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June 14, 2026
 

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Alice French
Japan is home to 27 registered crypto exchange providers, including BitFlyer.
BUSINESS
Jun 11, 2026
Japan moves to regulate crypto like stocks in market growth push
The bill would classify crypto assets as financial instruments, making them subject to lower taxes and stricter trading rules and opening the door to new products like ETFs.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, the United States, on June 8.
BUSINESS
Jun 11, 2026
Japan¡¯s retail investor army flocks to SpaceX after IPO drought
SpaceX¡¯s blockbuster IPO is drawing intense retail demand in Japan, where cash-rich households see a rare shot at a marquee global listing tied to Elon Musk and the space boom.
Fujikura¡¯s roller-coaster week reveals how quickly the tides can turn for artificial intelligence stock winners as investors realize hopes for explosive growth may have run far ahead of manufacturers¡¯ ability to deliver.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 26, 2026
Japan cable maker rout exposes cracks in AI infrastructure rally
Fujikura almost halved in value in the week through May 20 as investors rushed to dump its stock following a disappointing earnings forecast and lackluster medium-term plan.
Polymarket, the global prediction market platform based in New York, sees Japan as a large untapped business opportunity.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 22, 2026
Polymarket is said to seek Japan market approval in global push
Polymarket enables users to bet on the outcomes of real-world events, such as elections, using cryptocurrencies.
Nintendo shares climbed as much as 6.8% in Tokyo Tuesday to mark a third straight day of gains ¡ª their longest winning streak since mid-March.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 19, 2026
Nintendo shares rebound as AI fatigue fuels Japan stock rotation
Nintendo shares climbed as much as 6.8% in Tokyo to mark a third straight day of gains ¡ª their longest winning streak since mid-March.
Makino's machine tools are widely used in defense applications and a planned takeover by a South Korean fund could undermine Japan's national security, Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama says.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 23, 2026
Japan moves to block South Korean buyout deal with rare use of security law
Makino¡¯s machine tools are widely used in defense applications and the takeover could undermine national security, Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said in parliament.
The Toto Museum in Kitakyushu. Toto has suspended new orders for its prefabricated bathrooms due to a shortage of materials.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 13, 2026
Toto halts bathroom orders after Iran war upends supply chain
The firm joins a growing list of Japanese manufacturers who have cut production or hiked prices due to tightening supplies of naphtha.
The Ajinomoto headquarters building in Tokyo. Activist fund Palliser Capital has built a stake in Ajinomoto and is urging the firm to raise prices for its chip-insulation products.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 2, 2026
Activist fund Palliser presses Ajinomoto to raise prices for chip material
The U.K.-based fund is calling for a more than 30% increase in prices for Ajinomoto Build-Up Film, used to package high-performance semiconductors.
An electronic quotation board in Tokyo shows the Nikkei Stock Average dropping more than 2,500 points on Monday morning.
BUSINESS / Markets
Mar 23, 2026
Stocks slide in Japan as Strait of Hormuz fears amplify risk-off mood
The Topix index fell 3.4% to 3486.44, marking a slump of over 10% from its record high reached on Feb. 27. The Nikkei 225 fell 3.5% to 51,515.49.
A gasoline tanker truck at an Idemitsu Kosan gas station in Tokyo on Monday. Curbs on production of petrochemical products by multiple Japanese firms point to a brewing crisis that could stunt pressure sectors from food to technology.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 17, 2026
Limited supplies of naphtha an underrecognized supply chain risk in Japan
Curbs on production by multiple Japanese petrochemical firms point to a brewing crisis that could stunt pressure sectors from food to technology.
Activist fund Palliser Capital has taken a stake in Japanese washlet maker Toto, and is urging the company to boost promotion of its little-known chip parts business.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 17, 2026
Activist Palliser takes stake in toilet maker Toto in AI play
Toto¡¯s advanced ceramics segment produces electrostatic chucks used in the manufacturing of NAND memory chips.
Fuji Media announced it plans to repurchase up to ?235 billion of its own shares.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 4, 2026
Fuji Media shares drop as buyback plan heralds activist exit
Under the plan, Fuji Media will repurchase up to ?235 billion of its own shares.
