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June 16, 2026
 

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Kanoko Matsuyama
Kioxia Holdings has surged more than 670% this year, making it the best performer on the MSCI World Index.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 12, 2026
Kioxia becomes Japan¡¯s most valuable firm as AI mania goes on
Shares of the Japanese memory chipmaker surged 7.6% Friday, lifting its market value above ?44 trillion ($274 billion) just 18 months after its stock market debut.
Members of Japan's men's national soccer team train on Wednesday in Nashville, Tennessee, their home base for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 11, 2026
Stock investors eye deep run for Japan at World Cup
A deep run for Japan at the most lucrative FIFA World Cup in history could benefit companies including Dentsu, Konami and Hub.
A man crosses the street near a board displaying the Nikkei Stock Average on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo on Monday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Apr 22, 2026
Goldman says U.S. buyers return to Japan stocks as war shock fades
The shift, driven partly by a stabilizing yen, has spurred U.S. capital inflows into the tech-heavy Nikkei 225 Stock Average.
A Uniqlo store in New York. Operator Fast Retailing struck a landmark deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers to raise its brand recognition in the U.S. market.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 30, 2026
Uniqlo taps into Ohtani magic at Dodgers Stadium to fuel U.S. push
The alliance is an almost perfect match, leveraging U.S. and Japanese fans¡¯ fascination with the multiple-MVP batter and pitcher.
Tanabe Pharma, a 348-year-old provider of medicines, was bought by Bain last year for about ?510 billion.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 26, 2026
Bain-owned Tanabe Pharma targets global deals to fuel growth
A new team of around eight people in the U.S., in addition to an existing team in Japan, is sourcing therapies globally, particularly in rare diseases.
Astellas Pharma Chief Executive Officer Naoki Okamura
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 11, 2026
Trump¡¯s drug cost push helps Astellas win higher price in Japan
Japan, where medicine prices are among the lowest in the most developed nations, has become a critical reference point in U.S. plans to match drug prices with other countries.
Shoppers browse inside a Muji store in Shanghai, China. Unlike pure beauty companies that heavily rely on prestige counters and specialized retailers, Muji sells its lotions and moisturizers alongside its pajamas, storage boxes and food at its outlets.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 9, 2026
Muji is turning simple skincare into its next growth engine
While beauty remains a small share of Muji¡¯s overall sales, its rapid expansion signals the retailer is emerging as one of the few Japanese brands finding new growth in the market.
Kao is facing increasing pressure from activist fund Oasis Management for an independent investigation into its supply-chain practices.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 5, 2026
Activist fund Oasis calls on Kao to hold shareholders¡¯ meeting over supply-chain risks
The fund received numerous whistleblower allegations concerning Kao¡¯s practices, including potential links to deforestation and human rights violations.
Arrivals from China shrank 61% in January from a year earlier, the Japan National Tourism Organization said on Wednesday, citing a shift in the timing of the Lunar New Year holiday and warnings against travel to Japan.
JAPAN
Feb 19, 2026
Chinese tourist decline fuels first drop in visitors to Japan since pandemic
Arrivals from China shrank 61% in January from a year earlier, compared with a 45% decline in December, the Japan National Tourism Organization has said.
A 7-Eleven store at the Anzac rail station in Melbourne. Australia is a live test of whether the 7-Eleven Japan model ¡ª built around fresh, prepared food and daily services ¡ª can succeed across the world.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 19, 2026
7-Eleven bets on Australian stores to show it can grow globally
Australia is a live test of whether the 7-Eleven Japan model ¡ª built around fresh, prepared food and daily services ¡ª can succeed around the world.
Olympus stock dropped as much as 11% in early Tokyo trading Monday, the biggest intraday decline since June 2025.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 16, 2026
Olympus drops after full-year operating income forecast cut
The Japanese medical device maker cut its outlook to between ?75 billion and ?87 billion, taking into account progress up to the third quarter.
For Aeon, Kusuri no Aoki represents a potential valuable addition to its strategy of consolidating Japan¡¯s fragmented retail market.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 16, 2026
A family fights to keep control of 157-year-old firm in Japan
Kusuri no Aoki, run by two brothers, are fighting for control of the firm with their largest outside shareholders, Aeon and the activist fund Oasis Management.
Shiseido's stock surged as much as 15% in Tokyo trading on Thursday, the biggest intraday gain since May 2018.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 12, 2026
Robust earnings set off Shiseido¡¯s biggest stock rally in almost eight years
