Closures and bankruptcies among Japanese rice farmers are running at a record pace in 2026, with 32 cases recorded from January through August as an aging workforce, rising costs and falling rice prices make it increasingly difficult for producers to remain in business.
Tokyo stocks edged lower on September 9, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 65,143, down 126.55 points, as a stronger yen and crude oil’s move toward $100 outweighed support from selected artificial intelligence and semiconductor-related shares.
South Korean semiconductor giant Samsung Electronics has begun full-scale operations at a new semiconductor research center in Yokohama, seeking to accelerate development and strengthen cooperation with Japanese suppliers as demand for chips used in artificial intelligence continues to grow.
Tokyo stocks fell sharply on September 8, with the Nikkei 225 closing at 65,269, down 1,130.51 points, or 1.70%, as a sudden surge in the yen hit exporters and forced investors to reassess the impact of faster Bank of Japan tightening on corporate earnings, equity valuations and the broader economy.
The yen strengthened to around 152 against the dollar on September 8, reaching its strongest level in about six months after gaining nearly 7 yen in roughly a week as investors focused on prospects for a narrowing interest-rate gap between Japan and the United States.
Japan's inflation-adjusted real wages rose 2.4% in July from a year earlier, marking a seventh consecutive monthly increase as higher base salaries and easing price pressures improved workers' purchasing power.
Rakuten Mobile faces a new test of its network quality after KDDI decided to scale back roaming support from September 2026, ending access to its network in areas where Rakuten already has its own base stations while continuing service in mountainous and sparsely populated regions.
Japanese homebuyers are facing growing uncertainty as mortgage costs rise alongside a sharp increase in interest rates, with the yield on the benchmark 10-year government bond briefly topping 3% last week for the first time in about 30 years.