Japan Market Daily | Kabutaro & Friends

On August 14, 2026, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 rose for a fourth straight session, closing up 405.21 points (+0.59%) at 68,713.80. The TOPIX gained 21.16 points to 4,197.20, setting another consecutive record high. Buying continued in high-priced semiconductor and AI stocks, carrying over from the Nasdaq's rise in the US on the 13th driven by a slowdown in the July Producer Price Index, lower oil prices, and falling long-term yields. The Nikkei rose as high as 69,608.24 intraday, recovering the 69,000 level for the first time in about a month since July 13, but lost momentum as South Korea's KOSPI pared its gains. Weekend position-squaring and expectations of an additional Bank of Japan rate hike in September also weighed, and the index slipped to 68,471.15 in the mid-afternoon session. The day marked the calculation of the August options special quotation (SQ), and domestic corporate April-June earnings announcements concluded. USD/JPY moved narrowly in a range of 159.15 to 159.51. WTI crude had fallen $2.02 the previous day to $81.25 per barrel.