Major beef bowl chain Sukiya has announced that it will be cutting the prices of beef bowls and other items starting Sept 4.

This is the company's first price cut in 11 years. Sukiya said in a statement it hopes that this will lead to an increase in customers amid continued high prices.

According to the announcement on its website, the price of beef bowls, including tax, will be reduced by 30 yen each, from 480 yen for regular servings to 450 yen and from 680 yen to 650 yen for large servings.

Sales have been falling since the discovery of foreign objects in Sukiya's products in March this year.
 
 

Investigators raided the Tokyo office of House of Councillors member Akira Ishii of the Japan Innovation Party on suspicion of fraud involving state-funded salaries for secretaries.

Ishii, 68, is alleged to have illegally received a state-funded salary for a secretary who has no record of actually performing secretarial duties.

The special investigative squad of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors’ Office searched Ishii’s office in the Diet members’ office building in Nagatacho, Tokyo, as well as other related locations.

It is expected to continue questioning office staff and others to uncover the situation, including the handling of the secretary’s salary, sources close to the investigators said.

Salaries for state-paid secretaries, who are classified as special public servants, are covered by public funds. Monthly payments range from about ¥300,000 to ¥600,000, depending on their age and years of service.

The secretary in question was employed by Ishii’s office and received a salary, but has no record of performing any secretarial duties, according to the sources. This raised suspicions of illegal payments.

The search began just after 10 a.m. Wednesday, with investigators entering the office in the Diet members’ building and other locations.

Ishii, who is from Toride, Ibaraki Prefecture, served as a city assembly member in Toride and a member of the House of Representatives. He was first elected to the upper house in 2016 and is now in his second term.

There have been a series of fraud cases involving Diet members and secretarial salaries since the late 1990s. As a result, when the law regarding Diet members’ salaries was revised in 2004, measures were taken to pay the salaries of state-paid secretaries directly to the individuals.

However, similar incidents have since been uncovered. Last year, then upper house member Megumi Hirose of the Liberal Democratic Party was indicted without arrest on suspicion of fraud, for allegedly swindling about ¥3.6 million in secretarial salaries and other funds. She was later found guilty.
 
 

Nissan Motor Co. has ended the production of its high-end sports car R35 GT-R, it announced Tuesday, citing such challenges as adhering to various countries’ emissions regulations and securing parts.

The R35, the car that made Nissan known as a high-tech carmaker, will not be in the company’s vehicle lineup for the first time in 18 years.

Nissan invited media to its Tochigi plant in Kaminokawa, Tochigi Prefecture, to see the final vehicle being produced. Representatives from parts suppliers and other business partners were also present.

The first-generation GT-R, which was based on its Skyline model but had race car specifications, was launched in 1969. After being discontinued twice, Nissan resumed selling the GT-R in 2007 as a separate model from the Skyline series.

The high-performance engines, which were used to win numerous races, were assembled by hand by nine skilled craftsmen at Nissan’s Yokohama Plant. Nissan has produced 48,000 units of the R35.

Nissan President Ivan Espinosa hinted at the possibility of resuming production of the GT-R in the future in a video message on Tuesday, saying that “this isn’t a goodbye to the GT-R forever.”
 


 

Japan’s Foreign Ministry will seek 874.3 billion yen in its budget request for fiscal 2026, up 15.3 pct from the fiscal 2025 initial budget, informed sources said Wednesday.

The ministry plans to allocate 44.1 billion yen to operations to deal with information warfare, such as analysis of information manipulation, including false information spread by foreign actors, and strategic dissemination of information abroad.

The budget request will also call for building information infrastructure and developing digital human resources.

On the economic front, the ministry plans to support Japanese companies’ overseas expansion through its diplomatic establishments and bolster economic security through what it calls the “offer-type” proactive approach to official development assistance projects.

A total of 321.8 billion yen will be earmarked for repairs to its overseas establishments and measures to strengthen the protection of expatriates.

The ministry will request 8.21 billion yen in the area of official security assistance, under which Japan provides defense equipment free of charge to like-minded countries.
 
 

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta met in Tokyo on Tuesday and confirmed their countries' security and economic cooperation.

The two leaders agreed that Japan will provide East Timor with free defense equipment through its official security assistance program.

During the meeting, Ishiba congratulated East Timor on its upcoming accession to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in October.
The prime minister voiced hopes to deepen bilateral cooperation in addressing regional and international issues.

The president praised the successful dialogue between Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung at their summit on Saturday, emphasizing the importance of good relations between Japan and South Korea for peace in Southeast Asia.
 
 

Japan is set to tighten requirements for visas for foreign entrepreneurs, with a proposed six-fold increase in minimum capital to 30 million yen ($204,000) and a mandate to employ at least one full-time worker in the country, according to a ministerial draft released Tuesday.

The move follows a July upper house election in which an opposition anti-immigration party gained support, contributing to the ruling coalition losing its majority, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.

The justice ministry’s draft indicates that public feedback will be collected until September 24, with the new rules expected to be adopted in October.

The “business and management visa” allows foreign nationals to establish and manage a business in Japan, offering stays of up to five years, renewable options, and the possibility of bringing family members. Previously, applicants needed either a 5 million yen capital investment or two full-time staff and a viable business plan.

Designed to attract entrepreneurs and boost Japan’s global competitiveness, the visa also provides a pathway to permanent residency after 10 years, with at least five years on a work-qualifying visa.

At the end of 2024, around 41,600 people held such visas—up 11% from the previous year—with Chinese nationals making up more than half, according to immigration data.
 
 

Rice prices in Japan soared 90.7 percent in July year-on-year, official data showed Friday, but the rate of increase slowed from previous months offering some relief for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

Ishiba's future is uncertain after his coalition lost its majority in both chambers in elections this year, as voters angry about rising prices deserted his long-dominant Liberal Democratic Party.

Rice prices have skyrocketed in recent months because of supply problems linked to a very hot summer in 2023 and panic-buying after a "megaquake" warning last year, amongst other factors.

Overall, Japan's core inflation eased to 3.1 percent from 3.3 percent in June. But it remains above the Bank of Japan's two-percent target, cementing expectations that it will hike interest rates this year.

The reading, which excludes fresh food prices, was slightly above market expectations of 3.0 percent.

Stripping out energy too, consumer prices rose 3.4 percent -- the same as in June.

The BOJ last hiked interest rates in January but has been reluctant to tighten monetary policy further.

It sees above-target inflation as caused by temporary factors -- including the price of rice.

This month U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent added to pressure on the BOJ to hike, saying the central bank was "behind the curve" on inflation.

"Although inflation is likely to cool a bit further in the months ahead, it shouldn't prevent the Bank of Japan from resuming its tightening cycle in October," Abhijit Surya at Capital Economics said Friday.

In June the price of rice was 100.2 percent higher than a year earlier. In May the rate was 101.7 percent.

Ishiba has appointed a new farm minister and his government has released emergency stocks in an effort to bring prices down. Earlier this month it announced a change in its decades-old policy of encouraging farmers to grow crops other than rice.

U.S. President Donald Trump also wants Japan to import more American rice.

Last week, data showed that Japan's economy grew at an annualised pace of 1.0 percent in the second quarter.

The reading suggested the economy was suffering less than feared from U.S. tariffs.

But other data released Wednesday showed exports to the United States plunging 10.1 percent in July, with cars down 28.4 percent.
Trump initially imposed across-the-board tariffs of 10 percent on Japan, as well as levies of 27.5 percent on cars.

Japan's automobile industry, which includes giants such as Toyota and Honda, accounts for around eight percent of the country's jobs.

Japan last month secured a trade deal that cut threatened 25 percent "reciprocal" tariffs to 15 percent. The rate on Japanese cars was also cut to 15 percent, although this has yet to take effect.
 
 

Japanese companies are expanding their medical businesses in the African continent, which has a population of about 1.5 billion. Amid massive investments by Chinese competitors, the companies are trying to leverage their technical prowess and reliability to promote their businesses in African countries, which are said to be facing such challenges as widespread infectious diseases and insufficient medical systems.

The Yokohama Declaration, adopted on the final day of The Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9), called for addressing problems such as communicable diseases in Africa as a necessity.

During the three-day conference, many Japanese companies involved in medical work set up booths at a business exposition held at the venue.
Fujifilm Corp. displayed a portable X-ray imaging device, which can be carried in a medium-sized suitcase.

The battery-powered device makes it possible to take images in rural farming areas that have no electricity. The device has been introduced in Zambia, where tuberculosis is widespread. The firm aims to introduce the device to other countries in cooperation with local health authorities.

A public relations official of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre expressed anticipation, saying Japanese firms give a sense of security and have many unique technologies.


Nutrition for mothers and children

The population in Africa is projected to increase to about 2.5 billion, about one-quarter of the global population, by 2050. While the continent is called the “last frontier,” where rapid economic development is expected, it often faces large-scale prevalence of infectious diseases, resulting in severe shortages of medical devices and hygiene supplies.

NEC Corp. has developed an app for medical questions to support heath checkups and nutrition guidance for mothers and children in Ghana, where malnutrition poses a severe problem.

The system is designed to digitalize results of health checkups of pregnant women, among others, and analyze and evaluate health conditions, including malnutrition and serious anemia, using smartphones and other devices.

Infectious diseases account for about 30% of deaths in Ghana, with Malaria in particular having become a societal problem. Malnourished children are said to have a higher risk of developing serious symptoms. The company believes improving nutrition among mothers and children in the country will help address the problem.

Additionally, many of the sanitary products in Africa are said to be of low quality, making it difficult to spread their use. Unicharm Corp. began producing sanitary products in Kenya in cooperation with Toyota Tsusho Corp.

The companies plan to set up a local joint venture in an effort to sell and spread the use of sanitary products, which will be low-priced and made at a reliable level of quality.


Chinese firms make presence known

Chinese firms have a strong presence in Africa, supported by economic clout. They are aggressively investing in infrastructure and resource development as well as in the field of health care.

Investments have been able to progress even though the danger of the so-called debt trap, under which China strengthens its diplomatic and policy controls on borrower countries when they are unable to repay debts, has been pointed out.

Meanwhile, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has disbanded US Agency for International Development, making it likely the country’s assistance to Africa will further taper off.

Japanese companies, which have handled many infrastructure projects there in the past, have been lagging behind Chinese competitors in recent years due to a decline in the number of official development assistance programs.

According to sources close to trading companies, however, some African government officials and company executives have said they want to avoid businesses dependent on China.

This month, Marubeni Corp. invested in a major pharmaceutical firm, which is doing business mainly in Kenya. Marubeni President Masayuki Omoto said, “As Japanese businesses can offer high quality and credibility, we believe it is time for Japanese firms to act.”
 
 

The Finance Ministry plans to set the provisional rate for interest payments on government bonds at 2.6% for the next fiscal year, the highest level in 17 years, according to a local media report.

