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July 12, 2026
 

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Yasutaka Tamura
Human resources platform operator SmartHR had aimed for a valuation of about $1 billion and is working with banks including Daiwa Securities Group, Goldman Sachs Group and Morgan Stanley, sources have said.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 8, 2026
KKR-Backed SmartHR is said to delay Tokyo IPO beyond this year
Sources have said timing and valuation could change due to investors’ concerns over the disruptive impacts of the artificial intelligence boom on the software-as-a-service sector.
Japanese companies issued ¥1 trillion ($6.2 billion) worth of convertible bonds in the first half, the highest amount since 2004, as rising interest rates boosted demand for cheaper financing.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 3, 2026
Japan’s convertible bonds regain favor as rates continue to rise
Japanese companies issued ¥1 trillion ($6.2 billion) worth of convertible bonds in the first half, the highest amount since 2004.
Guidance by the economy ministry urging firms to focus more on mid- to long-term growth, with the aim of boosting capital spending and wages, is at odds with the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s push for better capital efficiency.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 19, 2026
Japan’s push for corporate growth over value sets off skepticism
Pressure from the government toward encouraging unnecessary investment may undermine progress and derail the market rally.
Taxi-hailing app provider Go traded 21% above its IPO price on Tuesday after shareholders of the company raised ¥88.6 billion ($553 million) in the offering for a market value of ¥186 billion last week.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 16, 2026
Goldman-backed Go soars 21% after biggest Japan IPO this year
The successful debut of the taxi-hailing app provider offers a much-needed tailwind for Japan’s IPO market.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, the United States, on June 8.
BUSINESS
Jun 11, 2026
Japan’s retail investor army flocks to SpaceX after IPO drought
SpaceX’s blockbuster IPO is drawing intense retail demand in Japan, where cash-rich households see a rare shot at a marquee global listing tied to Elon Musk and the space boom.
Shareholders in Goldman Sachs Group-backed firm Go sold shares at ¥2,400 apiece, according to a regulatory filing on Monday.
BUSINESS
Jun 8, 2026
Goldman-backed Go prices Japan’s biggest 2026 IPO at upper end
Shareholders in the Goldman Sachs Group-backed firm sold shares at ¥2,400 apiece, according to a regulatory filing on Monday.
The Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo’s Chuo Ward
BUSINESS / Markets
Apr 15, 2026
Japan exchanges eye call-option ETFs to attract global investors
The push underscores the ambition of Japanese stock exchanges to attract more global capital by strengthening areas where they lag international peers.
Go runs the most widely used taxi hailing app in Japan in terms of user numbers, according to a survey in 2024 by ICT Research and Consulting.
BUSINESS
Apr 9, 2026
Goldman-backed Go taxi app said to plan Japan IPO this year
Discussions on the IPO are ongoing and details such as the target valuation and timing are subject to change.
SmartHR is working on a potential listing in Tokyo with a market capitalization target of about ¥160 billion, sources said.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 6, 2026
KKR-backed SmartHR said to be mulling Tokyo IPO later this year
The Japanese human resources platform operator is among the country’s few unicorns, or unlisted startups that have been valued at more than $1 billion.
Rising fiscal spending and rate-hike expectations are driving Japanese companies toward convertible bonds.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 10, 2026
Japan bond blowout funnels corporate borrowers to convertibles
The benchmark 10-year bond yield hit 2.38% in January, the highest since 1999.
Shares of Next Generation Technology Group, which focuses on buying manufacturing firms without a clear succession plan, rose 202% since their listing last February.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 30, 2026
Japan’s succession crisis yields country’s best-performing IPO
Shares of Next Generation Technology Group, which focuses on buying manufacturing firms without a clear succession plan, rose 202% since their listing last February.
The Tokyo Stock Exchange is offering help in fundraising and initial public offering preparations with partners in Asia.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jan 22, 2026
TSE pitches itself as cross-border listing venue for Asian startups’ IPOs
The exchange is offering help in fundraising and IPO preparations with partners including banks, auditors and venture capital funds in Asia.
The Tokyo Stock Exchange’s plans to push for stronger growth in the startup market section resulted in fewer small-sized initial public offerings.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jan 19, 2026
Flipping Japan IPOs loses luster as small share sales disappear
IPO buyers received a median return of 26.3% in 2025 if they sold at the opening price, the lowest profit since 2012.
The Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo's Chuo Ward. The exchange has announced a higher bar for companies to remain listed on its startup market.
BUSINESS / Markets
Dec 26, 2025
Japan’s small IPOs fall to 12-year low amid market reforms
There were 43 initial share sales this year with offering sizes below $50 million, the fewest since 2013.
The SBI Shinsei Bank head office in Tokyo
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 17, 2025
SBI Shinsei Bank shares jump 16% in Tokyo trading debut
It had raised raised ¥322 billion in Japan’s second-biggest initial public offering of the year.
Nigo in Tokyo in 2021
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 17, 2025
Nigo’s streetwear brand Human Made prices Tokyo IPO at top end
The company sold shares at ¥3,130 apiece, according to a regulatory filing on Monday.
The Tokyo Stock Exchange building, operated by Japan Exchange Group
BUSINESS / Markets
Nov 14, 2025
Japan Exchange looks at ways to curb crypto hoarding firms
The Tokyo Stock Exchange operator is exploring options including a stricter application of its backdoor listing rules and requiring firms to undergo a fresh audit.
SBI Shinsei Bank plans to raise up to ¥400 billion in its initial public offering, set to be one of Japan's largest listings this year.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 13, 2025
SBI Shinsei Bank targets ¥400 billion Tokyo IPO for valuation around ¥1 trillion
The lender was taken private in 2023 to repay Shinsei’s government bailout, which parent SBI Holdings completed this year.
Sony Financial Group CEO Toshihide Endo strikes the trading bell during the company's listing ceremony at the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Monday.
BUSINESS / Markets
Sep 29, 2025
Sony Financial surges in spinoff listing in Tokyo trading debut
The reference price for Sony ’s financial unit was set at ¥150 last week, which would translate into a market capitalization of about ¥1 trillion ($6.7 billion).
U.S. proxy adviser Institutional Shareholder Services had urged Japan Exchange Group investors to vote against CEO Hiromi Yamaji’s re-election after an employee was found guilty of insider trading.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 24, 2025
Japan bourse CEO reappointed with slimmer vote as rating falls
Investors voted with their feet as the stock’s 18.6% decline over the past year underperformed the broad Topix’s 1.6% rise.
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.

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