Japan

Japan to invest $36 billion in US projects under agreement with Trump

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the projects were designed to build resilient supply chains through cooperation in areas crucial for economic security

Takaichi will be reappointed as Japan's PM with goal of pushing to right

Last week Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi won a landslide election that she hopes will allow her to move her nation's policies hard right. On Wednesday she will be reappointed as prime minister by the parliament and form her second Cabinet. It's a formality, but Takaichi will look to use the symbolism of the day to further boost her Liberal Democratic Party as it looks to capitalize on a two-thirds supermajority in the lower house, the more powerful of Japan's two parliamentary chambers. Her goals include an increase in military power, more government spending and strengthened conservative social policies. The power of a supermajority Having two-thirds control of the 465-seat lower house allows Takaichi's party to dominate top posts in house committees and push through bills rejected by the upper house, the chamber where the LDP-led ruling coalition lacks a majority. Takaichi wants to bolster Japan's military capability and arms sales, tighten immigration policies, push ...

Japan's economy barely grows as exports drag; 2025 expansion just 1.1%

Japan's economy expanded at an anemic 0.2% annual pace in the last quarter, the government reported Monday, with growth for all of 2025 at just 1.1%. Private consumption rose at a 0.4% annualized pace in October-December, but that was offset by a 1.1% drop in exports, the latest seasonally adjusted preliminary data show. Japan's export-reliant economy has been shaken by President Donald Trump's tariffs, but has been growing at a lackluster pace for years. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is expected to roll out policies to help revive the economy after a landslide victory in a general election earlier this month. Takaichi has promised to spend more and to suspend Japan's sales tax on food, among other measures. Japan's GDP contracted 0.7% in July-September, quarter-to-quarter, after growing 0.5% in April-June. Since the economy returned to growth in the latest quarter, the country narrowly avoided a technical recession, which is two straight quarters of contraction. On a quarterly ba

Asian shares steady in holiday-thinned trade; weak Japan GDP cools rally

Japan on Monday reported its economy grew a miserly 0.1 per cent annualised in the December quarter, far below the 1.6 per cent gain forecast as government spending dragged on activity

US, Japan commit to deepening bilateral ties as Tokyo faces China pressure

China has stepped up diplomatic and economic pressure on Japan after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested that Tokyo might come to the aid of Taiwan

Japan's Thatcher: Sanae Takaichi's win may reshape Indo-Pacific geopolitics

On the external front, Ms Takaichi has eschewed Japan's traditional equidistance between the United States (US) and China

Consumerism outweighs nationalism in China despite tensions with US, Japan

In China, consumerism appears to outweigh nationalism regardless of how testy relations have become in recent diplomatic spats with countries like Japan and the United States. It has been common practice for the ruling Communist Party to whip up nationalist sentiment and deploy propaganda condemning countries deemed to be violating China's stance on territorial issues as Taiwan and Tibet. At times, Beijing targets companies that make ideological missteps in their maps or advertising. In the past, friction with Japan and the United States has led to calls for mass boycotts, protests in the streets or even vandalism on embassies or restaurants. These days, pure nationalism appears not to resonate so much with Chinese consumers accustomed to making their own personal consumption choices. "Chinese consumers, especially urban middle-class and younger demographics, are not making everyday purchasing decisions based on nationalism," said Jacob Cooke, CEO of Beijing-based consultancy WPIC .

Japanese banks lead $750 million financing for Adani Energy amid India push

The financing highlights Japanese firms' bid to capture a slice of the world's fastest-growing economy, particularly in financial services, as they seek growth and yield beyond their home market

Asian stocks rise for second day as Nikkei sets fresh record, dollar drops

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Monday that senior ‌US Treasury staff visited China last week "to strengthen channels of ​communication" between Washington and Beijing

Xi Jinping faces Japan dilemma after Takaichi's historic election win

Takaichi said Japan was continuing to communicate with China at 'various levels' and would respond 'calmly and appropriately from the standpoint of Japan's national interests'

Takaichi landslide win shows structural, ideological shift in Japan: China

China on Monday said that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's massive victory in the midterm polls, a result widely seen as fuelled by public resentment over Beijing's strong opposition to her, reflects some deep-seated structural problems and shifting ideological currents. Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party won more than two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives in Sunday's election. The election results in Japan reflected some deep-seated structural problems as well as evolving trends of ideological currents, which deserve profound reflection by visionary individuals from all walks of life in Japan and the international community at large, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters. He was replying to a question at a media briefing here whether Beijing's tough stance toward Takaichi's remarks on Taiwan, persisting with diplomatic tension, influenced the outcome of elections in her favour. China never interferes in the internal affairs of other .

