Toyota's CTO credits development speed to an overwhelming number of failures. Murata built a 35 billion yen MLCC lab that manufactures nothing. A smaller metals firm gets the same room through internal rules.
Toyota, NTT and Tokyu are among roughly 1,600 Japanese employers paying for an AI dating app for single staff. The workplace is trying to buy back a matchmaking role it lost over fifty years.
Japan's anime studios billed a record $2.56 billion in 2025, clearing 400 billion yen for the first time. Teikoku Databank says 2026 could bring the first decline since 2021, in a year when 34.6% already ran a loss.
Design-sector bankruptcies in Japan reached 40 in the first half of 2026, up 166.6% year on year and the highest in 14 years. Tokyo Shoko Research names three forces, and generative AI runs through one.
Kagurabachi, the meme-born manga that became a global hit, is going on its longest break yet, pausing from the June 29 issue until around August. Creator Takeru Hokazono's health is the reason, the third disruption this year. He wanted to keep drawing, but editors decided otherwise, and overseas fans are channeling their reaction into a wider argument about Weekly Shonen Jump's punishing schedule.
From October 2026, Japan requires every employer to shield staff from abusive customers. Inside the 'customer is a god' myth, the front-line toll, and why most countries lack the word.
Takemitsu Takizaki, the 80-year-old founder of Keyence, will retire from the board after the June 2026 AGM. Why is the founder of Japan's most profitable company stepping aside now? A look at Keyence's astonishing 52% operating margin, the contrast with Nidec's recent governance crisis, and the model of a quiet, successful succession at one of Japan's most enigmatic corporate giants.
Nidec's third-party committee finalized its probe: accumulated net profit impact hit 161 billion yen (about $1 billion). Founder Shigenobu Nagamori's excessive pressure was identified as the root cause, marking a turning point for Japan's charismatic founder model. Compared with Toshiba and Olympus.
Japan's resignation agency industry is booming — 94% of new graduates know about these services, and 25% would consider using one. Explore why Japanese workers pay someone else to quit for them, and what it reveals about workplace culture, generational shifts, and the collapse of lifetime employment.
A takeout tea cafe staffed by seniors averaging 73 years old has opened in Tokyo's Shibuya. 'G-CHA & Ba-CHA' reimagines how the elderly can stay active and connected — with creative tea drinks, seated service, and flexible work rules. A heartwarming look at Japan's approach to aging.
Japanese brand BIBILAB has released the Neko House Desk, a cat house-integrated work desk with four built-in 'nyan gimmicks' for remote workers who share their space with cats. From cat cafés to cat islands, discover how Japan's love for felines shapes everything—even office furniture.
Japan's sickness benefits topped $4 billion in FY2023, up 60% in five years, driven by surging mental health claims. Explore Japan's structural workplace issues, insurance impacts, and how reforms compare globally.
Japan's health ministry adds "Sleep Disorder" as a new medical specialty for the first time since 2008. With the shortest sleep duration among OECD nations and $100 billion in annual economic losses, Japan is officially confronting its sleep crisis.
An exclusive report reveals that employees at Tesla's Japan division were paying order fees out of their own pockets to meet sales targets, a practice known as "Jibaku Eigyo" (self-destructive sales). Senior executives, including the Japan CEO, have forfeited part of their compensation. We explore why this uniquely Japanese toxic sales culture persists even at a Silicon Valley giant.
Auto mechanics in Japan now out-earn general office clerks, a reversal driven by severe labor shortages. Recruit Works Institute data across 145 occupations shows mechanics averaging ¥4.80 million against ¥4.67 million for clerks, with blue-collar pay rising far faster than desk work. Japan's belief that a degree plus a desk job equals higher income is under strain. We compare the shift with the US and Germany.
Fujitsu successfully piloted its LLM "Takane" with a Japanese central government agency, automatically classifying and summarizing approximately 120,000 characters of public comment data in about 10 minutes. The company aims to launch a comprehensive generative AI service for policy formulation and legislation by FY2026.
Japan's 4-day work week adoption is accelerating in 2025, with Tokyo Metropolitan Government and major corporations like ZOZO, Fast Retailing, and Panasonic leading the charge. Explore the three implementation models, benefits, challenges, and what this means for Japan's notoriously long work culture.
Why rugby backgrounds carry weight in Japan's job market, from corporate teams under League One to what recruiters actually say. Includes how "no-side" became a distinctly Japanese idea, and the problems with athlete-first hiring.