[Breaking News]Japan's 10-year gov't bond yield hits 2.930%

TOKYO, Japan, July 17 Kyodo - A financial monitor in Tokyo shows the yield on Japan's newly issued benchmark 10-year government bond hitting 2.930 percent on the morning of Aug. 17, 2026, its highest level since October 1996, amid growing speculation of early credit tightening by the Bank of Japan. (Kyodo)

Crown prince, princess off to Paraguay

Crown prince, princess off to Paraguay

Japan's Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko bow from a government plane at Haneda airport in Tokyo on Aug. 18, 2026, before departing for an official trip to Paraguay to mark 90 years of Japanese immigration to the South American country.

Crown prince, princess off to Paraguay

Crown prince, princess off to Paraguay

Japan's Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko board a government plane at Haneda airport in Tokyo on Aug. 18, 2026, for an official trip to Paraguay to mark 90 years of Japanese immigration to the South American country.

Japan's 10-year gov't bond yield hits 2.945%

Japan's 10-year gov't bond yield hits 2.945%

A financial monitor at a currency trading company in Tokyo shows the yield on Japan's newly issued benchmark 10-year government bond continuing to rise, temporarily hitting 2.945 percent on the morning of Aug. 18, 2026, its highest level since October 1996, on selling backed by speculation of early credit tightening by the Bank of Japan.

Japan's 10-year gov't bond yield hits 2.930%

Japan's 10-year gov't bond yield hits 2.930%

A financial monitor in Tokyo shows the yield on Japan's newly issued benchmark 10-year government bond hitting 2.930 percent on the morning of Aug. 17, 2026, its highest level since October 1996, amid growing speculation of early credit tightening by the Bank of Japan.

Aftermath of torrential rain in Chiba

Aftermath of torrential rain in Chiba

Chiba city government officials push an abandoned vehicle on a road in Chiba near Tokyo on Aug. 15, 2026, following the torrential rain that hit the area on Aug. 13.

Aftermath of torrential rain in eastern Japan

Aftermath of torrential rain in eastern Japan

People take shelter at the Chiba prefectural government office building, opened to stranded commuters, in Chiba, east of Tokyo, in the early morning of Aug. 14, 2026, as public transportation services remain suspended following overnight torrential rain. Japan's weather agency issued its highest Level 5 warning for downpours in parts of Chiba Prefecture.

Torrential rain pounds Chiba Pref.

Torrential rain pounds Chiba Pref.

People stay at a makeshift evacuation center set up at the Chiba prefectural government office in the city of Chiba near Tokyo on Aug. 13, 2026, as public transportation is disrupted following torrential rain that pounded the region.

Japan PM meets with Tokyo governor

Japan PM meets with Tokyo governor

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (R) shakes hands with Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike at the premier's office in Tokyo on Aug. 7, 2026. Koike told the press afterward that she called for the central government to address the capital's expected tax revenue fall following the planned cut to 1 percent from the current 8 percent in the consumption tax on food and beverages for two years starting in April 2027.

Japan PM meets with Tokyo governor

Japan PM meets with Tokyo governor

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (R) shakes hands with Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike at the premier's office in Tokyo on Aug. 7, 2026. Koike told the press afterward that she called for the central government to address the capital's expected tax revenue fall following the planned cut to 1 percent from the current 8 percent in the consumption tax on food and beverages for two years starting in April 2027.

Japan PM meets with Tokyo governor

Japan PM meets with Tokyo governor

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (R) shakes hands with Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike at the premier's office in Tokyo on Aug. 7, 2026. Koike told the press afterward that she called for the central government to address the capital's expected tax revenue fall following the planned cut to 1 percent from the current 8 percent in the consumption tax on food and beverages for two years starting in April 2027.

Junior high school student meeting on abductions by N. Korea

Junior high school student meeting on abductions by N. Korea

Junior high school students from across Japan participate in a government-sponsored meeting in Tokyo on Aug. 7, 2026, aimed at raising public awareness, especially among young people, of North Korea's abduction of Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s. (Kyodo)

Junior high school student meeting on abductions by N. Korea

Junior high school student meeting on abductions by N. Korea

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara speaks to junior high school students from across Japan during a government-sponsored meeting in Tokyo on Aug. 7, 2026, aimed at enhancing public awareness, especially among young people, of North Korea's abduction of Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s.

