Bank of Japan policy board member Asahi Noguchi struck a more cautious tone about the pace of the bank’s future interest-rate hikes, saying it should take “a measured, step-by-step approach,” the Wall Street Journal reported. In a speech to business leaders in Japan’s southern prefecture of Miyazaki, Noguchi said the central bank should take the time to examine the economic impact of each rate increase and assess both upside and downside risks before considering the next one.

Japan on Tuesday clarified its stance on U.S. tariffs, saying it wants all new levies put into place by the administration of President Donald Trump completely removed, confirming a hard-line position ahead of high-level negotiations that might be held later this week in Washington, the Japan Times reported. “As we have repeatedly stated, we find the series of U.S. tariff measures — including those on automobiles, auto parts, steel, aluminum, and reciprocal tariffs — extremely regrettable,” said Ryosei Akazawa, Japan’s chief tariff negotiator, at a news conference.

Japan's economy shrank for the first time in a year and at a faster pace than expected, data for the March quarter showed on Friday, underscoring the fragile nature of its recovery now under threat from U.S. President Donald Trump's trade policies, Reuters reported. The data highlights the challenge policymakers face as steep U.S. tariffs cloud the outlook for the export-heavy economy, particularly for the mainstay automobiles sector.

Japan's economy shrank for the first time in a year and at a faster pace than expected, data for the March quarter showed on Friday, underscoring the fragile nature of its recovery now under threat from U.S. President Donald Trump's trade policies, Reuters reported. Real gross domestic product (GDP) contracted an annualised 0.7% in January-March, preliminary government data showed, much bigger than a median market forecast for a 0.2% drop.

Bank of Japan board members have signaled their intention for further rate hikes while citing the need to stay vigilant due to the potential economic impacts from U.S. tariff measures, according to a summary of opinions from their April 30 to May 1 meeting, Bloomberg News reported. "The bank’s stance to continue to raise the policy interest rate is unchanged” given low real rates and the outlook for its price goal to be met, one of the nine board members said at the gathering, according to the summary released Tuesday, which doesn’t disclose speakers’ identities.

The number of corporate bankruptcies with debts of at least ¥10 million in Japan totaled 828 in April, the highest level in 11 years for the reporting month, amid inflation and rising labor costs, Tokyo Shoko Research said on Monday, the Japan Times reported. The monthly figure rose 5.7% from a year before. More failures were seen mainly among smaller companies with weak business bases as their revenue was squeezed by rising prices and higher labor costs amid labor shortages.

Household spending in fiscal 2024, which ended in March, dropped 0.1% from the previous year in price-adjusted real terms, down for the second straight year, the internal affairs ministry said Friday, the Japan Times reported. The average monthly consumption expenditure of households consisting of two or more members stood at ¥304,178 ($2,094). The decrease reflects sustained inflation, which is making consumers more budget-minded on food. Spending on food fell 1.0% mainly because consumers tended to refrain from buying vegetables, seaweed, meat and fruits.

Yokohama Rubber, a Japanese corporation with a history of over 107 years, has purchased a tire factory for the mining industry, as well as for earthmoving and oversized transport machinery, located in Drobeta Turnu Severin, according to Profit.ro. The factory, built in the 1970s–1980s, was put up for sale by the judicial liquidator of the company Euro Tyres Manufacturing SRL, which went bankrupt at the end of January 2025 after nearly 7 years of insolvency. The company owns an industrial platform spanning over 19 hectares in the city of Drobeta Turnu Severin.

U.S. tariff negotiators appeared reluctant to lower levies on cars, steel and aluminium in a recent meeting with Japanese counterparts - a stance that made the Japanese side feel that cooperation could be difficult, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Friday, Reuters reported. U.S. negotiators including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met with Japan's top trade negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa and other Japanese officials in Washington on Thursday and presented a proposed framework for a trade agreement, the paper said.

The Bank of Japan kept interest rates steady and sharply cut its growth forecasts on Thursday, suggesting uncertainty surrounding U.S. tariffs and the hit to exports could keep policy in a holding pattern for some time, Reuters reported. But the central bank projected inflation would stay roughly on course to hit its 2% target in coming years, a sign that risks from U.S. tariffs could delay, but not derail, its rate hike plans.