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July 12, 2026
 

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INVESTMENTS

Investors are starting to focus on shipping assets, as good-quality Japanese-built used vessels command high prices, and transport disruptions due to the Iran war have further boosted valuations of large tankers.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 23, 2026
Activists target Japan’s shipping stocks on rising vessel prices
Quality Japanese-built used vessels command high prices, and transport disruptions due to the Iran war have further boosted valuations of large tankers.
Traders view the time-saving benefits of AI as increasingly essential for navigating markets whipsawed by a war that has upended energy supplies and left at least 4,000 dead.
BUSINESS / Markets
Mar 21, 2026
Traders overwhelmed by Iran news are turning to AI for help
Many say the time-saving benefits of AI are essential for navigating markets whipsawed by a war that has upended energy supplies and left at least 4,000 dead.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara (center) and other ministers prior to a Cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister's Office on Thursday
JAPAN
Mar 20, 2026
Japan approves bill to support overseas projects that can boost economic security
A bill approved Thursday to revise the economic security promotion law is intended to attract private-sector funds to invest in such projects.
Sumitomo Life Insurance’s headquarters in Osaka
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 18, 2026
Sumitomo Life plans to invest $1.9 billion in private credit
The Osaka-based insurer has been gradually increasing its private credit holdings.
The administration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi adopted a bill Tuesday to set up the Japanese version of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), aiming to prevent information and technologies crucial to national security being leaked outside Japan.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 17, 2026
Government adopts bill to establish CFIUS-like body in Japan
It is hoped the committee will prevent information and technologies crucial to national security being leaked outside Japan.
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.
Japanese and U.S flag flutter in front of Akasaka Palace State Guest House, on the day U.S. President Donald Trump attends a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo in October last year.
BUSINESS
Mar 14, 2026
U.S. and Japan agree on their roles in potential nuclear power project, Westinghouse says
The momentum for building nuclear power facilities is growing as nations look to add more energy resources to hedge against supply shocks.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s economic strategy aims to boost the nation’s growth potential by offering public support to cutting-edge industries.
BUSINESS
Mar 10, 2026
Japan’s investment targets include AI, quantum computing and drones
The list includes 27 technologies already under early stage review, such as physical artificial intelligence systems, regenerative medicine, quantum computing and marine drones.
Bain Capital has raised $10.5 billion for its sixth Asia buyout fund, surpassing its $7 billion target despite a broader industry slowdown.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 10, 2026
Bain swiftly locks down $12.5 billion for Asia and Japan funds
The successful close reinforces Boston-based firm’s position as a dominant player in the region, particularly as global investors grow increasingly selective.
Japan's gross domestic product rose at an annualized 1.3% in the three months through December, with the revised figures showing that business spending was stronger than reported in preliminary figures.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 10, 2026
Japan confirms economy expanded as Takaichi urges investment
Gross domestic product rose at an annualized pace of 1.3% versus the prior quarter in the three months through December.
SoftBank Group is seeking up to $40 billion in loans to help finance its investment in U.S. tech firm OpenAI, people familiar with the matter said.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 6, 2026
SoftBank seeks record loan of up to $40 billion for OpenAI stake
The bridge loan would be its largest-ever borrowing denominated solely in dollars.
Kao is facing increasing pressure from activist fund Oasis Management for an independent investigation into its supply-chain practices.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 5, 2026
Activist fund Oasis calls on Kao to hold shareholders’ meeting over supply-chain risks
The fund received numerous whistleblower allegations concerning Kao’s practices, including potential links to deforestation and human rights violations.
Japanese investors sold the largest amount of overseas bonds since 2024 last month.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 5, 2026
Japan’s investors sell most overseas bonds since 2024 last month
Net sales totaled ¥3.42 trillion in February, based on preliminary weekly figures from the Ministry of Finance released on Thursday, the largest monthly sale since October.
Japan and the U.S. may announce later this month a nuclear power project involving Westinghouse to be funded by Japan's $550 billion investment package.
BUSINESS
Mar 4, 2026
Nuclear power project could be added to investment package, sources say
The project is designed to strengthen energy supply chains for the U.S. and Japan as war in the Middle East renews concerns about energy security.
Capital expenditure by Japan’s big companies rose 4% from the previous quarter in the three months through December, government data shows.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 3, 2026
Japanese firms boost spending as Takaichi makes investment push
Capital expenditure on goods excluding software reportedly rose 4% from the previous quarter in the three months through December, after outlays were flat in the summer.
U.S. artificial intelligence developer OpenAI said Friday that it has secured $110 billion in new investment, including $30 billion from Japanese technology investor SoftBank Group.
BUSINESS / Tech
Feb 28, 2026
OpenAI to get $110 billion investment from SoftBank and others
The investment will be used to boost its AI infrastructure amid intensifying competition over AI development.
Nippon Steel has raised ¥600 billion from an offering of bonds that can be converted into stock.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 26, 2026
Nippon Steel’s ¥600 billion deal jumpstarts Japan’s convertible bond market
Its record-breaking offering is highlighting the quest of Japanese companies for cheaper funding than increasingly expensive traditional debt.
Nippon Steel says it has raised ¥600 billion ($3.9 billion) from an upsize sale of convertible bonds to help repay loans taken out for its acquisition of United States Steel.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 25, 2026
Nippon Steel raises ¥600 billion from bonds to repay U.S. Steel loans
Half of the bonds, which can be converted into stock, are set to mature in 2029, and the remainder, in 2031, according to a filing to the Finance Ministry.
The government is planning a new revision to corporate governance code, which might prompt companies to divert unused cash to higher-yielding returns, thus making Japanese stocks more attractive to investors.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 25, 2026
Drive to unlock $840 billion in cash lifts Japan stocks outlook
Despite significant improvement in corporate governance in recent years, mountains of unused cash have been piling up on Japanese company balance sheets.
Paris-headquartered Amundi is warming to Japanese government bonds for the first time in three decades, joining a growing number of foreign investors taking a long-term bullish view on Japan’s debt.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 24, 2026
Amundi goes long on Japanese debt for the first time in decades
The French asset manager, which started out 2026 slightly underweight on Japanese debt in its global portfolio, shifted last week into a slightly overweight position.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

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