The Nikkei 225 slipped 0.17% to 64,214.48 while TOPIX rose 0.5% as a sharp yen rally and near-certain BOJ hike odds drove money out of tech and into financials and sogo shosha. Short selling held at 43.5% of TSE turnover.
A TSE-listed Japan ETF prices in yen during Tokyo hours (9:00-11:30, 12:30-15:30 JST); an offshore Japan ETF prices the same assets after Tokyo closes, in your home currency. This guide explains how creation and redemption anchor both to NAV, how to read spreads and stock-lending costs, and how to frame the hedged-versus-unhedged yen decision.
Tokyo split on Tuesday: the Nikkei 225 eased 0.15% to 66,215 while TOPIX rose 0.51% as money rotated out of tech into cyclicals. Long JGB yields pressed toward 3%, the yen held just under 160, and the TSE short-sell ratio printed an elevated 41.8%.
The Nikkei 225 closed just 0.14% lower at 66,311.93 on Monday after erasing a morning plunge of more than 1,500 points. Banks, utilities and energy led an afternoon recovery while Advantest fell 4.48%, the short-sell ratio held mid-range at 42.3%, and JGB yields kept climbing into the BOJ’s September meeting.
Japan’s market-moving wage number is not the headline: scheduled (base) pay at common establishments is the series analysts watch most closely for BOJ policy signals, and sustained growth near 3% is a widely used — though unofficial — benchmark for rate hikes. Here is how to read the MHLW Monthly Labour Survey — nominal vs real wages, bonus noise, sample revisions, and how shunto results flow into the monthly prints.
Tokyo closed higher Friday as the Nvidia-driven AI trade pulled chip and IT names up, the yen held near 159.56, and the TSE short-selling ratio sat mid-range at 43.5% — a neutral positioning read ahead of the September BoJ meeting.
The Nikkei 225 gave back an 800-point intraday gain to close down 0.20% at 66,131.98 on Thursday, while TOPIX edged higher. BOJ Deputy Governor Himino’s call for timely rate hikes lifted banks, semis split on profit-taking, and the TSE short-selling ratio rose to 45.0%.
The Nikkei 225 shook off a weak open to close up 0.62% at 66,262.16, rallying more than 800 points off the morning low. Banks and pharma led, shippers lagged, and the TSE short-selling ratio held at a defensive 42.7% ahead of Nvidia earnings.
As of August 25, 2026, Japan’s 10-year JGB yielded 2.897% and the 40-year 4.060% — prices set through Ministry of Finance auctions, roughly 20 primary dealers, and Bank of Japan operations. Here is how the world’s most-watched sovereign bond market actually works, how to read the curve, and why equity investors abroad track it daily.
The Nikkei 225 lost the 65,000 level in early trade on tech-led spillover, then closed +0.50% at 65,856.43 as afternoon bargain hunting and a SoftBank rebound took over. Short selling ran at 43.1% of TSE turnover and the Nikkei VI rose to 30.41 — defense is still on.