Japan Market Daily | Kabutaro & Friends

On May 27, 2026, the Nikkei 225 ticked up slightly to close at 64,999.41 yen, up 3.32 yen, refreshing its historic high for another session. Buoyed by gains in U.S. tech stocks, the benchmark index initially surged in early trading, breaking above the 66,000 threshold for the first time intraday before profit-taking erased most of the gains. In the FX market, the USD/JPY pair hovered near the 159 level, maintaining a weak-yen tone. Domestically, Keidanren released its first tally for spring wage negotiations among major firms, revealing an average wage hike of 5.46 percent, marking the third consecutive year above 5 percent. Geopolitically, supply chain anxieties persisted as the South Korean government indicated that a cargo vessel attack near the Strait of Hormuz likely involved an Iranian-made missile.