China's carrier Liaoning conducted flight operations near Minamitorishima — Japan's remote rare earth island. With Beijing tightening export controls in retaliation for PM Takaichi's Taiwan remarks, and a US-Japan rare earth partnership signed at the March 2026 summit, this is no longer just about minerals. It's a geopolitical power game with South China Sea parallels.
Honda faces its first-ever annual loss since going public in 1957, with up to $15.7 billion in EV-related write-downs. Three flagship EVs cancelled, Sony-Honda AFEELA scrapped, and China sales declining for 25 straight months. We break down the crisis, analyze Honda's hybrid pivot and May 2026 strategy reveal, and share Japanese and global reactions.
In March 2026, Japan and the US signed an MOC on deep-sea mineral development. But overseas coverage missed the real story: Japan's successful 6,000m rare-earth mud retrieval, China's dual-use export ban, and 14 years of research that made this moment possible.
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 2025 Business Manager Visa reform — raising capital requirements from $33,000 to $200,000 — is forcing authentic Chinese restaurants to close across Tokyo. Owner-chefs who serve rare regional cuisines face impossible new hurdles. A look at how immigration policy is reshaping Japan's food diversity.
Four Japanese companies formed J-HRTI, a consortium to accelerate humanoid robot deployment in factories. With Japan's first private data collection center opening in July 2026, the initiative takes a unique approach focused on industrial data and real-world implementation amid fierce US-China competition.
Japan is seeing new momentum in chip design. Fabless startups like TRIPLE-1 and Socionext challenge Chinese giant Bitmain's dominance in mining ASICs. We explore Japan's emerging role in chip design, Rapidus's 2nm mass production plans, TSMC partnerships, and positioning amid the US-China semiconductor rivalry.
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.
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.
Chinese mobile payment platforms Alipay and WeChat Pay are rapidly expanding across Japan, driven by surging inbound tourism. While convenient for businesses and tourists alike, transactions bypassing Japan's financial system raise serious tax compliance concerns. Finance Minister Katayama calls it a 'grave issue' and vows G7 cooperation.
Yaskawa's June 2026 plan puts 120 billion yen into Physical AI. FANUC published a ROS 2 driver on GitHub and partnered with both NVIDIA and Google. Mujin raised 36.4 billion. Japan still owns 35% of an industrial robot's cost through precision reducers, but the killer app hasn't shown up.
Thailand's BEV sales have turned negative while hybrid vehicle sales surged nearly 50%. Collapsing resale values, inadequate charging infrastructure, and Chinese EV maker retreats reveal the harsh realities behind the global EV fever. As markets from Bangkok to Berlin recalibrate, Toyota and Honda's "multi-pathway strategy" is looking increasingly prescient. A data-driven deep dive into the EV slowdown across Thailand, China, and Europe.
AGIBOT, the world's top humanoid robot shipper from China, has established a Japanese subsidiary for full-scale market entry. Having shipped over 5,100 units globally in 2025 with 39% market share, the company claims the humanoid market will surpass the auto industry. We examine how Japan — an industrial robotics powerhouse — now trails China and the US in humanoid development, and explore adoption potential in Japan's labor-starved manufacturing and elderly care sectors.
China's Commerce Ministry banned dual-use exports to 20 Japanese defense entities including Mitsubishi Shipbuilding, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and JAXA, while adding 20 more firms like Subaru and TDK to a watch list. Seen as retaliation for PM Takaichi's Taiwan contingency remarks, the move threatens rare earth and semiconductor material supply chains. Japan demands withdrawal as US-China decoupling ripples through East Asian geopolitics.
Japan Coast Guard's new 3,500-ton patrol ship "Suruga" launched on Feb 18, 2026. Built at $108M with twin 40mm guns and 25+ knot speed, this 8th Miyako-class vessel strengthens Japan's response to China's growing maritime assertiveness around the Senkaku Islands.
The Chinese vessel seized in Japan's EEZ used a "tiger net" — a devastating method with 1cm mesh that strips the ocean bare, including juvenile fish. Explore how this "sea vacuum cleaner" works and why IUU fishing by Chinese fleets threatens oceans from South America to Africa.
Japan's Fisheries Agency seized a Chinese fishing vessel and arrested its captain in the EEZ off Goto Islands, Nagasaki, on February 12, 2026—the first Chinese vessel seizure since 2022. We report on illegal fishing in Japanese waters and Sino-Japanese maritime tensions, with reactions from Japan and abroad.
The 13th Gunpla Builders World Cup Finals, held at Gundam Base Tokyo on February 7, 2026, saw builders from China and Taiwan claim all three championship titles. Asian builders took 7 of 9 podium spots across U-14, U-20, and OVER-21 categories. Multiple entries featured themes from the latest anime "Gundam GQuuuuuuX," and the next tournament was announced for 2027.
Detective Conan cosplay and merchandise have been banned at anime events across China. The trigger: a collaboration with My Hero Academia, a manga boycotted in China over a character name linked to Japan's wartime Unit 731. With state media joining the backlash and even traditional Japanese clothing banned at events, we explore how anime culture collides with historical tensions between China and Japan.
Major Chinese restaurant chains are rapidly expanding into Japan. From Haidilao hot pot to Yang Guo Fu malatang to MIXUE's budget drinks, we explore the brands entering Japan, the factors driving expansion including domestic competition and the Japanese Chinese population, and the impact on Japan's food service industry.