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

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Electricity and gas bills for usage in May will rise slightly in Japan, with the impact of tensions involving Iran expected to appear in utility charges from June onward. Larger increases could follow in subsequent months.

The Bank of Japan decided to leave interest rates unchanged, opting against an additional rate hike for now, after its monetary policy meeting concluded earlier with a majority vote to maintain the policy rate at 0.75%, marking the third consecutive meeting at which rates were left unchanged.

Shizuoka City said it will shorten operating hours at three municipally run hot spring facilities from May 7 for the time being, after instability in heavy oil supplies linked to the situation in Iran.

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The impact of the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz is spreading to Japan's export industries, dealing a fresh blow to automakers and other companies reliant on Middle East trade routes.

The Nikkei Stock Average rose by more than 1,100 points at one stage in trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Monday. Following gains in semiconductor-related shares on the New York market on June 24, buy orders flowed into AI and chip-related stocks in Tokyo, lifting the Nikkei back above the 60,000 level.

Japan has reduced refinery operating rates as it scrambles to secure alternative crude supplies following disruptions to shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring the growing strain on one of Asia’s most import-dependent energy markets.

American crude oil secured as an alternative supply source has arrived in Japan for the first time, as the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz makes procurement from the Middle East increasingly difficult.