China launched joint military exercises aimed at blockading Taiwan, dominating the morning's regional security coverage. This escalation follows tensions reported throughout previous days and coincides with GlobalFoundries considering a merger with Taiwan's UMC chipmaker.

Domestically, Prime Minister Ishiba's six-month mark in office was overshadowed by his public apology regarding shopping voucher distribution during a morning press conference. He pledged to implement inflation-relief measures by May, particularly addressing minimum wage increases and rising rice prices, while rejecting food consumption tax reductions.

Economic concerns intensified as the Bank of Japan's Tankan survey showed large manufacturers' sentiment worsening for the first time in four quarters, attributed to Trump's tariff policies. By afternoon, analysis indicated Trump's proposed tariffs could reduce global GDP by over $700 billion.

The Myanmar earthquake crisis continued to develop with the death toll exceeding 2,700. Japan announced deployment of 32 medical personnel as hospitals in affected areas reached capacity.