The accumulated interest rate, which serves as the basis for the initial calculation of debt-servicing expenses, will be set at 2.6% in the upcoming budget draft, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported Friday. A year ago, the initially proposed rate for the current fiscal year was 2.1%.

The ministry typically determines the rate by averaging recent market yields and then adding 1.1 percentage points to reflect historical fluctuations.

The 2.6% rate would be the highest since 2009, well above a 2.2% ministry forecast for fiscal 2026 issued back in January. The upward shift comes as Japanese government bond yields climb, partly reflecting investor doubts over the sustainability of large fiscal deficits.

On Friday, the 10-year benchmark briefly touched 1.615%, the most since 2008, while the 20-year yield briefly again reached 2.655%, matching its highest level since 1999.

Expectations of higher interest rates come as the Bank of Japan continues its cautious move away from loose policy. Over the past year, the central bank has raised interest rates from 0.25% to 0.5%, the highest level since 2008.

Rising yields will likely make financing costs more expensive for the world’s most indebted developed nation, even as the government commits to higher defense spending and wrestles with mounting social security costs.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s minority government also faces pressure to extend cost-of-living relief, with opposition parties pushing for costly consumption tax cuts.

In its January forecasts, the ministry projected that the debt-servicing costs will likely jump 25% by the fiscal year 2028. The government is expected to compile budget requests from ministries by the end of August.
 
 

McDonald’s Japan runs a lot of cool Happy Meal promotions, but none of them stick around for all that long. For example, the Pokémon Happy Meals that went on sale August 8 are only going to be around for a few more days.

However, one Happy Meal bowing out means that another should be on the way, right?

Indeed that was the plan, as McDonald’s had another massively popular anime franchise partnership lined up, one that it had managed to keep an impressively tight lid on.

However, barely a week before the new Happy Meals were supposed to debut, McDonald’s has said that they’re being postponed indefinitely, even though they still hadn’t been officially announced.

In a press release issued on Wednesday, McDonald’s Japan says:
"A notice regarding the Happy Meal campaign which was scheduled to start on August 29

As part of a company reassessment of Happy Meal-related operations, we are postponing the Happy Meal campaign that was scheduled to begin on Friday, August 29.

During the period in which the campaign was scheduled to take place, we will instead be distributing toys from previous campaigns to Happy Meal customers."

It’s not until the very last line of the press release that McDonald’s unceremoniously mentions what the intended promotion was: One Piece Card Game Happy Meals.

Though it may not have as massive a player base as the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the collectible card game branch of the "One Piece" franchise is a very big deal too.

Not only does it feature the characters of one of the most popular and long-running anime/manga series of all time, the One Piece Card Game is published by Bandai, a company with a wealth of promotional event planning expertise.

▼ A display of "One Piece" cards

 

With "One Piece" being hugely popular with kids and young adults alike, there’s no doubt the Happy Meals would have had fans lining up to get one. Unfortunately, it’s also a certainty that scalpers would have been equally eager to snatch up as many as they could.
 
Sandwiched in the middle of McDonald’s Japan’s Pokémon toy giveaway this month was a period of three days when the Happy Meals also included exclusive Pokémon cards.

The resulting rush of resellers led to litter and food waste from people picking out the card from their order and then abandoning or dumping the food and packaging, as well as uncomfortably tense atmospheres as regular customers were forced into competition with for-profit card hoarders.
 
This led to McDonald’s Japan issuing an official apology and adopting new countermeasures to make it more difficult for scalpers to bulk-buy Happy Meals, but apparently the chain feels these are still insufficient for items with as high a projected demand as "One Piece" cards.

In the above tweet, the official One Piece Card Game account also let fans know about the postponement of the Happy Meals, which, to repeat, had not even been publicly announced yet. 

As an indefinite postponement, it’s unclear how confident McDonald’s is that the promotion can be salvaged, and there’s a possibility that this will turn out to be a de-facto cancellation of the One Piece card Happy Meals entirely, proving that, no matter what the real treasure turns out to be, it was most definitely not the resellers who ruined things along the way.
 

The operator of the Japanese convenience store chain Ministop said Monday it has suspended the sale of deli items at some 1,600 stores as expiry dates of certain foods prepared by its kitchens have been faked.

While no health issues have been reported, Ministop Co, a subsidiary of Japanese retail giant Aeon Co., halted sales of onigiri rice balls and bento lunches from Aug. 9 and other deli items from Monday.

"We sincerely apologize to customers who purchased handmade onigiri and bento (lunch boxes), as well as other concerned parties, for the significant inconvenience caused," Ministop said in a statement.

The firm found that some store workers extended expiry dates by delaying labels for one to two hours after items were prepared in in-house kitchens, while others removed expiry stickers and replaced them with false dates.

Operating 1,818 stores nationwide as of July, Ministop is one of Japan's major convenience store chains, though it trails far behind the top three, including Seven-Eleven with 21,770 outlets.

The misconduct has been discovered at 23 stores in Tokyo, Saitama, Aichi, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo and Fukuoka prefectures.
 
 

SoftBank Group is buying about 2% of Santa Clara, California's Intel, the storied U.S. chipmaker that has lost ground in recent years in the race to build better and faster semiconductors.

The deal is the biggest investment by a Japanese company into the United States since the two countries reached a trade agreement on July 22.

In a statement, the companies said that SoftBank Group would be buying $2 billion of Intel shares for $23 apiece.

The U.S. chipmaker has a market capitalization of about $103 billion, which means that SoftBank is buying about 2% of the company's shares outstanding. The exact ratio wasn't mentioned in the announcement.

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, the companies noted in the Tuesday news release. They didn’t specify the exact timing and conditions of the announced transaction.

If the deal is completed, SoftBank would become the fifth largest shareholder of Intel.

“This strategic investment reflects our belief that advanced semiconductor manufacturing and supply will further expand in the United States, with Intel playing a critical role,” SoftBank Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son said in a statement on Tuesday.

The stock purchase follows a series of investment pledges by Son over the past several months.

With then-U.S. President-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, Son, who founded SoftBank, pledged in December to invest $100 billion in the U.S. over the next four years.

Soon after Trump was sworn in as president in January, Son, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Oracle Executive Chairman Larry Ellison announced a $500 billion investment over the next four years in artificial intelligence in the U.S.

SoftBank Group had ¥4.2 trillion ($28 billion) in cash and equivalents at the end of June, according to the company’s consolidated financial report for the most recent quarter.

The company declined to confirm whether the Intel investment is part of Son's recent investment pledge.

Intel shares have lost half their value over the past five years. They were priced at $23.66 at market close Monday in the United States, and rose by about 5% following the news of the SoftBank Group deal in extended-hours trading.

SoftBank Group’s shares fell 2% in Tokyo trading on Tuesday morning, but are still up 96% over the past year.

Under the trade deal reached between Japan and the U.S. last month, Japanese government-affiliated financial institutions will provide up to $550 billion in loans, loan guarantees and equity investments for critical industries and technologies in the United States, in exchange for lower tariffs.

SoftBank Group declined to confirm whether the latest investment is connected to the $550 billion pledge outlined in the trade pact.

The latest investment pledge from the company came as the Trump administration contemplates buying 10% of Intel’s shares for over $10 billion, which would make the U.S. government the largest shareholder in the company.

The U.S. president has also suggested in recent days that new tariffs on semiconductors are coming soon, with the rate set as high as 300%.
 
 

Osaka Gas Co. has completed construction of an experimental facility for a technology to synthesize methane from water and carbon dioxide, the company announced.

The technology is called solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) methanation, and it can synthesize methane, a major component of city gas, more efficiently than existing technology.

If put to practical use, the volume of electric power consumed in producing methane gas could be lower than with conventional methods, and thus production costs would be reduced.

SOEC methanation technology uses electric power from renewable energy sources. By electrolyzing water and CO2 at high temperatures, methane gas is produced from the hydrogen generated.

The heat generated by synthesizing methane will be reused in the electrolysis process, thus reducing energy loss.

Unlike conventional methods to produce methane, it is unnecessary to procure hydrogen gas from elsewhere.

Osaka Gas is enthusiastic about the production of such synthetic methane, termed e-methane, produced with renewable energy.

The experimental facility built in Konohana Ward, Osaka, combines equipment for the electrolysis of water vapor, which was developed by Toshiba Corp., with equipment for synthesizing methane, developed by Osaka Gas.

The facility is capable of producing an amount of methane gas equivalent to that consumed by 200 ordinary households.

Osaka Gas President Masataka Fujiwara said, “By introducing SOEC methanation, we want to accelerate the proliferation and expansion of the use of e-methane.”
 
 

Japan’s economy expanded an annualized 1.0% in the April-June quarter, government data showed on Friday, beating forecasts, though analysts expect the full hit to growth from U.S. tariffs will not be seen until future releases.

Resilient exports and capital expenditure underpinned the growth in the second quarter, likely supporting the case for the Bank of Japan to resume hiking interest rates and normalize monetary policy.

But economists warn that global economic uncertainties fueled by U.S. tariffs could weigh on the world’s fourth-largest economy in the coming months.

The increase in GDP compared with median market expectations for a 0.4% gain in a Reuters poll and followed a revised 0.6% rise in the previous quarter.

The reading translates into a quarterly rise of 0.3%, better than the median estimate of a 0.1% uptick.

Private consumption, which accounts for more than half of economic output, rose 0.2%, compared with a market estimate of a 0.1% increase. It grew at the same pace as the previous quarter.

Consumption and wage trends are key factors the BOJ is watching to gauge economic strength and determine the timing of its next interest rate action.
Capital spending, a key driver of domestic demand, rose 1.3% in the second quarter, versus a rise of 0.5% in the Reuters poll.

Net external demand, or exports minus imports, contributed 0.3 of a point to growth, versus an 0.8 point negative contribution in the January-March period.

The government last week cut its inflation-adjusted growth forecast for this fiscal year to 0.7% from the initially projected 1.2%, predicting U.S. tariffs would slow capital expenditure while persistent inflation weighs on consumption.

Exports have so far avoided a major hit from U.S. tariffs as Japanese automakers, the country’s biggest exporters, have mostly absorbed additional tariff costs by cutting prices in a bid to keep domestic plants running.

However, economists expect exports will suffer in the coming months as they start passing on costs to U.S. customers.
 
 

Japan eked out modest growth in the second quarter despite painful U.S. tariffs, official data showed Friday, in welcome news to embattled Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

A preliminary estimate showed gross domestic product (GDP) in the world's number four economy growing 0.3 percent in the three months to June, above market forecasts of 0.1 percent.

The cabinet office data also saw a revision upwards for its reading for the previous quarter to show an expansion of 0.1 percent.

On an annualized basis, GDP grew 1.0 percent, beating market forecasts of 0.4 percent and following 0.6 percent in the last quarter.

The previous estimate was for a contraction and, without the revision, a second negative reading would have put Japan in technical recession.

The new figures are a fillip for Ishiba, whose future has been uncertain since the disastrous upper house elections in July.

