As global matcha demand explodes, Kagoshima is building a $17M mega-factory, Ibaraki is subsidizing new entrants, and Shizuoka is pivoting from sencha. Inside Japan's matcha production arms race.
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.
Takeout sushi sales at U.S. supermarkets have surged to $2.8 billion. Kroger sells over 40 million sushi packs annually, while NYC omakase spots charge over $1,000 per person. We break down the two-tier sushi economy reshaping how America eats Japanese food.
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.
Renesas Electronics' Intersil-brand radiation-hardened ICs are aboard NASA's Artemis 2 crewed lunar mission, powering critical subsystems in the Orion spacecraft and SLS rocket. Discover the 60+ year heritage behind these space-grade chips and what Japan's role in the $1.8 billion rad-hard semiconductor market means for the future of space exploration.
Former BOJ Governor Haruhiko Kuroda has proposed a 'coalition of the willing' among Japan, the EU, and Southeast Asian nations to preserve free trade amid WTO dysfunction and Trump-era tariffs. His proposal calls for expanding frameworks like the CPTPP and strengthening economic security cooperation.
Calbee unveils its 'Accelerate the Future' growth strategy to lift overseas and new-category sales to 50% by 2036. The Japanese snack maker is targeting North America's $4B BFY market with Harvest Snaps, backed by an M&A budget of more than 100 billion yen.
Japan Exchange Group will defer adding crypto-heavy companies to the TOPIX index. We analyze the impact on Bitcoin treasury firms like Metaplanet and compare Japan's cautious approach with the ongoing S&P 500 debate over Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) in the U.S.
Trump tariffs triggered a massive production shift by Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and Subaru from Japan to the US. With $35 billion in annual tariff costs industry-wide, we explore each maker's strategy, the impact on 5.5 million Japanese jobs, and how this echoes the 1980s trade wars.
Microsoft announced a $10 billion investment in Japan by 2029 to expand AI data centers, strengthen cybersecurity, and train 1 million engineers. We explore the partnerships with SoftBank and Sakura Internet, Japan's sovereign AI strategy, and why US tech giants are racing to invest across Asia.
Nintendo and The Pokémon Company's US patent for a 'sub-character summoning and battle system' has been rejected by the USPTO after a rare director-ordered reexamination. All 26 claims were denied based on prior art from Konami and Bandai Namco. Analysis of implications for the Palworld lawsuit and the gaming industry.
Tokyo-listed Metaplanet added 5,075 BTC in Q1 2026, reaching 40,177 BTC total and becoming the world's 3rd largest corporate Bitcoin holder. We break down the $400M quarterly investment, compare it to Strategy's approach, and explore how Japan's upcoming crypto tax reform could reshape corporate BTC strategies.
Japanese guitarist Masayoshi Takanaka, 73, is having an extraordinary global breakthrough: over 90%% of his streaming audience is overseas, mostly listeners in their teens and twenties. From sold-out LA shows to a 2026 world tour with $697 resale tickets, here's how a city pop and J-fusion pioneer became one of America's hottest concert tickets.
Mitsubishi Corporation will become the first Japanese company to use JPMorgan's blockchain-based Kinexys platform for instant USD cross-border transfers. As Citi, Swift, and Japan's mega-banks race to build competing infrastructure, we analyze the global blockchain payment revolution reshaping international finance.
The legendary 'Kemonomichi' FT10 exhibition between Daigo 'The Beast' Umehara and Dominican champion MenaRD is set for April 29, 2026. The undefeated FT10 god faces a three-time Evo champion in a historic clash of generations.
RADWIMPS frontman Yojiro Noda reveals his involvement in 5 tracks on Ye's 12th studio album 'BULLY.' Meeting through a mutual friend in Tokyo in October 2024, Noda contributed arrangements and recording — a remarkable crossover between Japanese rock and global hip-hop.
Vocaloid producer Rusino's 'Loop the Room (feat. Hatsune Miku)' has topped the Billboard Japan Songs chart in the US while entering the top 10 in the UK, Brazil, and South Africa. Fueled by a viral TikTok looping trend, the track proves Hatsune Miku's global relevance in 2026 and highlights how deeply Vocaloid culture has penetrated international audiences.
The Tokyo Stock Exchange is weighing tighter rules for listed companies that have pivoted to holding Bitcoin as their core business, the so-called crypto treasury firms. About 40 Japanese companies adopted the Strategy playbook in 2025 and three-quarters of them are posting losses. Backdoor listings, governance, and how Japan's approach differs from the US.
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.
Japan's SMFG is reportedly preparing for a potential takeover of US investment bank Jefferies. We analyze why Japanese megabanks are accelerating overseas M&A, compare strategies with MUFG and Nomura, and examine the risks and rewards of Japan's push into Wall Street.