News On Japan

Major Japanese Banks Raise Deposit Interest Rates

TOKYO, Mar 19 (News On Japan) - In response to the Bank of Japan's decision to end its negative interest rate policy and implement the first interest rate hike in 17 years, the three major Japanese banks have announced an increase in deposit interest rates.

Mitsubishi UFJ Bank will raise the interest rate on ordinary deposits from the current 0.001% to 0.02%, a twentyfold increase, starting March 21. The interest rates for fixed deposits (in yen) will also be raised. For example, the interest rate for a one-year fixed deposit will increase from 0.002% to 0.025%.

Similarly, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation will increase the interest rate on ordinary deposits from 0.001% to 0.02% starting April 1. The bank also plans to raise the interest rates for fixed deposits.

Mizuho Bank has also announced plans to raise the interest rates for ordinary deposits and fixed deposits.

Source: 日テレNEWS

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

The worsening string of bear incidents across Akita Prefecture has prompted the deployment of the Ground Self-Defense Force to assist in countermeasures. On November 5th, fifteen members of the 21st Infantry Regiment based at the Akita garrison were sent to Kazuno City, where they began support activities such as transporting box traps for capturing bears.

In the House of Councillors on November 6th, Prime Minister Takaichi faced her first major challenge from Sanseito leader Sohei Kamiya, who took the podium for the first time to question the government’s stance on accepting foreign workers. Both share conservative leanings, and Kamiya had been approached by Takaichi for cooperation during the prime ministerial election, but the session quickly turned into a pointed exchange over immigration and national priorities.

As of 3 p.m. on November 5th, a tropical depression over the sea near the Caroline Islands was slowly moving northward, with the Japan Meteorological Agency forecasting that it would develop into a typhoon within the next 24 hours. Once it forms, it will be designated as Typhoon No. 26.

Emergency contraceptive pills, used to prevent unintended pregnancies, are set to become available over the counter in Japan as early as by the end of this fiscal year, marking a major shift after nearly a decade of debate.

The number of U.S. military personnel arrested for criminal offenses in Okinawa has reached 77 so far this year, already surpassing the record total for all of 2024 as of the end of September.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Business NEWS

Gasoline prices rose for the first time in four weeks to 173.60 yen per liter as of 2 p.m. on November 6th, up just 0.10 yen from the previous week. However, with the government’s decision on November 5th to abolish the provisional gasoline tax by the end of the year, prices are expected to fall in stages before the abolition takes full effect.

Nissan Motor announced on November 6th that it will sell its Yokohama headquarters building for 97 billion yen as part of a broader restructuring plan, while continuing to occupy the property under a lease agreement.

Around 1,200 investors have filed a class-action lawsuit with the Osaka District Court seeking the return of more than 11.4 billion yen from the real estate fund “Minna de Ooya-san,” which has been delaying distribution payments to its investors.

Real wages in Japan fell 1.4% in September from a year earlier, marking the ninth consecutive month of decline, as rising prices continued to outpace wage increases, according to data released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

The economic policy bannered by Prime Minister Takaichi as “Sanaenomics” is beginning to take shape, with expectations centering on lower gasoline prices and the restart of electricity and gas subsidies even as critics say the program’s substance remains unclear and insufficiently developed.

Japan’s space industry is gaining new momentum under Prime Minister Takaichi’s vision of building a “strong economy,” with the sector identified as a key target for strategic investment alongside AI and energy security.

Nintendo has raised its forecast for the upcoming fiscal year ending in March 2026, projecting revenue to exceed 2 trillion yen for the first time.

Farmers across western Japan are facing mounting losses from the growing population of nutria, large semi-aquatic rodents originally brought from South America. Once imported for their fur, the animals have become a major agricultural pest, chewing through crops and spreading rapidly into urban areas.