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12 Marzo 2026

Dollar Hits 2-Month High above 159 Yen on Middle East Woes

Tokyo, March 12 (Jiji Press)–The dollar briefly hit a two-month high above 159 yen in Tokyo trading Thursday, pushed up by safe-haven buying amid concerns over a possible prolonged Iran conflict. The greenback slightly pared its gains to stand at 158.89-89 yen
12 Marzo 2026

Takaichi Backs Education Minister Matsumoto after Affair Report

Tokyo, March 12 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi indicated Thursday that she intends to retain Education Minister Yohei Matsumoto in his post despite a reported extramarital affair. “I asked him to assume (the post), as a specialist in educational administration,” Takaichi
12 Marzo 2026

Honda Expects Up to 690 B. Yen in Net Loss for FY 2025

Tokyo, March 12 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Honda Motor Co. said Thursday that it expects to post a consolidated net loss of 420 billion to 690 billion yen in fiscal 2025 ending this month. The automaker revised down its estimate from a net profit
12 Marzo 2026

IPO Price at SoftBank’s PayPay Set at 16 Dlrs per Share

Tokyo, March 12 (Jiji Press)–PayPay Corp., a Japanese online payment company under SoftBank Group Corp., said Thursday that its initial public offering price for its U.S. Nasdaq stock market debut has been set at 16 dollars per share. Trading in PayPay will
12 Marzo 2026

Takaichi Still Seeks Budget Passage before New Fiscal Year

Tokyo, March 12 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reiterated Thursday that she aims to have the Diet, the country’s parliament, pass the government’s fiscal 2026 budget bill by March 31, the end of fiscal 2025. “We are not considering new budgetary
12 Marzo 2026

Takaichi Cabinet Approval Rate Falls to 59.3 Pct: Jiji Poll

Tokyo, March 12 (Jiji Press)–The public approval rate for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s cabinet dropped 4.5 percentage points from the previous month to 59.3 pct in March, a Jiji Press survey showed Thursday. The fall followed the revelation that Takaichi, who
12 Marzo 2026

226 Ransomware Attacks Reported in Japan in 2025

Tokyo, March 12 (Jiji Press)–Japanese police confirmed 226 cases of damage from ransomware attacks in 2025, the second-highest annual total, data from the National Police Agency showed Thursday. The number of ransomware attacks, in which perpetrators use a computer virus to encrypt
12 Marzo 2026

Trump Administration Opens Investigations into Trading Partners

Washington, March 11 (Jiji Press)–The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump opened investigations into trade acts, policies and practices in 16 major trading partners including Japan, China and the European Union as he seeks to impose new tariffs. The probes under Section
12 Marzo 2026

15 Years On: Former Mayor of Tsunami-Hit Town Seeks to Give Back

Minamisanriku, Miyagi Pref., March 12 (Jiji Press)–Jin Sato, who served as mayor of Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture, for 20 years, has been traveling across Japan to deliver lectures since stepping down in November 2025, hoping to share lessons on disaster preparedness and mitigation.
12 Marzo 2026

G-7 Leaders Welcome IEA Decision on Coordinated Oil Release

Washington/Berlin, March 11 (Jiji Press)–The leaders from the Group of Seven major countries on Wednesday welcomed an agreement reached by member countries of the International Energy Agency to release 400 million barrels of oil from their reserves to curb soaring crude oil
12 Marzo 2026

Japan Big Firms’ Biz Sentiment Worsens in Jan.-March

Tokyo, March 12 (Jiji Press)–Business sentiment among major Japanese companies worsened in January-March, a government survey showed on Thursday. The business sentiment index for companies with capital of 1 billion yen or more stood at plus 4.4, down from plus 4.9 for
11 Marzo 2026

Japan to Release Oil Reserves Mon. at Earliest

Tokyo, March 11 (Jiji Press)–Japan will release its oil reserves as early as Monday amid soaring crude oil prices, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Wednesday. “As oil tankers continue to be virtually unable to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, oil imports
11 Marzo 2026

JR East to Raise Fares for 1st Time since Privatization

Tokyo, March 11 (Jiji Press)–East Japan Railway Co., or JR East, will increase fares by an average 7.1 pct on Saturday, marking the first full-scale fare revision since the privatization of Japan National Railways in 1987, excluding changes due to consumption tax
11 Marzo 2026

Japanese-Owned Ship Damaged in Persian Gulf

Tokyo, March 11 (Jiji Press)–A container ship owned by Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd. has been damaged while anchored in the Persian Gulf, it was learned Wednesday. The Japanese and other crew members were unharmed. The ship is able to sail on