Japan ended 2025 with a record high in public debt, reaching 1.34217 trillion yen (approximately €8.6 trillion), according to data released this week by the Ministry of Finance. This figure, which is more than double the country's gross domestic product (GDP) of approximately 660 trillion yen (€4.2 trillion), comes at a crucial time, with the newly elected government pursuing a clearly expansionary fiscal policy while the Bank of Japan begins a gradual normalization of interest rates. The debt volume increased by 24.5 trillion yen (approximately €157 billion) compared to the previous year, driven primarily by increased spending on social security, defense, and debt servicing, amid rising sovereign debt yields. Of the total accumulated, 1.197 trillion yen (7.7 trillion euros) corresponds to government bonds, in addition to 44 trillion yen in loans (239 billion euros) and 100 trillion yen in financing bonds (541 billion euros in exchange for financing).

We read in the ARA that Japan's new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, known for "being a tireless worker," left home last Friday "shortly after 3:00 a.m. to convene a meeting with advisors before an appearance before Parliament."

The Japan's new Prime Minister, Sanae TakaichiShe is known for being a tireless worker. She often avoids social gatherings and openly rejects the idea of work-life balance. But even by her own standards, she surprised everyone by leaving her Tokyo residence shortly after 3 a.m. to convene a meeting with advisors before an appearance before Parliament.