Tag - manufacturing

 
Menu
Search
 
July 01, 2026
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

MANUFACTURING

Japan's industrial production in May climbed 0.5% from the previous month as manufacturers were able to cope with the fallout from the war in Iran.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 30, 2026
Japan’s factory output rises as Iran fallout stays manageable
The government says it can secure enough crude oil through March 2028 by cultivating alternative procurements to the Strait of Hormuz.
A Taiwan Coast Guard ship patrols near Dadan Island in Kinmen County, Taiwan.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 29, 2026
A Taiwan crisis and America’s faltering industrial base
Weaknesses in the U.S. defense industrial base no longer represent a mere economic issue; they now pose an immediate strategic vulnerability.
Nissan Motor's Oppama plant in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture. U.S. defense firm Anduril Industries is in talks to acquire the plant to build military drones in Japan, sources say.
BUSINESS
Jun 25, 2026
U.S. defense firm Anduril in talks for Nissan plant to build drones in Japan, sources say
While sources say no decision has been made, any deal could transform one of Japan’s first large-scale postwar car factories into ​a weapons hub.
A GMO AI and Robotics humanoid robot performs a dance at an international exhibition at Tokyo Big Sight in December.  REUTERS
COMMENTARY / Japan / Geoeconomic Briefing
Jun 24, 2026
Japan’s manufacturing sector and the race for physical AI
Turning industrial strength into leadership in the next AI frontier.
Stacks of aluminum ingots at a stockyard in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, China
BUSINESS / Markets
Jun 22, 2026
Aluminum’s war shock blunted by dark transits and Chinese supply
Indonesia has also been instrumental in keeping the global market in check as buyers wait for exports to rebound.
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.
Partly assembled cars pass through the battery installation section of the production line at the Nissan car factory in Sunderland, Britain, in December 2025.
BUSINESS
Jun 18, 2026
U.K. in advanced talks with Nissan over Sunderland plant support, sources say
The Japanese carmaker is undertaking a major global ​restructuring that includes selling or closing other factories, cutting 15% of its workforce and shrinking its product lineup.
Cameron Schuler, chief commercialization officer at the Toronto-based Vector Institute, during an interview in Tokyo on June 2
JAPAN
Jun 13, 2026
Japan and Canada can do more to accelerate AI adoption, expert says
“AI will be the technology that will power the future,” said Cameron Schuler, chief commercialization officer and vice president of industry innovation at the Vector Institute.
A stock index board in the Lujiazui financial district of Shanghai. The oil shock and the AI boom have revived inflationary pressures among factories in the world’s second-biggest economy.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 10, 2026
China’s inflation split widens as AI and war stir up factory prices
Years of weak demand and excessive supply have contributed to bruising competition among Chinese industrial firms that’s keeping a lid on consumer prices.
A production line at a Mercedes-Benz factory, in Rastatt, Germany, in June 2025
BUSINESS
Jun 7, 2026
German carmakers weigh China and defense tie-ups for idle plants
Volkswagen said in April it is also open to the idea of “partnering” with Chinese manufacturers at its plants.
Samsung Electronics workers chant slogans during a rally ahead of a planned strike outside the company's semiconductor plant in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, on April 23.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 5, 2026
Do Japan’s chip workers need a Samsung-style strike?
Even as Tokyo firms prepare to award customary summer bonuses, there will be nothing on the scale that South Korean companies are offering.
Nissan's manufacturing plant in Sunderland, England. Nissan is considering building cars for Chinese manufacturer Chery at the plant.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 4, 2026
Nissan considering building Chery vehicles in the U.K.
The agreement comes amid a sharp slowdown in the European car market since 2019.
Capital expenditure excluding software fell 3.5% from the previous quarter in the three months through March, according to the Finance Ministry.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 1, 2026
Japan’s firms cut spending over Iran stress despite record profits
Capital expenditure excluding software fell 3.5% from the previous quarter in the three months through March, the Finance Ministry reported Monday.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer talks with Mexican Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard as they leave National Palace amid talks to review the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade pact, in Mexico City last month.
BUSINESS
May 30, 2026
Trump administration wants to raise North American auto content to 82%, with half from U.S.
The proposed new thresholds were revealed to automakers during two days of bilateral talks to revise the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade that concluded on ‌Friday.
The government's 2026 white paper on manufacturing industries says that companies need to make management decisions from a medium- to long-term perspective without being deterred by short-term costs, in order to make progress on economic security efforts.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 29, 2026
Few Japan firms take steps toward economic security, government paper finds
Only about 30% of Japanese companies have taken substantive measures to ensure economic security, such as diversifying procurement sources and strengthening cybersecurity.
Workers in the sewing section of a factory, in Narayanganj, Bangladesh, in November 2025
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
May 21, 2026
Garment workers face heat risks in Bangladesh as energy cuts curb cooling
Factories have turned off cooling amid energy restrictions caused by the Mideast war, with workers sweltering and a drop in productivity likely costing billions of dollars.
Seasonally adjusted core machinery orders fell 9.4% in March from the previous month to ¥1,01 trillion, the Cabinet Office said Thursday, reversing the previous month’s jump driven by large-scale orders.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 21, 2026
Japan’s core machinery orders fall 9.4% in March
Private-sector orders excluding those for ships and power equipment, closely watched as a leading indicator of corporate capital spending, dropped to ¥1.01 trillion.
ANA President and CEO Koji Shibata speaks during a news conference in Tokyo on April 30.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 18, 2026
Japanese firms post AI-driven rosy profits, but Iran woes remain
Many companies opted not to reflect the impact of the conflict in their earnings projections, as it could affect various aspects such as procurement, manufacturing and consumer sentiment.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's plant in Kumamoto Prefecture. Japan plans to create industry clusters in 10 regions as a key component of its regional future strategy.
BUSINESS
May 18, 2026
Japan plans industry clusters in 10 regions
The draft plan names the Tohoku region a green transformation center candidate, citing the presence of many nuclear and renewable-energy power sources.
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.
Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit
Uruguay's Jose Maria Gimenez reacts after the team's loss against Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
India’s gig workers pay the price for exposure to New Delhi’s hazardous air
Rohit Kushwaha waits for a customer as he delivers his last parcel of the day, in New Delhi in January. His work as a delivery driver has helped pay the family’s bills, but has had a significant impact on his health.
Life inside Japan’s largest prison for women
Western-style rooms spanning the size of four tatami mats with hardwood floors, a toilet and soft mattresses on bed frames are designated for foreign nationals and those with health conditions at Tochigi Prison.
Yen hits 40-year low against the dollar, breaking ¥162 level
Japan's currency broke ¥162 to the dollar on Tuesday in Tokyo.
Japan’s fertility system offers few safe paths for same-sex couples
A Tokyo Pride parade participant holds a sign that says "we want to be a married couple, not a couple."
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
A French ship with close ties to Japan combines arts and sciences on the high seas
Romain Troublé, the executive director of Tara Ocean Foundation, speaks to visitors aboard the Tara during a rare port call in Tokyo in April.
In Kyushu’s far south, Senti.U sparks a culinary destination
Chef Yasuhiko Uchida was born in Saga Prefecture but has made his home in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, since 2012.
‘The colors speak for themselves’: How Japan’s chroma bible went global
“A Dictionary of Color Combinations” is meant to function as a quick-reference guide for artists, designers and anyone with a passing interest in aesthetics as a quantifiable pursuit.

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

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Digital marketer Netyear zeros in on generative AI
Digital marketer Netyear zeros in on generative AI

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER