Â鶹´«Ã½

author

 
Â鶹´«Ã½
Search
 
August 11, 2026
 

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

Meta

Yui Hasebe
A man wipes his sweat away at a warehouse in Hikawa, Kumamoto Prefecture, on July 31, days after a powerful earthquake struck the region.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 5, 2026
Japanese firm¡¯s ¡®human refrigerator¡¯ offers relief from punishing summer heat
The Do Hiemon Box is an oversized stainless-steel refrigerator that looks big enough to fit a human being, because that¡¯s exactly what it¡¯s designed to do.
Shionogi is looking for acquisition targets in the U.S., Japan and Europe that specialize in infectious and rare diseases, said Isao Teshirogi, Shionogi chairperson and CEO, in an interview on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 5, 2026
Shionogi CEO says firm is pursuing acquisitions and mulling expanded U.S. production
The pharmaceutical manufacturer wants to accelerate its overseas growth while broadening its portfolio beyond its traditional strength in infectious disease medications.
The Mitsukoshi department store in the Nihonbashi district of Tokyo. Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings, Â鶹´«Ã½ largest department store operator, saw jewelry and watches continue to lead domestic sales, according to a company spokesperson.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 24, 2026
Japanese shoppers drive up jewelry sales to a record
Strong domestic demand for jewelry has helped lift the outlook for Â鶹´«Ã½ luxury market as a whole, as the sector faces headwinds including a slowdown in inbound tourism.
Conveyor-belt sushi operator Kura Sushi, which has been established in the U.S. since 2009, faces a new challenge as Sushiro enters the market.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 1, 2026
Kura Sushi to accelerate U.S. growth to fend off rivals¡¯ expansion
The chain is targeting about 300 locations in the U.S. over the longer term, keeping a pace of 20% growth in store numbers each year, its U.S. operations CEO has said.
An Onitsuka Tiger store in the Omotesando district of Tokyo. The footwear brand prepares to transform into a luxury lifestyle label distinct from Asics.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 18, 2026
Onitsuka Tiger pivots from Asics stripes to tap luxury market
The 77-year-old sneaker-maker is set to be spun off from parent Asics to capitalize on a resurgence in interest for retro aesthetics and Japanese style.
More than 15 firms submitted bids for Sankei Building last month, with several offers exceeding ?1 trillion.
BUSINESS
Jun 4, 2026
Fuji Media¡¯s real estate unit attracts ?1 trillion bids
More than 15 firms submitted bids for Sankei Building last month, with several offers exceeding ?1 trillion ($6.3 billion).
Pokka, Sapporo¡¯s flagship soft-drinks brand, is central to its overseas beverages business.
BUSINESS
May 14, 2026
Sapporo halts exports of Pokka brand to Middle East
Pokka, Sapporo¡¯s flagship soft-drinks brand, is central to its overseas beverages business.
"The next five years are critical in defining Daiichi Sankyo¡¯s future,¡± CEO Hiroyuki Okuzawa said Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 12, 2026
Daiichi Sankyo bets on new cancer drugs to fuel future growth
The Japanese drugmaker aims to more than double oncology revenue to above ?2.3 trillion by 2030 and become one of the world¡¯s top five oncology players by 2035.
Seria President Eiji Kawai says customers are shifting from competitors to the company¡¯s more than 2,000 stores offering snacks, stationery and household goods.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 16, 2026
Japan ?100 retailer Seria doubles down while rivals raise prices
While competitors test higher price tiers, Seria is betting it can attract cost-conscious consumers and reinforce its brand as prices rise across the economy.
A Uniqlo store in New York. Operator Fast Retailing struck a landmark deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers to raise its brand recognition in the U.S. market.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 30, 2026
Uniqlo taps into Ohtani magic at Dodgers Stadium to fuel U.S. push
The alliance is an almost perfect match, leveraging U.S. and Japanese fans¡¯ fascination with the multiple-MVP batter and pitcher.
An LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton-backed private equity firm is planning to invest in consumer businesses in Japan ranging from cosmetics to food, pet care and restaurants.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 16, 2026
LVMH-backed private equity firm targets ?50 billion in Japan deals
L Catterton has focused most of its investments on private, family-run businesses with succession challenges or newer companies that need help expanding.
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.
Shiseido¡¯s stumble shows how quickly beauty brands can lose ground as social trends, faster product cycles and South Korean and Chinese rivals reshape the global cosmetics market.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 19, 2026
Shiseido faces tough turnaround after costly cosmetics stumbles
Shiseido¡¯s stumble shows how quickly beauty brands can lose ground as social trends, faster product cycles and Korean and Chinese rivals reshape the global cosmetics market.
A street leading to the Tsutenkaku tower in Osaka's Shinsekai district. Local reports and social media posts point to thinner crowds in Shinsaibashi and Shinsekai, once favorite haunts for Chinese groups.
JAPAN
Dec 10, 2025
Osaka tourism endures heavy hit as China-Japan tensions simmer
China bookings for Osaka-bound flights for winter and early spring departures are down 55% to 65% ¡ª a sharper drop than the nationwide average.
Kohei Matsuo serves a glass of Asahi Super Dry in a Maruefu glass at Bier Reise ¡¯98 in Tokyo.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 11, 2025
Cyberattack leaves Asahi struggling as rival brewers gain ground
The ransomware attack on Asahi Group Holdings disabled its internal system that handled all orders and shipments online.
The Olympus Ishikawa research development facility in Tokyo
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 9, 2025
Olympus cuts jobs, streamlines operations under new leadership
The company is moving to a leaner, divisional model, with a planned target of 3% annual sales growth by fiscal 2027.
A cyberattack on Askul, a seller of office supplies, is disrupting major Japanese retailers' e-commerce and logistics operations.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 21, 2025
Japan retailers halt online sales after cyberattack cripples supplier operations
The disruption, coming weeks after one suffered by brewer Asahi Group Holdings, will raise questions about the vulnerability of Â鶹´«Ã½ e-commerce infrastructure.
An Asahi brewery in Moriya, Ibaraki Prefecture
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 6, 2025
Asahi resumes beer supplies in Japan after crippling cyberattack
Some parts of the system are still shut and the company is processing orders manually to prioritize its supply framework.
Tourists order sushi using an interactive touchscreen at a Sushiro restaurant in Tokyo.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 1, 2025
Growth overseas aids sushi chain Sushiro amid rice inflation at home
Osaka-based chain has been able to avoid across-the-board price hikes at its Japanese restaurants to offset volatile rice costs that have nearly doubled from a year ago.
Medipal is expanding into areas such as animal health products and drug development as margins from selling pharmaceuticals become squeezed in Japan.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 1, 2025
Medipal seeks to diversify amid falling drug margins
Â鶹´«Ã½ largest drug wholesaler is seeking to boost profit, excluding extraordinary items, to ?100 billion by March 2027 from ?65 billion in the latest fiscal year.
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

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER