Sweet Start to Season as Five Melons Fetch 300,000 Yen

Japan's Nikkei 225 Stock Average closed at 58,775.50 on Monday, November 9, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. Tokyo time, rising 1,340.73 points, or 2.33%, from Friday's close, as investors returned to equities following last week's sharp selloff, with widespread gains across banking, automotive, retail and semiconductor-related shares helping the benchmark record its first advance in six trading sessions.

Japan's stock market is expected to open higher on Monday, November 9, after the Nikkei 225 plunged 9.25% last week to close at 57,434.77 on Friday, November 6, with a rebound in US technology shares and stronger overnight futures pointing to an initial recovery, although investors face another potentially volatile week dominated by inflation data, corporate earnings and uncertainty over the outlook for artificial intelligence investment.

Nissan Motor is stepping up efforts to revive its struggling business through new vehicle development, sweeping cost reductions and an overhaul of its sales strategy, as President and CEO Ivan Espinosa seeks to restore the Japanese automaker's competitiveness following consecutive years of massive losses.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index plunged 3,643 points, or 5.96%, to close at 57,435 on Friday, November 6, 2026, marking its fifth consecutive daily decline and one of the largest point losses in its history, as a global selloff in technology stocks spread across the Tokyo market and raised concerns about the sustainability of artificial intelligence investment and corporate valuations.

Municipalities across Japan are raising the cost of designated garbage bags as waste disposal expenses increase, with one town in Hokkaido proposing a 4.5-fold price hike from 385 yen to 1,735 yen for a pack of 10 bags, while growing pressure on incineration facilities is prompting debate over whether more cities should introduce paid household garbage collection.

Japan's inflation-adjusted wages rose 2.2% in September from a year earlier, marking the ninth consecutive month of growth and the longest sustained increase in about a decade, as slower price increases helped boost workers' purchasing power.

Tokyo stocks suffered a sharp sell-off on November 6 as growing concerns over a slowdown in artificial intelligence investment sent the Nikkei 225 plunging more than 4,300 points at one stage, pushing the benchmark below the psychologically important 60,000 level following a sweeping Democratic victory in the U.S. midterm elections.

Sony Group reported a record net profit of 791.7 billion yen for the six months from April to September 2026, up 38% from a year earlier, driven by strong performance in its film business, including the worldwide success of a new installment in the Spider-Man franchise.