Tokyo stocks climb on strong chip issues, hopes for tariff talks
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Tokyo stocks climbed Thursday, boosted by gains in semiconductor-related shares and buying supported by hopes for progress in tariff talks between the United States and other countries.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended up 148.97 points, or 0.41 percent, from Wednesday at 36,928.63. The broader Topix index finished 2.56 points, or 0.09 percent, higher at 2,698.72.
On the top-tier Prime Market, gainers were led by marine transportation, service, and nonferrous metal issues.
The U.S. dollar rose to the lower 144 yen zone in Tokyo after the yen, seen as a safe-haven asset, was sold along with rises in stocks, dealers said.
On the stock market, heavyweight chip issues attracted buying after a report that the U.S. administration is considering easing curbs on chips used for artificial intelligence technology lifted their U.S. counterparts.
Investors also welcomed another report that U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to announce a trade deal with Britain on Thursday after Washington imposed hefty tariffs on many countries, brokers said.
"With Japan making progress in its negotiations with the United States, hopes for a U.S. deal with another country became a factor to raise stocks," said Maki Sawada, a strategist at the Investment Content Department of Nomura Securities Co.
Meanwhile, rises were capped by selling to lock in gains following recent advances, while investors refrained from buying actively ahead of U.S.-China tariff talks scheduled for this weekend, brokers said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
6 hours ago
How Social Media Is Reshaping Politics in Japan—for Better or Worse
Social media has rapidly become a force in Japanese politics—shaping public opinion and tipping the scales in national and local elections around Japan. What does this mean for political engagement, trust in mainstream institutions, and the future of Japanese democracy? The Internet and Political Engagement Most Japanese voters rarely observe political debates or take the time to follow policymaking directly, instead relying on the media to stay informed. For decades, that meant newspapers. National surveys by the Association for Promoting Fair Elections (APFE) showed that by the early 2000s, though, TV had overtaken newspapers as the main source of political information. Today, the Internet has surpassed both. At the same time, Ikeda Ken'ichi, an expert on voting behavior, notes that political participation in Japan remains low compared to other mature democracies. Japan's stable but stagnant political environment, dominated by entrenched political interests and personal political support groups, may dampen the motivation to vote. In an APFE survey conducted in the wake of the 2024 House of Representatives election, common reasons respondents gave for abstaining included 'no interest in elections' (24.3%), 'elections don't improve politics' (17.3%), and 'my vote doesn't matter' (11.6%). Young voter turnout in particular has hovered at about half the rate of older generations, raising serious concerns about the health of Japanese democracy. Yet the Internet, especially social media, has opened new doors for political engagement, particularly among those who feel alienated from mainstream politics. People who find traditional media coverage inadequate often turn to the Internet to explore issues on their own terms. Social platforms enable them to connect with others who share their views—or push back against those who see things differently. In a phenomenon known as 'filter bubbles,' users are increasingly exposed to content that matches their beliefs and engage with like-minded users in echo chambers, reinforcing their preexisting views. The political rise of Donald Trump in the United States has been driven by this dynamic. Social media has fueled political polarization, but it has also drawn more people into the political conversation and boosted turnout. In this way, social media acts as a double-edged sword for democracy. The Rise of Social Media Campaigns in Japan Gubernatorial elections in Tokyo and Hyōgo in 2024 showcased just how transformative social media can be. For candidates lacking traditional political capital—such as local support bases, funding, or name recognition—social media offered a vital battleground for guerrilla-style campaigning. Candidates livestreamed speeches, shared campaign events in real time, and rallied support online. These tactics brought a sense of immediacy and authenticity that resonated with many voters, especially those disillusioned with establishment politics, conventional media, or vested interests. This kind of impassioned support for political candidates was sometimes likened to oshikatsu—a term describing the enthusiasm and devotion fans