Akazawa: no change in Japan's plan for $550B investment vehicle

Akazawa: no change in Japan's plan for $550B investment vehicle

Japan's lead trade negotiator, Akazawa Ryosei, has confirmed that the country's plans for a $550 billion investment vehicle remain unchanged, despite recent developments in trade negotiations with the United States. Akazawa is currently in Washington for a three-day trip to finalize the terms of the agreement, which includes an executive order on an auto tariff and a document signed on Japanese investments in the U.S. [2]

Akazawa's visit comes after a previous attempt to schedule the talks was canceled due to coordination issues at the working level. He emphasized that the aim of the current trip is to discuss what needs to be covered at the Cabinet level, with a focus on securing an executive order to lower the tariff on Japanese vehicles and finalizing the written agreement on Japanese investments in the U.S. [2]

The Japanese side is calling for the executive order and the agreement to be signed around the same time, stressing that a delay in committing these agreements to writing would significantly impact Japanese industries. The negotiations are crucial for Japan's economic security and growth, as they aim to create a favorable investment environment for Japanese companies in the U.S. [2]

In a separate development, Japan's Financial Services Agency (FSA) is planning to tighten rules for cryptocurrencies, shifting crypto regulation from the Payment Services Act to the more stringent Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (FIEA). The FSA report, dated September 2, identified several issues in the crypto market, including unclear whitepapers, misleading information, scams, unregistered operations, low investor knowledge, and security issues on exchanges. The stricter FIEA rules would help address these problems and provide clearer information on public sales and secondary trading. [3]

These developments highlight Japan's strategic focus on strengthening its economic ties with the U.S. and improving its regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies, both of which are crucial for the country's long-term economic growth and stability.

References:
[1] https://en.bitcoinsistemi.com/japan-based-platform-service-provider-robot-consulting-invests-largely-in-ethereum-here-are-the-details/
[2] https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20250904_B3/
[3] https://www.cryptotimes.io/2025/09/04/japan-proposes-stricter-crypto-rules-under-securities-law/