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July 24, 2026
 

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Kari Lindberg
SoftBank has been piling on debt as its founder Masayoshi Son seeks to position himself as a linchpin in the global AI boom, with large-scale investments into OpenAI.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 23, 2026
SoftBank seeks $10 billion margin loan backed by OpenAI shares
SoftBank has been piling on debt as its founder Masayoshi Son seeks to position himself as a linchpin in the global AI boom.
SoftBank Group's mega loan highlights how much debt founder Masayoshi Son is willing for the company to take on as it seeks to secure the firm¡¯s pivotal role in the global AI race.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 15, 2026
SoftBank lenders ask more banks to join $40 billion OpenAI loan
The move forms one of the biggest tests yet of creditor sentiment toward the Japanese conglomerate¡¯s debt-fueled push further into artificial intelligence.
An oil processing facility in Saudi Arabia
BUSINESS
Mar 18, 2026
SMBC asks banks to confirm Saudi energy loan backing amid war
The unusual step highlights the risks the conflict in Iran poses for lending in Asia.
SoftBank Group is seeking up to $40 billion in loans to help finance its investment in U.S. tech firm OpenAI, people familiar with the matter said.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 6, 2026
SoftBank seeks record loan of up to $40 billion for OpenAI stake
The bridge loan would be its largest-ever borrowing denominated solely in dollars.
Japanese banks, including Mizuho Financial Group, and other foreign lenders in Asia have seen departures from their loan financing teams as loan demand softens.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 14, 2026
Senior loan bankers depart Mizuho and SMBC after Asia volumes slump
Asia¡¯s offshore loan market has been weighed down by elevated dollar interest rates, geopolitical risks and heightened competition among global lenders as deal flow dwindles.
Global firms are racing to carve out space in Japan¡¯s lending market, betting that demand for private credit will surge, albeit slowly.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 5, 2025
Private credit dealmakers face years of heavy lifting in Japan
Building deal flow will require time ¡ª and education ¡ª as Japanese borrowers grow familiar with how private debt works and what it can offer.
Foreign private credit funds are focusing on Japanese investors as they move more money into higher-paying assets.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 29, 2024
Private credit chases Japan¡¯s trillions as inflation spurs shift
Private credit funds are betting that inflation will prompt investors to channel more money into riskier overseas investments.
Singapore has topped Hong Kong for the first time in the Economic Freedom of the World Index.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 21, 2023
In first, Singapore tops Hong Kong to become ¡®world¡¯s freest economy¡¯
Hong Kong fell to second place in the Economic Freedom of the World Index for the first time since its began in 1970.
A customer shops at a sushi counter at the Food Le Parc supermarket in Hong Kong.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 24, 2023
Hong Kong restaurants brace for cost jump after Japan seafood ban
The saga is yet another headache for the city¡¯s restaurant industry, which is still suffering from the effects from pandemic curbs and a worker shortage.
The music score for ¡°Glory to Hong Kong¡±
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 8, 2023
Hong Kong government to appeal in failed bid to ban protest song
Reiterating that disseminating the song was a national security crime, the government said its injunction was crucial to safeguarding the city.
John Lee, Hong Kong's chief executive, during an event in Hong Kong on April 15
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 28, 2023
U.S. should invite Lee to summit after report he¡¯s barred: Hong Kong
Chief Executive John Lee and other top Hong Kong and mainland Chinese officials were sanctioned by the U.S. for their role in the crackdown on civil liberties in the city.
Demonstrators sing the "Glory To Be Thee, Hong Kong" protest song during a flash mob in 2019.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 21, 2023
Hong Kong court says protest song is matter of national security
The city¡¯s High Court on Friday heard the government¡¯s argument for why it should be illegal to perform or broadcast Glory to Hong Kong with criminal intent.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 19, 2023
China names ex-intelligence official as Hong Kong security chief
Dong Jingwei, 59, has been appointed as director of the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People¡¯s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 17, 2023
China intensifies military drills with Russia amid U.S. sanctions
The two countries conducted six joint military exercises together last year, the most in data going back two decades.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 7, 2023
U.S. Navy cuts Taiwan transits even as China steps up military pressure
The U.S. reduced its number of naval transits through the Taiwan Strait in 2022 to the lowest level in four years.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 6, 2023
Hong Kong-China border reopening no quick fix for ailing city
The reopening will be a slow process, with a limit of about 60,000 people allowed to travel into the mainland from the financial hub every day.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 14, 2022
Hong Kong aims to prove it can still be ¡®Asia¡¯s World City¡¯
As the pandemic recedes, a new Hong Kong is emerging ¡ª one that¡¯s less free, less cosmopolitan and, for some businesses, less vital than the old one.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / FOCUS
Oct 17, 2022
Xi looks to harness Chinese ¡®fighting spirit¡¯ to take on U.S.
Leader Xi Jinping used a highly anticipated speech at a twice-a-decade Communist Party congress to deliver a clear message to those who want to thwart China¡¯s rise: You will fail.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 15, 2022
Congress forces Biden toward risky face-off with China over Taiwan
More hawkish moves by Congress could leave the U.S. president with a choice of whether he would rather look weak in Washington or in Beijing.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 30, 2022
Hong Kong has ¡®risen from the ashes,¡¯ China¡¯s Xi says on rare visit
This is Xi Jinping¡¯s first trip to the territory since orchestrating crackdowns on political dissent and COVID-19, which put the city¡¯s future as a financial hub at risk.
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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