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July 24, 2026
 

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Mari Kiyohara
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.
Hironobu Tamba, president of Noetra
BUSINESS
Jul 16, 2026
Japan to buy Nvidia Rubin chips to build an AI for robots
The Noetra initiative is part of a series of efforts by the government to lower its reliance on foreign technology and bolster national security.
Micron Technology¡¯s factory in Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 4, 2026
Micron breaks ground on $9 billion western Japan plant expansion
The U.S. company is building the facility to make chips such as high-bandwidth memory crucial for AI processors.
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.
Panasonic Holdings CEO Yuki Kusumi has been revamping the business to cut costs and take advantage of global growth areas.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 1, 2026
Panasonic targets further AI growth to build on record valuation
The Japanese electronics conglomerate is attracting renewed investor attention as a beneficiary of the artificial-intelligence boom.
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.
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.
Fujikura CEO Naoki Okada says the company is fielding orders from almost all U.S. hyperscalers for fiber-optic cables.
BUSINESS
Jun 9, 2026
Fujikura is raising prices on data center cables to beat outlook
The company, whose disappointing forecast triggered a selloff of Japanese tech stocks last month, is fielding orders from almost all U.S. hyperscalers for fiber-optic cables.
Toto will prepare a production environment where "we can respond to demand properly,¡± Chief Technology Officer Ryosuke Hayashi said in an interview.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 3, 2026
Toilet-maker Toto hikes capital expenditures to meet AI demand for its ceramics
The company is capitalizing on an unexpected surge in demand from chip gear makers seeking ceramics able to withstand dirt particles, corrosive materials and high temperatures.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Industry minister Ryosei Akazawa speaks during the opening of a Rapidus chip analysis factory in Chitose, Hokkaido, on Saturday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 11, 2026
Japan bets ?632 billion to propel startup Rapidus into global AI chip race
The move ramps up financial support for a signature project widely regarded as a long shot.
Among older Japanese people who die, a rising number are unmarried and without close relatives.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Dec 8, 2025
Japan¡¯s isolated elderly leave record sums to government
In recent years, the aging population has seen soaring numbers of deaths and more people reach the end of their lives with no immediate family.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping. A high-level Japanese delegation will deliver a letter from Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to Xi this week.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Apr 22, 2025
Ishiba pens letter to Xi as Japan aims to avoid trade crossfire
The gesture highlights Japan¡¯s desire to balance managing its relationships with China, its largest trading partner, and with the U.S., its sole formal security ally.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang answers questions from reporters after his meeting with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo on Monday.
BUSINESS
Apr 21, 2025
Nvidia CEO lobbies Japan to generate more power to fuel AI
The two discussed how Japan is particularly well-positioned to develop AI, given its leadership in robotics and industrial manufacturing.
Sanrio, the owner of the Hello Kitty brand that operates two indoor theme parks, has enjoyed a 93% gain in its stock this year, as the ongoing heat and heavy rain keep visitors away from outdoor entertainment.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 4, 2024
Hello Kitty stock soars 93% as Tokyo heat sends tourists indoors
Ongoing heat and heavy rain have been key factors in keeping visitors away from outdoor entertainment facilities.
An electronic ticker at the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo earlier this month
BUSINESS
Aug 21, 2024
Sticky money stays in Japan while short-term players dump stocks
Foreign investors sold $5.28 billion in Japanese equities, cash and futures combined in the first week of August.
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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