Japan’s machine tool orders surged 45.1% year-on-year to JPY 188,971 million in April 2026, far outpacing market expectations and the previous month’s 28.1% increase. This was the fastest growth since January 2022, underpinned by strong gains in both overseas and domestic demand.
Foreign orders jumped 45.7%, extending a 40.4% rise in March, while domestic orders climbed 43.4% after a modest 2.5% gain in the prior month. However, on a month-on-month basis, total machine tool orders slipped 2.3% in April, reversing a sharp 31.9% surge in March.
Over the January–April period, total machine tool orders rose 30.9% from a year earlier to JPY 674,764 million, driven by a 37.9% increase in overseas demand and a 13.5% rise in domestic orders.
