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SOFTBANK

People walk past the booth of an AI chip company at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Tech
Feb 27, 2024
SoftBank, Nvidia and Microsoft team up to use AI in mobile base stations
The alliance aims to work together in preventing communications congestion and promoting the use of smartphone apps using generative AI.
When SoftBank Group founder Masayoshi Son bought Arm in 2016 for $32 billion, he had grand plans for the company to dominate the nascent market for connected devices, also known as the Internet of Things.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 21, 2024
Softbank’s Arm is not the AI play most people think it is
Today, GPUs are the gold standard for AI development and thus the equivalent of toilet paper during the pandemic.
Masayoshi Son, chairman and chief executive officer of SoftBank Group, speaks during the SoftBank World event in Tokyo in October.
BUSINESS / Tech
Feb 17, 2024
Masayoshi Son aims to launch a $100 billion AI chip venture
The SoftBank Group founder is looking to create a chip venture to compete with Nvidia and supply semiconductors essential for AI.
Masayoshi Son, chairman and chief executive officer of SoftBank Group. One of SoftBank's primary objectives will be to harvest returns from its huge portfolio rather than priming unprofitable startups for growth.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 14, 2024
SoftBank’s Vision Fund swaps splashy bets for ‘timid’ investing
As other tech investors have heaped money into new artificial intelligence firms, Vision Fund has stayed out of the fray.
SoftBank Group shares surged for a third day in Tokyo on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Tech
Feb 13, 2024
SoftBank shares climb again with Arm’s explosive AI rally
Arm Holdings has almost doubled in value since making the case last week for how it will benefit from the artificial intelligence boom.
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.
Driveline Pacific Rim director Frank Minamino (second from right) poses with Lions pitcher Kaito Yoza (left) Hawks pitcher Shuta Ishikawa (second from left) and the Lions' Kona Takahashi.
BASEBALL
Feb 2, 2024
NPB pitchers embracing Driveline Baseball method
NPB players are working with Driveline Baseball in greater numbers.
SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son is a longtime investor in WeWork, sticking with the company throughout its many ups and downs.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 2, 2024
SoftBank swoops in to rescue WeWork Japan
The development comes just four months after the troubled coworking business — once valued at $47 billion — filed for bankruptcy in the U.S.
Hawks pitcher Carter Stewart Jr., the eighth overall pick in the MLB draft in 2018, is preparing for his sixth season in Japan.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Jan 26, 2024
Hawks pitcher Carter Stewart Jr. reflects on unique journey in Japan
Carter Stewart Jr. appears poised for a breakthrough ahead of his sixth NPB season.
Alex Clavel, co-CEO at SoftBank Investment Advisers, won SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son's trust as a steady hand managing and fixing SoftBank's complex or troubled transactions.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 12, 2024
Behind SoftBank’s investing cleanup, a U.S. dealmaker who survived the turmoil
Unassuming problem solver Alex Clavel is Masayoshi Son's top lieutenant leading the investment group's attempt at a turnaround.
A store in the Akihabara district of Tokyo in December
BUSINESS
Jan 3, 2024
Over 70% of firms expect Japanese economy to keep growing in 2024
In the survey of 113 companies, including Toyota Motor and SoftBank Group, 72% said they expect moderate growth and 1% see solid expansion.
Hotaka Yamakawa, the 2018 Pacific League MVP, was limited to 17 games this year after sexual assault allegations emerged.
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Dec 14, 2023
Hawks agree to deal with suspended slugger Yamakawa
Yamakawa was suspended for much of the 2023 season by the Seibu Lions after being accused of sexual assault.
SoftBank has agreed to buy a majority stake in Irish software developer Cubic Telecom for around €473 million.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 5, 2023
SoftBank buys majority stake in Irish car software developer
SoftBank will acquire 51% of Cubic Telecom, which provides a platform for automakers to update software functions in cars globally and in real time.
KDDI President Makoto Takahashi (left), SoftBank President Junichi Miyakawa (center) and Rakuten Mobile's Hiroshi Mikitani speak during a news conference in Tokyo on Monday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 5, 2023
Prospect of NTT Law abolishment unclear amid fierce opposition
The idea was first proposed by a ruling Liberal Democratic Party panel to make the communications giant internationally competitive.
Sadaharu Oh, chairman of the SoftBank Hawks, has expressed frustration over his team's third-place finish in the Pacific League
BASEBALL / Japanese Baseball
Nov 28, 2023
Oh vows return to top of Japanese baseball for Hawks
For the third consecutive year, the once-dominant Hawks did not win the league title or advance to the Japan Series.
People use smartphones on the street in Tokyo in January 2019.
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Nov 20, 2023
The NTT Law — a guard against monopoly, or barrier to innovation?
Some say the law regulating the telecom giant stops it from competing against the likes of Google, but others say it contains vital market protections.
Monday's disruptions, which began around 8:30 a.m., affected SoftBank's "Otoku Line" and "Otoku Hikari Denwa" services in parts of eastern Japan.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 20, 2023
SoftBank's fixed-line phone services disrupted again
Disruption in parts of eastern Japan followed 14-hour outage over the weekend.
A SoftBank store in Tokyo's Ginza district
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 19, 2023
SoftBank landline phone services fully restored after disruption
The disruption impacted mainly business users including retailers and hospitals in parts of the Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto and Koshinetsu regions.
SoftBank Group booked a ¥789 billion quarterly loss as it took a hit from the bankruptcy of WeWork.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 9, 2023
SoftBank books ¥789 billion quarterly loss
SoftBank's loss marks its fourth straight quarter in the red as the tech giant struggles amid a weak yen.
SoftBank Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Masayoshi Son. Son's trust in his own intuition may have made him unwilling to heed red flags and opposition from his advisers regarding investments in WeWork.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 8, 2023
WeWork saga cost Masayoshi Son $11.5 billion and his credibility
WeWork's bankruptcy filing caps a yearslong saga that revealed breathtaking flaws in the Japanese billionaire's investment style.

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