Japan Market Daily | Kabutaro & Friends

On June 30, 2026, the Nikkei 225 extended its gains to close up 364.93 yen at 71,643.15 yen. Investor sentiment was bolstered by overnight rallies in Western equity markets, alongside persistent buying in high-tech shares related to generative AI and autonomous driving technologies. The TOPIX also advanced by 21.72 points to 4,102.82. In the FX market, the USD/JPY cross remained locked in a historic weak-yen zone, briefly touching near the 161.70 yen level as demand for the greenback was sustained by widening yield differentials. On the macroeconomic front, Japan's May labor data released today showed the unemployment rate held steady at 2.5 percent, while the jobs-to-applicants ratio stood at 1.26. This reflected continuous improvement in the domestic employment environment, further solidifying market expectations for future interest rate hikes by the Bank of Japan.