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May 01, 2026
 

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Kanoko Matsuyama
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
91²Ö¿â 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.
A 7-Eleven store in Chicago. Seven & I¡¯s success in making food central to its Japan business should help improve U.S. prospects, Seven & I Holdings CEO Stephen Dacus says.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 22, 2025
Seven & I¡¯s IPO of U.S. arm hinges on faster turnaround, CEO says
The timing of an initial public offering will depend on execution and the market, says Stephen Dacus, who took over as head of the company six months ago.
Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune disorder that causes rashes marked by itchy, scaly rashes and afflicts more than 125 million people worldwide.
JAPAN
Dec 18, 2025
Takeda¡¯s psoriasis pill developed with AI assistance succeeds in trials
If approved, zasocitinib would stand out as one of the first drugs discovered with the help of artificial intelligence.
New Zealand officials reject statue remembering 91²Ö¿â comfort women
A statue symbolizing former South Korean comfort women in Seoul
Head of U.S. military in South Korea calls for ¡®kill web¡¯ linking Seoul, Tokyo and Manila
U.S. Army Gen. Xavier Brunson (center), commander of U.S. Forces Korea, walks on a pontoon bridge with U.S. and South Korean Army soldiers during a U.S.-South Korea joint river-crossing exercise, part of the annual Freedom Shield joint military training, near the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, in Yeoncheon, South Korea, on March 14.
Japan considers making language programs a factor in residency screenings
The government is considering creating a Japanese language program for foreign people that would be a factor in residency screenings.
'RikuRyu' signs off in emotional farewell
Figure skating pair Riku Miura (left) and Ryuichi Kihara pose for photos at a news conference in Tokyo on Tuesday. The pair have announced their retirement from competitive skating.
How the Iran crisis affects Japan
A tanker carrying U.S. crude oil sails in Tokyo Bay on Sunday.
Head of U.S. military in South Korea calls for ¡®kill web¡¯ linking Seoul, Tokyo and Manila
U.S. Army Gen. Xavier Brunson (center), commander of U.S. Forces Korea, walks on a pontoon bridge with U.S. and South Korean Army soldiers during a U.S.-South Korea joint river-crossing exercise, part of the annual Freedom Shield joint military training, near the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas, in Yeoncheon, South Korea, on March 14.
The Japanese dietitian who keeps the Blue Jays¡¯ engines running
Sports dietitian Yuka Sanui works behind the scenes to ensure Blue Jays players get the most out of their bodies when they step on the field.
The American chef reconnecting with Japan through a Kyoto restaurant
SoNoMa chef partner Kyle Connaughton (right) and chef de cuisine Keita Tominaga both have ties to Sonoma County in Northern California, the restaurant¡¯s namesake. Connaughton rose to prominence there with SingleThread, while Tominaga¡¯s father ran a Japanese restaurant in the region.
Inkonbini: Slice-of-life, cozy gaming from Japan¡¯s convenience stores
Alongside the simplified management of a convenience store, Inkonbini asks players to help a small cast of regular shoppers with not only their shopping but problems in their personal lives.
Japanese developers worry over construction supply shortages amid Iran war
Paul Nikel, President of West Canada Homes, with an increasingly rare supply of plastic foam

Podcast

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

Longform

Projects like the BuddhaBot aim to re-create dialogue once lost to time, raising questions about whether AI can extend the teachings of Buddha or merely simulate them.
Can AI replace a priest? Japan¡¯s temples and shrines are testing the limits.
By Alex K.T. Martin

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