A monitor showing the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average, which hit a record closing high, in Tokyo's Chuo Ward on Tuesday
BUSINESS / Markets
Feb 3, 2026
Nikkei reaches new high as earnings help fuel rebound
The Nikkei rebounded from Monday¡¯s drop to rise 3.9%, closing at a record 54,720.66, with tech-related firms like TDK and Kyocera among the top gainers.
If Elliott Investment Management succeeds in blocking Toyota's take-private deal, it would mark one of the biggest wins for shareholder activism in Japan.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 29, 2026
Elliott seen having a shot at foiling controversial Toyota deal
Should Elliott prevail, it would go down as one of the biggest victories for shareholder activism in Japan.
Toto shares surged as much as 11% Thursday, its steepest rise since February 2021.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jan 22, 2026
Toilet maker Toto¡¯s shares get unlikely boost from AI rush
Known for its heated toilet seats, Toto?has for decades been part of the semiconductor and display supply chain via its advanced ceramic parts and films.
Japanese memory chipmaker Kioxia Holdings counts Apple and Microsoft among its clients and is now worth about $36 billion.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 30, 2025
AI memory demand propels Kioxia to world¡¯s best-performing stock
Kioxia¡¯s shares have risen around 540% year-to-date, outperforming all other members of the MSCI World Index and making it the top stock in Japan¡¯s Topix benchmark for 2025.
Bear bells are displayed for sale at a souvenir shop at Shirakawa-go, a popular tourist spot and one of Japan's UNESCO World Heritage sites, in the village of Shirakawa, Gifu Prefecture, on Nov. 15.
JAPAN / Society
Dec 6, 2025
Japan¡¯s bear-related casualties hit record on escalating attacks
A record 230 were killed or injured by bears in Japan since April, putting more pressure on the government to intervene.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Friday that Japanese businesses are focusing too much on shareholders, expressing frustration that companies are not using more capital to raise wages.
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 14, 2025
Takaichi pushes back against companies¡¯ focus on shareholders
The Prime Minister¡¯s comments flicked at her frustration with firms for not using more capital to raise wages.
The Tokyo Stock Exchange building, operated by Japan Exchange Group
BUSINESS / Markets
Nov 14, 2025
Japan Exchange looks at ways to curb crypto hoarding firms
The Tokyo Stock Exchange operator is exploring options including a stricter application of its backdoor listing rules and requiring firms to undergo a fresh audit.
Olympus plans to cut about 2,000 jobs, or roughly 7% of the firm¡¯s global workforce, and overhaul its region-centric structure to improve productivity.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 10, 2025
Olympus soars most in six years on job cuts and shakeups
CEO Bob White said he plans to cut about 2,000 jobs, or roughly 7% of the firm¡¯s global workforce.
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.
Asics will spin off trendy shoe brand Onitsuka Tiger
Widely popularized by ¡°Kill Bill,¡± Onitsuka Tiger started as a sport shoe brand and later became a fashion trend under parent Asics.
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.
SMBC-backed Yes Bank sees Indians tip-toeing back to deposits
SMBC, part of Japan¡¯s second-largest banking group, became the top shareholder of India's Yes Bank with a 24.9% stake last year.
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.
¡®All of a Sudden¡¯: A tender triumph from Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Virginie Efira (left) and Tao Okamoto play two women in crisis drawn together by happenstance in Ryusuke Hamaguchi¡¯s ¡°All of a Sudden.¡±
In Japan, Nepalese students navigate a growing study-to-work pathway
Dipu Tamang from Nepal is among more than 400,000 international students in Japan.
Could Hoshoryu be the last Mongolian yokozuna?
Hoshoryu attends a Japan Sumo Association event in Tokyo in September 2025.
How Tokyo aims to turn retired military equipment into lasting strategic returns
A security guard takes a selfie beside the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Amagiri, an Asagiri-class destroyer, upon its arrival for a goodwill visit in Metro Manila in February 2018.
What was left unsaid may be biggest takeaway from Xi-Kim summit
Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watch a welcome performance at Pyongyang Gymnasium on Monday.

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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