Amid growing expectations for Liberal Democratic Party leader Sanae Takaiichi’s economic policies, stock and bond markets have seen significant movements. The question now is how her inflation-relief measures will shape people’s daily lives once implemented.
The Nikkei Stock Average climbed again on October 7th, setting another record high amid growing expectations surrounding the Liberal Democratic Party’s new leader, Sanae Takaichi. The benchmark index at one point rose more than 500 yen, marking the second consecutive day it reached an intraday record.
Toyota Motor Corporation announced that the planned tender offer (TOB) for its founding company, Toyota Industries, will be delayed from the original schedule of December to February 2026 or later due to pending antitrust procedures.
Household spending in Japan rose 2.3% in August from a year earlier, marking the fourth consecutive month of increase, according to data released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
The Tokyo District Court on October 6th sentenced former Mitsubishi UFJ Bank assistant branch manager Yukari Yamazaki to nine years in prison for stealing about 400 million yen worth of gold bars and cash from a bank safe deposit vault.
Zines — short for “magazines” — are small, handmade booklets that allow individuals to express themselves freely without going through traditional publishers. Unlike commercial magazines, zines are self-funded and created entirely by individuals. Across Japan, zine fairs are drawing large crowds and fueling a quiet but powerful publishing trend.
Nikkei stock prices soared on October 6th after Takaichi was elected as the new president of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), with the benchmark index surging more than 2,100 yen at one point and surpassing the 47,000 range for the first time in history.
From October, a new policy has come into effect requiring some people aged 75 and over to pay 20% of their medical costs at the counter, doubling the previous burden for many elderly patients. For those living on pensions, the increased costs are squeezing already tight household budgets and fueling concern about how to manage daily life.