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Tag - supply-chains

 
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July 24, 2026
 

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SUPPLY CHAINS

A container ship bound for the Strait of Malacca enters the Singapore Strait, near Asia's southern most point in Johor, Malaysia.
WORLD
Jul 22, 2026
Hormuz, Malacca and other key straits spawn tensions throughout history
As Iran tightens its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, its Yemeni allies, the Houthi rebels, want to disrupt shipping in the Red Sea.
Nichirei headquarters in Tokyo on Wednesday
BUSINESS
Jul 18, 2026
Nichirei to fully resume operations as early as next week
The company on Friday partially restarted operations at refrigerated warehouses and food factories, by accepting limited orders from client companies.
Industry minister Ryosei Akazawa says the government will consider stockpiling naphtha.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 16, 2026
Japan considering stockpiling naphtha again
The country procures 40% of its naphtha, a raw material for plastic products and paints, through imports from the Middle East.
The Aeon supermarket chain saw stock shortages due to a supply disruption following a cyberattack on food distributor Nichirei.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 16, 2026
Nichirei getting back online after cyberattack hit KFC supplies
Cyberattacks are becoming a recurring operational risk for Japanese companies, with incidents increasingly disrupting more than just internal IT systems.
Kentucky Fried Chicken Japan says it may scale back its menu after a system failure at one of its logistics contractors disrupted food deliveries to stores across the country.
BUSINESS
Jul 15, 2026
KFC Japan may cut menu as logistics outage disrupts deliveries
The fast-food giant says product shortages, reduced menus and changes to opening hours are possible due to the disruption.
China had previously restricted the import of Nvidia's H200 chips on concerns that a flood of American-designed AI processors would hinder the government¡¯s long-held goal of developing an indigenous chip industry.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 9, 2026
Beijing to let Chinese AI companies buy Nvidia H200 chips
The companies need to say how many chips they need ¡ª and why ¡ª to get approval.
Workers transport soil containing rare earth elements for export at a port in Lianyungang, in China's Jiangsu province. China dominates the global market for rare earths and it is using those supplies as a diplomatic cudgel.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 7, 2026
Corporate Japan¡¯s rare-earth warnings get louder as China keeps spigot closed
As the economy strengthens, an unprecedented increase in company notices about critical ?minerals is flashing a warning signal for the quarters ahead.
A Taiwan Coast Guard ship patrols near Dadan Island in Kinmen County, Taiwan.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 29, 2026
A Taiwan crisis and America¡¯s faltering industrial base
Weaknesses in the U.S. defense industrial base no longer represent a mere economic issue; they now pose an immediate strategic vulnerability.
Samples of rare earth luminescent materials displayed at an exhibition on China¡¯s manufacturing achievements at the National Museum in Beijing in March
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / ANALYSIS
Jun 24, 2026
China¡¯s mineral squeeze testing Japan¡¯s military buildup
The restrictions are exposing vulnerabilities in Japan¡¯s defense-industrial supply chains while also providing the clearest test yet of Tokyo¡¯s push to bolster economic security.
China¡¯s designation prohibits these U.S. companies from access to items that can be used for both commercial and military purposes.
BUSINESS
Jun 22, 2026
China targets U.S. rare earths firms in response to Pentagon list
China¡¯s designation prohibits these U.S. companies from access to items that can be used for both commercial and military purposes.
Stacks of aluminum ingots at a stockyard in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, China
BUSINESS / Markets
Jun 22, 2026
Aluminum¡¯s war shock blunted by dark transits and Chinese supply
Indonesia has also been instrumental in keeping the global market in check as buyers wait for exports to rebound.
A sample of dysprosium oxide.
BUSINESS
Jun 20, 2026
China¡¯s key minerals exports to Japan stay at low levels in May
Exports of some key types of tungsten, as well as rare-earths dysprosium and terbium, stayed at zero in May, according to Chinese customs data.
Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz are seen near a beach in Bandar Abbas, Iran, on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jun 18, 2026
Wave of Persian Gulf oil set to leave Asian refiners swamped
The situation is a stark reversal from the early stages of the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø, when prices were spiking and the oil market was warning of dramatic shortages.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a news conference at the Group of Seven summit, in Evian, France, on Wednesday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics / FOCUS
Jun 18, 2026
In G7 debut, Takaichi puts economic security at heart of Japanese diplomacy
The prime minister¡¯s clearest imprint came in the area of critical minerals, where bloc leaders agreed to step up cooperation on supply-chain resilience and stockpiling.
An employee of Fuchu Car, a repair shop in suburban Tokyo, works on a "pearl white" body car at their workshop. The lustrous finish is one of the most popular colors for cars in Japan and increasingly difficult for the repair shop to obtain.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 17, 2026
U.S.-Iran deal may not bring quick relief for auto shops
Auto shops in Tokyo and Detroit car dealerships have been running low on motor oil, paint and other products for months since the Middle East conflict snarled global supply chains.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attends her first Group of Seven summit on Monday in Evian-les-Bains, France.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Jun 16, 2026
Takaichi proposes G7 framework for stockpiling critical minerals
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has pitched a plan for coordinating critical mineral stockpiles among the group and like-minded nations, amid China¡¯s tight grip on key supply chains.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance speaks during the Critical Minerals Ministerial at the State Department in Washington on Feb. 4.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jun 15, 2026
Trump¡¯s mineral pricing plan faces skeptical G7 and divided industry
Negotiations for a Western trading bloc are stumbling over concerns about the plan¡¯s cost and governance.
A boxing robot demonstration at Unitree in Hangzhou, China, last year. Building on the country¡¯s electric vehicle industry, Chinese companies are making robot parts at a scale and price point others can¡¯t match.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 13, 2026
Why it¡¯s nearly impossible to build a robot without China
Building on the country¡¯s electric vehicle industry, Chinese companies are making robot parts at a scale and price point others can¡¯t match.
Rare earths have emerged as a flash point in trade relations in recent years.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 11, 2026
Shin-Etsu plans new rare-earth refinery to secure supply
The plant will be the company¡¯s third in Fukui Prefecture and will help ¡°to ensure a stable supply of rare-earth-related products and magnets,¡± a spokesperson for the firm said.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi says it is "more convenient to publicly recognize companies that cooperate" with releasing their inventory than to enforce anti-hoarding laws.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Politics
Jun 9, 2026
Takaichi reluctant to resolve naphtha bottleneck by enforcing laws
With naphtha-made products still in short supply, the prime minister¡¯s government is facing questions on using two laws to punish hoarders.
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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