The Japanese Fair Trade Commission issued a historic exclusion order against Google for antitrust violations regarding smartphone search apps, marking the first such action against a major tech company in Japan. Japanese media closely tracked this regulatory development throughout the morning.

Honda revealed plans to increase US production to cover 90% of local sales within 2-3 years, shifting away from Canadian and Mexican manufacturing in response to Trump's threatened 25% vehicle tariffs. This continues the ongoing realignment of supply chains seen in previous days with Nintendo and Apple.

Auto stocks jumped across Asia as Trump considered potential tariff exemptions, offering a possible reprieve amid the escalating trade tensions that dominated coverage since early April. Meanwhile, Japanese retail businesses reported their first profit decline in four years due to stronger-than-expected consumer budget cutting, raising concerns about wage growth stagnation.