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 seafood giant Nissui said it will expand its South American salmon aquaculture business to over 80,000 tons per year by the end of the decade, roughly 2.5 times higher than its current production level. SeafoodNews
• [New] In a future with AI agents, they could perform maintenance and inspections on the hundreds of thousands of system devices in Japan. The Asahi Shimbun
• [New] Japan's Martian Moons eXploration mission, slated to launch in late 2026, will travel to Mars, spend three years studying both of its small, potato-shaped moons - Phobos and Deimos - and collect a surface sample from Phobos to bring back to Earth by 2031. The Conversation
• [New] Certain currencies, including the Japanese yen and Chinese yuan, are expected to see increased investor interest. Business Tech News
• [New] Further easing in 2026 will be challenged by above-target inflation and resilient growth, while the Bank of Japan is expected to hike rates further in 2026. Citi Wealth - Market Insights & Financial Education
• [New] By 2040, healthcare spending in Japan is expected to nearly double, raising concerns about the sustainability of healthcare systems. News-Medical
• [New] Political uncertainty is unfolding against a challenging economic backdrop, with the yen at a one-year low, inflation running above the Bank of Japan's target for nearly four years, and revised data showing a sharper-than-expected contraction in third-quarter GDP. Balfour Capital Group
• [New] Japan could send ammunition to Ukraine to help prevent Russian President Putin from achieving his objectives in that war. nippon.com
• [New] China has condemned Prime Minister Takaichi's parliamentary remarks on whether a Taiwan contingency constituted a survival-threatening situation for Japan, describing them as crossing a red line. nippon.com
• [New] Above-normal precipitation is expected in the south India, central / north China, and central Japan. ADM Investor Services
• [New] Japan says that its last two pandas - creatures long used by China in diplomacy - will return to China a month before their loan expires in February. Space War
• [New] Japanese media report that China will suspend imports of Japanese seafood. Space War
• [New] Visits to Japan could plummet by nearly 50% amid a political dispute between Beijing and Tokyo. South China Morning Post
• [New] Given domestic economic and political pressures, along with US persuasion, we expect the Japanese government to take steps to strengthen the yen. investing.com
• [New] Debt, deficits, and rising bond yields are among the most cited risks for 2026 - particularly in the sovereign markets of the UK, France and Japan. Northern Trust
• [New] Asia Pacific is expected to register the fastest growth rate, fueled by rapid cloud adoption and rising SME digitization in countries like China, India, and Japan. ReAnIn
• [New] Japan uses its own scale of 0-7 to quantify the strength and destructive potential of earthquakes. Osaka.com Pty Ltd
• [New] Japan has emerged as a relative bright spot, with rising wage growth supporting a gradual recovery in domestic demand, although demographic constraints and higher borrowing costs will be key challenges. MARC - Malaysian Rating Corporation Berhad
• [New] The British-Italian-Japanese Global Combat Aircraft Program seems to be proceeding with harmony that China might envy. The Strategist
• [New] Several European and Japanese missions plan demonstrations over the next few years, but large-scale operations face cost, liability and political questions. Thaihut.org
• [New] In 2026, industrial connections between China, Japan, and South Korea drive the main economic risks in the Asia-Pacific region. SpecialEurasia

Last updated: 17 January 2026