February 12, 2026 Today’s News Roundup | Explaining the Latest Trends: U.S. Employment Data and Currency Turmoil, SBI Shinsei Bank’s Remarkable Achievement, and More

February 12, 2026: Noteworthy news is emerging both domestically and internationally.
From the volatile swings in foreign exchange rates following U.S. economic indicator releases, to major movements in domestic finance, and seasonal topics, we’ve carefully selected and explain the key topics you need to know now.

1. [International/Economy] USD/JPY Plunges on US Jobs Data! Background to the Sharp Drop from the 154 Yen Range

Following the release of the US January employment report, the USD/JPY pair in the foreign exchange market surged sharply to the mid-154 yen range before plummeting abruptly to the 152 yen range, exhibiting extremely volatile price movements.
While robust employment data strengthened views that the Federal Reserve (Fed) would slow its pace of interest rate cuts, subsequent profit-taking and concerns about the economic outlook collided.
Tonight’s release of U.S. initial jobless claims and January existing home sales figures are predicted to be the next key market indicators.

2. [Domestic/Finance] SBI Sumishin Bank’s “Hyper Deposit” Surpasses ¥1.2 Trillion! Stock Price Enters ¥57,000 Era

SBI Sumishin Bank announced today that the balance of its “SBI Hyper Deposit” account, designed for investment-ready funds, has surpassed ¥1.2 trillion.
This milestone was reached just five months after the service launched.
The backdrop is an unprecedented stock investment boom, with the Nikkei Stock Average temporarily exceeding 57,000 yen.
SBI Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, which relisted on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime Market in December 2025, is currently running a “Up to 10x Higher Interest Rate Campaign.”
This clearly reflects the shift of individual funds from deposits to investments.

3. [IT & Industry] NTT Docomo Launches Metal Resource Recycling Platform “STELLAR HUB™”

Responding to heightened environmental awareness, NTT Docomo Business has launched a new platform enabling resource circulation traceability for metal scrap.

• Purpose: Visualize the metal recycling process and support corporate ESG management.
• Technology: Utilizing mobile networks and IT technology, we achieve “visibility” in scrap distribution, which was previously opaque.

4. [Travel & Entertainment] Korean Air to Significantly Expand Regional Routes in Japan for Summer 2026

Great news for travelers.
Korean Air has announced its summer 2026 flight schedule, highlighting a major expansion of regional routes.

• Komatsu/Incheon Route: Daily service with increased flights.
• Other Routes: Increased flights also planned for routes including Niigata, Okayama, and Aomori.
• Background: In addition to the increase in inbound tourists, demand for outbound travel from Japan is accelerating.

5. [Trends & Seasons] What’s Today’s Special Day? & Hot Topics

• Trivia: Today marks the day Chief Tateishi of the Special Mobile Investigation Unit became involved in a case (1968), trending on some social media platforms.
• Public Opinion Poll: In a Hokkaido survey, penguins (67%) overwhelmingly topped polar bears as the “star attraction of winter zoos.”

Summary: A Day of Rapid Change

Today was a day marked by highly visible financial movements, including the Nikkei average reaching 57,000 yen and sharp fluctuations in the dollar-yen exchange rate.
We also saw societal shifts moving beyond the post-COVID era into the next phase, such as advancements in recycling technology and the expansion of airline routes.

💡Today’s Checkpoints

• Be mindful of the impact of exchange rate fluctuations (152-154 yen range) on imported goods prices.
• Take advantage of banks’ high-interest campaigns amid the investment boom driven by initiatives like the new NISA.