With voters angry about the cost of living, his coalition lost its majority months after it suffered a similar catastrophe in the lower chamber.

An opinion poll this week by broadcaster NHK suggested, however, that more people want Ishiba to stay than to quit.

There is also no obvious successor to the 68-year-old leader, who took office in October, while the opposition is likely too fragmented to form an alternative government.

The economic growth came despite tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump being applied to Japanese imports into the United States.

Causing particular pain are levies of 27.5 percent on Japanese cars, a sector that accounts for eight percent of all jobs in Japan.

Japan last month secured a trade deal that cut a threatened 25 percent "reciprocal" tariffs on other Japanese goods to 15 percent.

The rate on Japanese cars was also cut to 15 percent, although to Tokyo's consternation, this has yet to take effect.

Toyota this month cut its annual net income forecast by 14 percent, projecting a $9.5 billion hit from the tariffs this year.

First-quarter profits halved at Honda, but the firm lowered its forecast for the tariff impact, as did electronics giant Sony.

Economist Yoshiki Shinke at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute said that Japan's economy still faces "many downside risks", with exports the major concern.

Automakers "are expected to rethink their pricing strategies, and there is a possibility they may move to raise prices in the future," Shinke said in a note.

"In such a case, sales volumes in the US are likely to decrease, and export volumes could also be pressured downward," Shinke said before the release of the data.

Trump's administration, meanwhile, is seen as pressuring the Bank of Japan (BOJ) to hike interest rates, which could put a brake on growth.
The BoJ has been reluctant to raise borrowing costs, seeing above-target inflation as caused by temporary factors.

"The Japanese have an inflation problem," U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Bloomberg TV after speaking to the BOJ governor.

"They are behind the curve, so they are going to be hiking," Bessent said.
Experts said the comments were likely driven by the Trump administration's desire to weaken the dollar and address rising yields on U.S. long-term bonds. Marcel Thieliant at Capital Economics said that despite the better-than-expected GDP figures, growth will "slow a bit over the coming quarters."

"Nonetheless, with inflation set to remain far above the BOJ's 2-percent target, we're increasingly confident in our forecast that the Bank will resume its tightening cycle in October," Thieliant said.
 
 

 

NHK has learned that Japanese authorities have confiscated about one ton of dried cannabis that was shipped to Tokyo Port from Vietnam.

It is the largest single seizure of illegal drugs in Japan, according to available statistics to date.

The health ministry's Narcotic Control Department has reportedly arrested three Vietnamese nationals for allegedly violating the narcotics control act. They are suspected of conspiring to smuggle cannabis for profit. One of the suspects is 51 years old and a resident of Ibaraki Prefecture.

The department is investigating whether an international drug-smuggling group was involved.

Investigators said Tokyo Customs agents found a large amount of dried cannabis in 200 cardboard boxes on board a cargo ship that had left Da Nang Port in Vietnam. It entered Tokyo Port in June.

The investigators said narcotic control officers tracked the illegal drug while it was being transferred from the port. They confiscated it in the northern Kanto region.

The investigators also said the shipment's intended destination was a company in Osaka City, western Japan.

The amount confiscated is more than double the 452 kilograms of dried cannabis that was seized nationwide by police, narcotic officers and other authorities during 2024.
 
 

McDonald's Co (Japan) has found that its campaign to give away Pokemon trading cards with its Happy Set combo meals prompted some customers to buy the meals in bulk solely to obtain the cards for resale, while discarding the food.

The fast-food chain, which revealed the blunder on Monday in a press release, had limited purchases of the Happy Set -- known as the Happy Meal outside of Japan -- to five per person and implemented measures to prevent the reselling of the cards at higher prices ahead of the three-day promotion from Saturday.

But the company admitted that its preparations were "insufficient" and issued an apology. The campaign ended on the first day as many outlets ran out of the cards.

Before the launch, McDonald's had also asked Japanese online flea market operator Mercari Inc to help deal with listings of the trading cards, a highly sought-after collectible item.

The fast-food chain said it will implement stricter measures in the future such as denying entry to people who attempt to buy large quantities of the combo meals.
 
 

Japanese character "Npochamu," marketed as a goofy and rotund yoghurt fairy, is aiming to capitalize on its popularity overseas, with trading house Itochu Corp gaining merchandising rights for countries and regions in Asia and North America.

Npochamu and friend Kimimaro are already a hit among young people in Japan and South Korea, with goods such as charms featuring their likeness dangling from bags on city streets, while clips of their antics have amassed millions of views online.

Created by Japanese illustrator Kawaisouni!, whose moniker comes from an expression roughly meaning "How pitiful!" in English, Npochamu started gaining attention in 2022 after the artist began posting content of the white marshmallow-like figure on social media.

Itochu will develop Npochamu through a Hong Kong-based investee firm that also holds the rights to the Finnish storybook characters known as The Moomins.

The Japanese conglomerate aims to increase the total annual distribution value of Npochamu content to around 150 billion yen ($1.02 billion) by 2029. Its current value is around 10 billion yen.

In Japan and South Korea, a separate Japanese firm holds the rights to and manages the sales of Npochamu goods such as plushies and keychains.

The Japanese government has positioned the export of goods and content like manga and video games as part of its "Cool Japan" strategy for economic growth.

According to government estimates, the amount of such exports in 2022 reached 4.7 trillion yen, rivaling the scale of the steel and semiconductor industries.
 
 

Every box of Pocky has a picture of the chocolate-covered pretzel sticks on it, but you could make the argument that it’s sort of redundant. In the 59 years that it’s been on the market, Pocky has become one of Japan’s most beloved sweet snacks, and you’d have a hard time finding someone in the country who doesn’t know what it looks like.

That familiarity runs in the opposite direction as well. Show someone a Pocky stick, outside of its packaging and with the product name nowhere in sight, and the vast majority of people in Japan will still be able to tell you, without hesitation “That’s Pocky.”

That’s been statistically proven, too. In 2023, Pocky manufacturer Glico conducted a survey of 1,036 people in Japan, between the ages of 16 and 79, and more than 90 percent could identify Pocky just by its shape. 

Emboldened by those results, Glico went on to apply for an official, legal trademark for the shape of Pocky, and it’s now been granted one by the Japanese government.

This sort of status, referred to as a 3D trademark, isn’t easy for a food product to obtain. The category is more commonly used for things such as characters or packaging with a uniquely defining shape, which is why you can’t go out and start selling plushies that are an exact match for Mickey Mouse or bottle your upstart soda in bottles that are precisely the same as Coca-Cola’s.

The hurdle for food items to obtain 3D trademarks is especially high, though, given that their shapes are sometimes simply the natural result of a necessary cooking process, not something purposely created by design.
Nevertheless, Glico was able to sufficiently convince Japan’s trademark authorities that Pocky’s shape is distinct and defining to the extent that the product can be sufficiently identified by its shape alone.

The trademark was granted on July 25, though Glico didn’t put out a press release until August.


Ostensibly, this would give Glico the power to block the sale of snacks with the same shape as Pocky from other companies. Following the acquisition of the trademark, a representative for Glico said “Moving forward, we will continue to appropriately protect and utilize our trademarks in order to develop and nurture this brand which has been loved for so long.”

How much this will actually change the landscape of store snack shelves in Japan remains to be seen. With Pocky being popular with fans of Japanese pop culture, and delicious things in general, around the world, there are obvious imitators available in other countries.

However, with Pocky’s 3-D trademark being granted by the Japanese government, it doesn’t really give Glico any significant leverage in halting the sale of copycat snacks overseas, though it would, in theory, bar such products from being imported into and sold in Japan.

Among products regularly sold in the Japanese domestic market, Pocky doesn’t have any exact imitators. The closest facsimile is Toppo, made by competitor Lotte, but its shape has contours that Pocky doesn’t, and Toppo are pretzel sticks that are filled with chocolate, not covered in it, which also gives them a different shape.

Oddly enough, it’s debatable whether or not the 3D trademark for Pocky would apply to the brand’s own coconut flavor, since its crunchy coconut shavings mean it doesn’t conform to the standard “Pocky shape.”
But regardless of how exactly Glico is planning to use Pocky’s 3D trademark, it really does have one now.

 

Competition is intensifying among Chinese automakers over electric vehicles sales in Indonesia and Thailand, the No. 1 and No. 3 automobile markets in Southeast Asia.

The increase in competition has been prompted by government incentives in Indonesia and Thailand aimed at boosting their EV industries.

However, the incentives bring few benefits to Japanese carmakers, which excel in the field of hybrid vehicles, raising concerns about a decline in their presence in the markets.


Wuling’s share plummeting

China’s SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co. unveiled its Wuling Cortez Darion, a minivan the company plans to market soon, at an auto show near Jakarta in late July. In addition to an EV model of the minivan, the company also announced plans to launch a plug-in hybrid model. The vehicles will be produced at the company’s plant in Indonesia.

In 2023, Wuling held a 41% share of Indonesia’s EV sales, giving it the second largest share. But that figure plummeted to 30% in 2024 after it lost customers to BYD, a major Chinese EV manufacturer that entered the country around that time.

Executive Vice President Vincent Wong has said that Indonesia is the foundation of Wuling’s global strategy, and the company aims to bring back its customers by expanding its product lineup. EV sales in Indonesia in 2024 totaled 43,000 units, an increase of 2.5 times from the previous year.

However, those sales accounted for only 5% of the 866,000 total new vehicles sold that year, with the country’s insufficient charging infrastructure being the primary reason. This has prompted Chinese automakers, including Chery Automobile Co. and Beijing Auto Works, to also focus on non-EV models, such as hybrid vehicles.


Crisis among Japanese makers

In Thailand, EV sales topped 10% of the 573,000 total new vehicle sales in 2024. BYD secured a 40% share of the EV market in the country, boosting its sales by offering large discounts.

In the period from January to June this year, BYD ranked fourth in total new vehicle sales in the country with a 7.8% share, surpassing Mitsubishi Motors Corp. at 4.5%.

Japanese automakers entered the Thai market in the 1960s. In 2010, Japanese automakers had a market share of 92.3%. However, the figure fell below 80% in 2023 and dropped further to 70.6% between January and June this year.

Since 2022, the Thai government has been providing subsidies of up to 150,000 baht, or about ¥700,000, per EV sold to companies that establish new EV production bases in the country. It is also providing other preferential measures, such as corporate income tax breaks.

Many Chinese automakers are focusing on EVs, with BYD vying against Tesla, from the United States, for the top spot in global EV sales.

The companies have entered the Thai market with minimal initial investment and rapidly expanded sales by offering significant discounts, which exceed the subsidies they receive.

In Indonesia, where Japanese automakers had a nearly 90% market share in 2024, EV-boosting policies similar to Thailand’s have also been introduced. There is growing concern among Japanese carmakers that they may also lose market share to their Chinese competitors there in the future, just like in Thailand.

In an effort to counter the competition, Japanese automakers are expanding their lineup of hybrid vehicles in both countries. However, as government support for HVs is limited in the two countries, the automakers have yet to curb their declining sales.

