News On Japan

Middle-aged men on apps lead $67 trillion Japan FX trading boom

TOKYO, Oct 26 (The Edge) - Salarymen scrolling through their phones on the subway are a common sight in Tokyo, but they aren’t all playing Pokémon Go — many are on trading apps, aggressively buying and selling the yen to profit from short-term swings.

Retail currency traders are having a field day as speculation mounts that the Bank of Japan is getting closer to raising its rock-bottom interest rates, with some betting on a move as soon as next week. The cohort of mainly middle-aged men is amplifying volatility in the fast-paced currency markets by seizing on intraday moves in a departure from their previous focus on interest rate differentials.

“I’m really convinced that in the current market, short-term trades have become super-profitable,” said Satoshi Hirai, 43, who trades alongside running a video studio in Gifu Prefecture in central Japan. Hirai’s been buying and selling the yen about 100 times a day recently, and used the money he’s made to buy a Leica camera and guitars to play in his punk rock band.

The increased involvement of mom-and-pop traders reflects the new monetary policy paradigm that Japan is facing. The country is the last hold-out for negative rates globally, despite inflation that’s remained elevated, spurring investors to pile on bets that the BOJ may adjust policy sooner rather than later. ...continue reading

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

A passenger car was captured speeding across the frame from left to right by a security camera just moments before a fatal crash in Iida City, Nagano Prefecture, that claimed the lives of four vocational school students.

A fire broke out on the evening of April 25th on an electronic billboard attached to the Yodobashi Camera commercial complex in front of JR Osaka Station, prompting a large emergency response. No injuries were reported.

Organic fluorine compounds known as PFAS—suspected to be harmful to human health—have been detected at concentrations exceeding the national provisional target in rivers and groundwater at 242 sites across 22 prefectures, according to a government survey.

The Japanese government will begin issuing blue tickets for bicycle traffic violations in April 2026, with fines including 5,000 yen for ignoring stop signs and up to 12,000 yen for riding while using a smartphone.

A 26-year-old woman was arrested in the early hours of April 24th in Kasuya Town, Fukuoka Prefecture, on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. While admitting to the offense, she claimed, "I ate chocolate that contained alcohol."

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Business NEWS

Construction of the Integrated Resort (IR) complex in Yumeshima, Osaka—adjacent to the site of the 2025 World Expo—began on April 24th, with plans to open the facility in five years.

Toyota Motor Corporation announced on April 24th that its global sales for fiscal 2024 totaled 10,273,719 vehicles, a 0.3% decrease from the previous year, marking the first year-on-year decline in four years.

Rice prices in Japan continue to soar, more than doubling from the same period last year, with no clear signs of easing despite the government’s decision to release stockpiled rice. The current situation—dubbed the “Reiwa Rice Crisis”—has drawn comparisons to past supply shocks, prompting public concern and debate over whether government intervention has come too late.

At the Shanghai Motor Show, which opened to the press on April 23rd ahead of its public run from April 27th to May 2nd, Toyota Motor Corporation revealed a series of new models, including a new electric vehicle, as it works to regain ground in the increasingly competitive Chinese market.

The average weekday lunch spending in Japan rose for the third straight year to a record 485 yen in 2024 -- a 7.3% increase from the previous year -- highlighting how inflation is reshaping workers' midday habits.

Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan has announced it will raise prices on 217 beverage products starting with shipments on October 1st.

The emergence of Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn has become a key catalyst in the discussion of a potential Nissan-Honda merger. Having grown through iPhone production, the company is now pushing into the electric vehicle (EV) sector, led by a Japanese executive who once held top roles at major Japanese firms.

The average price of new condominiums in Greater Tokyo has marked a record high for a fourth straight year amid rising costs. (NHK)