Japan Manufacturers' Mood Hits Near 5-Year High, Nikkei Tops 70,000

· Economy · Japan

Japanese manufacturers' mood hit a near five-year high while service-sector sentiment slumped, a Reuters poll showed, as the Nikkei average briefly regained the 70,000 mark on returning AI optimism. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi aimed to reassure markets over her spending agenda. The Bank of Japan's dovish dissenter signalled support for future rate hikes, and real wages rose for an eighth straight month in August. Japan also faces a wide language-teaching gap as a new immigration scheme looms, amid a national debate over population shrinkage; police are probing how some 3,000 non-existent residents were added to official data for Toyama city.

Why it matters：Japan's corporate confidence, record stock market and push to open up to foreign workers signal how the world's fourth-largest economy is navigating ageing and technological shifts.

Key points

  • Manufacturers' mood hit a near five-year high while service-sector sentiment slumped, per a Reuters poll.
  • The Nikkei briefly regained 70,000 as AI optimism returned; real wages rose for an eighth month.
  • PM Takaichi sought to reassure markets; police probe inflated census data in Toyama.

Sources (original reporting)

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