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June 20, 2026
 

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Tsuyoshi Inajima
Fumiya Kokubu, the former head of a major trading house, said Monday it would be "impossible¡± to procure alternatives for the 15 million kiloliters of naphtha a year that the country sourced from the Middle East before the war in Iran.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 26, 2026
Former Japan trading house head warns of naphtha supply crunch
Former Marubeni chair says Japan is likely to face a shortage of naphtha-derived chemical products as early as the end of June.
Toyota's parts suppliers are grappling with rising raw material costs, shortages of basic supplies and ongoing logistical turmoil.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 29, 2026
Toyota suppliers start to feel strain of supply chain disruptions due to Iran conflict
Toyota¡¯s parts suppliers are grappling with rising raw material costs, shortages of basic supplies and ongoing logistical turmoil.
Toyota all-new RAV4 SUVs are displayed during its world premiere event in Tokyo in May last year.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 27, 2026
Toyota sees sales decline as Iran conflict looms over operations
Global sales in March ¡ª including those of subsidiaries Daihatsu and Hino ¡ª fell 5.8% from a year earlier to 983,126 units.
The government will step up its ability to intervene against fuel stations that overcharge consumers.
BUSINESS
Apr 7, 2026
Japan to boost effort to stop gasoline stands from price gouging
The government will step up its ability to intervene against fuel stations that overcharge consumers.
Trade minister Ryosei Akazawa said at a news conference in Tokyo on Friday that there is no restriction on oil from Japan's national reserves being sold overseas if the drawdown exceeds domestic demand.
BUSINESS / Markets
Mar 13, 2026
Japan to sell oil from national reserves at pre-Iran war prices
The government ¡°expects refiners that purchase crude at low prices won¡¯t then sell their products at higher prices and pocket the profit.¡±
Oil storage tanks in Kawasaki. As of the end of last year, Japan had enough oil in its reserves to last 254 days, according to data from the trade ministry.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 5, 2026
Oil refiners in Japan ask government to tap strategic reserves
Japan gets more than 90% of its oil from the Middle East, leaving it vulnerable to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz that¡¯s preventing energy exports.
Workers prepare a bundle of steel reinforcing bar at a metal stock yard in Shanghai.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 20, 2026
Nippon Steel executive sees China-driven supply glut nearing end
Exporters in China were increasingly struggling to generate profits from overseas sales as the regional market had become oversupplied, Nippon Steel¡¯s CFO said.
An Eneos oil refinery. Oil markets kicked off the year with a high level of volatility as geopolitical risks ran ahead of market glut concerns.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 4, 2026
Refiner Eneos to expand oil-trading portfolio outside of Japan
Eneos beefing up its trading presence is part of a broader push to create more value across business sectors as oil markets kicked off the year with a high level of volatility.
Oil storage tanks at Eneos¡¯ Negishi oil refinery in Yokohama
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 24, 2025
Eneos leads bids for Chevron¡¯s Singapore oil refinery stake
Other suitors for the 50% stake in Singapore Refining Company include commodity giants Glencore and Vitol.
Honda will suspend output in Japan on Jan. 5 and Jan. 6, a spokesperson said Thursday, highlighting the lingering fallout of the global chip shortage.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 18, 2025
Honda to halt production at plants in Japan and China due to chip shortage
The Japanese carmaker has been hit hard after China blocked Nexperia ¡ª owned by Chinese company Wingtech Technology ¡ª from exporting products made at its local plants.
Tokyo Gas President Shinichi Sasayama said the company is looking to deploy capital in assets like liquefaction plants, export terminals and the energy services sector.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 15, 2025
Tokyo Gas to invest in U.S. downstream assets to drive growth
The company is looking to deploy capital in assets like liquefaction plants, export terminals and the energy services sector.
The Confederation of Japan Automobile Workers¡¯ Union plans to seek a slightly more ambitious wage hike in the upcoming negotiations than last year.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 12, 2025
Japan¡¯s auto union seeks higher wage gains as BOJ watches trends
The Confederation of Japan Automobile Workers¡¯ Union (JAW) will aim for a minimum ?12,000 ($77) monthly base wage increase.
