Nikkei 225 Opens at 66,405.56 as Yen Weakness Lifts Japan's Exporters
As seen on the 24/7 Wall St. homepage on August 31, 2026.
Tokyo opens with the Nikkei at 66,405.56, and the yen is doing the heavy lifting: a weaker currency flatters Japan's exporters while raising the odds the Bank of Japan tightens again. Anyone holding Japan exposure gets the first read here.
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The Nikkei 225 opened the August 31 session at 66,405.56, matching its previous close exactly and holding a range it has kept for several sessions.
The yen's weakness is the central story for investors with Japan exposure. A softer currency makes Japanese exports more competitive abroad and inflates the yen-denominated earnings of the country's major manufacturers and shippers, which carry heavy weight in the index.
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At the same time, persistent yen softness raises the probability that the Bank of Japan moves to tighten policy again. Any signal from the central bank on that front would reverse the currency tailwind exporters currently enjoy.
Investors watching Japan are effectively reading two dials at once, the index level and the yen, because right now neither moves without the other.