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.
SoftBank, NEC, Honda, and Sony have established a new company to develop Japan's own AI foundation model, backed by $6.3 billion in government support over five years. Instead of competing head-on with US and Chinese tech giants in general-purpose AI, Japan is betting on 'Physical AI', AI that controls robots and factory equipment using the country's deep manufacturing expertise.
After nearly 20 years of development hell, the Metal Gear Solid live-action movie gets new directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein, the duo behind Final Destination Bloodlines. Replacing Jordan Vogt-Roberts, they call the source material a 'cinematic masterpiece' as part of a sweeping Sony deal.
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 two biggest music labels, Universal Music and Sony Music, have formed NINE BY NINE, a joint venture to produce Japanese music festivals across Asia starting 2027. Here's what this means for J-pop's global push.
Hong Kong activist fund Oasis Management has raised its KADOKAWA stake to 13.76%, surpassing Sony as the largest shareholder. We break down what this means for Elden Ring maker FromSoftware, the failed 2024 Sony acquisition, and the future of KADOKAWA's gaming empire.
FF7 Remake Part 3 director Naoki Hamaguchi explains in detail why launching on PS5, PC, Xbox, and Switch 2 simultaneously won't compromise visual quality — with PC as the lead development platform and a top-down optimization approach for each console.
Japan's Startale Group secures $50M from SBI Holdings, completing a $63M Series A round. The funding accelerates development of JPYSC, Japan's first trust bank-backed yen stablecoin, and Strium blockchain for tokenized securities. We compare Japan's stablecoin regulations with the US GENIUS Act and EU MiCA.
Sony Honda Mobility has cancelled its AFEELA EV just months before its planned launch. With Honda posting a record $4.6 billion loss and abandoning its 2040 zero-engine goal, we analyze what went wrong—from Trump's EV policy rollback to BYD's rise—and what it means for Japan's auto industry.
Hong Kong hedge fund Oasis Management has raised its KADOKAWA stake to 10%, matching Sony as a top shareholder. With Oasis also targeting Nidec over accounting fraud and ValueAct boosting its MoneyForward stake to 14.39%, activist investing in Japan is surging. We analyze the forces driving this wave and what it means for investors.
Sony has removed approximately 700 game listings from NOSTRA GAMES on the PlayStation Store, targeting low-quality titles that relied heavily on AI-generated assets and mimicked popular games. This latest purge follows similar actions earlier in 2026, signaling Sony's intensifying crackdown on shovelware flooding its digital storefront.
Hong Kong hedge fund Oasis Management has acquired an 8.86% stake in KADOKAWA, parent company of Elden Ring developer FromSoftware, for approximately $265 million. We break down what this activist investor's entry means for the gaming industry, the Sony partnership, and Japanese entertainment M&A trends.
At GDC 2026, Sucker Punch Productions revealed a unique development ritual behind Ghost of Yotei: a weekly 'Cut Ceremony' where every scrapped idea was met with applause from the entire team. Learn how this roughly 160-person studio used positive reinforcement to stay lean while building one of 2025's biggest open-world games.
To celebrate the PC launch of DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH, director Hideo Kojima and Dollman voice actor Tomokazu Sugita sat down for their first-ever joint interview. From their 18-year partnership to the 2,000 lines recorded over 27 days, discover the behind-the-scenes story of Dollman and what 'just be Sugita' really means — plus PC-exclusive features and the new 'to the wilder' mode.
The Sony MSF-1, the earliest known development unit for the SNES CD-ROM add-on once called 'PlayStation,' has been acquired by the National Videogame Museum in Texas. As the only known surviving unit, this historic artifact sheds new light on the Nintendo-Sony partnership that reshaped gaming history.
Japan's government has set an ambitious target of ¥40 trillion ($260B) in domestic semiconductor sales by 2040, announcing plans for cutting-edge AI research hubs. From Rapidus's 2nm chips in Hokkaido to TSMC's $17B 3nm fab in Kumamoto and JDI's $13B US display plant, we break down Japan's full semiconductor strategy—and compare it with the US CHIPS Act, EU Chips Act, and South Korea's and Taiwan's chip policies.
The NTT-led IOWN Global Forum has signed a comprehensive partnership with ETSI, Europe's telecom standards body, revealed at MWC Barcelona 2026 and following a February tie-up with the Open Compute Project. Where does a photonics-electronics technology promising one hundredth the power and one two-hundredth the latency stand in a 6G standards race between the US, China and Europe? A look at the forum's 170-plus members and its roadmap.
Japan reveals the full picture of its Rapidus investment scheme: becoming top shareholder with just 10% voting rights, holding golden shares with veto power, and a mechanism to seize majority control if finances deteriorate. We compare Japan's $19B commitment with the US CHIPS Act and EU Chips Act, and examine whether Rapidus can realistically mass-produce 2nm chips by 2027.
Japan's anime market has reached a record $25 billion globally. While aggressive M&A deals by Sony, KADOKAWA, and others have fueled explosive overseas growth, questions remain about low animator wages, creative risk-taking, and whether the industry's real creators are seeing any of the profits. A deep dive into the boom's winners and losers.
Hideki Matsuyama showcased his resilience at the 2025 Sony Open in Hawaii, making two stunning eagles on the final day to finish T16. While the Japanese star couldn't secure back-to-back wins following his record-breaking 35-under victory at The Sentry, his performance on the par-5s demonstrated why he remains one of golf's elite players.