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July 24, 2026
 

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Kanoko Matsuyama
Storage tanks and trucks loaded with gas cylinders in Mumbai.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 4, 2026
Energy-hungry Asia is already drawing lessons from Iran crisis
The region is realizing that it needs bigger buffers, a greater diversity of fossil-fuel suppliers, and a better mix of power sources overall.
Kioxia Holdings has surged more than 670% this year, making it the best performer on the MSCI World Index.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 12, 2026
Kioxia becomes Japan¡¯s most valuable firm as AI mania goes on
Shares of the Japanese memory chipmaker surged 7.6% Friday, lifting its market value above ?44 trillion ($274 billion) just 18 months after its stock market debut.
Members of Japan's men's national soccer team train on Wednesday in Nashville, Tennessee, their home base for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 11, 2026
Stock investors eye deep run for Japan at World Cup
A deep run for Japan at the most lucrative FIFA World Cup in history could benefit companies including Dentsu, Konami and Hub.
A man crosses the street near a board displaying the Nikkei Stock Average on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo on Monday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Apr 22, 2026
Goldman says U.S. buyers return to Japan stocks as war shock fades
The shift, driven partly by a stabilizing yen, has spurred U.S. capital inflows into the tech-heavy Nikkei 225 Stock Average.
A Uniqlo store in New York. Operator Fast Retailing struck a landmark deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers to raise its brand recognition in the U.S. market.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 30, 2026
Uniqlo taps into Ohtani magic at Dodgers Stadium to fuel U.S. push
The alliance is an almost perfect match, leveraging U.S. and Japanese fans¡¯ fascination with the multiple-MVP batter and pitcher.
Tanabe Pharma, a 348-year-old provider of medicines, was bought by Bain last year for about ?510 billion.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 26, 2026
Bain-owned Tanabe Pharma targets global deals to fuel growth
A new team of around eight people in the U.S., in addition to an existing team in Japan, is sourcing therapies globally, particularly in rare diseases.
Astellas Pharma Chief Executive Officer Naoki Okamura
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 11, 2026
Trump¡¯s drug cost push helps Astellas win higher price in Japan
Japan, where medicine prices are among the lowest in the most developed nations, has become a critical reference point in U.S. plans to match drug prices with other countries.
Shoppers browse inside a Muji store in Shanghai, China. Unlike pure beauty companies that heavily rely on prestige counters and specialized retailers, Muji sells its lotions and moisturizers alongside its pajamas, storage boxes and food at its outlets.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 9, 2026
Muji is turning simple skincare into its next growth engine
While beauty remains a small share of Muji¡¯s overall sales, its rapid expansion signals the retailer is emerging as one of the few Japanese brands finding new growth in the market.
Kao is facing increasing pressure from activist fund Oasis Management for an independent investigation into its supply-chain practices.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 5, 2026
Activist fund Oasis calls on Kao to hold shareholders¡¯ meeting over supply-chain risks
The fund received numerous whistleblower allegations concerning Kao¡¯s practices, including potential links to deforestation and human rights violations.
Arrivals from China shrank 61% in January from a year earlier, the Japan National Tourism Organization said on Wednesday, citing a shift in the timing of the Lunar New Year holiday and warnings against travel to Japan.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Feb 19, 2026
Chinese tourist decline fuels first drop in visitors to Japan since pandemic
Arrivals from China shrank 61% in January from a year earlier, compared with a 45% decline in December, the Japan National Tourism Organization has said.
A 7-Eleven store at the Anzac rail station in Melbourne. Australia is a live test of whether the 7-Eleven Japan model ¡ª built around fresh, prepared food and daily services ¡ª can succeed across the world.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 19, 2026
7-Eleven bets on Australian stores to show it can grow globally
Australia is a live test of whether the 7-Eleven Japan model ¡ª built around fresh, prepared food and daily services ¡ª can succeed around the world.
Olympus stock dropped as much as 11% in early Tokyo trading Monday, the biggest intraday decline since June 2025.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 16, 2026
Olympus drops after full-year operating income forecast cut
The Japanese medical device maker cut its outlook to between ?75 billion and ?87 billion, taking into account progress up to the third quarter.
For Aeon, Kusuri no Aoki represents a potential valuable addition to its strategy of consolidating Japan¡¯s fragmented retail market.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 16, 2026
A family fights to keep control of 157-year-old firm in Japan
Kusuri no Aoki, run by two brothers, are fighting for control of the firm with their largest outside shareholders, Aeon and the activist fund Oasis Management.
Shiseido's stock surged as much as 15% in Tokyo trading on Thursday, the biggest intraday gain since May 2018.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 12, 2026
Robust earnings set off Shiseido¡¯s biggest stock rally in almost eight years
Once a formidable global challenger, Shiseido is cutting costs, prioritizing core brands and adjusting its lineup amid its toughest business conditions in decades.
Tourists with their suitcases wait for a train in Osaka.
BUSINESS
Feb 2, 2026
Japan¡¯s duty-free sales fall further as China tensions linger
Arrivals from China plunged 45% to 330,000 people in December, even as overall foreign visitor numbers for 2025 hit a record high ¡ª topping 40 million for the first time.
Shiseido¡¯s stumble shows how quickly beauty brands can lose ground as social trends, faster product cycles and South Korean and Chinese rivals reshape the global cosmetics market.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 19, 2026
Shiseido faces tough turnaround after costly cosmetics stumbles
Shiseido¡¯s stumble shows how quickly beauty brands can lose ground as social trends, faster product cycles and Korean and Chinese rivals reshape the global cosmetics market.
Facing the dual pressures of short-term investor scrutiny and government-forced price cuts, Japanese drugmakers are opting to delist in order to seek greater management flexibility to cut costs, reshape portfolios and invest for the long term.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 8, 2026
Buyout wave seen among Japan drugmakers after Hisamitsu deal
Drugmakers are opting to delist in order to seek greater management flexibility amid dual pressures of short-term investor scrutiny and government-forced price cuts.
Known for its Salonpas pain-relief patches, Hisamitsu joins a growing list of Japanese companies exiting the public market to shield themselves from regulatory and investor pressure to lift valuations and implement more oversight.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jan 7, 2026
Hisamitsu shares jump most since 1978 on $2.9 billion buyout
The proposed offer of ?6,082 per share represents a roughly 35% premium to Hisamitsu¡¯s unaffected closing price on Monday.
Boxes of Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical¡¯s Salonpas-branded pain-relieving patch. Hisamitsu¡¯s management is considering a takeover bid to privatize the company.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 6, 2026
CEO of Salonpas maker seeks to take $2.9 billion drug firm private
A growing list of companies are exiting the public market to shield themselves from growing regulatory and investor pressure to lift valuations and implement more oversight.
The Mitsukoshi department store in the Nihonbashi district of Tokyo. Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings said duty-free sales across its domestic stores fell 14% in December.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 6, 2026
China travel curbs hit Japan duty-free sales in December
Prolonged geopolitical tensions with Beijing are now weighing on Japan¡¯s retail sector.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
Intervention is the word after yen moves beyond ?163 and sits there
The government could prop up the yen at any moment, though its signaling is hard to read.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.
Summer has arrived in Japan and so have hot sleepless nights
Amid the heat and humidity in Japan, a good night¡¯s sleep is growing increasingly elusive without the heavy use of air conditioning.
Maya Ongaku¡¯s DIY dream is getting bigger
The members of Maya Ongaku ¡ª (from left) Tsutomu Sonoda, Shoei Ikeda and Ryota Takano ¡ª grew up on the Shonan Coast south of Tokyo and have been friends since their school days.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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