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Edition of Thursday, 12 November 2026English edition
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The Geopolitician

Country risk, from the local press

Japan · Country watch

Yen Drops, Bird Flu Outbreak, Microsoft Outage

The yen weakens to a two-month low, bird flu cases emerge, and Microsoft faces a global service disruption.

· · 5 articles read

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Business conditions in Japan are deteriorating as the yen weakens, bird flu outbreaks affect agriculture, and a Microsoft outage disrupts operations. These developments pose challenges for currency traders, poultry farmers, and tech-dependent businesses.

In this briefing Microsoft · Microsoft 365 · Kyoto · Chiba · H5N1 · Yen · U.S. Federal Reserve

Disruption

  • Technology

Microsoft 365 outage affects global users

The west campus of Microsoft, Redmond, Washington, taken from about 1,500'. The photo is looking south-east. The west campus is bounded on t
The west campus of Microsoft, Redmond, Washington, taken from about 1,500'. The photo is looking south-east. The west campus is bounded on t — Jelson25, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

Microsoft announced a global connectivity issue affecting its Microsoft 365 services, NHK reports. The disruption impacts email and other software applications used worldwide, potentially affecting business operations. Microsoft is investigating the cause and working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible, but users may experience difficulties accessing services in the meantime.

Impact Companies relying on Microsoft 365 face operational disruptions, affecting productivity and communication.

Sources: NHK ↗

Safety & health

  • Agriculture

Bird flu detected in Kyoto and Chiba farms

Kiyomizu-dera, Kyoto, Japan, part of UNESCO World Heritage Site Ref. Number 688.
Kiyomizu-dera, Kyoto, Japan, part of UNESCO World Heritage Site Ref. Number 688. — Martin Falbisoner, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Bird flu cases have been confirmed in two poultry farms in Kyoto and Chiba, NHK reports. In Kyoto's Kameoka City, 14 chickens were found dead, and tests confirmed the presence of the highly pathogenic H5 strain. Similarly, in Chiba's Asahi City, genetic testing on dead chickens also revealed the H5 strain. Authorities are taking measures to contain the outbreak, including culling affected birds and restricting movement in the areas.

Impact Poultry farmers in affected regions face livestock losses and movement restrictions, impacting supply chains.

Sources: NHK ↗

Markets

  • Finance

Yen nears ¥160 per dollar, intervention risk rises

The yen fell to its lowest level in two months, trading at over ¥160 per dollar, according to NHK. This decline follows recent U.S. inflation data, which has increased speculation about further tightening by the U.S. Federal Reserve. The widening interest rate differential between the U.S. and Japan is putting additional downward pressure on the yen, raising the possibility of intervention by Japanese authorities.

Impact Currency traders and importers face increased costs as the yen weakens, potentially prompting intervention by Japanese authorities.

Sources: JapanTimes ↗

Nothing significant reported today in Regulation · Internal tension · Companies · Trade · Politics.

Also today in the local press

Sources in this briefing

Sources: each headline links to the original article on the publisher's site.

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