Japan's National Intelligence Council Bill marks the country's biggest postwar intelligence reform. But similar PM-led intelligence bodies overseas have produced both spectacular successes (foiling the 2006 transatlantic bombing plot) and deep abuses: Korea's KCIA election interference, NSA mass surveillance, GCHQ's legal loopholes, BND monitoring German politicians for the NSA. What lessons should Tokyo draw?
BlackRock, managing $14 trillion in assets, has taken a 5.28% stake in Komeda Holdings, the Nagoya-born coffee chain. Even in the AI era, people don't stop drinking coffee. We unpack why the world's largest asset manager is betting on Japan's food industry, looking at Komeda's unique franchise model and its global expansion story.
In spring 2026, Japan and the United States began building a three-layered rare earth alliance: Treasury Secretary Bessent's May visit, Mitsubishi Materials' stake in US recycler ReElement, and Proterial's breakthrough heavy-rare-earth-free magnet. Here is what this quiet realignment means for the global critical minerals map.
YOASOBI announces 'NEVER ENDING STORIES', their biggest-ever North American tour. 8 dates including OSHEAGA and Lollapalooza, closing at LA's 17,500-capacity Hollywood Bowl. Powered by Crunchyroll, with English EP 'E-SIDE 4' dropping alongside. Full dates, venues, and ticket info.
Alpaca, founded by two Japanese entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley, hit a $1.15 billion valuation in its Series D round, becoming the first Japanese-founded US unicorn. Serving SBI Securities, Kraken, and 300+ institutions across 40 countries, it aims to be the 'AWS of finance', alongside Plaid and Stripe. Why did they build this in America, not Japan?
Elliott Investment Management has poured over $1 billion into Daikin Industries, the world's largest HVAC maker, demanding margin improvements, ¥150 billion in annual buybacks, and a portfolio overhaul. Unlike Elliott's usual Japan targets rich in real estate and cross-shareholdings, Daikin marks a strategic pivot toward operational activism, fueled by HVAC sector expertise gained from Johnson Controls.
ONE PIECE characters suit up in NBA team jerseys for a landmark crossover. From Luffy in Lakers purple to Enel defending for the Thunder, here's everything you need to know about the collab T-shirts, towels, stickers, posters, and figures, plus how overseas fans might get their hands on them.
Japan's green tea exports doubled to ¥72.1 billion in 2025, yet domestic matcha production can't keep up. As tea plantations shrink 29% in a decade and low-grade powdered tea floods global markets, the industry warns of 'matcha laundering.' Is the matcha in your latte the real thing?
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.
ADEKA's plant-based food brand Deli-Plants is launching trial exports of egg alternatives to North America. With bird flu causing global egg shortages and price spikes, Japan's fermentation, emulsification, and soy processing expertise is attracting international attention. We report on Japan-born food tech including Fuji Oil's plant-based dashi.
TDK will manufacture TMR sensors for Apple in the U.S. for the first time as part of Apple's expanded American Manufacturing Program, with $400 million invested through 2030. We examine how Trump-era reshoring pressure is reshaping supply chains for Japanese component makers including Murata and Taiyo Yuden.
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.
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.
