Japan's retail gold price surged to a record 21,632 yen (about 142 U.S. dollars) per gram on Tuesday, reflecting a weaker yen and growing global uncertainties.
The soaring price has fueled brisk trading, with long queues forming outside gold retailers as consumers rush to buy or sell.
In Tokyo, citizens expressed strong interest in gold as both a safe haven and a store of value.
"Gold holds value better than cash amid the inflation. Gold supply is limited, and under the current international situation, it feels better to own gold from a future perspective," said a Tokyo citizen.
"I might consider buying if the price drops a little. But with gold at a record high, I think about selling the gold I have at home," another resident said.
A Tokyo gold shop employee said customer traffic has nearly doubled from last year, with both sales and recycling volumes up sharply. Many buyers are choosing bars and ingots rather than jewelry such as rings or necklaces.
"Today, a customer has already ordered eight 25-gram bars, totaling 200 grams, for 4.3 million yen (about 28,200 U.S. dollars). Due to rising distrust in the U.S. dollar, people are selling dollars and coming to buy gold," the employee said.
Analysts noted that the sharp fall of the yen has driven gold prices higher in yen terms.
On Tuesday, the Japanese currency slid below 152 yen per dollar, its weakest level in eight months, amid market expectations that ruling Liberal Democratic Party's new leader Sanae Takaichi will adopt expansionary fiscal policies.
At the same time, mounting concerns over the ongoing U.S. government shutdown and global geopolitical tensions have pushed investors toward gold as a safe-haven asset.
Data showed Japan's retail gold price has risen about 40 percent since the beginning of the year, doubling compared with two years ago.
Gold prices in Japan hit record high as yen weakens
Foreign diplomats and scholars are looking closely at this year's "two sessions", saying China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) will not only chart the nation's economic and technological priorities but also reshape global value chains.
The fourth session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the nation's top political advisory body, opened on Wednesday, followed by the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC) on Thursday. Together known as the "two sessions," these meetings offer a comprehensive view into China's development priorities.
Global observers emphasized that the 15th Five-Year Plan, a blueprint guiding the nation's economic, social, and technological priorities over the next five years, marks a decisive shift toward high‑quality growth anchored in advanced technologies, with ripple effects across the world.
"The two sessions will discuss China's five-year plan, which is heavily oriented toward China's major technological development. I believe this is important because it represents the new blueprint for China's economy, which is now oriented toward the renowned high-quality development, and this will undoubtedly impact the entire world. I think it is worth studying. This is very important for Latin America. It will help us integrate more intelligently into global value chains and into all aspects of the major development that China is promoting in iconic industrial sectors, such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and space development, where Latin America also has much to contribute beyond just commercial growth," said Gustavo Sabino Vaca Narvaja, former Argentine Ambassador to China.
"The two sessions are a major political milestone in China, and this year's gathering carries even greater significance as this year marks the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan. This plan represents not only a blueprint for China, but also a guide for other countries. Instruments like the five-year plan effectively provide greater certainty and predictability for the rest of the world," said Chilean scholar of international relations Ignacio Araya Heredia.
"This is a particularly important date, especially due to the fact that the next Five-Year Plan shall be positioned and we're going to see what its main elements shall be. Serbia, which has a very high degree of steel friendship with the People's Republic of China, can expect further assistance in identifying the most prominent areas of Serbian economy and being helped by its great partner, such as it has been done in the previous period, from one part with establishing the main infrastructure projects, but also reshaping the industrial sector of Serbia, not just Serbia, but the region as a whole," said Veljko Mijuskovic, assistant professor of the Faculty of Economics of the University of Belgrade.
Beyond the policy framework, experts also pointed to China's achievements in green energy and technological innovation as models worth emulating.
Tomasz Bielinski, adjunct professor at the University of Gdansk's Faculty of Economics, said the robotics displays at the 2026 China Media Group (CMG) Spring Festival Gala reflected China's broader push in technological innovation.
"I was really impressed about the robotics. I'm very impressed with Chinese development in the technological field, we can still make great deals with Chinese businessmen and we can cooperate together to use this technology for both the good of China and the European Union. I'm aware of the innovation especially in autonomous drive on the on the Chinese side," he said.
"We hope for more of China's economic cooperation, especially in trade and also in investment. Also, and the other focus, if I talk about the focus of the development, don't forget about the green energy. We know that China is great in the electric vehicle field. So because China's electric vehicles in Indonesia nowadays, since couple of years ago, are very, very popular," said Al Busyra Basnur, president of the Indonesia-China Friendship Association.
Observers see China's new five-year plan driving high-quality development, global tech shifts