Toyota Motor Corp. plans to begin EV production in both countries by the end of the year. Nevertheless, Japanese carmakers lag behind their competitors in bringing EVs to the market.
 
 

IQM Quantum Computers, a global leader in full-stack superconducting quantum computers, and TOYO Corporation have signed a distribution agreement to accelerate quantum computing adoption for the Japanese market.

With the agreement, Toyo, a leading company in measurement technology and a promoter of technological innovation in Japan, will market and sell IQM Spark, a 5-qubit system, and IQM Radiance, which ranges from 20-qubit to 150-qubit on-premises superconducting quantum computers.

It will also promote the cultivation of specialised talent in quantum computing technology and its societal implementation.

This partnership demonstrates a mutual commitment from both IQM and TOYO to support the initiatives of the Japanese government in achieving its quantum strategy. Among the key goals, the government is aiming at 10 million domestic quantum users by 2030. Backed by significant government investment, the Japanese quantum ecosystem is growing fast.

The partnership further underscores IQM’s commitment to advancing quantum technologies in the APAC region, complementing IQM’s current collaboration with Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST).

“Japan has become one of the major countries in quantum computing, and our partnership with TOYO, a company with a proven track record of serving the Japanese industries with technological solutions, signals our strong commitment to providing our market-leading full-stack quantum computers and advancing the practical application of quantum computing across various industries,” said Mikko Välimäki, Co-CEO of IQM Quantum Computers.

“This partnership represents a significant milestone, highlighting the strong commitment from both companies and the close alignment between IQM’s technological focus areas and TOYO’s business domains.

By leveraging our collective strengths, we will accelerate the deployment of quantum computers at universities, research institutions, and companies across Japan.

Together, we will also nurture the quantum specialists and drive the social implementation of quantum technologies in Japan,” said Toshiya Kohno, President and CEO of TOYO Corporation.

By combining IQM’s quantum technology with its technology and expertise, TOYO is diversifying its business areas and plans to establish a specialised unit dedicated to quantum technology by the end of 2025.

The company aims to pioneer new fields of application for quantum computers and promote the creation of use cases and the development of new business models. Toy will also provide education and research opportunities using actual quantum systems and collaborate with related companies and organisations.
 
 

Asian shares were mostly higher in muted trading Wednesday, after discouraging signs about the U.S. economy sent Wall Street shares declining, and

Investors are sifting through a slew of corporate earnings reports to assess how businesses may have been affected by U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs.

Among Japanese companies, automakers Honda Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. will report fiscal first quarter results this week, as will electronics and entertainment company Sony Corp.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.6% to finish at 40,794.86. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 added 0.8% to 8,843.70. South Korea's Kospi was little changed, gaining less than 0.1% to 3,198.14.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.2% to 24,958.75, while the Shanghai Composite gained 0.8% to 3,633.99.
U.S. futures were up 0.5%.

On Tuesday, the S&P 500 fell 0.5% to 6,299.19, coming off a whipsaw stretch where it went from its worst day since May to its best since May. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.1% to 44,111.74, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.7% to 20,916.55.

A weaker-than-expected report on activity for U.S. businesses in services industries like transportation and retail added to worries that Trump’s tariffs may be hurting the economy.

But conversely such indicators raise hopes the Federal Reserve may cut interest rates. That along with a stream of stronger-than-expected profit reports from U.S. companies helped to keep losses in check. The S&P 500 remains within 1.4% of its record.

 

The pressure is on companies to report bigger profits after the U.S. stock market surged to record after record from a low point in April. The big rally fueled criticism that the broad market had become too expensive.

For stock prices to look like better bargains, companies could produce bigger profits, or interest rates could fall. The latter may happen in September, when the Fed has its next policy meeting.

Expectations have built sharply for a rate cut at that meeting since a report on the U.S. job market on Friday came in much weaker than economists expected. Lower interest rates would make stocks look less expensive, while also giving the overall economy a boost. The potential downside is that they could push inflation higher.

Treasury yields sank sharply after Friday’s release of the jobs report, and they haven’t recovered. The yield on the 10-year Treasury eased to 4.19% from 4.22% late Monday and from 4.39% just before the release of the jobs report. That’s a significant move for the bond market.

In energy trading, benchmark U.S. crude rose 57 cents to $65.73 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, added 64 cents to $68.28 a barrel.
In currency trading, the U.S. dollar edged up to 147.66 Japanese yen from 147.61 yen. The euro cost $1.1575, down from $1.1579.
 
 

Seven & i Holdings Co. said Wednesday that it will increase the number of its convenience stores in Japan by 1,000 and open 1,300 new stores abroad by fiscal 2030.

The Japanese retailer plans to increase annual sales from its domestic delivery service through convenience stores by more than 10 times to 120 billion by fiscal 2030.

 

"Seven & i will transform itself into a company focusing on convenience store business," Stephen Dacus, who assumed the post of president and CEO at the company in May, said at a press conference.

The retailer said that up to 3.2 trillion yen in planned investment through fiscal 2030 will be used to finance mergers and acquisitions aimed at supporting the convenience store business as well as store refurbishment.

The company expects its operating profit to reach 3.4 trillion yen in fiscal 2030, up 26 pct from six years before.
 
 
 

Suzuki Motor has suspended domestic shipments of its five-door Jimny Nomade, the latest addition to its flagship Jimny series of four-wheel-drive compact sport utility vehicles, it was learned Tuesday.

The company had already stopped accepting new orders shortly after its launch due to overwhelming demand, but has not disclosed the reasons behind the latest shipment halt or when deliveries will resume.

Produced in India and imported to Japan, the Nomade was initially targeted for domestic sales of 1,200 units per month. However, within just four days of its launch on Jan. 30, the automaker received approximately 50,000 orders for the model.

In response to the unexpected surge in demand, Suzuki had planned to increase production starting in July with the goal of resuming orders. The company has yet to say how the shipment suspension will affect these plans.
 
 

Canon Inc. unveiled its new factory in Utsunomiya primarily for manufacturing lithography systems, which use light to expose minute circuit patterns onto semiconductor substrates, to the press on Wednesday.

It is the first time for Canon to establish a new semiconductor manufacturing equipment factory in 21 years since 2004. The company is responding to the growing demand for manufacturing equipment due to the rapid expansion of the semiconductor market.

The company has invested ¥50 billion in the new factory, which has a total floor area of 67,518 square meters. It will begin operations in September and aims to reach full capacity in 2027 or later. Combined with the output of the company’s other two factories, production capacity will exceed 300 units per year.

Fujio Mitarai, Canon chairman and CEO, said at the opening ceremony on Wednesday, “The importance of semiconductors is increasing. It is our duty to strengthen our system for the stable supply of equipment.”

Canon sold 233 semiconductor lithography systems in 2024. In terms of unit sales, it holds approximately 30% of the global market share, ranking second behind ASML Holding NV of the Netherlands. However, in the advanced semiconductor sector, ASML dominates the market with its extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography systems.

Canon will produce not only conventional equipment but also “nanoimprint” lithography systems for advanced semiconductors at the new factory.

Nanoimprinting presses circuit patterns onto substrates like a stamp, simplifying the semiconductor manufacturing process compared to conventional lithography systems, offering advantages such as reductions in both production costs and power consumption.

Canon plans to expand into the advanced semiconductor sector through mass production of nanoimprint lithography systems.

Demand for semiconductors is growing due to widespread adoption of AI and other factors. According to the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS), the global market is expected to grow 8.5% year-on-year to approximately $760 billion (approximately ¥116 trillion) in 2026. Some estimates predict the market will reach $1 trillion by 2030.

Japan’s semiconductor manufacturing equipment holds a strong competitive position in the global market. According to the Finance Ministry’s trade statistics, exports in 2024 reached ¥4.496 trillion, setting a record high.
 
 

A Japanese labour ministry panel plans to recommend an increase of about 6% in the national average minimum wage for this fiscal year, for the biggest such jump since at least 2002, the Kyodo news agency said on Friday.

The proposed hike, to about 1,118 yen ($7.43) per hour, would exceed last year's increase of 5% and be the largest since the current system began, the agency added, without citing sources.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's administration set a target last year of raising the average minimum wage by 42% to 1,500 yen per hour by the end of the decade.

Raising the legally binding minimum wage would boost households' purchasing power, but squeeze profits at small firms that struggle to make ends meet.
 
 

Japanese electronics and technology company Panasonic has chosen a new chief executive at a group company after eking out a 1.2% rise in its first-quarter profit.

Kenneth William Sain, a former Boeing executive, will replace Yasuyuki Higuchi as Panasonic Connect's president and chief executive in April 2026, the company said Wednesday. Panasonic Connect offers solutions and products for various supply chains, public services, infrastructure and entertainment sectors.

Sain joined Panasonic in 2019 as CEO of Panasonic Avionics.
“Ken is an exceptional leader with extensive global experience and a deep understanding of business and technology,” Higuchi said in a statement.

Panasonic Holdings Corp.’s April-June profit totaled 71.46 billion yen ($483 million), up from 70.6 billion yen. Its quarterly sales declined 10.6% from last year to 1.9 trillion yen ($12.8 billion).

The Osaka-based maker of home appliances, solar panels and batteries for Tesla vehicles kept its full year profit forecast unchanged at 310 billion yen ($2.1 billion), down 15% from the previous year.

Panasonic said the impact from U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs was not yet fully factored in. The company said it will try to minimize the effect on its operating profit with cost cuts and other measures.

Consumer electronics sales were strong in Japan, Panasonic said, while they were also healthy in China, supported by subsidies.

On the positive side, it said demand for AI servers and air-conditioners was expected to grow. But concerns remain about slowing demand for electric vehicles because of U.S. tariffs and the ending of tax credits.

Panasonic also said it’s planning to get its new lithium-ion battery factory in Kansas fully operational later this year, after a delayed start.

Panasonic said in May that it was slashing its global workforce by 10,000 people , half in Japan and half overseas, to become “lean.” The job cuts amount to about 4% of its workforce.
 
 

Japanese automaker Nissan 7201.T said on Wednesday that the company would stop production at its Civac plant in Mexico by March 2026 as part of its global restructuring plan.

The embattled automaker would integrate vehicle production from its Civac plant to its Aguascalientes complex in Mexico during the current financial year, the company said in a statement.

The announcement comes after Japan’s third-largest automaker said this month it will stop producing cars at two sites in Japan, namely its Oppama plant by March 2028 and Nissan Shatai’s 7222.T Shonan factory by March 2027.

Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa said in the statement that Mexico remained a strategic pillar for the company.

“Today, we have made the difficult but necessary decision, that will allow us to become more efficient, more competitive, and more sustainable,” he said.

The automaker first started operations at the Civac plant in 1966, a move that marked its initial expansion outside of Japan. The plant has produced more than 6.5 million vehicles to date, according to Nissan.