show for their favorite idols. Such social-media-driven campaigns tend to center around charismatic individuals rather than 'faceless' party platforms or abstract policy debates. The Democratic Party for the People made major gains in the 2024 House of Representatives election, but analysis of the seventh Japanese Election Study political survey showed that social media users were not necessarily aligned with the policies advocated by the party or its leader, Tamaki Yūichirō. Rather, disillusioned voters active on social media appear to have been drawn to Tamaki personally, irrespective of his ideology. The flip side of social media politics is its susceptibility to manipulation. Slander, rumors, fake news, and eye-catching stunts can distort the political process. Globally, Internet-based misinformation campaigns, attacks on political opponents, and foreign interference have plagued elections since the 2010s. In Romania's 2024 presidential race, for example, support for an obscure, far-right candidate surged via social media—only to be later traced to foreign influence, leading to the annulment of the election. In Japan, concerns have arisen over possible violations of the Public Offices Election Act and the role of PR firms in manipulating social media narratives, prompting calls for clearer regulations and penalties. Long-Term Shifts in Voter Behavior Given these dynamics, can the Internet fundamentally reshape how Japanese people perceive politics or vote? In the short term, the effects are likely to vary depending on the type of election and the demographics involved. Urban areas with more young people, higher social media use, and a larger share of residents born elsewhere are fertile ground for online campaigns—especially in local, personality-driven races like the gubernatorial elections that were held in Tokyo and Hyōgo. But in rural regions with older populations and limited social media penetration, or in party-centered contests like national legislative races, the impact may be more muted. That said, recent developments—rising prices, rice shortages, geopolitical tensions, major accidents, and natural disasters—have shaken public confidence and intensified political frustration. As seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, such periods are conducive to conspiracy theories and misinformation, often spread via social media. When these conditions align, even short-term shifts in social and political awareness can occur. Meanwhile, long-term transformations are also underway. The 2024 APFE survey showed that older generations still rely on newspapers, middle-aged voters favor TV, and younger people increasingly turn to the Internet for political information. As generations shift, Internet influence is likely to grow. Another major change is the decline of traditional intermediary organizations like business associations, labor unions, and religious groups that once helped shape party-centered political identity and behavior. These groups play a key role in 'political socialization,' but as their influence wanes, individuals find fewer structured ways to understand and engage with politics. Instead, the Internet and online communities are gradually taking on that role. Over time, these changes may fundamentally reshape how Japanese voters think and act politically. Social media has proven to be a powerful tool for new political movements. But established players—with deeper pockets and greater organizational reach—could eventually learn to use it just as effectively and strategically, if not more so. Political success in a democracy hinges on effectively delivering one's message to large numbers of voters, and communication tools—social media included—are likely to continue to grow and evolve. The future of democracy will hinge on how well we navigate this evolving media environment. As AI-generated deepfakes and sophisticated misinformation campaigns become harder to detect, it will be critical for news organizations, monitoring groups, and platform companies to step up their fact-checking efforts. At the individual level, information literacy must be strengthened across all generations. This includes diversifying news sources, checking facts, and fostering critical thinking through discussion with others. Understanding political dynamics requires more than reacting to sensational headlines; it demands the ability to discern the broader structures behind them. Finally, civic education must also evolve, especially since the voting age was lowered to 18. Teaching young people how politics works and how to make informed electoral choices is crucial to sustaining a healthy democracy. (Originally published in Japanese. Banner photo: Saitō Motohiko, ousted as Hyōgo governor in a no-confidence vote, addresses a crowd of voters holding up smartphones on the final day of his reelection campaign, November 16, 2024. © Kyōdō.)
