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June 23, 2026
 

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MASAYOSHI SON

SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son dismissed the idea of space-based data centers, arguing that the AI race will be won by computing power on Earth.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 23, 2026
Masayoshi Son dismisses Musk¡¯s idea for orbital data centers
The main advantage of building data centers in space would be to slash electricity costs, but such expenses comprise a small fraction of total costs.
SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son during a news conference at the Portsmouth Site in Piketon, Ohio, on March 20
BUSINESS / Companies
May 31, 2026
SoftBank plans up to €75 billion investment in French AI centers
The deal is a result of personal diplomacy between French President Emmanuel Macron and SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son, who met in Japan earlier this year.
SoftBank chairman Masayoshi Son takes the stage with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman at an AI Conference in Tokyo in February 2025.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 8, 2026
OpenAI is so yesterday ¡ª even for SoftBank
Liquidity is as important as paper gains. There are already signs that capital markets are souring on Son¡¯s biggest bet.
SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son and the head of OpenAI, Sam Altman, attend an event to pitch AI for businesses in Tokyo in February 2025.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 23, 2026
SoftBank is going all in on OpenAI, but at what cost?
SoftBank Group¡¯s founder Masayoshi Son invested in OpenAI despite potential exposure to a liquidity crunch.
SoftBank has been piling on debt as its founder Masayoshi Son seeks to position himself as a linchpin in the global AI boom, with large-scale investments into OpenAI.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 23, 2026
SoftBank seeks $10 billion margin loan backed by OpenAI shares
SoftBank has been piling on debt as its founder Masayoshi Son seeks to position himself as a linchpin in the global AI boom.
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright (left), SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son (center), and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, following a groundbreaking ceremony at the Portsmouth Site in Piketon, Ohio, on Friday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 21, 2026
SoftBank planning massive $500 billion data center in Ohio
SoftBank is seeking to build the AI computing complex at a former uranium enrichment complex owned by the U.S. Energy Department.
Tadashi Yanai, chair and CEO of Fast Retailing, is the richest Japanese on the Forbes' 2026 ranking of the world's richest people.
BUSINESS
Mar 12, 2026
Uniqlo¡¯s Yanai is the richest Japanese on Forbes¡¯ wealth ranking list
With a net worth of $61.8 billion, Tadashi Yanai, chair?and CEO of Uniqlo clothing chain operator Fast Retailing, ranked 32nd on the U.S. business magazine¡¯s list.
SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son (left) and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman attend an event in Tokyo in February 2025. SoftBank¡¯s investment gain on OpenAI stood at an estimated $19.8 billion as of December.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 13, 2026
SoftBank swings to profit on valuation boost from OpenAI bet
As of December, SoftBank¡¯s investment gain on OpenAI stood at an estimated $19.8 billion.
Masayoshi Son, chairman and CEO of SoftBank Group, at a conference in Tokyo in December
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 28, 2026
SoftBank in talks to invest $30 billion more in OpenAI, report says
The increase in commitment that reflects Masayoshi Son¡¯s ambitions to play a central role in developing artificial intelligence.
SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son attends an event to pitch AI for businesses in Tokyo in February.
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 20, 2025
SoftBank races to fulfill $22.5 billion funding pledge to OpenAI by year-end
The ¡°all-in¡± bet on OpenAI is among the biggest yet by SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, as he seeks to improve his firm¡¯s position in the race for artificial intelligence.
SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son speaks during an event in Tokyo on Dec. 1.
BUSINESS
Dec 13, 2025
SoftBank billionaire Son trims share pledges after AI rally
Son trimmed his committed shares by 19.4 million to around 154.2 million, according to a filing earlier this month.
SoftBank Group Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son meets with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Friday in Seoul.
BUSINESS
Dec 5, 2025
SoftBank Group CEO meets with South Korean president
The pair discussed cooperation in the fields of AI and semiconductors, as well as infrastructure investment.
Masayoshi Son, chairman and chief executive officer of SoftBank Group, speaks during the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute Priority Asia conference in Tokyo on Monday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 2, 2025
