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October 20, 2025
 

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BUSINESS

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Japanese EV production is focusing on batteries as automakers compete for the lightest, most durable models and the longest driving range.
BUSINESS / Companies
EV battery race heats up among Japanese automakers
Batteries account for about one-third of the price of an EV and largely determine its driving range and durability, fueling fierce competition for innovation.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sumitomo Life to mull using AI tech to support sales agents
The comments followed a series of scandals in the industry that called into question the relationships between life insurance companies and their sales agents.
BUSINESS / Companies
Marubeni in talks to acquire Carlyle-backed TiAuto
The deal for the South African retailer of automotive tires and parts may be valued at about 2.6 billion rand ($149 million).
Mitsui E&S expects profit momentum to exceed its full-year guidance, driven by strong engine demand and a successful shift of its crane business toward the U.S. market.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 17, 2025
Mitsui E&S bullish about full-year profits on engines and U.S. crane demand
By Reina Sasaki
The ship equipment maker expects profit momentum to surpass its guidance, Chief Financial Officer Taketsune Matsumura said.
Lawson is looking to upgrade 100 stores nationwide to turn them into key community hubs in the event of a disaster.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 17, 2025
Lawson looks to create network of 'disaster relief convenience stores'
By Yukana Inoue
It hopes to upgrade 100 stores nationwide so that they are able to serve as key community hubs in the event of a calamity.
Japan has made several exceptions to its arms export rules in recent years as part of a broader retreat from the pacifist stance it adopted after its defeat in World War II.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 17, 2025
Kawasaki Heavy in talks to develop engines for Germany's Taurus missiles
By John Geddie and Nobuhiro Kubo
The involvement of a Japanese partner could complicate matters due to Tokyo's ban on transfers of weapons to countries in conflict.
Rakuten Group issued a local bond with this year's highest coupon of 4.691%, highlighting the impact of rising interest rates on corporate borrowing costs in Japan.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 17, 2025
Japan gets highest-yielding yen bond this year with Rakuten deal
By Takahiko Hyuga
Japanese bond yields have climbed over concerns the next administration may pursue a more expansionary fiscal policy.
Nintendo is asking its manufacturing partners to ramp up output of its Switch 2 console, counting on demand to persist over the coming holidays and into the new year.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 17, 2025
Nintendo aims to make 25 million Switch 2 units by end of March
By Takashi Mochizuki and Debby Wu
Nintendo’s future hinges on the $450 Switch 2 being a success, and the company more than doubled marketing spending around its June launch to ensure it gets off to a fast start.
Sora 2, a short-form video app made by OpenAI, enables users to create realistic AI videos with text prompts, but critics say that there are insufficient guardrails — from a lack of copyright consideration to families of public figures upset by the reanimation of their loved ones.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 16, 2025
Japan’s government asks OpenAI to seek permission amid Sora 2 copyright concerns
By Elizabeth Beattie
Sora 2 enables users to create realistic AI videos with text prompts, but critics say that there are insufficient guardrails.
United Airlines planes are seen on the tarmac at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey on May 7.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 16, 2025
United sees resilient demand as premium travel drives profit
By Lucia Kassai and Siddharth Philip
The carrier’s push to lure and retain picky passengers and investments in its fleet have provided a buffer against economic turmoil.

Why I chose Japanese citizenship over permanent residency
Jon Heese (second left) takes part in a 2024 New Year's nihonshu barrel opening ceremony.
For Uniqlo’s founder, conquering America is personal
A Uniqlo store in New York. In recent years, Uniqlo’s affordable, well-made basic clothes have struck a chord, especially with younger American shoppers, fueling a rapid business expansion.
Japan's fractured politics could ensnarl Takaichi's economic plans
Sanae Takaichi, the newly elected leader of Japan's ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party, attends a news conference after the LDP presidential election in Tokyo on Oct. 4.
Sho-time as dazzling Ohtani powers Dodgers into World Series with historic performance
Shohei Ohtani hits a solo home run against the Milwaukee Brewers in the fourth inning of Game 4 of the National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday.
LDP and Nippon Ishin no Kai to form coalition government, report says
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and Nippon Ishin no Kai have agreed to form a coalition, paving the way for the country's first female prime minister, Kyodo reports.
What does Jimbocho think of its unexpected ‘cool’ status?
Tokyo's Jimbocho neighborhood is a haven for book lovers, its rows of secondhand bookstores spilling over with printed materials.
What you need to see at this year's Tokyo film festival
Chloe Zhao’s "Hamnet"
New film explores how Japan and the U.S. found common ground through baseball
Masanori Murakami became the first MLB player from Japan when he made his debut with the Giants on Sept 1, 1964.
As they wrestle for power, Japan’s political parties must remember their base
Rengo's head Tomoko Yoshino speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Oct. 8.
Sumo is about to hit London and the West with a force previously unseen
Preparations advance on Monday for the Grand Sumo Tournament at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Rock group The Yellow Monkey played K-Arena Yokohama in June as part of a nationwide tour. Concerts are increasingly popular in the age of social media as users value in-person experiences.
Inside Japan’s arena boom: Sports, sound and city-building
By Patrick St. Michel

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Foreign wrestlers have a long history in sumo
Foreign wrestlers have a long history in sumo

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