Bank of Japan makes surprise policy tweak

The Bank of Japan has slightly loosened the shackles on its 10-year yield target and said it will review the operation of its yield-curve control policy, surprising financial markets and sending the yen sharply higher.
Japan’s factory output dips more than expected as risks emerge

Japan’s factory output shrank for the first time in three months in December as a decline in machinery production outweighed a small rise in autos, casting a cloud over the strength of the economic recovery.
Japan Oct retail sales boosted by fuel-price spike, broad trend still soft

Japan’s retail sales rose for the first time in three months in October, though less than expected, and the underlying private consumption trend pointed to persistent strains on a fragile economic recovery despite an easing of COVID-19 curbs.
Analysis: China’s real estate woes sap property investment products

Chinese investors are abandoning an age-old attachment to property investment products and seeking returns in equities and other corners of the capital markets, as the authorities crack down on the debt-fuelled property sector.