News On Japan

Yen Surges Against US Dollar

TOKYO - The yen surged nearly 5 yen against the dollar late on July 30, briefly reaching the upper 157 range and prompting speculation that the Japanese government and Bank of Japan had intervened in the foreign exchange market.

The Japanese currency had been trading in the upper 162 range against the dollar on the evening of July 30 before buying accelerated shortly after 10:30 p.m., pushing it rapidly to the upper 157 range.

It was the first time the yen had reached the 157 level since May, and some market participants said the government and central bank may have conducted yen-buying and dollar-selling intervention.

The government and Bank of Japan carried out foreign exchange intervention totaling about 11.7 trillion yen from late April through May. However, the yen returned to its previous weak levels in less than two months, leaving uncertainty over whether intervention can halt its underlying depreciation.

Source: TBS

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Plans to bring Shinkansen service to Shikoku have taken a significant step forward for the first time in 53 years, with the transport ministry beginning preliminary studies that could eventually cut travel times from Osaka to major cities including Tokushima, Takamatsu and Matsuyama to around 90 minutes.

A Takenaka Corp. construction manager who oversaw work on the Grand Ring and other facilities at the Osaka-Kansai Expo was arrested on August 19 on suspicion of causing more than 13 million yen in losses to the major contractor through inflated construction bills, with police investigating allegations that money from the scheme was used for renovations to his home and a cafe operated by relatives.

Typhoon No. 18 (Soudelor) formed near the Truk Islands on August 19 and is forecast to strengthen as it gradually turns northwest, potentially approaching the Ogasawara Islands before moving toward Okinawa or the Pacific coast of western Japan.

After 10 p.m., the clouds that had covered the sky above Shirakoma Pond gradually began to clear, revealing countless stars and the Milky Way rising vividly over the mountain lake in Nagano Prefecture's Northern Yatsugatake range.

A fire broke out at Sairinji temple in Saga city on the morning of August 18, engulfing the building in flames and prompting the dispatch of 10 fire engines and two ambulances, with no injuries reported so far.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Business NEWS

Whistleblowers who expose suspected wrongdoing at companies and other organizations in Japan are increasingly finding themselves targeted by multimillion-yen damages claims, raising questions over whether the country's legal system adequately protects people who report misconduct.

Catalog House, the operator of shopping catalog magazine Tsuhan Seikatsu, has announced it will stop selling through Rakuten Market in protest over Rakuten Group's partnership with a German military drone company and its plans to support the introduction of the drones to Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force.

The bankruptcy of payment processing company Zento Shin has raised concerns over the impact on restaurants and other small and midsize businesses, while highlighting regulatory gaps in Japan's rapidly expanding cashless payment industry.

Tokyo stocks fell sharply on August 19, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 65,326.42, down 3.2%, its lowest finish since August 4, as renewed selling in artificial intelligence and semiconductor-related shares combined with rising bond yields, higher oil prices and geopolitical concerns to trigger a broad risk-off move.

Real estate company Rewrite has built a business around properties that owners struggle to give away, sometimes listing them for just 1 yen in a strategy that produces virtually no immediate profit but can generate lucrative deals years later through referrals and repeat customers.

Pan Pacific International Holdings, the operator of Don Quijote discount stores and other retail businesses, posted net profit of 110.1 billion yen for the year through June 2026, up 21.6% from a year earlier and exceeding 100 billion yen for the first time.

JA Zen-Noh Niigata decided on August 18 to set its advance payment for standard Koshihikari rice from the 2026 crop at 18,500 yen per 60 kilograms of brown rice, about 40% lower than a year earlier as inventories continue to build.

An international meeting on Pacific bluefin tuna resource management reached agreement on August 18 to raise the catch quota for large fish in the western and central Pacific by 25% while reducing the quota for smaller fish by 6%, a shift that could eventually lower prices for the prized tuna used in high-end sushi and sashimi.