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Japan
Intelligence for Better Decision Making
Local Governments Reject National Rice Coupon Initiative Amid Administrative and Economic Concerns
Dec. 9, 2025 | Governance & LawJapan’s central government has allocated significant funds in its latest budget to help households cope with rising food prices.
**The Reiwa 7 supplemental budget sets aside 2 trillion yen for local support measures, including 400 billion yen to provide roughly 3,000 yen per person in relief.**
The government left the choice of distribution method to each municipality, suggesting either physical rice allocations or electronic rice coupons. Agriculture Minister Norikazu Suzuki has actively promoted the coupon scheme, gaining support from leaders of agricultural cooperatives.
**Despite ministerial backing, many local governments have opted out of the rice coupon initiative.**
They cite high issuance and mailing costs, administrative complexity, and concerns over their logistical capacity. Shizuoka Prefecture, Katano City, and Kitakyushu City instead favor options such as free school meal programs or direct cash payments. Officials note that after administrative deductions, the net value of a 500 yen coupon falls to about 440 yen, and additional postage and handling can push overhead above 20 percent.
**Issuing organizations—namely the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations (JA Zen-Noh) and the National Rice Retail Sales Mutual Aid Cooperative (Zenmeihan)—also face scrutiny over their ability to process large-scale orders on time.**
Municipal staff worry about managing coupon expiration dates, since all vouchers must be redeemed by the end of September 2026, which adds another layer of administrative burden.
**Inside the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Suzuki’s rice policy has drawn criticism from its agricultural faction.**
Detractors accuse him of favoring particular groups and condemn his abrupt reversal of the previous administration’s policy to increase rice production. They argue that price-support measures should remain under the jurisdiction of local governments rather than be driven by the agriculture ministry.
**A recent survey of 28 Tokyo-area municipalities found that none have committed to distributing government-recommended rice coupons funded by the Priority Support Local Allocation Tax; most are either undecided or firmly opposed.**
Localities such as Edogawa Ward point to the administrative burdens—especially the complexities of mailing and meeting expedited distribution deadlines—as key obstacles.
**Several jurisdictions also question the program’s economic impact.**
They worry that coupons valid nationwide could be redeemed outside the issuing areas, diluting any local economic stimulus. Kawasaki City has warned that the initiative risks becoming a generalized benefit rather than focused relief. In light of these concerns, municipalities including Edogawa and Nakano Wards are exploring direct cash payments as a more flexible response to escalating living costs.
**Some experts suggest redirecting a portion of the rice coupon budget toward broader regional revitalization vouchers that could cover a wider array of food items beyond rice.**
Meanwhile, Taito Ward has emerged as an outlier by launching its own rice coupon distribution at an estimated cost of 240 million yen, illustrating the diverse approaches and financial commitments at the local level.
Japan Enters Contraction as Investment and Exports Weaken in Third Quarter
Dec. 9, 2025 | Macroeconomics & GrowthJapan’s economy slipped into contraction in the third quarter of 2025, driven by broad softness in investment, exports and public spending.
**In the July–September quarter, real GDP fell 0.6 percent from the previous quarter, equivalent to a 2.3 percent annualized decline.**
The revised estimate deepens the initial forecast of a 1.8 percent annualized drop and marks the first negative growth in six quarters, coming in below median private-sector projections. Analysts attribute the downward adjustment to weaker-than-expected activity across multiple investment categories.
**Corporate capital investment declined 0.2 percent quarter-on-quarter, reversing an initially reported 1.0 percent gain.**
Equipment investment swung from a 1.0 percent rise to a 0.2 percent contraction—the first drop in three quarters—and software spending growth was also trimmed. Housing investment fell 8.2 percent, less severe than the preliminary 9.4 percent decline, as tighter energy-efficiency standards and a post-rush demand slump weighed on construction.
**Private consumption edged up 0.2 percent, an improvement over the preliminary 0.1 percent gain, led by increased outlays on dining and food services.**
This marked the third straight quarter of moderate consumption growth, although overall private spending continued to face headwinds.
**Exports fell 1.2 percent, unchanged from earlier estimates, as US tariff hikes on automobiles and other goods dampened foreign sales.**
This represented the first export decline in two quarters. Revised data show private inventories subtracted 0.1 percentage point from GDP growth.
**In the public sector, government consumption growth was revised down to 0.2 percent from 0.5 percent, and public investment swung into a 1.1 percent contraction from a previously reported 0.1 percent increase.**
These downward revisions added further drag on aggregate output.
