{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1878397,
        "msgid": "us-iran-war-claims-another-victim-japan-1784857860",
        "date": "2026-07-24 07:45:00",
        "title": "US-Iran War Claims Another Victim: Japan",
        "author": "",
        "source": "CNBC",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Economy",
        "summary": "Japan's economy is feeling the strain from the US-Iran conflict as rising oil prices pushed core inflation up to 1.6% in June, marking the first increase since March. The surge in producer prices and a weak yen are compounding cost-of-living pressures, prompting speculation that the Bank of Japan may accelerate interest rate hikes. The nation's heavy reliance on energy imports makes it particularly vulnerable to the Middle East turmoil.",
        "content": "<p>Japan\u2019s core inflation rose again in June 2026 as surging oil prices\nbegan to ripple through the broader economy, intensifying concerns that\nthe conflict in the Middle East between the US and Iran will continue to\ndrive up living costs and force the Bank of Japan (BOJ) to consider\nraising interest rates sooner.<\/p>\n<p>Core inflation, which excludes fresh food prices, rose 1.6%\nyear-on-year in June, matching economists\u2019 expectations and marking the\nfirst increase since March. Headline inflation rose to 1.7% from 1.5% in\nMay, while core-core inflation, which strips out both fresh food and\nenergy costs, fell to 1.7%, its lowest level since August 2022.<\/p>\n<p>Although the government still provides energy subsidies, the impact\nof rising oil prices is starting to be felt. Energy prices fell just\n0.1% compared to a year earlier, a much smaller decline than the 2.5%\ndrop recorded in May.<\/p>\n<p>Businesses are facing mounting cost pressures. Japan\u2019s Producer Price\nIndex (PPI) surged 7.1% in June, reaching its highest level since March\n2023, reflecting increased production costs driven by the energy price\nspike.<\/p>\n<p>Japan is confronting a double blow. Beyond the energy supply\ndisruptions caused by the Middle East crisis, the yen\u2019s depreciation to\nmulti-decade lows is making imports significantly more expensive. Trade\ndata released this week showed the value of Japan\u2019s crude oil imports\nsoared more than 59% compared to the same period last year. According to\nthe International Energy Agency (IEA), Japan relies on imports for over\n87% of its energy needs, leaving it highly vulnerable to global oil\nprice volatility.<\/p>\n<p>On Friday, the yen traded around 163.82 per US dollar, while the\nNikkei 225 stock index fell about 2.1% following the inflation data\nrelease. The renewed inflationary pressure is fuelling speculation that\nthe Bank of Japan may accelerate interest rate hikes. Reuters previously\nreported, citing sources familiar with internal BOJ discussions, that\nthe central bank remains wary of inflation risks exceeding market\nexpectations. According to the sources, some BOJ policymakers believe\nthe weak yen and rising fuel prices due to the Iran conflict could push\ninflation higher more quickly, opening the door for more aggressive rate\nincreases than previously anticipated.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/us-iran-war-claims-another-victim-japan-1784857860",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}