Japan GDP Grows for Third Straight Quarter

Japan's economy expanded for a third consecutive quarter in the April-June period, with real gross domestic product rising 0.3% from the previous three months, equivalent to an annualized increase of 1.1%, according to preliminary data released by the Cabinet Office.

Tokyo stocks rose on August 17, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 69,220.25, up 506.45 points, as buying in artificial intelligence and semiconductor-related shares outweighed weaker-than-expected economic growth, rising bond yields and renewed concern over household spending.

BYD is making its most ambitious push yet into Japan with the Racco, a purpose-built electric kei car developed in roughly two years for a segment unique to the Japanese market, as the Chinese automaker seeks to turn three years of difficult sales growth into a durable presence in one of the world’s most demanding auto markets.

A new Japanese-made high-speed train developed for Taiwan arrived in the southern city of Kaohsiung on August 15, with commercial operations scheduled to begin in July 2027.

Commercial and industrial damage from the Kumamoto earthquake has already reached 117.6 billion yen, while continuing water outages are preventing many businesses from reopening.

An Okinawa dairy farming family is working to protect local milk production as soaring feed and utility costs, extreme summer heat and reduced demand during the school vacation place growing pressure on an industry that has seen the number of farms fall sharply over the past four decades.

Tokyo stocks rose on August 14, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 68,714, up 0.59%, as investors continued buying semiconductor, artificial intelligence and earnings-backed shares, while the broader TOPIX gained 0.51% to 4,197 and reached another record high.

Rakuten Securities held an event for parents and children at the Tokyo Stock Exchange on August 13 to teach families about building assets ahead of the launch of the new Junior NISA program in January 2027.