SoftBank¡¯s Son ¡®cried¡¯ about Nvidia stake sale to fund AI bets
Son, addressing for the first time the surprise disclosure that SoftBank had unloaded its stake in the world¡¯s most valuable company, also slammed talk of an AI investment bubble.
Masayoshi Son¡¯s SoftBank is turning to expensive hybrid bonds and other financing methods to fund its $30 billion investment in OpenAI, as it faces growing pressure from high debt, low cash flow and competition from AI giants like Nvidia.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 26, 2025
SoftBank¡¯s OpenAI ambition is far too grand for banks
On a stand-alone basis, as of the end of June, the company held more than twice as many bonds as bank loans.
SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son¡¯s bets on artificial intelligence have fueled a 146% surge in the stock since the fiscal year began in April.
BUSINESS / Markets
Sep 22, 2025
SoftBank¡¯s heavy weight forces skeptical stock investors to buy
SoftBank shares provided almost 10% of the increase in the Topix¡¯s market capitalization since the end of March.
SoftBank Group¡¯s Vision Fund is considering cutting as much as 20% of its staff.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 19, 2025
SoftBank¡¯s Vision Fund mulls 20% job cuts after Son¡¯s pivot to AI
The unit, which employed about 282 people as of the end of March, may shed more than 50 roles, a person familiar with the matter said.
SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son and U.S. President Donald Trump. Son has promised to invest $100 billion in the United States.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 19, 2025
SoftBank buying about 2% of Intel for $2 billion
CEO Masayoshi Son earlier pledged to invest a total of $100 billion in the United States.
SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son
BUSINESS
Aug 7, 2025
SoftBank swings to profit after Masayoshi Son¡¯s AI bets pay off
SoftBank Group swung to a quarterly profit, riding on gains from its bets on Nvidia and startups in a boon for founder Masayoshi Son¡¯s bets on artificial intelligence technologies.
SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son (left) with OpenAI chief Sam Altman via video link
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 16, 2025
Masayoshi Son and Sam Altman see no end to AI demand and scaling
The two business partners argued that advancing AI would lead to new jobs that are not yet imagined, and the advancement of robotics will help kickstart a ¡°self-improvement¡± loop.
SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son speaks during the company's annual general meeting in Tokyo on Friday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 27, 2025
Masayoshi Son hints at succession plan while chasing AI ambition
Son said he plans to hold SoftBank¡¯s reins another 10 years, but added he has several candidates for its next chief in mind.
Japan to raise visa fees for foreign nationals in first revision in 48 years
Tourists from abroad wearing kimonos pose for a souvenir photo with cherry blossoms in the city of Kyoto in March.
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.
Beyond crabs and dinos: Japan¡¯s least-touristed region rethinks its appeal
Fukui Prefecture is home to 80% of Japan¡¯s dinosaur fossil discoveries, yet it is routinely one of the least-visited regions in the country.
Japanese companies get serious about workplace DEI
People working in human resources departments participate in a workshop in Tokyo in January. The participants played a card game in which they took on roles of people with various disabilities.
Japan-South Korea detente persists ¡ª but breakthrough remains elusive
While Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung have kept relations from sliding backward, experts say they have struggled to turn stability into concrete steps forward.
Japan¡¯s AI goldrush faces backlash as data centers sprout up in urban areas
Erin and Munekazu Tanikawa look out from their balcony at the construction site of a planned 52-meter-tall data center that would dominate their surroundings, in the city of Inzai, Chiba Prefecture, last month.
Distracted walkers in Japan are a real safety risk. My mother knows firsthand.
In Tokyo and other major Japanese cities, <i>aruki-sumaho</i> ¡ª walking while using a smartphone ¡ª has become a persistent safety concern as commuters navigate crowded stations and sidewalks while focused on their devices.
Can automation offset Japan¡¯s military workforce shortage?
A Ground Self-Defense Force uncrewed ground vehicle takes part in a live-fire military exercise at the Higashi Fuji Training Field in Shizuoka Prefecture on May 7.
Japan¡¯s World Cup picture comes into focus after rout of Tunisia
Japan&#039;s Ko Itakura clears the ball during the first half against Tunisia during a Group F match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Monterrey, Mexico, on Saturday.

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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