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August 11, 2026
 

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Nicholas Takahashi
Toyota has benefited from the enduring popularity in the U.S. of gas-electric hybrids as well as the weak yen.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 4, 2026
Toyota unveils ?1 trillion share buyback and raises profit outlook
Resilient hybrid demand and a weak yen have helped make up for rising costs, tariffs and supply disruptions.
Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa speaks at the company¡¯s headquarters in Yokohama in April. Nissan's firm quarterly earnings indicate Espinosa¡¯s bid to stabilize the company after years of sliding sales and management turmoil.
BUSINESS
Aug 4, 2026
Nissan keeps outlook as latest quarter shows turnaround effort
The results offer an early indication of Chief Executive Officer Ivan Espinosa¡¯s bid to stabilize Nissan after years of sliding sales and management turmoil.
Global sales in June, including those of subsidiary Daihatsu Motor, fell 1.1% from a year earlier to 926,688 units, Toyota Motor said Thursday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 30, 2026
Toyota sales fall for fifth month on Iran turmoil and China
Soaring oil and raw-material costs, along with disrupted supply routes, are squeezing global manufacturers as the conflict in the Middle East drags on.
Daisuke Toyoda poses for a selfie with a staffer during the Super Taikyu Series at the Fuji International Speedway.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 30, 2026
Toyota¡¯s crown prince prepares to step into the spotlight
Daisuke Toyoda, the 38-year-old great-grandson of Toyota¡¯s founder, will be appointed to the hallowed Motomachi factory, one of the company¡¯s oldest plants.
BYD¡¯s Racco electric "kei cars" during a media event in Tokyo on Tuesday
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 28, 2026
BYD takes on rivals in Japan with its own electric minicar
Debuting a ¡°kei car¡± puts BYD up against the country¡¯s biggest automakers in their home market, which few foreign brands have successfully cracked.
Global sales in May, including those of subsidiary Daihatsu, fell 7.4% from a year earlier to 885,207 units, Toyota said Monday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 29, 2026
Toyota sales drop again in May as Iran conflict hits output
Toyota¡¯s global sales in May, including those of subsidiary Daihatsu, fell 7.4% from a year earlier to 885,207 units.
Francois Provost, CEO at Renault Group, speaks during an event in Guyancourt, near Paris, in March.
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Jun 24, 2026
Renault reminds Nissan of its clout with ouster of ex-banker
The French carmaker, which holds 15% of voting rights, abstained from voting for the reappointment of influential outside director Motoo Nagai.
Nissan shareholders voted against the reappointment of outside director Motoo Nagai, while approving 11 other board nominees at the company¡¯s annual meeting.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 23, 2026
Nissan shareholders vote out influential director at meeting
Motoo Nagai¡¯s ouster represents Renault¡¯s biggest power move at Nissan since ceding much of its influence over the Japanese carmaker in 2023.
Nidec CEO Mitsuya Kishida faced a barrage of questions from investors about Nidec¡¯s survival during the firm's general shareholders meeting on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 18, 2026
Nidec investors vent frustrations over scandal at annual meeting
CEO Mitsuya Kishida faced a barrage of questions about Nidec¡¯s survival as well as deep skepticism about his plan to turn the business around.
Toyota's global sales in April, including those of subsidiary Daihatsu Motor, fell 3.7% from a year earlier to 902,015 units.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 28, 2026
Toyota sales slide for third month in April on Middle East conflict
Toyota has weathered the conflict better than other carmakers, with Honda Motor and Nissan Motor reporting bigger drops.
Nidec CEO Mitsuya Kishida says the company will return to dealmaking once it recovers from scandals.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 25, 2026
Nidec boss hints at more M&A deals once scandals abate
CEO Mitsuya Kishida has underlined regaining trust as the Kyoto-based electric motor manufacturer¡¯s top priority.
Toyota's manufacturing facility in San Antonio
BUSINESS / Companies
May 15, 2026
Toyota files to build $2 billion assembly plant in Texas
The forthcoming factory would create 2,000 new jobs and deepen Toyota¡¯s manufacturing footprint in its largest market.
Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe in Tokyo on Thursday
BUSINESS / Companies
May 15, 2026
Honda and Nissan¡¯s shifting fortunes could bolster case for tie-up
Honda¡¯s losses and Nissan¡¯s early signs of recovery have narrowed the imbalance that derailed their failed merger talks last year.
Nidec founder Shigenobu Nagamori in 2023. Nagamori instilled a hard-charging corporate culture at the company, demanding results pegged to ambitious, and at times unrealistic, targets.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 13, 2026
Nidec shares tumble after product quality issues compound bookkeeping scandal
The Kyoto-based world¡¯s largest maker of precision motors said the issues involved changes made to materials, processes and designs without approval.
