Japan Household Wealth Hits New High

TOKYO, Sep 19 (News On Japan) - Household financial assets have reached a record high, driven by rising stock prices and the expansion of NISA investment programs.

According to the Bank of Japan, as of the end of June, household holdings of deposits, stocks, insurance, and other financial assets rose 1 percent from a year earlier to 2,239 trillion yen, the highest level on record. The gains reflect a strong stock market and wider use of tax-advantaged NISA accounts.

On the Tokyo Stock Exchange, the Nikkei Stock Average recently surpassed 45,000 yen for the first time, underscoring sustained market strength.

Within household portfolios, stock holdings increased 4.9 percent compared with the same period last year, while investment trusts climbed 9 percent.

By contrast, cash and deposits edged down 0.1 percent, partly reflecting the broader shift toward cashless transactions.

Source: TBS

Tokyo’s Aging Expressway Reborn After Major Overhaul

After nearly a decade of construction, the newly rebuilt Haneda Line of the Metropolitan Expressway, one of Tokyo’s key arteries linking the city center with Haneda Airport, has been unveiled to the media ahead of its official switch to a new road on October 29th.

New Cabinet Takes On 'Takaichi Color'

The newly launched Takaichi Cabinet moved into full operation on October 22nd, with early personnel decisions revealing a clear conservative tone. Satsuki Katayama was appointed as finance minister and Kimi Onoda as minister in charge of foreign resident policy, underscoring what observers are calling the emergence of a distinct “Takaichi color.”

Hokkaido Launches Mass Culling After Bird Flu Detected

Authorities in Shiraoi, Hokkaido, have begun culling approximately 460,000 laying hens after a poultry farm in the region’s Iburi area confirmed infections of highly pathogenic avian influenza, marking the first confirmed outbreak of the season in Japan.

Tourist Graffiti Threatens Kyoto’s Iconic Bamboo Forest

Kyoto’s world-famous Arashiyama district, a popular destination for both domestic and international tourists, is facing a growing problem of graffiti etched into the bamboo along its iconic “Bamboo Grove Path,” with more than 350 stalks now damaged — a practice that experts warn could eventually cause bamboo to weaken, fall, and even injure visitors.

Japanese Streaming Services Struggle Against Netflix

Japan’s streaming industry is under growing pressure as foreign giants tighten their grip on the domestic market, with Netflix’s latest move to secure exclusive broadcast rights in Japan for every game of the World Baseball Classic next March highlighting the widening gap.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Business NEWS

BYD Launches 2-Million-Yen EV at AEON MALL

Automakers are stoking a fierce price war in Japan's EV market, with Chinese manufacturer BYD leading the charge by introducing fully electric vehicles priced around 2 million yen at Aeon stores. U.S. rival Tesla is also pushing price cuts for its core models, while Japanese giants Toyota and Nissan are responding by lowering prices on improved models with extended driving range.

Asahi System Outage Spreads to Year-End Gifts

A prolonged system failure caused by a cyberattack at Asahi Group Holdings is now rippling into Japan’s year-end gift season, forcing major brewers to scale back their offerings.

System Outage Hits Amazon Web Services Worldwide

Amazon’s cloud computing platform Amazon Web Services (AWS) suffered a major system failure on October 20th, disrupting services across the globe, including online games and web conferencing tools.

Wholesale Rice Prices in Japan Forecast to Hit Unprecedented Highs

The wholesale price of rice traded between businesses is expected to reach an unprecedented level of over 36,000 yen per 60 kilograms despite a bumper harvest this year, according to interviews conducted by JNN, highlighting the intense competition among buyers and the distorted dynamics of Japan’s rice market.