooling measures, is not inspiring confidence.

Can South Korea and US seal a trade deal? Chances look slim

Trump has offered to cut tariffs if Seoul commits US$350 billion in investment.

Macroscope | Japan’s political turmoil will weigh heavily on its economy, and beyond

More than just who heads the government, the fate of Japan’s leadership race has implications for markets, regional economies and geopolitics.

‘Mixed bag’: how Japan’s PM-in-waiting may fuel growth, defence – and debt

After the ruling Liberal Democratic Party elects new leader, economists assess what lies ahead.

Macroscope | 4 reasons Japan’s yen safe haven trade is a distant memory

While the Japanese currency’s reputation as a safe haven was always overblown, the stability that supported it is now a thing of the past.

The View | Asian governments may have a housing affordability crisis on their hands

From Singapore to Seoul, piecemeal efforts to expand affordability have only limited options for policymakers as housing prices rise.

Macroscope | Australia’s interest rate rise signals growing hawkish stance in Asia