Industry: Machine tool orders in Japan surge 15.8% in December 2025, signaling industrial momentum - JST001

[Para 1: The Lead] Machine tool orders in Japan surged 15.8% in December 2025, exceeding 150 billion yen for the first time in nine months, signaling robust industrial momentum. Domestic orders increased 24.8% to 39.91 billion yen, while foreign orders, a key driver, rose 13.1% to 118.74 billion yen, reflecting strong global manufacturing demand. [Para 2-3: Supporting details & Context] According to the Japan Machine Tool Builders’ Association (JMTBA), December’s orders were 15.8% higher than November’s 137.01 billion yen and 10.9% above December 2024’s 143.09 billion yen. This marks the first month-on-month and year-over-year increase in six months. North America led with a 40.9% sequential jump to 41.46 billion yen, and Europe followed with a 22.5% monthly gain to 22.22 billion yen. Asia, however, saw a 3.2% sequential dip to 52.54 billion yen but still grew 2.4% annually. For the full calendar year 2025, total orders reached 1,604.32 billion yen, up 8.0% from 2024’s 1,485.11 billion yen. This growth is a leading indicator for global manufacturing activity, suggesting manufacturers are investing in capital goods for future production capacity.