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Takahiko Hyuga
For Takahiko Hyuga's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
SoftBank Group booked a profit for the December quarter after four straight quarters of losses.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 8, 2024
SoftBank swings to profit lifted by T-Mobile windfall
SoftBank recorded its first profit after four straight quarters of losses, backed by a rebound of the Vision Fund and gains from T-Mobile shares.
Japan’s first trading of digital securities will begin next month in the form of security tokens issued by real estate firms.
BUSINESS
Nov 21, 2023
Japan to start digital securities trading from December
The trading of security tokens issued by real estate firms Ichigo and Kenedix will begin on the Osaka Digital Exchange.
Hiroshi Mikitani, chairman and CEO of Rakuten Group, speaks during a news conference in Tokyo in May.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 17, 2023
Rakuten rally from record lows clouded by looming bond deadlines
The most pressing task now for Rakuten is to raise funds for a wall of more than $5 billion of bonds due in the next two years.
SoftBank is targeting ¥120 billion in sales of the so-called bond-type class shares that will be listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 25, 2023
SoftBank to sell more than ¥120 billion of bond-type stock
The firm has tentatively offered a dividend rate from 2.5% to 3% for the first five years.
A year of restraint in investments has helped SoftBank regain its financial footing, accumulating a cash pile of almost ¥6 trillion.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 9, 2023
SoftBank begins making investments again but ‘timidly with fear’
A year of restraint in investments has helped SoftBank regain its financial footing, accumulating a cash pile of almost ¥6 trillion.
Softbank's Vision Fund unit swung to a profit of ¥61 billion in the quarter ended June, compared with a ¥2.33 trillion loss for the same period a year ago.
BUSINESS
Aug 8, 2023
Global tech stock rebound lifts SoftBank Vision Fund into profit
The fund logged a ¥61 billion profit in the quarter ended June — its first in over a year — compared with a ¥2.33 trillion loss a year ago.
Mizuho Financial Group has become the third Japanese megabank to sell Additional Tier 1 bonds after the collapse of Credit Suisse set off a global fire sale.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jul 20, 2023
Mizuho sells ¥261 billion of AT1 bonds after Credit Suisse turmoil
The lender joined Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group in issuing AT1 bonds this year, while the market in Europe is only just reopening.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 21, 2023
SoftBank’s Son goes back on offense to cement his tech legacy
The billionaire is ending years of relative dormancy after his Vision Fund, the world’s largest pool of tech capital, racked up billions of dollars of losses.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 19, 2023
Interest in Japan spilling into its startups, VC investor says
Fears of sudden tech crackdowns in China have prompted investors to re-evaluate Tokyo’s slower pace of change.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 24, 2023
S&P 'unreasonable,' says SoftBank, after tech giant's rating downgraded
SoftBank criticized the decision and argued that selling off assets like Alibaba in exchange for cash was clearly better for its balance sheet stability.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
May 11, 2023
SoftBank Vision Fund loses ¥4.3 trillion on weak startup values
Many of the privately held companies that SoftBank’s invested in are not yet profitable, while the IPO market remains lackluster.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 25, 2023
Cybersecurity nightmare in Japan is everyone else’s problem, too
Within some Japanese companies, there is resistance to disclosing attacks and upgrading systems, which stems from societal norms around assigning blame, some analysts say.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 13, 2023
Japan moon lander startup Ispace rockets in value after market debut
The anticipated arrival on the moon of the firm"s Hakuto-R Mission 1 lander would make the Japanese startup the maker of the world’s first commercial spacecraft to land there.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 12, 2023
Moon lander-maker Ispace goes untraded on glut of buy orders
Shares were quoted at ¥585, or more than twice the offering price of ¥254 at market close on Wednesday, according to the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 31, 2023
Japan tightens chip gear exports as U.S. seeks to contain China
Tokyo’s move follows months of lobbying by the U.S. to get Japan to join it in tightening shipments of semiconductor tools to China.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 7, 2023
SoftBank Vision Fund loses ¥660 billion as tech slump persists
A collapse in valuations last year has pummeled the global tech investor, which holds stakes in hundreds of startups.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 6, 2023
As tech slumps, SoftBank's Son spooks investors with plan to skip earnings call
The founder and chief executive of the world’s largest tech investor is bidding farewell to the presentations he’s led for decades, saying he would focus on taking chip designer Arm public.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 8, 2022
SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son quietly lifts stake to 34%, edging toward buyout
The billionaire now owns more than a third of the company he founded, after aggressive buybacks in the last two months.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 18, 2022
Masayoshi Son now owes SoftBank $4.7 billion on side deals
Over the years, Son's controversial personal stakes in SoftBanku2019s investments drew fire from investors, who saw the mix of personal and company interests as a corporate governance concern.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 16, 2022
Japan’s wave of tourists sends hotels and taxis hunting for staff
To a certain extent, Japanu2019s struggles mirror what the United States and Europe saw over the summer.

Longform

A statue of "Dragon Ball" character Goku stands outside the offices of Bandai Namco in Tokyo. The figure is now as recognizable as such characters as Mickey Mouse and Spider-Man.
Akira Toriyama's gift to the world