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July 01, 2026
 

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Takashi Mochizuki
Kioxia Holdings has grown into Japan’s most valuable company this year thanks to an AI-fueled boom for memory products.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 25, 2026
Kioxia plans new U.S. listing in spring and stock split at home
The supplier of NAND storage aims to take advantage of runaway demand for exposure to AI-related semiconductor stocks.
TDK sees Fabric8Labs' 3D-printing technology as an efficient way to process pure copper into cold plates connecting to semiconductors inside data center servers.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 11, 2026
TDK buys U.S. 3D-printing startup to amp up AI ecosystem bet
The Tokyo-based supplier of iPhone batteries is optimistic about Fabric8Labs’ 3D-printing technology for data center server applications.
Multilayer ceramic capacitors, which are tiny components that regulate and stabilize power flow in electronic devices, are becoming a growing bottleneck in the construction of artificial intelligence data centers.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 29, 2026
Taiyo Yuden sees ‘scary’ levels of AI parts demand risking supply chain
The Tokyo-based company and Murata Manufacturing comprise the bulk of the world’s supplies of high-end multilayer ceramic capacitors needed for artificial intelligence.
Countries including Japan see the ability to control chips, data centers and AI models as directly related to national resilience in a landscape dominated by U.S. and Chinese technology.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 25, 2026
Sakura Internet eyes more spending to meet AI data center demand
The data center operator is eyeing an allocation of as much as ¥20 billion to ¥30 billion ($125 million to $190 million) this fiscal year, founder and CEO Kunihiro Tanaka has said.
The components of a Kioxia solid-state drive. Shares are up more than 300% this year for the Tokyo-based company.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 18, 2026
Kioxia shares awash in buy orders after AI-driven profit surge
The Tokyo-based company said it expects to earn an operating profit of ¥1.3 trillion during the June quarter, above the record profit it earned for the full year ended March.
A Kioxia semiconductor manufacturing plant in Japan
BUSINESS / Companies
May 15, 2026
Kioxia prepares U.S. shares after riding AI boom to big profit
The Tokyo-based firm’s meteoric rise encapsulates the booming demand for memory as hyperscalers rush to build AI infrastructure.
TDK CEO Noboru Saito says the firm is prepared to add investments to ride the global boom in generative artificial intelligence.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 14, 2026
TDK ready to step up investment to ride AI wave
CEO Noboru Saito sees the surge of AI applications and services escalating the need for denser and more advanced energy storage.
A customer visits the gaming section for Nintendo products at a shop in Tokyo last week.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 11, 2026
Nintendo shares dive after forecast exposes memory squeeze
Nintendo shares had shed close to 30% this year through Friday, with concerns growing about the slow pace of game launches since the Switch 2’s debut in June.
Sony Group said Friday it expects operating profit to rise about 11% to ¥1.6 trillion for the year through March 2027, broadly in line with market expectations.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 8, 2026
Sony announces $3 billion buyback as memory prices take toll
Sony’s shares are down 22% this year as escalating component costs erode margins across the consumer electronics industry.
Components for Murata's Echorb Wonder Stone device. The company is the world’s leading supplier of multilayer ceramic capacitors, essential components for every device that uses electricity because they regulate power flow.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 30, 2026
Murata beats profit estimates as AI data-center demand strains production
The company says it is struggling to catch up with runaway demand for its multilayer ceramic capacitors, sought by U.S. hyperscalers for artificial intelligence data centers.
Microsoft, whose Copilot has struggled to keep pace with OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, said it will invest in cybersecurity partnerships and train a million artificial intelligence engineers through 2029.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 3, 2026
Microsoft drafts $10 billion investment plan in AI-hungry Japan
Microsoft is battling Amazon.com and Alphabet for dominance in Japan, which is spending billions to develop an artificial intelligence ecosystem and catch up to the U.S. and China.
A Sony-Honda Afeela 1 Signature electric vehicle. Development of the first- and second-generation Afeela EVs will be shelved effective immediately, the companies said in a joint statement.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 26, 2026
Honda and Sony drop joint EV development project
The decision to scrap the venture underscores the strain on legacy automakers due to high costs and fluctuating demand.
Nintendo plans to make 4 million units of its Switch 2 game console this quarter, falling short of the 6 million it had originally planned to produce.
BUSINESS / Tech
Mar 25, 2026
Nintendo cuts Switch 2 output by over 30% on weak holiday sales
After a record-setting debut in June, sales of the Switch 2 have failed to meet Nintendo management’s high expectations.
It is feared logistics costs for Europe-bound Nintendo's Switch 2 consoles will rise in the wake of U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 2, 2026
Nintendo shares slide on fears of rising Mideast shipping costs
Nintendo heavily relies on sea freight to transport its $450 console from assembly hubs in Asia.
Sony’s PlayStation 5 video game consoles are on display at the Tokyo Game Show in the city of Chiba in September last year.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 5, 2026
Sony hikes profit outlook after resilient holiday-quarter sales
The Japanese conglomerate now expects operating profit of ¥1.54 trillion in the year through March, up from its previous forecast of ¥1.43 trillion.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s plant in Kumamoto Prefecture. The go-to chipmaker for Nvidia and Apple has decided to adopt cutting-edge technology for its second wafer fabrication plant in the prefecture.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 5, 2026
TSMC plans major upgrade of Japan chip plant in win for Takaichi
The go-to chipmaker for Nvidia and Apple has decided to adopt cutting-edge technology for its second wafer fabrication plant in Kumamoto.
Hiroo Oota, incoming chief executive officer of Kioxia Holdings, speaks during a news conference in Tokyo on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 30, 2026
Memory maker Kioxia names new CEO to navigate AI chip boom
Shares of Kioxia, which are up more than twelvefold since their initial public offering at the end of 2024, reversed losses and rose 1.6% after the announcement.
Capcom's Resident Evil franchise was a particular highlight over the December period, with several games doing better than anticipated.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 28, 2026
Capcom jumps most in 18 months on surprise ‘Resident Evil’ boost
The Resident Evil franchise was a particular highlight over the December period, with several games doing better than anticipated.
The Cabinet Office has asked X to improve safeguards and curb the output of sexually altered images by Grok, Economic Security Minister Kimi Onoda said.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jan 16, 2026
Musk’s Grok AI faces scrutiny from Japan over sexualized images
The Cabinet Office has asked the social media platform to improve safeguards and curb the output of sexually altered images by Grok, Economic Security Minister Kimi Onoda said.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. reported the alleged theft to the authorities this year, triggering a probe that’s cast a spotlight on the sensitive nature of chipmaking technology.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 2, 2025
Taiwan charges Tokyo Electron in TSMC secrets theft case
The development escalates a dispute involving two Asian linchpins of a chip industry increasingly vital to national and economic security.
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."
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.
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.

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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