Junior high school student meeting on abductions by N. Korea

Junior high school student meeting on abductions by N. Korea

Junior high school students from across Japan participate in a government-sponsored meeting in Tokyo on Aug. 7, 2026, aimed at raising public awareness, especially among young people, of North Korea's abduction of Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s.

Junior high school student meeting on abductions by N. Korea

Junior high school student meeting on abductions by N. Korea

Junior high school students from across Japan participate in a government-sponsored meeting in Tokyo on Aug. 7, 2026, aimed at raising public awareness, especially among young people, of North Korea's abduction of Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s.

Junior high school student meeting on abductions by N. Korea

Junior high school student meeting on abductions by N. Korea

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara speaks to junior high school students from across Japan during a government-sponsored meeting in Tokyo on Aug. 7, 2026, aimed at enhancing public awareness, especially among young people, of North Korea's abduction of Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s.

Junior high school student meeting on abductions by N. Korea

Junior high school student meeting on abductions by N. Korea

Takuya Yokota, head of a group representing the families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea, speaks to junior high school students from across Japan during a government-sponsored meeting in Tokyo on Aug. 7, 2026, aimed at raising public awareness, especially among young people, of the abduction issue. Yokota is a younger brother of Megumi Yokota, who was abducted by North Korea in 1977 at the age of 13.

Japan to cut consumption tax on food to 1% from April 2027

Japan to cut consumption tax on food to 1% from April 2027

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, during a press conference in Tokyo on July 30, 2026, explains the government's plan to cut the consumption tax rate on food and beverages to 1 percent from the current 8 percent for two years starting in April 2027.

Japan to cut consumption tax on food to 1% from April 2027

Japan to cut consumption tax on food to 1% from April 2027

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, during a press conference in Tokyo on July 30, 2026, explains the government's plan to cut the consumption tax rate on food and beverages to 1 percent from the current 8 percent for two years starting in April 2027.

Japan to cut consumption tax on food to 1% from April 2027

Japan to cut consumption tax on food to 1% from April 2027

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, during a press conference in Tokyo on July 30, 2026, explains the government's plan to cut the consumption tax rate on food and beverages to 1 percent from the current 8 percent for two years starting in April 2027.

Japan to cut consumption tax on food to 1% from April 2027

Japan to cut consumption tax on food to 1% from April 2027

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, during a press conference in Tokyo on July 30, 2026, explains the government's plan to cut the consumption tax rate on food and beverages to 1 percent from the current 8 percent for two years starting in April 2027.

Japan to cut consumption tax on food to 1% from April 2027

Japan to cut consumption tax on food to 1% from April 2027

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, during a press conference in Tokyo on July 30, 2026, explains the government's plan to cut the consumption tax rate on food and beverages to 1 percent from the current 8 percent for two years starting in April 2027.

Japan to cut consumption tax on food to 1% from April 2027

Japan to cut consumption tax on food to 1% from April 2027

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, during a press conference in Tokyo on July 30, 2026, explains the government's plan to cut the consumption tax rate on food and beverages to 1 percent from the current 8 percent for two years starting in April 2027.

Japan to cut consumption tax on food to 1% from April 2027

Japan to cut consumption tax on food to 1% from April 2027

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, during a press conference in Tokyo on July 30, 2026, explains the government's plan to cut the consumption tax rate on food and beverages to 1 percent from the current 8 percent for two years starting in April 2027.

Japan to cut consumption tax on food to 1% from April 2027

Japan to cut consumption tax on food to 1% from April 2027

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, during a press conference in Tokyo on July 30, 2026, explains the government's plan to cut the consumption tax rate on food and beverages to 1 percent from the current 8 percent for two years starting in April 2027.

Strong quake jolts southwestern Japan

Strong quake jolts southwestern Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (2nd from L) speaks during a meeting of the government anti-disaster task force in Tokyo on July 28, 2026, after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake shook the southwestern Japan prefecture of Kumamoto.

