Itochu Corporation launches a joint venture with America's largest e-recycler ERI to tap Japan's urban mines for rare metals. With Chinese lithium giants also eyeing the market, we break down the business battle over Japan's hidden treasure trove of 6,800 tons of gold and 60,000 tons of silver.
Japan's steel industry accounts for about 40% of the country's industrial CO2 emissions. The government now aims to create a green steel market exceeding 3 million tons annually by the early 2030s, combining hydrogen reduction, electric arc furnaces, and CCUS. Here's how Japan plans to standardize carbon footprint metrics and respond to the EU's CBAM.
Japan's March 2026 startup funding ranking saw Startale Japan ($530M) and AI & AND ($500M) lead. With Pharos Network's $44M raise backed by Sumitomo and only ~9 unicorns vs. a 100-company target, we examine where Japan's ecosystem stands globally.
Japan's agriculture ministry hosted ambassadors from 60 countries to showcase cutting-edge food technology including vertical plant factories and land-based aquaculture. With food tech designated as one of 17 national growth strategy sectors under the Takaichi administration, Japan targets 30% global market share by 2040. Covers key startups like PlantX, full-cycle aquaculture, and alternative protein trends.
S&B Foods' Golden Curry celebrates its 60th anniversary with a new powder roux featuring 35 spices. Now sold in over 60 countries, Japan's iconic curry brand enters its next chapter.
The shutdown of Qatar's LNG facilities due to Middle East conflict has wiped out 30% of global helium supply. Without helium, dry etching, essential for all advanced chips, physically cannot function. South Korea's memory makers face a 5-month countdown, and the U.S. no longer has a strategic reserve to cushion the blow.
Sensor Tower's 2026 global IP game market report reveals Gundam IP mobile game revenue surged approximately 10x year-over-year, driven by the explosive hit SD Gundam G Generation Eternal and Bandai Namco's expanding brand strategy.
TOPPAN Holdings, Japan's NICT, and Canada's ISARA have demonstrated a seamless migration path from current cryptography to post-quantum cryptography in certificate authority systems, without service disruption. The breakthrough addresses the looming quantum computing threat to existing encryption, targeting real-world deployment in healthcare, finance, and government by 2030.
DPP leader Yuichiro Tamaki called for accelerated crypto tax reform at TEAMZ SUMMIT 2026, urging a flat 20% tax by 2027, ETF approval, and 10x leverage. He cited Hyperliquid's $844M revenue as proof of on-chain finance's potential and framed Web3 policy as key to boosting take-home pay for working-age Japanese.
IMARC Group's latest report projects Japan's anime market will nearly double from $2.1B to $4.1B by 2034. We break down the 7.28% CAGR, streaming expansion, merchandising power, and what global demand means for the industry.
Seven & i Holdings postpones its North American 7-Eleven IPO to fiscal 2027 or later, citing market instability from Middle East tensions and sluggish US consumer spending. A look at the strategic calculus behind the delay and what it means for global convenience store competition.