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Daniel Leussink
An employee points at a "sold out" sticker at a used-car export complex in Incheon, South Korea.
BUSINESS / Markets
Mar 25, 2026
Lamborghinis stranded in Sri Lanka as war disrupts Asia's used-car trade
Japan and South Korea exported a combined $19 billion worth of used cars last year, with Japan accounting for a little ?more than half of that.
Toyota Motor's all-new RAV4 SUVs are displayed during its world premiere event in Tokyo in May 2025
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Jan 31, 2026
How activist investors turned a Toyota buyout into a battleground
The transaction has become a test case for dealmaking in Japan, which prizes stakeholder harmony over shareholder returns.
Aston Martin Chairman Lawrence Stroll, Formula One President Stefano Domenicali and Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe during a joint news conference in Tokyo on Tuesday.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Jan 21, 2026
Aston Martin's chairman sees 'development journey' with Honda amid F1 overhaul
Speaking in Tokyo at an event to launch Aston Martin's partnership with Honda, Stroll said he has high hopes for the team's new power unit.
People ride their motorbikes during rush hour in Hanoi in August.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 21, 2025
Japan warns Vietnam of job losses as Hanoi motorbike ban hits Honda
In July, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh issued a directive prohibiting gas-powered motorbikes from entering the center of the capital from the middle of 2026.
Mazda cars at the company's main plant in Fuchu, Hiroshima Prefecture, in July
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Sep 6, 2025
U.S. tariffs still spell big pain for 91²Ö¿â small automakers
Smaller automakers Mitsubishi Motors, Mazda and Subaru are less able to absorb the tariff shock than bigger rivals like Toyota and Honda.
An employee of Nissan Motor works on a Leaf electric car on an assembly line at its Oppama plant in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture.
BUSINESS
May 29, 2025
Factory that symbolized Nissan's rise may become victim of its decline
Nissan faces a mountain of debt repayment and is scrambling to upgrade its aging lineup of vehicles, but hasn't said which of its 17 plants will be closed.
An employee of Kyowa Industrial walks next to the company's factory in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, in April.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 24, 2025
Tariff crossfire hits Toyota, Nissan and Ford suppliers in Japan
Thousands of small and midsize makers of auto parts in Japan, including suppliers for Toyota and Nissan, are facing a crisis as U.S. tariffs threaten their bottom lines.
Talks by Honda and Nissan to create the world¡¯s third-largest carmaker have gone haltingly since the plans were first announced in December.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 5, 2025
Nissan shares plunge, Honda's rise as end to merger talks reported
Shares in Nissan slid more than 4% before trade was suspended by the Tokyo Stock Exchange following the Nikkei report.
While it's unclear whether U.S. President Donald Trump will follow through with his promised 25% levies on Mexico and Canada after agreeing to a 30-day pause on Monday, the blowback would be profound for Nissan.
BUSINESS / Companies / ANALYSIS
Feb 4, 2025
Trump tariffs will only add to the pain for hard-hit Nissan
The blowback from potential tariffs on Mexico and Canada would be profound for 91²Ö¿â No.3 carmaker, which is struggling to turn itself around.
Toyota is expected to report a 14% year-on-year operating profit decline in July-September, to ?1.2 trillion ($7.9 billion), according to an average estimate by analysts.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 5, 2024
Toyota to post first profit drop in 2 years as demand cools after big run
Toyota is expected to report a 14% year-on-year operating profit decline in July-September, to ?1.2 trillion ($7.9 billion), according to an average estimate by analysts.
Visitors look at the preserved Atomic Bomb Dome in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on Saturday, a day after the Nihon Hidankyo atomic bomb survivors' group was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
JAPAN
Oct 13, 2024
In Hiroshima peace park, visitors hope Nobel win will boost peace efforts
With the 80th anniversary of the bombings next year, the Nobel Prize could spotlight the legacy of its survivors and renew debate over nuclear weapons.
Demand for electric vehicles in Japan has long been sluggish, and the government this year changed how EV subsidies are calculated, reducing them for BYD and several of its rivals, raising concerns about protectionism.
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Sep 5, 2024
BYD's global expansion push runs into a stiff test in Japan
Demand for electric vehicles in Japan has long been sluggish, and the government this year changed how EV subsidies are calculated.
Nissan's operating profit for the April-June period totaled ?995 million, compared with ?128.6 billion in the same period a year earlier.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 25, 2024
Nissan shares hammered as Q1 profit wiped out by U.S. discounts
The automaker has cut its operating profit forecast for the financial year by 17% to ?500 billion from ?600 billion.
Toyota has been looking to cash in on stakes in affiliates as it steps up development and production of battery-powered vehicles.
BUSINESS
Jun 27, 2024
Toyota and affiliates to offload some $1 billion in Aisin shares
Toyota Motor and two affiliates will divest at least 12.5% of supplier Aisin
Panasonic Energy's operating profit for the past business year fell short of its forecast due to lower electric vehicle battery production in Japan.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 9, 2024
Panasonic's battery unit misses annual profit estimate
Panasonic Energy faces fierce competition from other Asian battery makers such as China's CATL and South Korea's LG Energy Solution.
An electric screen displaying the Nikkei share average and yen exchange rate against the U.S. dollar outside a brokerage in Tokyo on Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy / ANALYSIS
May 1, 2024
For Japan Inc., the weak yen may be too much of a good thing
The currency's weakness has pushed up costs of raw materials, food and fuel.
Masahiro Moro, CEO of Mazda Motor, speaks next to EZ-6 electric vehicles during the Beijing Auto Show in Beijing on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 25, 2024
Nissan and Mazda roll out new models for China as they aim for comeback
The models, including some concept cars, were introduced at the Beijing Auto Show.
Toyota's hybrid RAV4 Prime at an auto show in Los Angeles in 2019
BUSINESS
Feb 2, 2024
Toyota to outshine rivals as more consumers opt for hybrids amid EV slowdown
Toyota is expected to offer an upbeat outlook when it reports its earnings on Tuesday, helped by its heavy reliance on hybrids.
Daihatsu said Wednesday that it will suspend shipments of all vehicle models made in Japan and abroad due to an unfolding scandal over misconduct in its crash tests.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 20, 2023
Toyota's Daihatsu to halt shipments as safety scandal widens
The results of an investigation suggest the scope of safety concerns, first disclosed in April, is now far greater than previously thought.
Toyota Motor, Toyota Industries and Aisin are planning to sell Denso shares worth a total of about ?700 billion, sources said, which would be the second-biggest such share offering in Japan this year.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 29, 2023
Toyota plans $4.7 billion sale of Denso stake as EV pivot looms
The sale of shares in Denso would mark the latest step by the automaker to cash in on stakes in affiliates as it ramps up production of electric vehicles.

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.

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