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July 24, 2026
 

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Nicholas Takahashi
Global sales in May, including those of subsidiary Daihatsu, fell 7.4% from a year earlier to 885,207 units, Toyota said Monday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 29, 2026
Toyota sales drop again in May as Iran conflict hits output
Toyota¡¯s global sales in May, including those of subsidiary Daihatsu, fell 7.4% from a year earlier to 885,207 units.
Francois Provost, CEO at Renault Group, speaks during an event in Guyancourt, near Paris, in March.
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Jun 24, 2026
Renault reminds Nissan of its clout with ouster of ex-banker
The French carmaker, which holds 15% of voting rights, abstained from voting for the reappointment of influential outside director Motoo Nagai.
Nissan shareholders voted against the reappointment of outside director Motoo Nagai, while approving 11 other board nominees at the company¡¯s annual meeting.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 23, 2026
Nissan shareholders vote out influential director at meeting
Motoo Nagai¡¯s ouster represents Renault¡¯s biggest power move at Nissan since ceding much of its influence over the Japanese carmaker in 2023.
Nidec CEO Mitsuya Kishida faced a barrage of questions from investors about Nidec¡¯s survival during the firm's general shareholders meeting on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 18, 2026
Nidec investors vent frustrations over scandal at annual meeting
CEO Mitsuya Kishida faced a barrage of questions about Nidec¡¯s survival as well as deep skepticism about his plan to turn the business around.
Toyota's global sales in April, including those of subsidiary Daihatsu Motor, fell 3.7% from a year earlier to 902,015 units.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 28, 2026
Toyota sales slide for third month in April on Middle East conflict
Toyota has weathered the conflict better than other carmakers, with Honda Motor and Nissan Motor reporting bigger drops.
Nidec CEO Mitsuya Kishida says the company will return to dealmaking once it recovers from scandals.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 25, 2026
Nidec boss hints at more M&A deals once scandals abate
CEO Mitsuya Kishida has underlined regaining trust as the Kyoto-based electric motor manufacturer¡¯s top priority.
Toyota's manufacturing facility in San Antonio
BUSINESS / Companies
May 15, 2026
Toyota files to build $2 billion assembly plant in Texas
The forthcoming factory would create 2,000 new jobs and deepen Toyota¡¯s manufacturing footprint in its largest market.
Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe in Tokyo on Thursday
BUSINESS / Companies
May 15, 2026
Honda and Nissan¡¯s shifting fortunes could bolster case for tie-up
Honda¡¯s losses and Nissan¡¯s early signs of recovery have narrowed the imbalance that derailed their failed merger talks last year.
Nidec founder Shigenobu Nagamori in 2023. Nagamori instilled a hard-charging corporate culture at the company, demanding results pegged to ambitious, and at times unrealistic, targets.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 13, 2026
Nidec shares tumble after product quality issues compound bookkeeping scandal
The Kyoto-based world¡¯s largest maker of precision motors said the issues involved changes made to materials, processes and designs without approval.
Toyota, known for conservative forecasts, is bracing for prolonged pressure on the price and supply of key materials due to disruptions linked to the conflict in Iran.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 8, 2026
Toyota forecasts abrupt profit drop on Iran; shares fall
The stock reversed gains and fell as much as 2.2% after the company issued an outlook for ?3 trillion in operating income for the fiscal year ending March 2027.
Nissan is pushing ahead with a growth plan for China that calls for annual sales to reach 1 million cars by the end of the decade.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 26, 2026
Nissan is betting on ¡®China speed¡¯ to get back on its feet
The carmaker is pushing ahead with a growth plan for China that calls for annual sales to reach 1 million cars by the end of the decade.
A worker handles aluminum extrusions at the Kato Light Metal Industry factory in Kanie, Aichi Prefecture.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 20, 2026
Japanese manufacturers hurt most by aluminum shortage from 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Domestic carmakers get about 70% of their aluminum imports from the Middle East, according to the nation¡¯s top auto lobby.
Nissan plans to reduce the number of models from the current 56 to 45 and streamline 80% of its volume into three main "families¡± of vehicles built on shared platforms.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 14, 2026
Nissan¡¯s Espinosa plans 20% reduction in models in plan to reinvigorate carmaker
The long-awaited strategy marks the CEO¡¯s first effort to reshape Nissan after its troubled, two-decade partnership with Renault and an aborted merger with Honda Motor.
Toyota¡¯s global sales in February fell 2.3% from last year to 806,905 units.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 30, 2026
Toyota sales fall, while Japan¡¯s automakers brace for Iran impact
The carmaker was hurt by aggressive competition in electric vehicles in China and weak demand at home in Japan.
Almost one out of every three motorcycles sold globally is a Honda, generating the majority of the manufacturer¡¯s operating profit despite accounting for less than a fifth of sales.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 26, 2026
Bikes keep Honda afloat, yet even that business is under pressure
The company¡¯s costly misfire on electric cars has dramatically increased the stakes for it to avoid making the same mistakes with motorcycles.
A Sony-Honda Afeela 1 Signature electric vehicle. Development of the first- and second-generation Afeela EVs will be shelved effective immediately, the companies said in a joint statement.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 26, 2026
Honda and Sony drop joint EV development project
The decision to scrap the venture underscores the strain on legacy automakers due to high costs and fluctuating demand.
CEO Toshihiro Mibe broke with Honda¡¯s long history as an internal combustion engine whiz in an effort to reinvent the company as an electric motor powerhouse by 2040, but his vision of initially achieving 40% EV sales by 2030 is now in tatters.
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Mar 16, 2026
Honda¡¯s car troubles began long before its disastrous bet on EVs
The carmaker invested too much and too late into a short-lived electric-vehicle boom, and now finds itself saddled with an aging line-up and questions about its future.
Honda will cancel the development and launch of three electric vehicle models that had been planned for North America.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 12, 2026
Honda warns of ?2.5 trillion charge on global EV downturn
The carmaker said Thursday that it would cancel the development and launch of three EV models that had been planned for North America.
While Tokyo is becoming a kind of test bed for the world¡¯s leading robotaxi ventures, Japan is lagging when it comes to the regulatory framework needed for autonomous vehicles to gain traction.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 12, 2026
U.S. self-driving startup Nuro begins testing in Tokyo
While Tokyo is becoming a test bed for the world¡¯s leading robotaxi ventures, Japan is lagging when it comes to regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles.
George Leondis will succeed Jeremie Papin as Nissan's finance chief from April 1.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 11, 2026
Nissan replaces CFO as carmaker struggles with turnaround
The personnel change comes as pressure is mounting on the carmaker to refresh an aging lineup in order to reignite demand.
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.

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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