FX.co ★ Japan Machine Tool Orders Ease in May

Japan’s machine tool orders rose 37.4% year-on-year to JPY 176,883 million in May 2026, easing from a more than four-year high growth rate of 45.1% in April. Both external and domestic demand showed slower gains. Foreign orders increased 37.7%, following a 45.7% surge in April, while domestic orders grew 36.4% after a 43.4% rise in the previous month. On a month-on-month basis, machine tool orders extended their decline, falling 6.4% in May after a 2.3% drop in April. Over the January–May period, total machine tool orders climbed 32.2% from a year earlier to JPY 851,593 million, supported by a 37.9% increase in overseas orders and a 17.6% rise in domestic orders.