7 hours ago
Japan to Push Back Target to Achieve Primary Budget Surplus
News from Japan Economy Jun 3, 2025 22:47 (JST) Tokyo, June 3 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government will effectively push back its target of achieving a primary budget surplus to fiscal 2025-2026, it was learned Tuesday. The existing target, adopted since fiscal 2018, calls for turning the primary balance at the central and local governments into a surplus in fiscal 2025. The new target will be included in a draft of the government's upcoming economic and fiscal policy guidelines. The draft says the government will reassess the target if necessary, given the uncertainties over the impact of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policy on Japan's economy and public finances. With possible fiscal spending to tackle fallouts from the tariffs and rising prices in mind, the draft says that the primary surplus target should not restrict macroeconomic policy options. It also points to a need to work on domestic efforts to increase Japanese government bond holdings in order to avoid a further rise in long-term interest rates, with the country making a transition to a world with interest rates. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
SoraNews24
7 hours ago
- SoraNews24
'Matcha crisis' emerges as the world falls in love with powdered green tea
A matcha crisis isn't fun and games like Time Crisis. It's hard and grueling like Dino Crisis . Once the hidden gem of Japanese tea ceremonies and confectionery, the carefully ground green tea known as 'matcha' has taken the world by storm with its vibrant green color, complex taste that seems to complement sweetness perfectly, and health benefits. But now, those in the industry are starting to wonder if the ingredient can handle getting this big. ▼ I'm just going to keep telling myself this is healthy because it has matcha in it. In order to achieve the best color and flavor in matcha, the plants' exposure to sunlight needs to be carefully regulated. This means the very best matcha you're likely to find is grown on a small scale with a high degree of personal attention. Even with attempts to modernize and industrialize production, there are still limitations because certain processes like growing the plants and grinding the leaves need to be done very slowly in order to be done properly. Since production can't be sped up, it would have to be expanded in order to produce more, and seeing the potential for matcha exports, the government began subsidizing green tea production a couple years ago in the hopes of focusing Japan's shrinking agricultural labor force on the coveted ingredient. Meanwhile, China stepped into the game too a while back and is currently the leading producer of matcha in the world. However, much of that is sold in their own gigantic domestic market and since they focus more on efficiency in production, it could be said that the quality is lower. ▼ These green tea plants in Saitama Prefecture are being grown in full sunlight, which means they cannot be used for matcha. The recent trade chaos caused by U.S. President Donald Trump may give Japan a competitive edge against China as Japan is expected to get a more lenient deal in the very sizable American market. Unfortunately, that probably won't make a difference, because even despite Japan's efforts at more than doubling matcha production in the past 10 years, that still won't be enough to meet the increasingly ravenous worldwide demand for the stuff. According to a tea buyer in the U.K., sales of matcha-flavored drinks have tripled in the past year alone and have even surpassed that of the classic Earl Grey there. Some in other countries like the U.S. said they have completely given up coffee in favor of matcha. A vendor in Ireland remarked that Japan will probably need to increase its production by 10 times in the next five years in order to keep up. Considering the fact that farmers of all kinds are literally a dying breed in Japan, a 10-fold increase seems unlikely unless a radical solution can be found. Many in the industry are saying we're already in the midst of what they call a 'matcha crisis' with it being hard to secure, and if both supply and demand continue on their current course we may end up in a full-blown matcha supply shock. ▼ A news report on the matcha crisis… I feel bad for those girls who probably had no idea they would appear on Japanese TV with 'MATCHA CRISIS' underneath. This could cause prices to spike hard and throw the future of matcha as we know it into turmoil. With the demand being what it is, it would seem likely that buyers in other countries would turn to more quickly produced and inferior matcha both from Japan and China, lowering the bar for a drink and ingredient once only made with an extremely high degree of craftsmanship. Many online comments in Japan felt that rising prices would preemptively help protect the integrity of Japan's more finely produced matcha and put it on the level of a high-class ingredient that it deserves. 'Japan has been selling it too cheaply. It should be marketed as a high-end product because it is.' 'This could just be a fad too, like bubble tea or tiramisu. Increasing production for now is fine, but you need to be prepared for after.' 'I don't think matcha is a passing fad because it can be used in so many ways.' 'Why don't they sell it for more?' 'This global demand probably doesn't know what good matcha tastes like, so the market will be flooded with poor-quality stuff.' 'Raise prices and make more of it so we can get some money over here.' 'Alright, who told everyone that matcha is delicious?' 'Looks like taking matcha snacks as a present for my trip to Europe was the right choice.' 'I work at a store in a tourist-heavy area and everyone is buying matcha stuff.' 'The matcha used in the tea ceremony is very carefully made. I hope this wave of commercialism doesn't affect that.' Indeed, matcha might've done well to follow the sake model in which it is marketed as a luxury drink and tends to sell for a premium overseas due to the high degree of technique that often goes into making it. But in the end, it will probably splinter off into something like chocolate where you'll have a more clear-cut range of co-existing options from the exquisitely crafted and highly expensive kinds to the stuff they use to mass produce KitKats. Source: TV Asahi News, The Guardian, Kyodo, YouTube/ANNnewsCH Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