Strong quake jolts southwestern Japan

Strong quake jolts southwestern Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a meeting of the government anti-disaster task force in Tokyo on July 28, 2026, after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake shook the southwestern Japan prefecture of Kumamoto.

Strong quake jolts southwestern Japan

Strong quake jolts southwestern Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (2nd from R) speaks during a meeting of the government anti-disaster task force in Tokyo on July 28, 2026, after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake shook the southwestern Japan prefecture of Kumamoto.

Strong quake jolts southwestern Japan

Strong quake jolts southwestern Japan

The government's anti-disaster task force convenes an emergency meeting in Tokyo on July 28, 2026, after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake jolted the southwestern Japan prefecture of Kumamoto.

Hon Hai EV at Taiwan Expo

Hon Hai EV at Taiwan Expo

Photo taken on July 17, 2026, shows the Model A electric vehicle developed by Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. and possibly targeting the Japanese market, displayed on the final day of the three-day Taiwan Expo in Tokyo. Over 150 Taiwanese companies took part in the Taiwanese government-sponsored exhibition showcasing Taiwan's cutting-edge technologies.

Japan's 10-year gov't bond yield hits 2.9%

Japan's 10-year gov't bond yield hits 2.9%

A financial data monitor in Tokyo shows the yield on Japan's benchmark 10-year government bond hitting 2.900 percent on the afternoon of July 9, 2026, for the first time since November 1996 amid concerns about inflation in Japan fueled by heightened tensions between the United States and Iran.

"Confidential birth" at Tokyo hospital

"Confidential birth" at Tokyo hospital

Hitoshi Kato, head of San-Ikukai Hospital in Tokyo, speaks at a press conference at the Tokyo metropolitan government office on July 2, 2026, revealing that seven women had given birth to their babies through the hospital's "confidential birth" system since its launch in March 2025.

"Confidential birth" at Tokyo hospital

"Confidential birth" at Tokyo hospital

Hitoshi Kato, head of San-Ikukai Hospital in Tokyo, speaks at a press conference at the Tokyo metropolitan government office on July 2, 2026, revealing that seven women had given birth to their babies through the hospital's "confidential birth" system since its launch in March 2025.

Japan PM Takaichi off to India

Japan PM Takaichi off to India

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (R) boards a government plane at Tokyo's Haneda airport on July 1, 2026, to make a three-day trip to India for a summit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Emperor, empress return home

Emperor, empress return home

Japan's Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko (C) wave with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi as a government plane carrying Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako arrives at Tokyo's Haneda airport on June 26, 2026, following their official trip to the Netherlands and Belgium.

Emperor, empress return home

Emperor, empress return home

Japan's Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko (C) wave with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi as a government plane carrying Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako arrives at Tokyo's Haneda airport on June 26, 2026, following their official trip to the Netherlands and Belgium.

[Breaking News]"No hate" rally near Japan's parliament

TOKYO, Japan, June 21 Kyodo - People of various nationalities stage a "no hate" rally near Japan's parliament building in Tokyo on June 21, 2026, with about 650 participants criticizing the central government's residency measures as leading to discrimination against foreigners. (Kyodo)

"No hate" rally near Japan's parliament

"No hate" rally near Japan's parliament

People of various nationalities stage a "no hate" rally near Japan's parliament building in Tokyo on June 21, 2026, with about 650 participants criticizing the central government's residency measures as leading to discrimination against foreigners.

"No hate" rally near Japan's parliament

"No hate" rally near Japan's parliament

People of various nationalities stage a "no hate" rally near Japan's parliament building in Tokyo on June 21, 2026, with about 650 participants criticizing the central government's residency measures as leading to discrimination against foreigners.

Japan PM Takaichi

Japan PM Takaichi

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrives at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on June 12, 2026. The government said the prime minister will visit Britain and Italy for bilateral talks and France for the Group of Seven summit in Evian.

Japan PM Takaichi

Japan PM Takaichi

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrives at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on June 12, 2026. The government said the prime minister will visit Britain and Italy for bilateral talks and France for the Group of Seven summit in Evian.

