SOMETHING IS BREAKING INSIDE JAPAN'S FINANCIAL SYSTEM
Japan's four largest insurers are sitting on ¥14.5 trillion in bond losses, roughly $91 billion.
In March 2024 the number was under ¥2 trillion.
It has grown every single quarter since.
These are unrealised losses, meaning they only become real if the insurers sell.
The cause is rising Japanese bond yields.
When yields go up, the price of bonds already held goes down, and these firms hold enormous amounts of Japanese government debt.
This is why the BOJ cannot raise rates quickly. Every hike makes this number bigger.