Toyota, known for conservative forecasts, is bracing for prolonged pressure on the price and supply of key materials due to disruptions linked to the conflict in Iran.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 8, 2026
Toyota forecasts abrupt profit drop on Iran; shares fall
The stock reversed gains and fell as much as 2.2% after the company issued an outlook for ?3 trillion in operating income for the fiscal year ending March 2027.
Nissan is pushing ahead with a growth plan for China that calls for annual sales to reach 1 million cars by the end of the decade.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 26, 2026
Nissan is betting on ¡®China speed¡¯ to get back on its feet
The carmaker is pushing ahead with a growth plan for China that calls for annual sales to reach 1 million cars by the end of the decade.
A worker handles aluminum extrusions at the Kato Light Metal Industry factory in Kanie, Aichi Prefecture.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 20, 2026
Japanese manufacturers hurt most by aluminum shortage from Iran war
Domestic carmakers get about 70% of their aluminum imports from the Middle East, according to the nation¡¯s top auto lobby.
Nissan plans to reduce the number of models from the current 56 to 45 and streamline 80% of its volume into three main "families¡± of vehicles built on shared platforms.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 14, 2026
Nissan¡¯s Espinosa plans 20% reduction in models in plan to reinvigorate carmaker
The long-awaited strategy marks the CEO¡¯s first effort to reshape Nissan after its troubled, two-decade partnership with Renault and an aborted merger with Honda Motor.
Toyota¡¯s global sales in February fell 2.3% from last year to 806,905 units.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 30, 2026
Toyota sales fall, while Â鶹´«Ã½ automakers brace for Iran impact
The carmaker was hurt by aggressive competition in electric vehicles in China and weak demand at home in Japan.
Almost one out of every three motorcycles sold globally is a Honda, generating the majority of the manufacturer¡¯s operating profit despite accounting for less than a fifth of sales.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 26, 2026
Bikes keep Honda afloat, yet even that business is under pressure
The company¡¯s costly misfire on electric cars has dramatically increased the stakes for it to avoid making the same mistakes with motorcycles.
America¡¯s cyberforces grapple with cluster of deaths by suicide
The U.S. Cyber Command building (center) stands on the National Security Agency campus at Fort Meade, Maryland.
Many Indonesians named after Japanese anime characters
Some people in Indonesia are named Doraemon, the name of a lead character of the blockbuster anime series with the same title.
Yasukuni Shrine introduces ban on military attire and cosplay
People gather in front of thousands of lanterns on display at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on July 15 during the Mitama Matsuri, one of the capital's largest summer o-Bon festivals.
As countries ban social media for children, Japan mulls a different approach
Data from NTT Docomo¡¯s Mobile Society Research Institute released in June found that 55% of respondents across all age groups said they fiddled with their phones when they had nothing to do, even when another person was in front of them.
¡®Total whiplash¡¯: Foreign residents react to Â鶹´«Ã½ changing permanent residency rules
The entrance to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in March. For some foreign residents of Japan, tightening measures for permanent residency have become one factor in a broader calculation over whether remaining in the country makes financial sense over the long term.
¡®Total whiplash¡¯: Foreign residents react to Â鶹´«Ã½ changing permanent residency rules
The entrance to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in March. For some foreign residents of Japan, tightening measures for permanent residency have become one factor in a broader calculation over whether remaining in the country makes financial sense over the long term.
Â鶹´«Ã½ brewers experiment with a secret ingredient: music
At Smoke Craft, a craft beer brewery in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, music isn't just a background to the brewing process ¡ª it's an ingredient.
As countries ban social media for children, Japan mulls a different approach
Data from NTT Docomo¡¯s Mobile Society Research Institute released in June found that 55% of respondents across all age groups said they fiddled with their phones when they had nothing to do, even when another person was in front of them.
J. League enters new era as league kicks off first fall-spring campaign
Players from each J. League club pose during a kickoff event on Monday ahead of the start of the 2026-27 campaign.
Speaking Japanese at the movies with ¡®Chiikawa¡¯
A "Chiikawa The Movie" poster is seen at Toho Cinemas in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

Disaster relief workers Taichi Kato (left) and Seiji Yoshimura enter the collapsed living quarters at Kyuganji temple in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture.
What Kumamoto revealed about Â鶹´«Ã½ earthquake readiness
By Alex K.T. Martin

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