- *PM Sanae Takaichi reappointed* – Japan’s lower house formally re‑elected Sanae Takaichi as prime minister on Feb 18, just 10 days after her landslide election win, keeping the LDP’s strong grip on power ¹ ² ³.
- *Trade deficit narrows* – January 2026’s trade gap shrank to ¥1.15 trillion, way better than the ¥2.14 trillion forecast, thanks to a 16.8% jump in exports, especially to China and Taiwan ⁴.
- *Tourism hit by China tension* – Chinese visitor arrivals plunged over 60% in January, forcing Japan to pivot toward South Korean, Taiwanese and US tourists to fill the gap ⁵.
- *Winter Olympics success* – Japan’s athletes added two more medals in women’s slopestyle (Mari Fukada gold, Kokomo Murase bronze) and set a new record with 19 medals overall at the Milan‑Cortina Games ⁶ ⁷.
- *Debt outlook warning* – Finance Ministry projects bond issuance could surge 28% by fiscal 2029, with debt‑servicing costs hitting ¥40 trillion, raising concerns about fiscal sustainability ⁸.