Nissan is set to report first-quarter financial results later on Wednesday.
The automaker has been moving ahead with a drastic restructuring aimed at slashing costs and restoring profitability and its performance in key markets such as the U.S. and China.

The plan includes slashing global production capacity to 2.5 million vehicles from 3.5 million and manufacturing sites to 10 from 17.
 
 

The number of local governments that are able to operate their finances without tax allocations from the state thanks to their abundant tax revenues increased for the fourth consecutive year, Japan’s internal affairs ministry said Tuesday.

In fiscal 2025, such local governments totaled 85, up by two from the previous year, reflecting the growth of local tax revenues backed by robust corporate performance.

On Tuesday, the ministry decided the amounts of fiscal 2025 ordinary tax allocations to be given to respective local governments with the aim of supplementing shortages in their financial resources. Internal affairs minister Seiichiro Murakami reported on the allocations at the day’s cabinet meeting.

Of the country’s 47 prefectures, Tokyo is the only one not to be given tax allocations. The remaining nonrecipients are cities, towns and villages.

The town of Kikuyo in the southwestern prefecture of Kumamoto, which hosts a plant of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world’s leading semiconductor contract manufacturer, became a nonrecipient for the first time.
 
 

As a result of the agreement, U.S.-made passenger cars whose safety is secured under Japanese standards can be imported without undergoing additional safety tests. Toyota Motor Corp. Chairman Toyoda’s remark is based on this aspect of the deal.

Toyota Motor Corp. Chairman Akio Toyoda told reporters on Saturday in Hita, Oita Prefecture, that he is willing to import to Japan the company’s vehicles manufactured in the United States in the wake a Japan-U.S. agreement in bilateral tariff negotiations.

“There are many car models that are not sold in Japan,” Toyoda said.
Although he declined to name specific models to be imported to Japan, it is believed that he is considering the Camry sedan, which is no longer manufactured and sold in Japan, and pickup truck models.

As a result of the agreement, U.S.-made passenger cars whose safety is secured under Japanese standards can be imported without undergoing additional safety tests.

Toyoda’s remark is based on this aspect of the deal.
If Toyota imports its own products manufactured in the United States to Japan, it is possible that the trade deficit with the United States will be reduced.

Because the range of choices will increase as a result of the tariff agreement that makes it easier to import U.S.-made cars, “It’s good for consumers,” Toyoda said.
 


 

The Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry plans to promote the domestic mass production of next-generation perovskite solar cells.
 
Using a government fund, the ministry plans to select companies to support within this fiscal year with the aim of achieving an annual production capacity of about 1 gigawatt, which is sufficient to meet the energy needs of about 300,000 households.
The Yomiuri Shimbun
 
The government aims to further popularize the adoption of solar power generation by also strengthening support for tandem solar panels, which utilize both silicon and perovskite cells.

These panels are expected to be capable of achieving power generation efficiency of 1.5 times to 2 times greater than conventional solar panels. Tandem solar panels can also easily replace conventional solar panels as they can use the same mounts and wiring.
 
Using the Green Innovation Fund, aimed at promoting decarbonization technologies, the ministry will provide financial support for the development and demonstration of mass production technologies. Companies eligible for support will be required to reduce power generation costs to 12 yen or less per kilowatt-hour, which is about 10% less than for conventional solar panels, and achieve a lifespan of about 20 years.
 
As key players for domestic production, the ministry envisages such companies as Kaneka Corp. — a chemical manufacturer leading the development of tandem cells — and Choshu Industry Co. — which holds about a 20% share of the domestic market for solar cells for residential use.

As domestic companies account for as much as about 70% of the residential solar cell market, the ministry considers this an area with potential for expansion.
 
In the solar cell sector, Chinese manufacturers are leading the market, with multiple companies having already begun mass production of tandem cells, a stage no Japanese company has yet reached. Choshu Industry plans to set up a test line at its main factory by the end of this year, aiming to start mass production as soon as possible.
 
In the development of perovskite solar cells, Sekisui Chemical Co. is leading the market with a thin and lightweight film type, while Panasonic Corp. is pioneering a glass type that can be used as a building material.
 

 
Boosted by a Japan-U.S. trade deal, the Nikkei stock index is expected to stay afloat above the 40,000 threshold at least for a while, despite political uncertainty created by the major setback suffered by Japan's ruling parties in a recent national election.

The benchmark may soon break its record high by surpassing 42,224.02 registered a year ago, but the market could face a downside risk if long-term interest rates surge further due to expectations of expansionary fiscal measures like a consumption tax cut.

"With uncertainty over tariff negotiations dispelled, it makes it easier for companies to foresee future earnings, helping to support the stock market," said Maki Sawada, a strategist at the Investment Content Department of Nomura Securities Co.

The Nikkei added more than 2,000 points over the two days through Thursday after the agreement that U.S. tariffs on imported Japanese cars and other goods will be lowered sharply to 15 percent, although the yield on the key 10-year government bond spiked to 1.600 percent, its highest level since 2008.

"As long as higher interest rates are accompanied by improving business performance, stocks will rise as seen in the past," Sawada said, expecting the index to be supported around the 40,000 line.

The market is likely to be buoyed by hopes for upward revisions in earnings after some major companies like Toyota Motor Co. projected a hefty 35 percent drop in net profit for this fiscal year by factoring in an additional 25 percent tariff imposed by Washington from April.

Trade data show that Japan's shipments to the United States, the largest export destination for Japanese automakers, dropped 11.4 percent in value terms in June from a year earlier for the third consecutive monthly decline, contributing to a 30.8 percent plunge in its trade surplus with the country.

"Stocks may be further lifted by positive incentives like more U.S. trade deals with the European Union and China, as well as economic data and earnings," possibly sending the Nikkei to the 44,000 level at one point, said Masahiro Yamaguchi, head of investment research at SMBC Trust Bank.

While many analysts believe the current level of long-term interest rates at around 1.6 percent is unlikely to be an obstacle for stocks to chase higher ground, a spike toward 2 percent may stir concerns about increased borrowing costs and dent market sentiment.

Situations surrounding the bond market suggest the likelihood of the yield climbing further, as the Japan-U.S. trade deal helped ease concern about the prospects of the domestic economy and will make it easier for the Bank of Japan to further raise interest rates.

The tariff deal is a "big step forward," as it reduces economic uncertainty facing Japanese companies under U.S. President Donald Trump's trade policy, BOJ Deputy Governor Shinichi Uchida said Wednesday.

His remark fueled speculation that the central bank will increase the policy rate again after raising it three times since March last year to around 0.50 percent, as it shifts from a decade of unorthodox monetary easing.

"Given that the tariff negotiations ended up with a desirable agreement despite expectations of tough going, the recession risk in the second half of this year has alleviated considerably," said Daiju Aoki, chief Japan economist at UBS SuMi TRUST Wealth Management Co.

"Japan's interest rates are likely to remain elevated with the probability of a rate hike by the end of year increasing significantly," Aoki said, adding that investors will adopt a cautious stance about buying bonds, whose prices move inversely to yields.

Reflecting expectations for weakening demand, the auction for 40-year government bonds held Wednesday was sluggish, with the bid-to-cover ratio standing at 2.13 percent, its lowest level since 2011.

Higher yields also followed on from the results of Sunday's House of Councillors election, which raised the possibility that expansionary fiscal measures may be adopted in the future, leading to further deterioration in Japan's fiscal health.

The Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner Komeito suffered a major setback in the election, losing their majority in the upper house, with opposition forces urging that the consumption tax be cut, suspended, or even abolished to ease the pain of inflation.

The ruling coalition, meanwhile, pledged to deliver cash handouts, which are likely to require fewer financial resources.

"Currently the key long-term yield remains at around 1.6 percent, as there have not been specific moves leading to stimulus measures such as reducing the consumption tax," said Yutaka Miura, senior technical analyst at Mizuho Securities Co.

"But if such moves come into sight, such as opposition parties starting to request such measures, the yield could climb further," he said, adding that it could affect negatively to the stock market if it rises to between 1.7 and 1.8 percent.
 
 

Competition has been intensifying between established and upcoming brands in the growing market for green tea beverages.

At a time when prices are rising, cheaper store-brand products offered by operators of convenience store and supermarket chains have gained in prominence, and some newcomers have even entered the market.

Leading beverage makers, meanwhile, are trying to fight back and retain market share by improving their staple products.

Iris Ohyama Inc., a leading home goods company, entered the green tea beverage market in June.

A 500-milliliter bottle of the company’s Iris no Ocha Ryoku (Iris’ green tea) is priced at around ¥150, cheaper than similar products sold by major beverage makers. The company aims to achieve annual sales of ¥7 billion.

“The market for tea beverages is growing, and it has incredible potential,” said Hiroyuki Katsuma, an executive officer at the company. “Since we are the most recent entrant to this market, we want to start by focusing on making our product known [among consumers].”

According to the Japan Soft Drink Association, production of green tea beverages totaled 3.07 million kiloliters in 2024, up 3.4% from the previous year. Green tea accounted for 13% of all soft drinks, second only to mineral water at 21%.

While the production of coffee and other kinds of beverages has been declining, green tea beverages are expected to continue to grow. In the soft drink industry, it is said that whoever dominates the green tea market can dominate the overall beverage business.

Since last year, major manufacturers have been making efforts to further increase the prominence of their green tea products’ distinguishing characteristics, such as flavor and aroma, and to develop new designs for their packaging.

In March, Ito En, Ltd., Japan’s largest manufacturer in the green tea sector, began selling a new series of products called Oi Ocha Pure, which feature less bitterness and astringency than many other green tea beverages.
In late June, the company put out a new addition to the series, a lemon-flavored beverage meant to attract younger customers.

In March, Suntory Beverage and Food Ltd. released the revamped version of its mainstay tea drink Iyemon, increasing the proportion of umami-rich ichiban-cha — the season’s first-picked tea leaves — in the product. The company has also changed the main color of the beverage’s packaging from green to white.

Store-brand products are gaining in the market for green tea beverages.
According to Intage Inc., a marketing research firm, the share in this market held by store-brand products increased from 8.5% in 2014 to 11.8% in 2024.

In many cases, store-brand products are sold in 500- to 600-milliliter bottles for less than ¥100 at supermarkets and about ¥100 at convenience stores.
Meanwhile, many major beverage makers raised the prices of their products from around 2022 mainly due to soaring ingredient prices, which caused decreases in their sales volumes in the following year.

Some of these makers plan to raise the prices of their products again as early as October, which means that some of their key products will be sold at ¥200 or higher per bottle.

Some market watchers believe that it will be difficult for them to secure loyal consumers simply by updating their staple products.

“If a beverage maker loses in the battle for market share, they may find that there is no longer any space for their products on convenience store shelves,” said Kazuhiro Miyashita, editor of a magazine on the beverage market. “They have to add value to their products.”
 
 

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi indicated Thursday that the country's additional purchases of U.S. defense equipment as announced by the U.S. government will be based on Tokyo's existing procurement policy, not representing a new initiative.