Takahiro Mori, vice chairman of Nippon Steel, speaks at a news conference in Tokyo in June. Mori said in a recent interview that the firm will shortlist two or three states for construction of a major new plant in the United States.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 2, 2025
Nippon Steel to shortlist two or three states for new U.S. plant
Japan¡¯s largest steel producer is seeking a site capable of supporting a plant with 3 million tons of annual capacity.
A Toyota dealership in Richmond, California. Toyota¡¯s sales rose in October as U.S. demand helped make up for a downturn in China.
BUSINESS
Nov 27, 2025
Toyota¡¯s October sales rise, cushioned by U.S. after China dip
Toyota¡¯s numbers continue to show that it¡¯s pulling far ahead of its nearest rivals in Japan.
Osaka Gas President Masataka Fujiwara says the company is looking to invest in more U.S. gas-fired power plants.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 27, 2025
Osaka Gas targets U.S. power plant investments on AI-driven demand
The company is eyeing existing assets as building new facilities can be challenging due to an ongoing global shortage of gas turbines.
Elliott Investment Management has shared its views with Toyota Industries management that the ?16,300 per share buyout offer is too low and suggested other options for the deal, people familiar with the matter say.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 12, 2025
Elliott takes Toyota Industries stake and sees buyout price as too low
Toyota Industries disclosed in a filing that Elliott Investment Management had a 3.26% stake as of Sept. 30, making it one of the manufacturer¡¯s biggest shareholders.
Toyota Motor CEO Koji Sato speaks during a media preview at the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 30, 2025
Toyota doesn¡¯t plan better offer in privatization deal, CEO says
CEO Koji Sato said Toyota Motor has no plans to sweeten a deal involving a proposed ?4.7 trillion buyout of Toyota Industries.
A wafer fab owned by Nexperia. The Dutch chipmaker has warned Japanese auto parts makers about a potential supply shortage.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 23, 2025
Nexperia warns Japanese automakers of uncertain chip supply
The Dutch government seized control of Nijmegen-based Nexperia earlier this month in an unprecedented step intended to secure European access to the components made by the company.
Toyota aims to install 500 fast chargers for electric vehicles at its dealerships in Japan by the end of March 2026.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 30, 2025
Toyota steps up high-speed EV charger installations at dealerships
The carmaker aims to have 500 fast chargers installed at dealerships in Japan by the end of March 2026.
Toyota's autonomous e-Palette electric vehicle in Woven City in Susono, Shizuoka Prefecture, on Thursday
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 26, 2025
Toyota opens Woven City as doubts swirl over cost and purpose
Demonstrations included electric scooters, and automated robots that deliver groceries or park cars.
Japan to allow local governments to ban private lodging
Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in March. Various cities around the world have cracked down on private lodgings, such as in Barcelona where the city is attempting to eradicate all short-stay apartments by 2028.
Onitsuka Tiger pivots from Asics stripes to tap luxury market
An Onitsuka Tiger store in the Omotesando district of Tokyo. The footwear brand prepares to transform into a luxury lifestyle label distinct from Asics.
Japanese mother sues state over teen¡¯s ¡®hostage justice¡¯ death
A lawyer representing the mother (left, blurred for privacy reasons) of a girl who died after being detained speaks during a news conference in Kobe on Wednesday.
Yen hits 23-month low and Nikkei 225 breaks 71,000 for first time
The Nikkei 225 stock average broke 71,000 for the first time on Thursday while the yen remained weak.
Zoo-born golden eagle released into wild for first time in Japan
A young Japanese golden eagle takes flight from its enclosure.
Music Awards Japan levels up and looks ahead
Kaze Fujii received a second consecutive album of the year award for ¡°Prema,¡± his English-language debut, at the Music Awards Japan ceremony.
Cultural aspects dominate coverage as sumo enthralls Paris
<i>Yokozuna</i> Hoshoryu waves to reporters during a news conference at the Japanese Culture House of Paris on June 11.
Japan steps on the gas in unprecedented regional defense export push
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi walks with his Indonesian counterpart, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, as the two inspect an honor guard during a welcome ceremony in Jakarta on May 4.
As his centennial nears, Osamu Tezuka gets a global reintroduction
Seen here in an archival shot, Osamu Tezuka&#039;s influence on Japanese anime has been monumental.
Why more bears are entering urban areas
Hikers walk past a bear warning sign in the Okutama area in western Tokyo on Sunday as local authorities urge visitors to take precautions following increased reports of bear sightings in the region.

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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