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July 12, 2026
 

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RETAILERS

The debate over AI agents running checkout functions is far from resolved, as some retailers balk at giving up control.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 2, 2026
An English furniture maker faces AI era of bots buying sofas
Consumers are using chatbots to research products now, but agentic AI could one day see bots acting as their personal shopper.
The Yodobashi-Ikebukuro commercial complex at the east exit of Ikebukuro Station in Tokyo
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 30, 2026
Yodobashi-Ikebukuro commercial complex opens after full renovation
The building, which previously housed Sogo & Seibu’s flagship Seibu Ikebukuro department store, also houses sporting and variety goods stores and restaurants.
Sales at department stores in Japan climbed strongly from a year earlier, likely helped by robust tourist spending.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 29, 2026
Japan’s retail sales rise for third month on wage gains and subsidies
The 1.9% month-on-month advance was led by sales of vehicles, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
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.
Yamada Holdings Chairman Noboru Yamada (left) and Edion Chairman Masataka Kubo at a news conference in Tokyo on Friday
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Jun 8, 2026
Yamada-Edion integration aimed at expansion beyond electronics
The merger will create an even bigger group far ahead of competitors, including second-biggest Nojima.
Home appliances retailers Yamada Holdings and Edion may integrate their operations to enhance their price competitiveness and sales of their private-brand products.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 4, 2026
Electronics retailers Yamada and Edion eye business integration
Through the integration, the two Japanese retailers aim to strengthen their capabilities in procurement and the development of original brand products.
A tasting corner in the gift center at the Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi department store in Tokyo's Chuo Ward on Wednesday
BUSINESS
Jun 3, 2026
Japan’s department stores gear up for summer gift season
Some have rolled out merchandise tailored to the 2026 World Cup, which is set to kick off on June 11.
The Galeries Lafayette mall, with posters advertising new season collections, in Beijing on Tuesday, a day before it closes
BUSINESS
May 28, 2026
Frugal and more online: Smarter spenders rewrite luxury’s China dream
Foreign luxury brands might not be retaining the pull — and the cashflow — in China that they counted on in the world’s second-largest economy in the 2010s.
Nojima President Hiroshi Nojima (right) and Noriharu Amiya, senior vice president of Hitachi, attend a news conference in April to announce Nojima's plan to take over Hitachi's home appliance business.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 26, 2026
The changing face of Japan’s consumer electronics industry
A new wave in the “Made in Japan” home appliances sector is seeing companies from other industries enter the market even as major manufacturers pull out due to unprofitability.
Pan Pacific International Holdings, the owner of discount chain Don Quijote, opened its first Robin Hood store, a new food-focused chain, in Aichi Prefecture on Friday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 24, 2026
Don Quijote owner opens discount grocer as Japan inflation bites
With food and daily necessities becoming more expensive in Japan, the company is betting fast, cheap and convenient offerings will drive traffic at stores designed for quick trips.
Japan’s iconic department stores, once central to urban culture, are rapidly declining due to e-commerce growth, tourism-driven sales and changing consumer behavior.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 17, 2026
Has the death of the department store reached Japan?
Many thought Seibu would be one of the few landmarks to survive. Yet the owners were unable to renew terms with the Shibuya landowners, and it will close after nearly 60 years.
A Uniqlo store in Tokyo. Fast Retailing has raised its full-year operating profit forecast on strong Uniqlo demand in the U.S. and Europe, supported by ongoing growth in Japan.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 9, 2026
Fast Retailing raises profit outlook on robust global demand and Japan sales
The results highlight how Uniqlo’s growth is increasingly driven by overseas markets, particularly the U.S. and Europe
An H&M store on Fifth Avenue in New York
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 7, 2026
Once Sweden’s top company, H&M’s struggling to sell its rebound story
H&M’s CEO is seeking once again to convince investors that the group has turned a corner.
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.
Inside a Uniqlo store in Mumbai. Uniqlo plans to accelerate store openings in India, particularly in the south, targeting affluent shoppers to boost growth and market share.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 6, 2026
Uniqlo aims to grow tenfold in India with summer-centric clothes
Uniqlo, which has a larger presence in northern India, is working to expand its supply chain in the country’s warmer southern states.
Nojima President Hiroshi Nojima speaks during an interview in the city of Yokohama on Friday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 17, 2026
Nojima eyes mergers and acquisitions deals worth up to ¥300 billion
Nojima is known for its aggressive M&A activities, with its largest deal being the ¥85.4 billion purchase of mobile phone distributor Conexio in 2023.
For Aeon, Kusuri no Aoki represents a potential valuable addition to its strategy of consolidating Japan’s fragmented retail market.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 16, 2026
A family fights to keep control of 157-year-old firm in Japan
Kusuri no Aoki, run by two brothers, are fighting for control of the firm with their largest outside shareholders, Aeon and the activist fund Oasis Management.
The Matsuya Ginza department store is promoting Angel Hair Chocolate as a special product for Valentine's Day-related chocolate sales.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 20, 2026
Valentine’s Day sales campaigns in Japan feature experiences
Meanwhile, confectionery-makers are trying to take advantage of strong demand for chocolate bars from those who make sweets as Valentine’s Day gifts.
The operator of Seven-Eleven Japan saw its operating profit in the March-November 2025 period rise 3.1% from a year before.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 19, 2026
Three convenience store operators log March-November profit growth
Three major Japanese convenience store operators posted growth in their group operating profits for the March-November 2025 period, according to their earnings reports.
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
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