Japan’s current account surplus for May reached a record 3.4364 trillion yen, up 16.5% from a year earlier, according to preliminary data released by the Ministry of Finance. This marked the fourth consecutive month of surplus.
As rice prices across Japan continue to remain high, major convenience store chain Lawson has begun selling rice balls made exclusively with aged rice for the first time, starting on July 9th.
According to Teikoku Databank, the number of corporate bankruptcies across Japan in the first half of this year reached 5,003 cases, surpassing the previous year's total for the third consecutive year.
The announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump that a 25% tariff will be imposed on imports from Japan has drawn strong reaction from Prime Minister Ishiba, who said during a government task force meeting that the move is "deeply regrettable."
Rising prices continue to erode household income despite nominal wage increases. According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s Monthly Labour Survey for May, inflation-adjusted real wages per worker fell by 2.9% compared to the same month last year, marking the fifth consecutive month of decline. This represents the steepest year-on-year drop since September 2023.
As Japan's labor shortage worsens due to a declining birthrate and aging population, companies are grappling with how to manage employment for older workers.