News On Japan

Nikkei Tops 50,000 for First Time

TOKYO, Oct 27 (News On Japan) - The Nikkei Stock Average surpassed the 50,000-yen mark for the first time ever as trading began on Monday in Tokyo, marking a historic milestone for Japan’s equity market. The breakthrough occurred just three minutes after the opening bell at 9 a.m., with traders at some securities firms preparing to celebrate with a traditional kagami-biraki sake ceremony.

The rally was driven by easing tensions in U.S.–China trade relations and sustained optimism over Prime Minister Takaichi’s policies a week into her administration. Buying focused on AI-related and semiconductor stocks, pushing the Nikkei up more than 1,100 yen at one point in broad-based gains across sectors.

By the end of the morning session, the benchmark index had risen 1,037 yen to close at 50,337 yen.

While the rapid pace of gains has buoyed investor sentiment, attention is now turning to key monetary policy meetings by the central banks of Japan and the United States later this week, which could determine whether the rally continues beyond this historic moment.

Source: TBS

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

A reporting team found itself face to face with a bear while investigating the sharp rise in bear-related incidents that has left 13 people dead this year.

Sakurajima erupted in the early hours on October (date not provided in source), sending a plume of ash soaring to 4,400 meters above the crater, the first time it has exceeded 4,000 meters since October last year, with volcanic rocks reaching as far as the sixth station on the mountainside as the volcano continued erupting intermittently throughout the morning and caused ash to fall over Kagoshima Airport, where a thin layer accumulated on aircraft.

Japan Airlines (JAL) has introduced a new policy starting November 13th allowing its cabin crew and ground staff who serve customers at airports to wear sneakers during work hours.

The ski season has officially begun in western Japan, with Grand Snow Okuibuki in Maibara City, Shiga Prefecture, becoming the first resort in the region to open on November 14th.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a travel advisory on November 14th, urging Chinese citizens to avoid visiting Japan for the time being, citing “serious safety risks” to Chinese nationals following Prime Minister Takaichi’s remarks on a potential Taiwan contingency.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Business NEWS

Nara, previously lacking in accommodation options, now hosts a unique category of high-end hotel. The person responsible for creating these unconventional luxury properties across Japan is the daughter of one of the country’s wealthiest families and leader of a major real estate company with total assets exceeding 1 trillion yen.

Nissan Motor announced on November 14th that it plans to double the number of its showrooms inside shopping malls to more than 30 locations from fiscal 2027 onward. The move will expand its presence in the growing category of “experience-based stores,” a format increasingly adopted in the apparel industry and other sectors.

Japanese automakers are under increasing pressure as China’s aggressive push in electric vehicles continues and the impact of U.S. tariffs under former President Donald Trump looms large. With total tariff-related losses for seven major manufacturers projected to reach 1.5 trillion yen, analysts are examining how Japanese companies plan to stay competitive.

SoftBank Group has reported a record-breaking net profit for the April–September period, marking the highest half-year earnings ever achieved by a Japanese company.

Osaka Metro announced that its interim financial results reached a record high, driven by an increase in ridership linked to the Osaka-Kansai Expo.

JR East announced on November 11th that it will retire the beloved Suica penguin mascot at the end of fiscal 2026, marking the 25th anniversary of the Suica transportation IC card service, and will introduce a new character from fiscal 2027.

The Mekari Shrine near the Kanmon Strait, connecting Honshu and Kyushu, has overcome a financial crisis through an unconventional initiative: a marine ash scattering business. Drawing on local customs, the shrine began offering plans starting from 70,000 yen, allowing families to have ashes scattered at sea in a ceremony managed by the shrine itself.

The Nikkei Average has surged past 50,000, yet many individual investors say their portfolios have barely moved, underscoring how narrowly led the rally has become as the NT ratio—Nikkei divided by TOPIX—climbs to a record, reflecting outsized strength in a handful of high-priced technology names while a broad swath of stocks lags behind, and even within the Nikkei 225 the gap between the strongest and weakest deciles over the past six months has widened to extreme levels, pushing the headline index higher while leaving many constituents flat.