Sep 29, 2024 (News On Japan) - Toyota's global production has seen a decline for the seventh consecutive month. In August, Toyota Motor Corporation announced that its worldwide production totaled 709,571 units, an 11.2% decrease from the same period last year.
The domestic production volume dropped by 22.2%. This downturn was impacted by the suspension of production of three models, including the Yaris Cross, due to certification violations.
Source: テレ東BIZ
Typhoon No. 9 Bavi had intensified into a violent typhoon near the Truk Islands by the afternoon of July 4 and is forecast to strengthen further before passing near Guam and Saipan, with the storm potentially approaching Okinawa and the Sakishima Islands from around July 10 to July 11.
A fossil discovered in Osaka has led to Japan’s first finding of its kind, raising the possibility that a giant marine predator believed to have swum in the seas around the Kansai region about 70 million years ago was a previously unknown species.
Former Nissan Motor Chairman Carlos Ghosn said the automaker is in a "state of emergency" and signaled he would be willing to return as chief executive officer, arguing that only a true decision-maker in the CEO role could rescue the company.
The entire Negishi Housing Area in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, has been returned to Japan for the first time in 79 years, ending its use as a residential district for U.S. military personnel and their families.
Strong earthquakes have continued to shake parts of Japan in recent weeks, with 11 temblors measuring lower 5 or above on the Japanese seismic intensity scale recorded across the country since April 2026.
Japan is seeking to turn economic security into diplomatic leverage as the United States deepens its America First approach, with policymakers focusing on semiconductors, critical minerals, energy, shipbuilding and advanced technology as areas where Japan can make itself indispensable to Washington.
Japan's Government Pension Investment Fund said its investment operations for fiscal 2025 generated a surplus of more than 41 trillion yen, lifted by gains in domestic and overseas stock markets.
Gold prices remain under pressure after spot bullion briefly fell below 4,000 dollars per troy ounce last week, marking the lowest level in seven months since early November, as investors reassess the outlook for US interest rates and the dollar.
Workers inspecting screws are a familiar sight in Tokyo’s Ota Ward, where small factories line the streets, but manufacturers say rising costs are squeezing operations despite signs of strength elsewhere in the economy.
Business expansion creates pressure on finance teams before it creates visible growth.
Tokyo stocks staged a sharp intraday reversal on July 3, with the Nikkei 225 rebounding from an early drop of more than 1,100 points to close more than 1,000 points higher as investors bought back semiconductor and AI-related shares while rotating into lagging value stocks.
Japan’s long-term interest rate, which affects fixed-rate housing loans and other borrowing costs, climbed to its highest level in about 30 years as concerns grew over the fiscal outlook under the Takaichi administration.
Tokyo stocks fell sharply on July 2 as a global reversal in semiconductor and AI-related shares dragged the Nikkei 225 below 70,000, while the broader TOPIX held firm as investors rotated into banks, software, airlines, trading houses and other lagging value shares.