World stocks climb, Nikkei soars on Japan PM Takaichi's big poll win

World shares advanced, and Tokyo's Nikkei 225 share index jumped as much as 5 per cent to a record on Monday after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's governing party secured a two-thirds supermajority in a parliamentary election. In early European trading, Germany's DAX gained 0.6 per cent to 24,864.59, while the CAC 40 in Paris edged 0.2 per cent higher, to 8,288.06. Britain's FTSE 100 was up 0.3 per cent at 10,399.61. US futures edged higher after the US stock market roared back on Friday as technology stocks recovered much of their losses from earlier in the week and bitcoin halted its plunge. The future for the S&P 500 added 0.1 per cent, while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.2 per cent. On Friday, the S&P 500 rallied 2 per cent for its best day since May. The Dow industrials soared 2.5 per cent, topping the 50,000 level for the first time. The Nasdaq composite leapt 2.2 per cent. The combination of a rebound in tech shares, Wall Street's rally and

Japan PM Takaichi eyes defence, immigration reforms after landslide win

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's gamble that her personal popularity would lead to big election gains for her struggling party paid off hugely. On Monday, she began the process of translating that new power, made manifest in a two-thirds supermajority gained in parliamentary elections the day before, into what she hopes will be sweeping conservative legislation that will shift Japanese security, immigration, economic and social policies. The first steps include reappointing her Cabinet and pushing forward on a delayed budget, and the votes next week that will re-elect her as prime minister. Takaichi, in an interview with public television network NHK following her victory, said her efforts will make Japan strong and prosperous. NHK, citing vote count results, said Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party, or LDP, alone secured 316 seats by early Monday, comfortably surpassing a 261-seat absolute majority in the 465-member lower house, the more powerful of Japan's two-chamber ...

Trump congratulates Japan PM Takaichi for 'landslide victory' in elections

Commending Japanese voters, Trump said the wonderful people of Japan had voted with enthusiasm and would always have his strong support

Asia rallies as Japan shares surge to record peak post Takaichi's win

Japan's Nikkei surged 4.2 per cent to all-time highs, with investors expecting increased spending and tax cuts

Japan's 'Iron Lady' Sanae Takaichi forges stunning election win

Takaichi's ruling coalition secures supermajority in lower house; Japan's first female leader gambled on rare winter snap election

Japan election: What to know as PM Takaichi's coalition eyes big win

Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party, known as Ishin, could capture around 300 seats in the 465-seat lower house of parliament, polls showed

Rising prices dominate Japan election as voters seek cost-of-living relief

The election pits the PM Takaichi-led Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) coalition against the opposition Centrist Reform Alliance, with inflation and affordability shaping voter sentiment nationwide

Japanese Takaichi hopes for big win as polls open in national elections

Polls opened Sunday in parliamentary elections that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hopes will give her struggling party a big enough win to push through an ambitious conservative political agenda. Takaichi is hugely popular, but the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which has governed Japan for most of the last seven decades, is not. She called Sunday's snap elections hoping to turn that around. She wants to make progress on a right-wing agenda that aims to boost Japan's economy and military capabilities as tensions grow with China. She also nurtures ties with her crucial US ally, and a sometimes unpredictable President Donald Trump. The ultraconservative Takaichi, who took office as Japan's first female leader in October, pledged to "work, work, work," and her style, which is seen as both playful and tough, has resonated with younger fans. The latest surveys indicated a landslide win in the lower house for the LDP. The opposition, despite the formation of a new centrist ...

Trump gives his 'total endorsement' to Japan's Takaichi ahead of elections

Japan's first female PM, whose coalition is widely expected to win, according to opinion polls, is seeking a public mandate