Once a formidable global challenger, Shiseido is cutting costs, prioritizing core brands and adjusting its lineup amid its toughest business conditions in decades.
Tourists with their suitcases wait for a train in Osaka.
BUSINESS
Feb 2, 2026
Japan¡¯s duty-free sales fall further as China tensions linger
Arrivals from China plunged 45% to 330,000 people in December, even as overall foreign visitor numbers for 2025 hit a record high ¡ª topping 40 million for the first time.
Shiseido¡¯s stumble shows how quickly beauty brands can lose ground as social trends, faster product cycles and South Korean and Chinese rivals reshape the global cosmetics market.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 19, 2026
Shiseido faces tough turnaround after costly cosmetics stumbles
Shiseido¡¯s stumble shows how quickly beauty brands can lose ground as social trends, faster product cycles and Korean and Chinese rivals reshape the global cosmetics market.
Facing the dual pressures of short-term investor scrutiny and government-forced price cuts, Japanese drugmakers are opting to delist in order to seek greater management flexibility to cut costs, reshape portfolios and invest for the long term.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 8, 2026
Buyout wave seen among Japan drugmakers after Hisamitsu deal
Drugmakers are opting to delist in order to seek greater management flexibility amid dual pressures of short-term investor scrutiny and government-forced price cuts.
Known for its Salonpas pain-relief patches, Hisamitsu joins a growing list of Japanese companies exiting the public market to shield themselves from regulatory and investor pressure to lift valuations and implement more oversight.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jan 7, 2026
Hisamitsu shares jump most since 1978 on $2.9 billion buyout
The proposed offer of ?6,082 per share represents a roughly 35% premium to Hisamitsu¡¯s unaffected closing price on Monday.
Boxes of Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical¡¯s Salonpas-branded pain-relieving patch. Hisamitsu¡¯s management is considering a takeover bid to privatize the company.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 6, 2026
CEO of Salonpas maker seeks to take $2.9 billion drug firm private
A growing list of companies are exiting the public market to shield themselves from growing regulatory and investor pressure to lift valuations and implement more oversight.
The Mitsukoshi department store in the Nihonbashi district of Tokyo. Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings said duty-free sales across its domestic stores fell 14% in December.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 6, 2026
China travel curbs hit Japan duty-free sales in December
Prolonged geopolitical tensions with Beijing are now weighing on Japan¡¯s retail sector.
Uniqlo owner Fast Retailing will raise base salaries for new graduates in Japan as the country¡¯s workers grapple with inflation.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 22, 2025
Uniqlo¡¯s owner boosts new graduate pay as Japan faces inflation
Annual pay will grow by about 12% to ?5.9 million ($37,400) starting in March for university graduates in management-track programs.
One part of U.K. is enjoying a Brexit boost 10 years after vote
The Belfast harbor estate, Northern Ireland.
The challenge of being neurodivergent in Japan¡¯s culture of conformity
Social camouflaging can help neurodivergent people navigate social situations, but researchers say the effort often comes with significant emotional and mental strain.
The $66 billion train seen fixing Australia¡¯s housing crisis
A train crosses Harbour Bridge in Sydney, Australia. Many people don't believe the bullet train vision, which has a history of false starts, will materialize.
Emperor Naruhito seeks public backing for an imperial family plan
Emperor Naruhito speaks at a news conference about his upcoming visit to the Netherlands and Belgium, in Tokyo on Thursday.
Why it¡¯s nearly impossible to build a robot without China
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.
Japan displays resilience in hard-fought stalemate with Netherlands
Koki Ogawa (right) and others celebrate Japan¡¯s second goal against the Netherlands at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday.
The search for Osamu Dazai¡¯s memory in his hometown Mitaka
Cafe Phosphorescence, owned by Osamu Dazai fan Miyuki Daba, is located about 15 minutes away from where the novelist used to live.
How Kojima made a destination out of denim
Across Kojima, production facilities handle different stages of denim-making, from sewing and washing to finishing and quality control.
Newcomer to hallowed Niigata sake scene is already winning awards
Tomomi Duquette is the owner of Snow Satoyama Sake, one of just three breweries that have opened in Niigata Prefecture since 1953.
TV Tairiku Ondo channels the chaotic creativity of youth
The members of TV Tairiku Ondo ¡ª (from left) Harea Togari, Ryuji Chiyotani, Kotaro Suzuki and Hiroto Yanagawa ¡ª met as high school students in Sapporo and went viral in 2024 with an energetic 90-second track.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

Social camouflaging can help neurodivergent people navigate social situations, but researchers say the effort often comes with significant emotional and mental strain.
The challenge of being neurodivergent in Japan¡¯s culture of conformity
By Tomoko Otake

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