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Follow the money: The end of cheap money in Japan

After decades in which borrowing has been ultra-cheap, Japan is hiking interest rates, with consequences for both savers and borrowers.

After decades in which borrowing has been virtually free, Japan is raising interest rates, affecting savers and borrowers alike. We talk to a former rate-setter at the Bank of Japan, to a homeowner who is braced for the cost of her mortgage to rise, and to a saver who ponders whether now is the time to finally bring her investments back to Japan. And we explore who's making money from the rising cost of borrowing.

(Photo: A Japanese man cycles pass by a stock market indicator board in Tokyo, Japan, 15 October 2026. He has short black hair, going grey at the sides and wears black trousers and a black T-shirt. Credit: EPA)

You can email the team: businessdaily@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Sam Fenwick
Producer: Gideon Long

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17 minutes

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