Global Scans · Japan · Weekly Summary

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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] Japan is likely to demonstrate a leading CAGR through 2035 with advanced technology adoption, including the Ene-Farm program, integrating heat pumps with hydrogen energy systems, and government Green Innovation Fund subsidies for industrial applications. Persistence Market Research
• [New] Carrier could supply thermal cooling systems for power infrastructure and involve Japanese companies and Panasonic could build energy storage systems. Yahoo Finance
• [New] GE Vernova could build small modular reactors and supply power equipment with the involvement of Japanese companies. Yahoo Finance
• [New] Around 20 companies from Japan and the U.S. have expressed interest in projects that could contribute to Tokyo's commitment to invest $550 billion in the United States as part of a trade agreement. Yahoo Finance
• [New] Abenomics' three-arrow framework remains useful and, incorporated with Kishida's 'new form of capitalism' blueprint - targeting a rebalanced economic model of inclusive and sustainable growth - would form an economic programme that could improve Japan's economic resilience and security. OMFIF
• [New] Inflation has been above the BoJ's target for more than three years, real wage growth is close to zero, Japan's population is smaller and older, the downside risks related to climate change are larger, public debt is higher and external economic and political conditions are less certain. OMFIF
• [New] Rapid solar capacity expansion in China, India, Japan, and Australia is creating a future wave of decommissioned panels that will fuel recycling demand. openpr
• [New] Results from Japan's industrial leaders such as Hitachi, Keyence and Panasonic will demonstrate the health of the manufacturing sector amid trade uncertainties. IG
• [New] Forecasts for Brazil stand at 2.4%, Canada at 1.2%, and Japan at 1.1%, while the ASEAN-5 countries are also expected to sustain moderate growth. Deccan Chronicle
• [New] Japan aims to reach a defence spending goal of 2% of gross domestic product in the current fiscal year through March, ahead of the original target of fiscal 2027. CNBC
• [New] Japan will begin accepting several categories of carbon removal in its emissions trading system. MIT Technology Review
• [New] The International Energy Agency's 2025 World Energy Investment report indicated that both Japan and South Korea, in order to reduce energy dependence, will be investing in renewable energy with 92% of total energy investment going to clean energy compared to a global average of 66%. The Royal Society for Asian Affairs
• [New] Japan will fund the Sorjitz corporation's half of the project, which is projected to supply up to 10% of the world's gallium, a critical input for semiconductors and advanced defence technologies. Australian Broadcasting Corporation
• [New] Japan's FY 2030 & FY 2040 Nuclear Power Targets Are Probably Out of Reach. Climate Scorecard
• [New] Compared to the rest of the world, Japan's approach to nuclear waste is among the most structured, with a focus on closed fuel cycles and minimizing risk. Climate Scorecard
• [New] As of 2025, the bulk of operating units remain light water reactors, with new SMRs projected for 2040 or later. / Japan Climate Scorecard
• [New] Record-high summer mean surface air temperatures over Japan have been observed in three consecutive years (2023 to 2025), far exceeding the projected linear trend of temperatures based in the period from 1995 to 2024. Deutsche Welle
• [New] Heat lingers on in Japan after its hottest summer on record, with many voices warning of the impact on agriculture, fishing, public health and even extreme weather events such as typhoons. Deutsche Welle
• [New] From 2025 to 2030, Japan would need to increase its annual emissions reduction rate by a factor of 10. Nature
• [New] If Asian banks follow Japan's example, cross-border collaborations through locally backed stablecoins could become a reality. investing.com
• [New] Japan's offshore wind capacity 'to reach 16.7 GW by 2035'. no2nuclearpower
• India, the world's fifth-largest economy with a GDP of $4.2 trillion, is poised to surpass Japan and then Germany to become the third-largest economy globally by the early 2030s. United States Department of State
• Japan aims to raise renewables to 50% by 2040, but must navigate the challenge of balancing solar expansion with the protection of cultural landscapes. IUCN

Last updated: 01 November 2025