Japan Market Daily | Kabutaro & Friends

On May 23, 2026, while major cash markets were closed for Saturday, the Nikkei 225 futures for June delivery jumped 280 yen from the previous day's close to reach 63,620 yen on the Osaka Exchange. In Suzhou, China, the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting concluded, where Japan's Economy Minister Akazawa emphasized the early stabilization of the Strait of Hormuz and highlighted the "POWERR Asia" initiative, which pledges 10 billion dollars in fiscal cooperation to boost regional energy and resource resilience. Meanwhile, prolonged Middle East risks continue to stress corporate operations globally, as seen in rising container freight rates from major hubs like Busan, tightening raw material inventories, and downstream cost pressures caused by global maritime logistics disruptions.