Former Japanese lower house speaker Kono dies

Former Japanese lower house speaker Kono dies

File photo taken in January 1994 at the parliament building in Tokyo shows Liberal Democratic Party leader Yohei Kono (L) shaking hands with Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa. Kono, former speaker of the House of Representatives, known for announcing the Japanese government's landmark apology over Korean "comfort women" who were forced to work in Japan's wartime military brothels, died on June 8, 2026, aged 89.

Former Japanese lower house speaker Kono dies

Former Japanese lower house speaker Kono dies

File photo taken in Tokyo on Aug. 4, 2016, shows Yohei Kono speaking during an interview. Kono, former speaker of the House of Representatives, known for announcing the Japanese government's landmark apology over Korean "comfort women" who were forced to work in Japan's wartime military brothels, died on June 8, 2026, aged 89.

Former Japanese lower house speaker Kono dies

Former Japanese lower house speaker Kono dies

File photo taken in August 1993 at the prime minister's office in Tokyo shows Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono issuing an official statement acknowledging the Japanese military's responsibility for the forced labor of Korean "comfort women" in Japan's wartime military brothels, and announcing the government's landmark apology for the issue. Kono, former speaker of the House of Representatives, died on June 8, 2026, aged 89.

Former Japanese lower house speaker Kono dies

Former Japanese lower house speaker Kono dies

File photo taken in June 1994 at the parliament building in Tokyo shows (from R) Liberal Democratic Party leader Yohei Kono, Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama of the Japan Socialist Party and New Party Sakigake leader Masayoshi Takemura shaking hands before a meeting to form the Cabinet of their new coalition government. Kono, former speaker of the House of Representatives, known for announcing the Japanese government's landmark apology over Korean "comfort women" who were forced to work in Japan's wartime military brothels, died on June 8, 2026, aged 89.

Former Japanese lower house speaker Kono dies

Former Japanese lower house speaker Kono dies

File photo taken in July 1993 at the Liberal Democratic Party's headquarters in Tokyo shows Yohei Kono (L) following his victory in the party's presidential election. Kono, former speaker of the House of Representatives, known for announcing the Japanese government's landmark apology over Korean "comfort women" who were forced to work in Japan's wartime military brothels, died on June 8, 2026, aged 89.

Former Japanese lower house speaker Kono dies

Former Japanese lower house speaker Kono dies

File photo taken in September 2005 shows Yohei Kono (L) and his son Taro pointing at their nameplates as they arrived at the parliament building in Tokyo following a general election of the Japanese House of Representatives. Yohei Kono, former speaker of the House of Representatives, known for announcing the Japanese government's landmark apology over Korean "comfort women" who were forced to work in Japan's wartime military brothels, died on June 8, 2026, aged 89.

Former Japanese lower house speaker Kono dies

Former Japanese lower house speaker Kono dies

File photo taken in Tokyo on March 23, 2025, shows Yohei Kono (L), former speaker of the Japanese House of Representatives, posing for a photo with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Kono, former speaker of the House of Representatives, known for announcing the Japanese government's landmark apology over Korean "comfort women" who were forced to work in Japan's wartime military brothels, died on June 8, 2026, aged 89.

Former Japanese lower house speaker Kono dies

Former Japanese lower house speaker Kono dies

File photo taken in Tokyo on July 21, 2009, shows Japanese House of Representatives speaker Yohei Kono announcing the dissolution of the lower house during its plenary session. Kono, former speaker of the House of Representatives, known for announcing the Japanese government's landmark apology over Korean "comfort women" who were forced to work in Japan's wartime military brothels, died on June 8, 2026, aged 89.

Former Japanese lower house speaker Kono dies

Former Japanese lower house speaker Kono dies

File photo taken in July 1994 shows Japanese Foreign Minister Yohei Kono (R) chatting with Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama ahead of a Cabinet meeting at the premier's office in Tokyo. Kono, former speaker of the House of Representatives, known for announcing the Japanese government's landmark apology over Korean "comfort women" who were forced to work in Japan's wartime military brothels, died on June 8, 2026, aged 89.