Regarding the Japan-U.S. trade agreement announced this week, the U.S. government has said that Japan agreed to buy billions of dollars' worth of defense equipment from the United States a year.

On this, Hayashi told a press conference, "We explained to the U.S. side our perspective on near-term defense equipment purchases based on our country's current defense buildup program."

The top government spokesman also said, "We gave our thoughts during the Japan-U.S. tariff negotiations from the viewpoint that Japan's purchases of U.S. defense equipment help correct the trade imbalances between the two countries as a consequence."

Japanese economic revitalization minister Ryosei Akazawa, also chief negotiator on tariff issues with the United States, has separately said that the trade agreement does not include defense-related outlays.
 


 

One of the Bank of Japan's deputy chiefs on Wednesday reiterated the bank's readiness to pursue a path toward monetary normalization if the Japanese economy and inflation move in line with expectations, while noting uncertainties regarding U.S. tariffs.
 
"Given that real interest rates are at significantly low levels...the bank, in accordance with improvement in economic activity and prices, will continue to raise the policy interest rate," BOJ Deputy Governor Shinichi Uchida said in a speech in Kochi, western Japan.
 
Saying it is not yet clear how economic activity and prices at home and abroad will develop, Uchida said he will pay close attention to the economic data "as there are extremely high uncertainties and as domestic and overseas economies seem to be at a critical juncture."
 
Uchida's remarks came hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said that he has struck a "massive" trade deal with Japan, under which Tokyo has agreed to a "reciprocal tariff" of 15 percent, lower than earlier proposed.
 
In his speech, Uchida did not directly address the newly announced deal.
 
Expressing concern about the potential downward pressure on prices in Japan from U.S. trade policy, Uchida also noted upward pressure from cost-push factors, particularly in food prices.
 
"My attention will therefore be on how such upward and downward pressure may affect the outlook for prices through, for example, firms' wage- and price-setting behavior."
 
The BOJ has shifted from a decade of unorthodox easing, lifting its key rate three times since March last year.
 
But the central bank kept its benchmark rate unchanged at 0.5 percent at its June policy meeting, the third straight gathering without a policy adjustment, with Trump's tariffs clouding the outlook for Japan's export-oriented economy.
 
The BOJ will hold a two-day policy meeting from July 30, during which it is set to issue its updated quarterly outlook for growth and inflation.
 

Small and medium-sized firms like Mitsuwa Electric that form the backbone of Japan's economy have weathered many storms over the decades, and company president Yuji Miyazaki is hopeful they will also withstand Donald Trump.

As part of a campaign against friend and foe, the U.S. president has threatened 25 percent tariffs on imports of Japanese goods from August 1, having already imposed tough levies on its vehicles, steel and aluminium.
However, Miyazaki told AFP that he was confident.

"We are providing very specialised products for specialised industries, where it is difficult to change suppliers or supplying countries just because of boosted tariffs," he said on a tour of the 92-year-old firm.

"I'm not worried too much, because if American companies can't produce parts on their own, they have no choice but to import those parts regardless of tariffs," the descendant of the firm's founder said.

With 100 employees, Mitsuwa Electric is not a household name.
But like millions of other SMEs that account for 99.7 percent of Japan's companies, it is world-class in its specialist niche.

It began making light bulb filaments and now produces coils, rods, needles, plates, pipes and wires for a range of goods including car lights, photocopiers and X-ray machines.

In 2022 it won a Guinness World Record for the smallest commercially available metal coil, with a diameter around half that of a human hair.

Mitsuwa's customers are across Asia, Europe and North America and include Japanese engineering giant Toshiba and Toyota-affiliated parts maker Koito Manufacturing.

Miyazaki said the impact of U.S. tariffs on the company's business is limited so far, with one auto sector customer asking it to lower prices.
"All we can do is to adapt to any changes in the business environment," Miyazaki said.

 

Diversify to survive

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has sent his tariffs envoy Ryosei Akazawa to Washington seven times since April to try to win relief from the tariffs.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was due to meet Ishiba and Akazawa on Friday in Tokyo.

But the prime minister's apparently maximalist strategy of insisting all tariffs are cut to zero have been criticized in some parts, especially as August 1 approaches.

U.S.-bound exports of Japanese vehicles -- a sector tied to eight percent of Japanese jobs -- tumbled around 25 percent in May and June.

The lack of a deal isn't helping Ishiba's popularity ahead of upper house elections on Sunday that may end Ishiba's premiership after less than a year.
What bothers Japanese firms is Trump's unpredictability and the complexity of the tariffs, according to government-backed SME support organization JETRO.

Since February, the group has received more than 2,000 enquiries from members about U.S. tariffs, with a flood of requests since June asking for "the latest information" as the deadline approaches.

Mitsuwa Electric boss Miyazaki admits worrying about Trump's threat of pharmaceuticals tariffs of 200 percent, or if medical equipment is targeted.
Together with its broad product range, the diversification of its customer base has shielded it so far, he said.

This is also vital for other firms to survive, said Zenkai Inoue, an SME expert and professor at the Kyushu Institute of Information Sciences.
"I'm proposing a 'tricycle strategy', which means you have to have (at least) three customers in different regions," he told AFP.

"For SMEs, securing financial stability by asking banks for their funding is important to survive for the time being, then the next step would be expanding their sales channels to other markets," he said.

Inoue added that some Japanese firms had been slow to prepare for Trump's tariffs, even after he said he would during his 2024 election campaign.

"There was a time when Japanese companies, having heavily relied on the Chinese market, (were) hurt badly by a sudden change in China's policy. But some of them have not learnt a lesson enough from that experience," he said.
 
 

 

Kansai Electric Power Co. said Tuesday it will conduct topographical and geological surveys in the town of Mihama in Fukui Prefecture, central Japan, as part of its plan to build a new nuclear reactor at its Mihama power plant.

If the results support the construction, the company is expected to apply for approval from the Nuclear Regulation Authority to move forward with the project.

This is the first concrete move toward building a new reactor in Japan since the March 2011 massive earthquake and tsunami mainly in the Tohoku northeastern region, which led to one of the world’s worst nuclear accidents at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.’s Fukushima No. 1 power plant.

“We will explain the outline of the surveys to the people of Mihama and begin the surveys swiftly,” Kansai Electric President Nozomu Mori told a press conference in the western city of Osaka. “We will not make a decision (on the construction) based solely on the results (of the surveys).”

Kansai Electric aims to install a next-generation nuclear reactor, such as an innovative light-water reactor, at the site. In making its decision, however, the company believes it must comprehensively assess the development status of new reactor models and the business environment in terms of making investments, among other factors.

At the Mihama plant, the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors are set to be decommissioned, while the No. 3 unit, which is currently in operation, will mark its 50th year of operation next year.

In 2010, Kansai Electric announced plans to set up a new reactor in or near the Mihama plant site, but the project was shelved following the 2011 disaster.

Japan promotes the maximum utilization of nuclear power plants under its basic energy plan, approved at a cabinet meeting in February. As part of the plan, the government aims to develop and build next-generation reactors that are considered safer than conventional types.

Subsequently, Kansai Electric, in its fiscal 2025 business scheme announced in April, said it will work on improving its business environment with a view to replacing its nuclear reactors.
 
 

A lot of first guitars in Japan were made by Fernandes, a Saitama-based company that started in 1969 and grew to receive worldwide recognition. 

Their guitars were especially popular in the ’90s, having been used by members of Metallica and Green Day, while in Japan, they were often held by guitarists in the visual kei genre of rock, including those from bands like X Japan and Buck-Tick.

By 1999, their sales were flying high at about four billion yen, but have been on a steady decline since and fell to 166 million yen ($1 million) in 2022, landing them about 24 million in the red.

Despite some efforts to pull out of the slump, Fernandes finally had to file for bankruptcy in June of this year.

It’s fair to say that times are tough for a lot of businesses these days, but the spectacular fall of Fernandes left many wondering what happened to cause it in online comments.

“There are just too many secondhand guitars on the market now. Plus, people don’t even need instruments to make music anymore.”

“My first guitar was a Fernandes.”

“Sad… It’s the end of an era.”

“Does anyone even buy instruments anymore?”

“Once visual kei went down in popularity, times got hard for them.”

“I bought a Fernandes bass and guitar because I loved Hide.”

“They’re still great guitars. It’s just the times have changed.”

“The policies of the LDP are making all kinds of great companies crash. They need to go.”

“Most people don’t buy instruments anymore, and those that do can only afford one.”

“Notice how everyone is saying ‘My first guitar was a Fernandes,’ but not their second, third, or fourth…”

“People don’t have the endurance to learn an instrument with all the instant gratification content out there.”

“The music industry is going down all over the world. It’s all EDM now.”

What happened to Fernandes was most likely the result of how the company was run or, as one comment pointed out, the general economic conditions of Japan as a whole.

 It was also reported that the brand name was sold to another company, but it remains to be seen if that means future generations around the world will continue to pick up a Fernandes as their first guitar.
 
 

When car maker Mazda sneezes, everyone catches a cold, say people in its hometown of Hiroshima in western Japan, but these days, auto parts maker Yuji Yamaguchi fears a deep chill is on the way.

"If Mazda builds fewer cars, our orders will drop," said Yamaguchi, whose 110-year-old firm, Nanjo Auto Interior, has almost 1,000 employees making door panels and other parts for the automaker, which accounts for more than 90% of its sales.

"The key thing is whether we can remain profitable with lower volumes."
The economic engine of Hiroshima, a manufacturing hub 800 km (500 miles) southwest of Tokyo, Mazda faces U.S. tariffs of 25% on automobiles, a dispiriting prospect for an electorate already battling inflation and a weak economy.

Japan votes on Sunday in an upper house election that looks set to weaken the grip on power of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who has failed to win a tariff reprieve from the United States, its closest ally and a crucial trade partner.

"I have no expectations for the Japanese government anymore," said Yamaguchi, a great-grandson of Mazda founder Jujiro Matsuda. "I'm past frustration and have just resigned myself to things."

As people in Hiroshima and other auto manufacturing regions, brace for the inevitable fall-out from tariffs, Yamaguchi said he had little hope the government could turn the tide.

President Donald Trump has given no sign of relenting on his tariffs, and has even hinted at raising those against Japan.

Mazda, which saw U.S. sales fall 18.6% in May on the year and by 6.5% in June, is one of the Japanese car makers most exposed to U.S. tariffs.

Imports bring in the bulk of Mazda's American sales, but the importance of the wider industry for Japan is almost impossible to overstate.

After Japan ceded global leadership in chips and consumer electronics, its auto industry has grown to make up about 28% of the roughly $145 billion worth of goods shipped to the United States last year.

There are more than 68,000 companies in Japan's auto supply chain, a July survey by research firm Teikoku Data Bank showed, and the JAMA industry group says they employ 5.6 million people, or about 8% of the labour force.

