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July 24, 2026
 

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Takashi Mochizuki
Kei Uruma, chief executive officer of Mitsubishi Electric, says his firm aims to reach a deal by September with rivals Toshiba and Rohm to combine their power semiconductor operations.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 19, 2026
Mitsubishi Electric eyes power-chip merger with Rohm and Toshiba
The move would consolidate three of the world¡¯s top suppliers of a growing segment of the electronics supply chain.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is visiting Japan this week to drum up more business and excitement around the potential of artificial intelligence.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 16, 2026
Nvidia expands Toyota AI partnership for smart cities and factories
Extending the reach of AI beyond the data center and integrating it directly into devices and machines is an industrywide focus this year.
Hiroo Ota (center left), CEO of Kioxia Holdings, and others unveil Kioxia's new 3D flash memory chip at its Kitakami plant in Kitakami, Iwate Prefecture, on Friday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 3, 2026
Kioxia ships samples of new flash memory for AI data centers
The Tokyo-based chipmaker¡¯s latest high-density 3D flash memory chips aim to better meet AI data center needs with better efficiency and transmission speeds.
Kioxia Holdings has grown into Japan¡¯s most valuable company this year thanks to an AI-fueled boom for memory products.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 25, 2026
Kioxia plans new U.S. listing in spring and stock split at home
The supplier of NAND storage aims to take advantage of runaway demand for exposure to AI-related semiconductor stocks.
TDK sees Fabric8Labs' 3D-printing technology as an efficient way to process pure copper into cold plates connecting to semiconductors inside data center servers.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 11, 2026
TDK buys U.S. 3D-printing startup to amp up AI ecosystem bet
The Tokyo-based supplier of iPhone batteries is optimistic about Fabric8Labs¡¯ 3D-printing technology for data center server applications.
Multilayer ceramic capacitors, which are tiny components that regulate and stabilize power flow in electronic devices, are becoming a growing bottleneck in the construction of artificial intelligence data centers.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 29, 2026
Taiyo Yuden sees ¡®scary¡¯ levels of AI parts demand risking supply chain
The Tokyo-based company and Murata Manufacturing comprise the bulk of the world¡¯s supplies of high-end multilayer ceramic capacitors needed for artificial intelligence.
Countries including Japan see the ability to control chips, data centers and AI models as directly related to national resilience in a landscape dominated by U.S. and Chinese technology.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 25, 2026
Sakura Internet eyes more spending to meet AI data center demand
The data center operator is eyeing an allocation of as much as ?20 billion to ?30 billion ($125 million to $190 million) this fiscal year, founder and CEO Kunihiro Tanaka has said.
The components of a Kioxia solid-state drive. Shares are up more than 300% this year for the Tokyo-based company.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 18, 2026
Kioxia shares awash in buy orders after AI-driven profit surge
The Tokyo-based company said it expects to earn an operating profit of ?1.3 trillion during the June quarter, above the record profit it earned for the full year ended March.
A Kioxia semiconductor manufacturing plant in Japan
BUSINESS / Companies
May 15, 2026
Kioxia prepares U.S. shares after riding AI boom to big profit
The Tokyo-based firm¡¯s meteoric rise encapsulates the booming demand for memory as hyperscalers rush to build AI infrastructure.
TDK CEO Noboru Saito says the firm is prepared to add investments to ride the global boom in generative artificial intelligence.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 14, 2026
TDK ready to step up investment to ride AI wave
CEO Noboru Saito sees the surge of AI applications and services escalating the need for denser and more advanced energy storage.
A customer visits the gaming section for Nintendo products at a shop in Tokyo last week.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 11, 2026
Nintendo shares dive after forecast exposes memory squeeze
Nintendo shares had shed close to 30% this year through Friday, with concerns growing about the slow pace of game launches since the Switch 2¡¯s debut in June.
Sony Group said Friday it expects operating profit to rise about 11% to ?1.6 trillion for the year through March 2027, broadly in line with market expectations.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 8, 2026
Sony announces $3 billion buyback as memory prices take toll
Sony¡¯s shares are down 22% this year as escalating component costs erode margins across the consumer electronics industry.
Components for Murata's Echorb Wonder Stone device. The company is the world¡¯s leading supplier of multilayer ceramic capacitors, essential components for every device that uses electricity because they regulate power flow.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 30, 2026
Murata beats profit estimates as AI data-center demand strains production
The company says it is struggling to catch up with runaway demand for its multilayer ceramic capacitors, sought by U.S. hyperscalers for artificial intelligence data centers.
Microsoft, whose Copilot has struggled to keep pace with OpenAI¡¯s ChatGPT and Google¡¯s Gemini, said it will invest in cybersecurity partnerships and train a million artificial intelligence engineers through 2029.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 3, 2026
Microsoft drafts $10 billion investment plan in AI-hungry Japan
Microsoft is battling Amazon.com and Alphabet for dominance in Japan, which is spending billions to develop an artificial intelligence ecosystem and catch up to the U.S. and China.
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.
Nintendo plans to make 4 million units of its Switch 2 game console this quarter, falling short of the 6 million it had originally planned to produce.
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 25, 2026
Nintendo cuts Switch 2 output by over 30% on weak holiday sales
After a record-setting debut in June, sales of the Switch 2 have failed to meet Nintendo management¡¯s high expectations.
It is feared logistics costs for Europe-bound Nintendo's Switch 2 consoles will rise in the wake of U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 2, 2026
Nintendo shares slide on fears of rising Mideast shipping costs
Nintendo heavily relies on sea freight to transport its $450 console from assembly hubs in Asia.
Sony¡¯s PlayStation 5 video game consoles are on display at the Tokyo Game Show in the city of Chiba in September last year.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 5, 2026
Sony hikes profit outlook after resilient holiday-quarter sales
The Japanese conglomerate now expects operating profit of ?1.54 trillion in the year through March, up from its previous forecast of ?1.43 trillion.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.¡¯s plant in Kumamoto Prefecture. The go-to chipmaker for Nvidia and Apple has decided to adopt cutting-edge technology for its second wafer fabrication plant in the prefecture.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 5, 2026
TSMC plans major upgrade of Japan chip plant in win for Takaichi
The go-to chipmaker for Nvidia and Apple has decided to adopt cutting-edge technology for its second wafer fabrication plant in Kumamoto.
Hiroo Oota, incoming chief executive officer of Kioxia Holdings, speaks during a news conference in Tokyo on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 30, 2026
Memory maker Kioxia names new CEO to navigate AI chip boom
Shares of Kioxia, which are up more than twelvefold since their initial public offering at the end of 2024, reversed losses and rose 1.6% after the announcement.
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.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
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.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
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.

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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