Japan Market Daily | Kabutaro & Friends

On July 9, 2026, the Nikkei 225 rebounded sharply to close up 685.77 yen at a fresh historic high of 73,079.34 yen, finishing above the 73,000 mark for the first time. Following overnight rallies in U.S. tech shares, buying dominated the Tokyo market from the opening bell, particularly centering on leading semiconductor stocks and electric appliances. The TOPIX also advanced by 36.14 points to a record high of 4,177.82. In the FX market, the USD/JPY cross experienced muted fluctuations, remaining locked in a historic weak-yen zone in the upper 161 yen range, sustained by persistent greenback demand driven by widening yield differentials. On the macroeconomic front, Japan's preliminary balance of payments data for May released today by the Ministry of Finance showed a current account surplus of 2.8432 trillion yen, expanding from a year earlier, while the trade balance remained in deficit due to the weak yen.