"A supply chain is hard to rebuild once broken," said Hideki Tsuchikawa, research head at Teikoku Databank’s branch in Hiroshima, which his firm estimates is home to more than 2,000 auto suppliers.

"Automobiles are a core national industry. Government support is essential."
The tariffs could cost Mazda and other smaller Japanese automakers U.S. market share lost to bigger rivals, said Julie Boote, an autos analyst at Pelham Smithers Associates in London. 

Mazda, headquartered in Hiroshima, where it has assembly plants, has so far declined to give a full-year earnings outlook, citing the uncertainty of tariffs.
In a statement, Mazda told Reuters its top priority was to protect suppliers, dealers and employees as it looked to overcome the tariff impact.

It anticipated significant impact in the short term, the company said, adding it was taking all possible steps, such as asking for government countermeasures.

 

'NO OVERTIME, NO DRINKING'

It is hard to say whether the uncertainty will further deepen voter anger over time, or how much opposition parties will be able to chip away at Ishiba's support as they look to tap into voter discontent.

For the auto industry there seems to be no recourse except to return to a well-worn playbook of cost-cutting perfected during Japan's years of stop-start economic growth.

No overtime means no extra money for drinking, said Koji Sasaki, the 54-year-old owner of a bar in the town of Fuchu close to Mazda's headquarters, where the automaker's employees usually form the bulk of customers.  
Their numbers have dropped in recent months, with some regulars apologizing for making fewer visits, he said.

Drinking in Sasaki's bar on a recent July evening was company veteran Toshiyuki Shimizu, 45, who said Mazda had already cut back on overtime and business travel for employees.

"We used to bring junior staff along on business trips, but now I often go alone," said Akira Ichigi, a 32-year-old Mazda colleague, adding that the limits denied junior employees valuable experience acquired on such trips.

Mazda has set up a tariff strategy team that was meeting each week in Hiroshima, said one company insider, speaking on condition of anonymity.
But Mazda faced constraints in finding ways to tackle the tariffs from a labour shortage in the United States, that kept it from boosting capacity at its sole plant there, operated with Toyota, the source added.

Mazda said overtime cuts and a business travel review were part of its drive to cut 100 billion yen in costs. Essential travel continued, but it was evaluating whether accompanying staff were necessary, it said.

The company set up a team to monitor tariffs and was working with suppliers and dealers, it said, adding that key to increasing supply to the U.S. market were its efforts to tackle labour shortages and strengthen the supply chain.

For now, parts supplier Yamaguchi said he was not considering specific steps to counter the tariffs.

"In business, we need to have long-term vision," Yamaguchi said, likening the moment to the COVID-19 pandemic, when his company posted a loss in 2020 but returned to profit the next year by working to boost efficiency rather than cutting costs. "If we don’t invest in 2025, we might miss opportunities."
 
 

 

Panasonic Holdings Corp. has decided to postpone the start of full operations of its newly built U.S. electric vehicle battery plant, as Panasonic’s major client Tesla has reported sluggish sales, prompting Panasonic to review its production plans.

Operations at the plant, located in Kansas, were originally scheduled to start at the end of fiscal 2026.

The global EV market is experiencing a slowdown in growth, leading to widespread revisions of production and investment plans.

Construction of the Kansas plant, which was built with an investment of about $4 billion (about ¥590 billion), began in autumn 2022 as Panasonic’s second U.S. production site, after its Nevada facility.

Panasonic initially planned to reach full production of the plant, which has an annual production capacity of about 30 gigawatt-hours, by the end of fiscal 2026, but this has been changed to “undecided.”

Tesla’s global sales for the April-June period were 384,000 vehicles, down 13% from the same period last year, marking the second consecutive quarter of a two-digit decline. This is said to be due to the political remarks and actions of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, whose relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump has soured.

The outlook for the overall EV market in the United States is uncertain. The Trump administration plans to abolish tax incentives for EVs at the end of September. The administration also plans to impose an additional 50% tariff on copper which is used in products such as EV motors, and the additional tariff could affect future market trends.

In response to this situation, Japanese automakers are also reviewing their production plans in North America.

Toyota Motor Corp. had planned to begin U.S. production of two new EV models by 2026 but has postponed the start of production for one of the models to 2028. Nissan Motor Co. has also delayed the start of production of new EVs in the United States.

Honda Motor Co. has postponed the start of operations at its new EV plant in Canada, originally set for 2028, to 2030 or later. The company had planned to invest ¥10 trillion by fiscal 2030 in global EV-related projects, including software development, but this was reduced this to ¥7 trillion.

In Japan, EV sales are stagnating due to high prices and a lack of charging facilities, leading automakers to review their EV strategies.

Nissan announced in May that it will abandon plans to build an EV battery plant in Kitakyushu. Toyota is working to reschedule the start of the operation of its battery plant yet to be constructed in Fukuoka Prefecture. The start was originally planned for 2028, but this will likely be delayed.

Panasonic is collaborating with Subaru Corp. and Mazda Motor Corp. to establish new battery factories in Japan and expand production capacity. Depending on market conditions, the company may be forced to revise its domestic plans as well.

 

It’s been a tumultuous couple of years for the arcade industry in Japan. Not even the otaku mecca of the Akihabara neighborhood is completely buffered, as it’s been announced that one of the Tokyo neighborhood’s oldest “game centers,” as arcades are called in Japanese, will be closing and very soon.

Back in the early ‘90s, Sega was riding high, as a developer of not just video game software, but hardware too, producing home consoles, handheld systems, and arcade machines. 

In 1992, it opened High-tech Land Sega Shintoku on a corner of Chuo-dori, the main street of Akihabara. The entire multi-story building was one huge arcade, eventually changing its name to Club Sega Akihabara and then Sega Akihabara Building 1.

Sega’s fortunes later faded and the company made the decision to pare back its operations and focus on software production and publishing, stepping out of the home hardware arena in 2001 and finally selling off its arcade management business at the end of 2021.

That didn’t result in the shuttering of all of its arcades, however, as new owner Genda has continued operating many of them under its GiGO brand, including the former Sega Akihabara Building 1, now called GiGO Akihabara Building 1, which had the distinction of being Sega’s longest-operating whole-building sized arcade at the time of its sale.

But now the end is coming for GiGO Akihabara Building 1, and it’s coming very quickly. On Tuesday, Genda announced that the landmark arcade will be closing down permanently at the end of August.

In its press release, Genda says the reason for the arcade’s closure is that its lease is expiring. No details have been given over whether negotiating for a new lease was an option or not, but the company says that after GiGO vacates the building the company Matahari Entertainment will be coming in to set up an “amusement facility.”

Matahari is also involved in arcade management, but its chain, called Silk Hat, closed one of its most well-known arcades not too long ago. Taking that into consideration, Matahari might be moving in with its Baa@se brand of karaoke/darts bar/Internet cafe facilities instead, or perhaps is developing a new concept specifically for the Akihabara location.

Regardless of what comes next, though, GiGO Akihabara Building 1’s last day will be August 31.
 
 

Narita Airport is facing the busiest time of year for live eel imports as it gets closer to the Day of the Ox, a day in midsummer when grilled eel is traditionally eaten.

This year, the Day of the Ox takes place on July 19 and 31.
Of the 8,062 tons of eels imported into Japan last year, Narita Airport handled 6,490 tons, or about 80%, according to Tokyo Customs.

In July last year, 1,158 tons of eels were imported nationwide, and 890 tons passed through Narita Airport. Both figures were the highest for 2024.

An import company in Narita, Chiba Prefecture, purchased on Wednesday about 2 tons of Japanese eels farmed in China and Taiwan .

The president of the company said this year’s market price is about the same as last year. The president also said the price, so far, has not been affected by the European Union’s June proposal to regulate eel trade under the Washington Convention, which restricts the international trade of protected species.

“Even though it’s hot, I want people to stay healthy by eating eels,” the company president said.
 


 

Dragon Ball is a big franchise. Though it started as a manga, the anime adaptation of Akira Toriyama’s sprawling intergalactic martial arts epic started airing less than two years after the first chapter was published, and there have now been more than 20 "Dragon Ball" theatrical anime, dozens of video games, and one live-action Hollywood version that many fans of the source material are still trying to scrub from their memories.

One thing there hasn’t been, though, is an entire shop just for "Dragon Ball" merch. That’s going to be changing, though, as the franchise’s official website has announced that the first-ever Dragon Ball Store will be opening in Japan soon.

As one of the most continually popular anime franchises of the past four decades, "Dragon Ball" merch, in and of itself, isn’t all that hard to find in Japan.

Between the series’ long history, fanbase that stretches from little kids all the way up to adults, and the fact that new "Dragon Ball" anime and manga are still being made, though, there are far too many cool "Dragon Ball" items to fit into a sub-section of a general anime specialty shop, so the Dragon Ball Store should boast an especially wide selection.

The announcement also promises that the shop will have limited-edition merch that won’t be available anywhere else in the world.

▼ So far, the closest thing there’s been to a Dragon Ball store is the Jump Shop, where it shares space with the other titles from manga publisher Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump anthology.

With Japan’s passionate fan communities, plus a large number of visiting foreign travelers being fans of the otaku arts, there are shops for some of the most prominent publishers and production houses, such as Nintendo and Studio Ghibli. Dedicated shops for individual series, though, are less common, and are often popup affairs.

The Dragon Ball Store’s announcement makes no mention of it being a limited-time event, however, so it looks like it’ll be joining the Pokemon Center as one of the few individual series with its own permanent store.

Currently, the only opening date/location information that’s been revealed is that the Dragon Ball Store will be open this coming fall and be located somewhere within Tokyo, though the city’s high-tourism neighborhoods of Shibuya, Akihabara, Shinjuku, and Ikebukuro seem the most likely.
 
 

Japan's trade surplus in June shrank 30.8 percent from a year earlier to 153.1 billion yen ($1 billion) as automobile and other exports to the United States plunged amid higher tariffs, government data showed Thursday, Kyodo reports.

Overall exports fell 0.5 percent to 9.16 trillion yen, weighed down by a 11.4 percent drop in U.S.-bound shipments to 1.71 trillion yen, marking the third straight month of decline since Washington imposed a 25 percent tariff on imported vehicles in April.

Imports edged up 0.2 percent to 9.01 trillion yen, lifted by pharmaceutical products from Ireland and mobile phones from China, the Finance Ministry said in a preliminary report. The trade balance returned to the black for the first time in three months.

Japan's trade surplus with the United States tumbled 22.9 percent to 669.3 billion yen, down for the second straight month. Imports from the country decreased 2.0 percent to 1.04 trillion yen.

While vehicle shipments to the world's largest economy plunged 26.7 percent in value terms, they rose 3.4 percent by volume.

"Japanese manufacturers continued to absorb the costs of the tariffs," rather than passing them on to customers, said Koki Akimoto, an economist at the Daiwa Institute of Research.

But the trend is likely to fade as several major Japanese carmakers have announced plans to raise their prices, Akimoto said.

