Yen at 163 Japan’s markets, industry and science
From the history of intervention and the mechanics of trading the yen to tourism, regional industry, maglev, shipbuilding, heat, medicine and maritime security: 15 original reports, four July 22 selections and the kinetic visual world of Utagawa Kuniyoshi.
Start with four
Yen, trading, tourism and maglev
Four selections from July 22
Critical minerals, skills, work and urban data
Today’s news: 19 stories
15 original reports + four July 22 selections
Yen Falls Past 163: Japan’s Intervention Dilemma
The weakest level since 1986. Who orders intervention, what drives yen weakness and how much can official firepower change?
How to Trade the Yen: Spot, Futures, ETPs and Options
Quote direction, position size, leverage, carry and intervention—a practical guide to the machinery and the ways traders lose.
U.S. Visitors Overtake China in Japan Tourism Spending
The April–June 2026 switch reflects a visitor economy moving from bakugai shopping toward hotels, food, experiences and longer stays.
Japan Rebuilds Regional Economies Around 17 Strategic Sectors
From the Pacific Belt and technopolis era to TSMC in Kumamoto and Rapidus in Hokkaido, the long cluster experiment continues.
Shizuoka Agreement Unblocks Japan’s Maglev
The main-work path is open, but the Oi River, Southern Alps, ¥11 trillion cost and an uncertain opening date remain.
Japan and U.S. Launch AI Shipbuilding Robotics Project
Welding, plate bending, digital twins and outfitting converge. Can software and machines restore shipyard productivity?
Osaka’s “Programmable Heat” Concept
A theoretical device remembers the direction of thermal radiation. We separate the simulation result from the road to real hardware.
Chinese Warship Fires Live Rounds in Japan’s Claimed EEZ
At 180 km southwest of Okinotorishima, navigation rights meet safety, maritime boundaries and the island-versus-rock dispute.
Six Lawmakers in Their Twenties and the Meaning of “Zero Assets”
Japan’s 1992 law omits ordinary deposits, family wealth and market value. What the filings reveal—and what they conceal.
Osaka’s Blood-Type Paradox
A 1,671-patient cohort associated type A with lower mortality. The result is neither proof of cause nor a reason to change treatment.
Japan’s First Official Kokushobi at 40°C
Tajimi reached 40.3°C, Toyota 40.1°C and Hachiman 40.0°C. The record, the atmospheric setup and actions that save lives.
Showa 100 Revives Japan’s Railway Memory
Film, photography, a 1925 timetable, models and ekiben open a history of JNR, the Shinkansen, privatization and abandoned lines.
Osaka Mosasaur Fossil May Signal a New Species
Four bones emerged from 30-year-old matrix, including Japan’s first confirmed mosasaur premaxilla and an unusual braincase bone.
Japan Plans a Pig-Kidney Trial—Approval Is Still Ahead
A trial is targeted for 2028. Rejection, infection, ethics and manufacturing quality stand between a plan and patient access.
Russian Tu-95 Bombers Fly Over the Sea of Japan
Japan scrambled fighters after tracking the aircraft near Hokkaido. We verify the route, airspace law and the Bear’s 74-year history.
China Shipped Japan No Gallium or Key Heavy Rare Earths in June
What the zeros in export data mean for Japanese auto, semiconductor and magnet supply chains.
Japan’s Factory Veterans Are Becoming AI Knowledge Systems
Structuring tacit knowledge may preserve veteran judgment, while revealing the limits of turning craft into data.
Work-Related Illness Claims Jump by 1,402 in One Year
Claims—especially for mental illness—are rising. We examine recognition rules, workplace realities and prevention failures.
Japan Expands Its Urban Digital Twin to 329 Cities
Three-dimensional city data supports disasters, mobility and services—while creating a nationwide maintenance obligation.
20. Today’s Art Choice
Utagawa Kuniyoshi / 歌川国芳
Utagawa Kuniyoshi in Kyoto: About 200 Ukiyo-e Prints
Giant skeletons, heroes, cats, monsters and satire: Kuniyoshi compressed narrative and commerce, humor and politics, and the collaborative craft of woodblock printing into a single frame. Today’s 16 editorial illustrations salute his bold composition and movement.
Read the art feature →