Bio-venture Spiber's financial crisis delivers a fatal blow to Japan's Cool Japan Fund, pushing cumulative losses beyond $2.5 billion. With its third missed target triggering dissolution discussions, we analyze Japan's structural challenges in government-backed startup investment compared to Singapore's Temasek and other sovereign wealth funds.
Elliott Investment Management has taken a significant stake in Japan's Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, demanding $2 billion in buybacks and a subsidiary relisting. We explore how activist investors are reshaping Japan's corporate governance amid TSE reforms and record foreign interest.
Amid rising oil prices and falling stocks after the Iran conflict, Bitcoin stands alone as the outperformer. We analyze the 'digital gold' thesis through ETF inflows, hashrate shifts, and the SEC's landmark guidance.
Matsui Securities, Japan's last independent online broker, is in talks with major financial institutions about accepting outside capital. A deep dive into Japan's brokerage industry shakeup driven by NISA reforms and zero-commission wars.
Japan's GX Promotion Organization will guarantee up to $1.2 billion in debt for JFE Holdings' next-generation electric arc furnace. This $2.2 billion project aims to cut 2.6 million tonnes of CO₂ annually by replacing a blast furnace. How does Japan's industrial decarbonization strategy compare to the EU's CBAM and America's IRA?
Kioxia has developed foundational 3D DRAM technology using IGZO oxide semiconductors, signaling the NAND-only maker's bold entry into the DRAM market. Behind this challenge: exploding AI demand and the physical limits of current memory. We break down the competition with Samsung, SK hynix, and China's CXMT.
Rapidus's AI design agent 'Raads' is already in use by 3 companies — 2 domestic, 1 overseas. This LLM-based EDA suite enables natural language chip design, cutting design time by 50% and costs by 30%. We compare it with TSMC and Intel's AI tools and examine Rapidus's path to 2nm mass production.
Furukawa Electric's Lightera begins mass production of the world's highest-class 13,824-core ultra-high-density fiber optic cable. Learn how this Japanese innovation doubles transmission capacity for hyperscale AI data centers.
Power Diamond Systems demonstrated the world's first actual power conversion using a diamond MOSFET in a DC-DC converter circuit. Following their recent 200V/1A switching milestone, this breakthrough advances diamond semiconductors from device-level testing to real circuit operation.
Japan's 10th CBDC expert council meeting reveals concrete design plans for the digital yen, focusing on privacy protection and coexistence with private payment systems. As China pilots the e-CNY, the EU targets a 2029 digital euro launch, and the US bans CBDCs outright, Japan charts a cautious yet practical middle path in the global digital currency race.
The Bank of Japan held its policy rate at 0.75% on March 19, 2026, as the Middle East conflict and surging oil prices cloud the economic outlook. Governor Ueda maintained a rate-hike bias but warned that rising energy costs could push underlying inflation either way. With spring wage negotiations delivering 5%+ raises for a third straight year and the yen hovering near 160, Japan faces a complex policy dilemma.