"If that's the case, the price competitiveness of Japanese products will decline in the U.S. market, and the impact of the tariffs will gradually become more visible" in the broader Japanese economy, he added.

Among other products facing higher tariffs, exports of automobile parts to the United States dropped 15.5 percent, while steel shipments plunged 28.5 percent, the ministry said.

Japan remained in the red with China for the 51st consecutive month, logging a deficit of 516.7 billion yen, up 53.7 percent from the year before.
Japan's trade surplus with the rest of Asia, including China, fell 19.1 percent to 450.9 billion yen.

Its trade deficit with the European Union came to 303.2 billion yen, remaining in the red for the 17th straight month.

For the first six months of 2025, Japan logged a trade deficit of 2.22 trillion yen, down 34.2 percent from the previous year.

Exports rose 3.6 percent to 53.36 trillion yen and imports increased 1.3 percent to 55.58 trillion yen in the January-June period.

Earlier, it was reported Japan saw record 21.5 mln foreign visitors in 1H of 2025. 
 
 

Japan's top trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa held talks with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on US tariffs on Thursday (Jul 17), as Tokyo races to avert a 25 per cent levy that will be imposed unless a deal is clinched by an Aug 1 deadline.

During the 45-minute phone call, the two sides "re-confirmed each other's position on US tariff measures and engaged in deep conversation", Japan's government said in a statement, adding that Tokyo would continue dialogue with Washington.

The phone talks came after President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the US would likely keep 25 per cent tariffs on imports from Japan, which take effect from Aug 1, unless the countries agree on a trade deal.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will meet US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Tokyo on Friday, the Japanese government said in a separate announcement.

Bessent is visiting Japan to attend the US national day at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka on Saturday. Akazawa will be in Osaka on Saturday to receive the US delegation led by Bessent.

"There are certain elements we cannot compromise," Akazawa told reporters on Thursday. "But we hope to continue efforts to reach an agreement with Aug 1 in mind as a milestone."

Japan has failed to clinch a trade deal with the US as it struggles to win concessions for 25 per cent tariffs on automobiles, a mainstay of the country's export-reliant economy.

Bilateral trade talks are complicated by Japan's upper house election on Sunday, with media polls showing Ishiba's ruling coalition could lose its majority in the chamber - a result that heightens the risk of political instability.
 
 

Struggling auto giant Nissan said Tuesday it will stop production at its plant at Oppama in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, at the end of its 2027 fiscal year.

Nissan posted a net loss of 671 billion yen last year and it has said it will cut 15 percent of its global workforce.

"The company will cease vehicle production at the Oppama plant at the end of fiscal year 2027," Nissan said in a statement.

Production of the plant outside of Yokahama will be shifted to another existing factory in Fukuoka Prefecture, Kyushu, it said.

One of Nissan's six domestic plants, Oppama employed around 3,900 people as of October 2024 and began operations in 1961, according to the company's website.

It was a "pioneer in the production of advanced vehicles, such as the Nissan LEAF, the world's first mass-market electric vehicle," it said.

The heavily indebted carmaker, whose mooted merger with Japanese rival Honda collapsed this year, is slashing production as part of its expensive business turnaround plan.

Nissan said in May it would "consolidate its vehicle production plants from 17 to 10 by fiscal year 2027".

Like many peers, Nissan is finding it difficult to compete against Chinese electric vehicle brands.

The merger with Honda had been seen as a potential lifeline but talks collapsed in February when the latter proposed making Nissan a subsidiary.
Nissan has faced numerous speed bumps in recent years -- including the 2018 arrest of former boss Carlos Ghosn, who later fled Japan concealed in an audio equipment box.

Ratings agencies have downgraded the firm to junk, with Moody's citing its "weak profitability" and "aging model portfolio".

This year Nissan shelved plans, only recently agreed, to build a $1-billion battery plant in southern Japan owing to the tough "business environment".

Of Japan's major automakers, Nissan is seen as the most exposed to US President Donald Trump's 25-percent tariff imposed on imported Japanese vehicles earlier this year.

This is because its clientele has historically been more price-sensitive than that of its rivals, according to experts.

One potential solution for Nissan could be Taiwanese electronics behemoth Hon Hai, better known as Foxconn, which assembles iPhones and is expanding into cars.

Foxconn said in February it was open to buying Renault's stake in Nissan.
 

 

The Asuka III, NYK Line’s first new passenger ship in 34 years, is set to go into service on July 20, becoming part of a two-ship fleet for the company alongside the active Asuka II.

NYK Line unveiled the interior of the Asuka III to the press on July 11. The ship weighs 52,265 gross tons, 230 meters long and can accommodate 740 passengers. It boasts an outdoor pool, a casino and six restaurants, and all 381 staterooms include balconies providing ocean views.

As part of decarbonization efforts, the ship’s fuel system allows for the use of liquefied natural gas, which emits fewer greenhouse gases, in addition to conventional heavy and light oils.

On its maiden voyage, the ship will embark on a seven-day tour, visiting Hakodate and Otaru in Hokkaido. The travel fare, for two people sharing a room, ranges from ¥984,000 to ¥4,786,000 per person.

“We aspire to be the flagship of Japan’s cruise industry,” Captain Hisashi Kogue said during the preview event on July 11.

NYK Line’s primary businesses is cargo logistics, such as transporting automobiles and raw fuel. However, the company’s outlook is uncertain due to disruptions from U.S. tariff measures and concerns about economic slowdown. To diversify its revenue sources, the company aims to strengthen its cruise ship business.

According to the Cruise Lines International Association, the number of global cruise passengers reached a record high of 34.6 million in 2024, a 9% increase from the previous year. It predicts this number will approach 40 million by 2027.

The Japanese market is relatively small, with only 224,000 passengers in 2024. However, the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry has set a goal of reaching 1 million passengers by 2030.

As cruise ship businesses are expected to experience increased demand both domestically and internationally, companies are focusing their efforts on this sector.

In March, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. announced the purchase of a cruise ship from a U.S. passenger ship company, with plans to commence operations in the second half of 2026. The company also plans to invest about ¥100 billion to build two cruise ships, with the first slated for completion around 2027.

Oriental Land Co. aims to commence cruise ship operations by the end of fiscal 2028. The company’s long-term management strategy, announced in April, also revealed a plan to consider launching a second ship.

“Unlike theme parks, cruises have no land constraints,” said President Wataru Takahashi. “We want to leverage our strength, which is the power of Disney, to provide enjoyment to our customers,” he added, indicating his intention to establish the cruise ship business as a growth pillar.
 
 

Honda Motor Co and Nissan Motor Co are in talks on sharing common basic software for advanced vehicle control in a bid to catch up with U.S. and Chinese rivals, sources familiar with the matter said Monday.

The two automakers aim to launch vehicles to be operated by the new software in the latter half of the decade, as competition for software-defined vehicles or SDVs is expected to intensify in the global auto market.

SDVs require vast amounts of data for their development and operation, giving carmakers that collaborate significant advantages in accelerating development and reducing costs.

U.S. electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla Inc, as well as some Chinese automakers, are already leading the SDV race. Toyota Motor Corp and Mazda Motor Corp are also considering using common software.

The Honda-Nissan talks on software are the latest example of possible joint operations between the two carmakers, after they said in February they had terminated merger talks following Nissan's rejection of a proposal to become a wholly owned subsidiary of Honda.

Among other potential tie-ups, Nissan is in the final stages of talks to supply its U.S.-made pickup trucks to Honda, people close to the matter said earlier.
The two carmakers are also considering sharing chips, motors, and other vehicle components.

The two automakers have been looking for cooperation in software development and battery charging services for EVs since they agreed in March 2024 to start a feasibility study for such a strategic partnership.

Still, Honda said earlier it would roll out EV models equipped with its own software, starting from 2026.
 
 

There is a growing movement among companies to establish “alumni networks,” where former employees can interact with their former employers. The companies are aiming to improve their operations and create new businesses by leveraging the expertise of “outside” people who are familiar with the company culture.

NTT West, Inc. officially launched its alumni network in April, and about 80 people have been interacting via a website. In mid-June, the company held its first in-person networking event at the company headquarters in Miyakojima Ward, Osaka, where former employees gathered and drank beer.

“There’s a ‘common language’ that only people who have worked at the same company can understand, which makes it easier to build relationships,” said Tetsuya Yamamoto, 57, who quit NTT West last year and now works at a consulting firm in Tokyo. “I hope to collaborate with my former company as a business partner to create new opportunities.”

NTT West is considering holding regular networking events in the future.
“We hope to connect with former employees and create new value,” a spokesperson said.

With labor shortages becoming severe, a growing trend had emerged in which former employees were rehired so that their contributions could be utilized. Recently, however, there has been a noticeable shift toward maintaining only loose connections with former employees without rehiring them.

Honda Motor Co. announced in October that it had established an alumni network. The aim of the network is not only to secure talent in the IT and software fields but also to improve the company’s work environment with the expertise of former employees who have worked at other companies.

“We want to leverage knowledge gained at other companies to drive our company’s growth,” a spokesperson said.

An increasing number of companies are creating networks, particularly major companies such as Toyota Motor Corp. and Panasonic Holdings Corp.

“Human capital management, which sees personnel as part of a company’s capital, is becoming increasingly important, and retirees are also being considered as capital,” said Hitoshi Suzuki, CEO of Hackazouk in Tokyo, which develops alumni exchange systems.

However, the utilization of alumni remains limited in practice. According to a survey conducted in November by the specialized magazine “Gekkan Somu” (Monthly General Affairs), only 10.3% of companies have alumni networks. Reasons cited for not having them include “high operational and labor costs” and “no interest in utilizing retired talent.”

“As workforce mobility increases, it is crucial for companies to maintain connections with former employees,” said Kaoru Tsuda, head of the research center at Indeed Recruit Partners Co., which specializes in talent development.

“When it comes to leveraging alumni, it is essential to consider why you want to use them and to align that purpose with your business strategy.”
 

 

Fuji Media Holdings Inc on Thursday said that it will implement measures to prevent activist shareholders from gaining control of the company.

The announcement of the anti-takeover steps comes after shareholders, including prominent investor Yoshiaki Murakami, told Fuji Media executives in meetings held between February and July that they may acquire a 33.3 percent stake in the firm, according to Fuji Media.

Such a move would give them veto power on important management decisions. As of July 1, the shareholders held a 15.06 percent stake.

"We are concerned that (they) would take action to maximize personal profit instead of for the benefit of all shareholders," Fuji Media, the parent company of Fuji Television Network Inc., said in a press release.

Fuji Media said it was planning to issue stock acquisition rights and allocate them for free when an investor acquires 20 percent or more of its shares.
The measures, aimed at reducing the stake held by activist shareholders, will require approval at the shareholders' meeting.

The company also established an independent committee comprising six outside directors.

Fuji Media has been reeling from a sex scandal involving a TV host at Fuji TV that has cost it sponsors and viewers.