Japanese Finance Minister on Nikkei Index Hitting Record High: "Will Enhance Stock Market Attractiveness"

Japanese Finance Minister Suzuki Shunichi stated on the 22nd that the Nikkei 225 average price index, a representative index of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, has surpassed its all-time high, and he pledged to "strive to enhance the mid- to long-term growth of listed companies and the attractiveness of the stock market."

On the 22nd, pedestrians are passing in front of the stock market status board in downtown Tokyo, Japan. / Photo by Yonhap News

According to Kyodo News and others, Finance Minister Suzuki said during the Lower House Budget Committee session in response to opposition party members' questions, "The scale and liquidity of the stock market can be seen as having grown significantly compared to 30 years ago."

Regarding the approximately 16% rise in the Nikkei index since the beginning of this year, he said, "Stock price trends are determined by various factors such as economic conditions and corporate activities, so I refrain from commenting on specific factors," adding, "I will continue to monitor market trends closely."

Government spokesperson and Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa said at a press conference in the afternoon, "We want to realize a virtuous cycle of investment and consumption that leads to corporate growth and an increase in national asset income."

Masakazu Tokura, chairman of Keidanren (Japan Business Federation), an economic organization with major corporations as members, commented on the Nikkei index reaching a new high, saying, "It is due to the inflow of domestic and foreign funds and favorable corporate performance," and added, "I believe changes in the flow of the Japanese economy have also been taken into account."

The Nikkei index closed at 39,098, up 2.19% from the previous trading day. It surpassed both the intraday all-time high (38,957) and the closing all-time high (38,915) recorded on December 29, 1989, during the so-called 'bubble economy,' breaking these records for the first time in 34 years and 2 months.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.