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June 30, 2026
 

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Eru Ishikawa
Takeda Pharmaceutical is targeting a return on equity of at least 5% over that time, the company's newly appointed Chief Executive Officer Julie Kim said at her first news conference after assuming the top job this week.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 26, 2026
Takeda sees return to growth within three years, new CEO says
The company is targeting a return on equity of at least 5% over that time, Julie Kim said at her first news conference after assuming the top job this week.
An Onitsuka Tiger store in the Omotesando district of Tokyo. The footwear brand prepares to transform into a luxury lifestyle label distinct from Asics.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 18, 2026
Onitsuka Tiger pivots from Asics stripes to tap luxury market
The 77-year-old sneaker-maker is set to be spun off from parent Asics to capitalize on a resurgence in interest for retro aesthetics and Japanese style.
Widely popularized by “Kill Bill,” Onitsuka Tiger started as a sport shoe brand and later became a fashion trend under parent Asics.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 10, 2026
Asics will spin off trendy shoe brand Onitsuka Tiger
Asics said that transitioning the 77-year-old brand to a more independent operating structure would enable faster decision-making.
While the total number of visitors to Japan have wavered as the Middle East conflict hurts travel demand, tourists from places like Taiwan, South Korea and Southeast Asia have been increasing this year and the weak yen is encouraging them to spend.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 2, 2026
Japan’s duty-free sales climb in May as tourism boom endures
Japanese department stores are rebounding from a shaky start to the year as lingering political tensions kept many Chinese tourists away.
Japan bought about 1 million metric tons of bananas last year, making the fruit one of the country’s most important grocery staples.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 2, 2026
Japan faces banana shortage as impact from Middle East conflict spreads
The country ships in the tropical fruit while it’s still green, then ripens it in rooms filled with ethylene, but supplies of the naphtha-derived gas are running low.
The building that houses Recruit Holdings' headquarters in Tokyo. Investors have shown confidence in Recruit’s HR Technology unit, where Indeed is leveraging AI to improve matching and raising average revenue from each job posting even as hiring demand remains soft.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 18, 2026
Recruit shares jump most on record on stronger-than-projected growth
The rally reflects confidence in Recruit’s HR Technology unit, where Indeed is leveraging AI to improve matching and raising average revenue from each job posting.
Pokka, Sapporo’s flagship soft-drinks brand, is central to its overseas beverages business.
BUSINESS
May 14, 2026
Sapporo halts exports of Pokka brand to Middle East
Pokka, Sapporo’s flagship soft-drinks brand, is central to its overseas beverages business.
"The next five years are critical in defining Daiichi Sankyo’s future,” CEO Hiroyuki Okuzawa said Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 12, 2026
Daiichi Sankyo bets on new cancer drugs to fuel future growth
The Japanese drugmaker aims to more than double oncology revenue to above ¥2.3 trillion by 2030 and become one of the world’s top five oncology players by 2035.
Pan Pacific International Holdings, the owner of discount chain Don Quijote, opened its first Robin Hood store, a new food-focused chain, in Aichi Prefecture on Friday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 24, 2026
Don Quijote owner opens discount grocer as Japan inflation bites
With food and daily necessities becoming more expensive in Japan, the company is betting fast, cheap and convenient offerings will drive traffic at stores designed for quick trips.
A Sanrio store in Tokyo's Asakusa district. Sanrio is launching a new gaming brand, with some 10 titles to be released over the next three years.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 21, 2026
Sanrio launches gaming brand, tapping fast-growing global market
Sanrio’s push into gaming reflects a broader trend among Japanese intellectual property owners to diversify revenue by extending popular franchises into interactive entertainment.
Seria President Eiji Kawai says customers are shifting from competitors to the company’s more than 2,000 stores offering snacks, stationery and household goods.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 16, 2026
Japan ¥100 retailer Seria doubles down while rivals raise prices
While competitors test higher price tiers, Seria is betting it can attract cost-conscious consumers and reinforce its brand as prices rise across the economy.
A Uniqlo store in Tokyo. Fast Retailing has raised its full-year operating profit forecast on strong Uniqlo demand in the U.S. and Europe, supported by ongoing growth in Japan.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 9, 2026
Fast Retailing raises profit outlook on robust global demand and Japan sales
The results highlight how Uniqlo’s growth is increasingly driven by overseas markets, particularly the U.S. and Europe
Seven & I Holdings will delay a public listing of its U.S. convenience-store business planned for later this year.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 9, 2026
Seven & I delays U.S. unit IPO, saying revamp will take longer
The goal is to strengthen performance and maximize valuation before listing the unit in the current fiscal year, which lasts until February 2027.
The Mitsukoshi department store in Tokyo. Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings saw duty-free sales rise 5.4% in March, in line with a 5.5% increase in overall sales.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 1, 2026
Japan’s department store duty-free sales rebound as China-driven slump eases
The gains mark a shift for the stores, which had endured consecutive months of declining duty-free sales amid lingering tensions with China.
Elderly pachinko players at Day Service Las Vegas, a casino-themed day care service in Yokohama, in August
JAPAN / Society
Sep 11, 2024
Pachinko-style gambling is helping seniors’ brains in Japan
Bolstered by evidence that playing the pinball machines can help prevent dementia, some businesses are now tailoring services in a bid to revive growth.
Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit
Uruguay's Jose Maria Gimenez reacts after the team's loss against Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
India’s gig workers pay the price for exposure to New Delhi’s hazardous air
Rohit Kushwaha waits for a customer as he delivers his last parcel of the day, in New Delhi in January. His work as a delivery driver has helped pay the family’s bills, but has had a significant impact on his health.
Chinese and Russian bombers and fighter jets stage joint patrol near Japan
A Chinese Air Force H-6 bomber is seen during a joint patrol with Russian military aircraft on Saturday.
U.S. missile moves in Japan send China clear message: A new era has arrived
Soldiers conduct the first Typhon midrange capability live-fire exercise outside of the continental United States, firing an SM-6 missile in July last year in Australia's Northern Territory during Exercise Talisman Sabre.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
A French ship with close ties to Japan combines arts and sciences on the high seas
Romain Troublé, the executive director of Tara Ocean Foundation, speaks to visitors aboard the Tara during a rare port call in Tokyo in April.
LGBTQ+ families are building lives Japanese lawmakers still struggle to see
Haru Ono founded Nijiiro Kazoku in 2010 after forming a same-sex stepfamily. She said the impetus for founding the organization was that she couldn’t find much reliable information out there for families such as hers in Japan.
In Kyushu’s far south, Senti.U sparks a culinary destination
Chef Yasuhiko Uchida was born in Saga Prefecture but has made his home in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, since 2012.
‘The colors speak for themselves’: How Japan’s chroma bible went global
“A Dictionary of Color Combinations” is meant to function as a quick-reference guide for artists, designers and anyone with a passing interest in aesthetics as a quantifiable pursuit.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
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