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May 01, 2026
 

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Takashi Mochizuki
Components for Murata's Echorb Wonder Stone device. The company is the world¡¯s leading supplier of multilayer ceramic capacitors, essential components for every device that uses electricity because they regulate power flow.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 30, 2026
Murata beats profit estimates as AI data-center demand strains production
The company says it is struggling to catch up with runaway demand for its multilayer ceramic capacitors, sought by U.S. hyperscalers for artificial intelligence data centers.
Microsoft, whose Copilot has struggled to keep pace with OpenAI¡¯s ChatGPT and Google¡¯s Gemini, said it will invest in cybersecurity partnerships and train a million artificial intelligence engineers through 2029.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 3, 2026
Microsoft drafts $10 billion investment plan in AI-hungry Japan
Microsoft is battling Amazon.com and Alphabet for dominance in Japan, which is spending billions to develop an artificial intelligence ecosystem and catch up to the U.S. and China.
A Sony-Honda Afeela 1 Signature electric vehicle. Development of the first- and second-generation Afeela EVs will be shelved effective immediately, the companies said in a joint statement.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 26, 2026
Honda and Sony drop joint EV development project
The decision to scrap the venture underscores the strain on legacy automakers due to high costs and fluctuating demand.
Nintendo plans to make 4 million units of its Switch 2 game console this quarter, falling short of the 6 million it had originally planned to produce.
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 25, 2026
Nintendo cuts Switch 2 output by over 30% on weak holiday sales
After a record-setting debut in June, sales of the Switch 2 have failed to meet Nintendo management's high expectations.
It is feared logistics costs for Europe-bound Nintendo's Switch 2 consoles will rise in the wake of U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 2, 2026
Nintendo shares slide on fears of rising Mideast shipping costs
Nintendo heavily relies on sea freight to transport its $450 console from assembly hubs in Asia.
Sony¡¯s PlayStation 5 video game consoles are on display at the Tokyo Game Show in the city of Chiba in September last year.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 5, 2026
Sony hikes profit outlook after resilient holiday-quarter sales
The Japanese conglomerate now expects operating profit of ?1.54 trillion in the year through March, up from its previous forecast of ?1.43 trillion.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.¡¯s plant in Kumamoto Prefecture. The go-to chipmaker for Nvidia and Apple has decided to adopt cutting-edge technology for its second wafer fabrication plant in the prefecture.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 5, 2026
TSMC plans major upgrade of Japan chip plant in win for Takaichi
The go-to chipmaker for Nvidia and Apple has decided to adopt cutting-edge technology for its second wafer fabrication plant in Kumamoto.
Hiroo Oota, incoming chief executive officer of Kioxia Holdings, speaks during a news conference in Tokyo on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 30, 2026
Memory maker Kioxia names new CEO to navigate AI chip boom
Shares of Kioxia, which are up more than twelvefold since their initial public offering at the end of 2024, reversed losses and rose 1.6% after the announcement.
Capcom's Resident Evil franchise was a particular highlight over the December period, with several games doing better than anticipated.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 28, 2026
Capcom jumps most in 18 months on surprise ¡®Resident Evil¡¯ boost
The Resident Evil franchise was a particular highlight over the December period, with several games doing better than anticipated.
The Cabinet Office has asked X to improve safeguards and curb the output of sexually altered images by Grok, Economic Security Minister Kimi Onoda said.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jan 16, 2026
Musk¡¯s Grok AI faces scrutiny from Japan over sexualized images
The Cabinet Office has asked the social media platform to improve safeguards and curb the output of sexually altered images by Grok, Economic Security Minister Kimi Onoda said.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. reported the alleged theft to the authorities this year, triggering a probe that¡¯s cast a spotlight on the sensitive nature of chipmaking technology.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 2, 2025
Taiwan charges Tokyo Electron in TSMC secrets theft case
The development escalates a dispute involving two Asian linchpins of a chip industry increasingly vital to national and economic security.
Japan has been a tough market for the PlayStation platform over the past few generations, as Nintendo continues to dominate there.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 12, 2025
Sony emulates Nintendo with new, cheaper console only for Japan
A region-locked PlayStation 5 Digital Edition will cost ?55,000, Sony announced via a live stream, significantly lower than the previous price of ?72,980.
Sony reported operating profit of ?429 billion in the quarter through September, beating analyst estimates as sales surged thanks to blockbuster movies like "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle."
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 11, 2025
Sony lifts profit view on anime strength and tariff revision
The Tokyo-based conglomerate now expects ?1.43 trillion in operating profit for the year through March, up 7.5% from its previous guidance.
Nintendo raised its Switch 2 sales forecast, boosting confidence in the console's strong momentum.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 4, 2025
Nintendo now expects to sell 19 million Switch 2 consoles by March
The company reported an operating profit of ?88.25 billion and revenue of ?527.2 billion in the September quarter, both beating a consensus of analyst estimates.
Nintendo is asking its manufacturing partners to ramp up output of its Switch 2 console, counting on demand to persist over the coming holidays and into the new year.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 17, 2025
Nintendo aims to make 25 million Switch 2 units by end of March
Nintendo¡¯s future hinges on the $450 Switch 2 being a success, and the company more than doubled marketing spending around its June launch to ensure it gets off to a fast start.
Kioxia has been aggressively investing in its main chip factories as it aims to close the gap to rivals Samsung and SK Hynix.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 30, 2025
Japan¡¯s Kioxia sees AI driving strong memory growth for years
The Tokyo-based memory maker Kioxia anticipates demand for NAND storage will grow by roughly 20% each year as AI data center operators keep scaling up.
The Tokyo Electron booth at the Semicon Japan exhibition in Tokyo in December. Tokyo Electron supplier Marumae is seeking out deals to consolidate the chip tool components sector.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 26, 2025
Japan¡¯s niche chip gear makers left out of Nvidia boom, one CEO says
Small companies lack the scale to demand better prices and lower costs, resulting in profit margins of less than 10%, the head of Tokyo Electron supplier Marumae said.
Tokyo Electron's Kyushu head office in Kikuyo, Kumamoto Prefecture. Chip industry veterans say they see no clear reason for Tokyo Electron to engage in an act of intellectual property theft and risk its relationship with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world¡¯s largest contract chipmaker.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 8, 2025
TSMC trade secrets leak puts Tokyo Electron in hot seat
The Japanese supplier of chipmaking tools is struggling to address the potential fallout after a former employee was implicated in the case.
Sony¡¯s music unit has grown to be a reliable pillar of the group, bringing in a steady flow of revenue as opposed to the company¡¯s more prominent consumer electronics, PlayStation and image sensors.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 7, 2025
Sony lifts outlook on entertainment demand despite tariff threat
The company now expects its operating profit for the year ending March to reach a total of ?1.33 trillion, compared with a previous forecast of ?1.28 trillion.
Tokyo Electron is one of the largest suppliers of semiconductor fabrication tools and gear to TSMC.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 7, 2025
Tokyo Electron fires worker suspected of stealing TSMC tech
Taiwan prosecutors arrested six at TSMC on suspicion of intellectual property theft this week, including an individual who was identified as a former Tokyo Electron staffer.
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.
Yen soars as Japan intervenes after issuing 'final' warning
Pedestrians walk past a stock quotation board showing the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen, outside a brokerage in Tokyo on Thursday.
'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.
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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