Global Scans · Japan · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: The latest sign of weakness in Japan's economy will likely add to mounting skepticism about the prime minister's expansionary policies. His coalition government has just achieved the supermajority it needs to amend the constitution which many are worried that Japan is about to remove the mask of pacificism and convert its "Self-Defense Force" into the military threat it really is.

• [New] A newly updated climate awareness initiative in Japan is drawing attention to what life could look like in 2050 if greenhouse gas emissions continue their current trajectory. UN News
• [New] Japan's revised Strategic Energy Plan (2025) targets renewable energy sources to account for 40% to 50% of national electricity generation by 2040, supported by a planned reduction in thermal power's contribution from 70% to below 30%. Persistence Market Research
• [New] China's growing commercial aircraft ambitions and expanding defence sector are creating significant opportunities for specialty steel producers, while Japan's Ministry of Defense continues requesting record annual defence budgets to strengthen national security capabilities. Persistence Market Research
• [New] NASA's Perseverance rover has Raman tools in its SHERLOC and SuperCam instruments, and Japan's Martian Moons eXploration mission will use a Raman instrument to study Phobos. EurekAlert!
• [New] The UAE Rashid rover will fly to the moon onboard a Japanese Hakuto-R lander. DebateUS
• [New] The Japanese lander will contain a rover built in the United Arab Emirates. DebateUS
• [New] Hawkish BOJ communication, elevated Japanese inflation and growing expectations of a September rate hike could provide a stronger foundation for yen recovery. IC Your Trading Edge | Official Blog | Blog
• [New] Japan's population has already started to shrink, and the percentage of people older than 65 is expected to climb steadily through the rest of the decade. atradius
• [New] After decreases in 2024 and 2025 (-2.1%), Japan's construction output is expected to contract again in 2026, by 0.8%. atradius
• [New] Japan's Q2 real GDP is projected to rise 0.5% q/q vs. 0.5% in Q1, with the Tankan business survey pointing to upside risk. Brown Brothers Harriman
• [New] Japan's revised whistleblower regime provides an opportunity to strengthen internal reporting arrangements, but regulation alone will not create a speak-up culture. Risk.net
• [New] Japan's SkyDrive has begun formal familiarization meetings with the U.S. FAA on certification validation for its SD-05 eVTOL air taxi, which is planned to be type certified with the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau for commercial service beginning in 2028. Aviation Week Network
• [New] Continuous innovation in miniaturization, battery efficiency, and medical-grade wearable technologies is expected to reinforce Japan's leadership in high-quality wearable device development. Persistence Market Research
• [New] Tokyo pledges that Japan will become the world's most-friendly country for developing and utilizing AI. BBC News
• A nationwide prospective, multi-level study in Japan examined whether community-level social capital could ameliorate the adverse impact of widowhood and living alone on depressive symptoms. PubMed Central (PMC)
• Although some doubts have been raised about Durkheim's original claims, multi-level studies from Korea and Japan do find a correlation between neighborhood social cohesion and reduced risk of suicide ideation. PubMed Central (PMC)
• Continuous innovation in AI-integrated robotics, machine vision, and collaborative automation is expected to sustain Japan's leadership in industrial robotics technology and adoption. Persistence Market Research

Last updated: 12 September 2026