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] Japanese home cooking aligns closely with sustainable diet goals, but researchers warn that westernization, aquaculture pressures, and excess sodium could undermine its future. FoodNavigator-Asia.com
• [New] By 2050, roughly 20% of regional areas could lose all of their inhabitants. / Japan Emerging Market Skeptic
• [New] For Japan's sake and for the sake of the rest of the world economy, we have to hope that the Japanese government has the foresight to take early action to put its public finances on a sustainable path. American Enterprise Institute - AEI
• [New] The Japanese yen's collapse through mid-2026 has become one of the most consequential disruptions to hit global financial markets in decades. Asia Times
• [New] Intermediaries will load at least 200,000 barrels of jet fuel in Chiba, Japan in July, ship them to Yeosu, South Korea, load them onto another tanker, and pass them through a network of other traders before shipping the fuel to Russia. Critical Threats
• [New] Japan's working population is set to shrink by over 11 million people by then, and there will not be enough workers to keep factories and infrastructure running. LinkedIn
• [New] In Japan, Rapidus is moving from R&D towards its target of mass production of 2 nm logic semiconductors by 2027, supported by funding from the Japanese government and several private sector companies. PwC
• [New] Japan: Potentially Historic Bank of Japan Meeting The Bank of Japan is widely expected to raise its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 1.0% responding to persistent inflation pressures and continued weakness in the Japanese yen. LinkedIn
• [New] Growth opportunities are helped by government measures under the Digital Transformation Strategy by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and continued investment in smart city modernization. Dimension Market Research
• [New] In the medium to long term, the cost structure may reverse due to a decline in ammonia production costs (the spread of green ammonia and economies of scale), but it is realistic to view the turning point as the mid-2030s. / Japan note
• [New] Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force will deploy V-22 Osprey transport aircraft based at Camp Saga to Miyako Island to practice moving casualties to Okinawa's US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma. American Enterprise Institute - AEI
• [New] The PRC has objected to the deployment of Typhon missiles and will likely maintain its rhetorical pressure campaign as Japan's exercises continue. American Enterprise Institute - AEI
• [New] Without immigration, nearly half of all municipalities in Japan are at risk of vanishing entirely by 2040. Emerging Market Skeptic
• [New] Japan faces a debt/pension crisis and depopulation (nearly half of municipalities at risk of vanishing by 2040). Emerging Market Skeptic
• [New] In Japan, more than 70% of life expectancy gains could be attributed to declines in mortality at ages 65 and over at the end of the observation period. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] The euro area is expected to expand by 0.8%, while Japan's growth is forecast at 0.7%. The Times Of India
• [New] Japan is projected to reach 34.9% CAGR through 2036 because insurers can build on existing shared-value insurance experience. FactMr
• Data center electricity use is projected to reach 945 TWh annually by 2030, equivalent to Japan's current consumption, with U.S. data centers expected to contribute nearly 50% of national electricity demand growth. Persistence Market Research
• Japan has signed on a $550 billion Strategic Industrial Fund, part of which, at President Trump's direction, will finance projects in semiconductor manufacturing and research. Institut Montaigne
• ASEAN automotive markets, particularly Thailand and Indonesia, are establishing themselves as EV production hubs for Japanese and Chinese OEMs, creating greenfield harness assembly investment opportunities. IMARC Group
• Japan is expected to represent approximately 32% of Asia Pacific marine peptide revenue in 2026. Persistence Market Research

Last updated: 11 July 2026