**The GDP deflator rose 3.4 percent year-on-year, up from an initial 2.8 percent, indicating stronger price pressures.**
After a quinquennial base revision, statisticians raised the quarter’s nominal GDP to about ¥665 trillion, with annualized real GDP now estimated at roughly ¥590 trillion, compared with the initial ¥561 trillion figure.
**The confirmed contraction supports Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recently announced stimulus package, the largest new spending initiative since the pandemic.**
Persistent weakness in business capital outlays and the housing sector adds complexity to the Bank of Japan’s upcoming policy deliberations, though officials appear poised to maintain a gradual path of interest-rate increases.
Monitored Intelligence for Japan - Dec. 9, 2025
News
Media
297
Government
Releases
23
City/State
Releases
71
Embassy
Releases
0
Foreign
Service
Advisories
0
Service
Advisories
0
Academic/
Think
Tank
6
Think
Tank
6
Podcasts
0
Videos
0
Social
Media
0
Business
Releases
0
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7
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China navy says Japan disrupted flight training
NHK | English | News | Dec. 9, 2025 | Geopolitical Conflict and Disputes
China has responded strongly to the Japanese Defense Ministry's claim that Chinese military aircraft locked radar onto Japanese Air Self-Defense Force fighter jets over international waters near Okinawa Prefecture. Beijing contends that Japan disrupted a flight training exercise conducted by the Chinese navy.
A spokesperson for the Chinese navy stated that the Liaoning aircraft carrier strike group was carrying out flight training for carrier-based fighter jets when Japanese aircraft repeatedly entered the training airspace and sea area to harass Chinese operations. This interference allegedly disrupted China's training activities and endangered flight safety. China rejected Japan's accusations as inconsistent with the facts and demanded that Japan cease what it called a smear campaign.
Voting underway in Hong Kong Legislative Council election
NHK | English | News | Dec. 9, 2025 | UndeterminedPolitics and Elections
Voting is underway in Hong Kong's Legislative Council election, with polls opening at 7:30 a.m. local time. Out of the 90 council seats, 20 are directly elected every four years. Chief Executive John Lee emphasized the importance of this election in supporting residents affected by a recent high-rise housing fire that resulted in 159 deaths.
The election follows Beijing-led reforms implemented four years ago to ensure "patriots governing Hong Kong," which effectively exclude pro-democracy and anti-government candidates. Voter turnout was a record low 30.2 percent in 2021.
To increase participation, the government has extended polling station hours until late at night. Despite these efforts, voter interest remains low due to the lack of candidate diversity, predominantly pro-Beijing, and a temporary suspension of campaigning after the deadly fire has further dampened enthusiasm.
今週の【重要イベント】FOMC、米貿易収支、メジャーSQ (12月8日～14日)
This Week's Important Events: FOMC, U.S. Trade Balance, Major SQ (December 8–14)
Yahoo Finance | Local Language | News | Dec. 9, 2025 | UndeterminedTrade Issues and Numbers
From December 8 to 14, several key economic events and corporate changes are scheduled. On December 8, Japan will release October labor statistics and revised Q3 GDP, among other economic indicators, while China will disclose its November trade balance. CARTA Holdings is set for delisting from the TSE Prime market.
December 9 features the start of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meetings, Bank of Japan Governor Ueda’s speech, and auctions for 5-year and 10-year U.S. government bonds. TechnoPro Holdings will also be delisted from the TSE Prime market. Germany will report its October trade balance.
On December 10, China will release November consumer and producer price indexes, and the FOMC will announce its policy rate decision, followed by a press conference with Federal Reserve Chair Powell. Other central banks including Canada and Brazil will announce policy rates, and the Nobel Prize award ceremony will take place. Sainex will have a dual listing on the Nagoya Exchange.
December 11 includes Japan’s Corporate Business Sentiment Survey for Q4 and multiple U.S. economic reports including the September trade balance. Central banks from Switzerland, Turkey, and the Philippines will announce policy rates, and Broadcom and Costco Wholesale will release earnings reports.
December 12 is marked by the major SQ event in Japan, with final October industrial production and capacity utilization data released. Internationally, the UK, Germany, and India will report consumer price and GDP figures, and the EU Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) will meet. Fit Crew will be listed on the TSE Growth market, while Draft will be delisted from the same market. No significant events are scheduled for the weekend of December 13 and 14.
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