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Nissan and Honda may be nearing a merger to address Nissan's struggles, forming a second major hub in Japan's auto industry to rival Toyota.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 19, 2024

A Honda-Nissan merger is a slow-moving savior

Nissan is struggling — burning through cash and with billions of dollars of debt due in a little over a year.
The headquarters building for Sony in central Tokyo
BUSINESS
Dec 19, 2024

Sony buys 10% of Elden Ring owner for $320 million

The new deal will see Sony pay ¥50 billion ($320 million) for 12 million new Kadokawa shares, making it the company's biggest shareholder.
A limited edition of PlayStation 5 (PS5) Pro video game console
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 20, 2024

Sony’s record climb makes investors more bullish on gaming boom

Sony Group’s long-awaited rise to record highs has emboldened bullish investors and analysts, who see gains extending into 2025 on a robust outlook for video games.
Residential buildings under construction at China Evergrande Group's Riverside Palace development in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, China, in November 2023
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Dec 20, 2024

China’s economic rebound hangs on the fate of its richest cities

Preserving earning power in China was given fresh urgency as U.S. Presidential-elect Donald Trump says he will choke off critical Chinese exports.
Toshiba's Corporate Senior Executive Vice President Koji Ikeya speaks during an interview in Tokyo on Monday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 20, 2024

A year after going private, structural reforms bearing fruit for Toshiba

Before going private last December, Toshiba had long struggled to deal with activist investors, from whom the company accepted investments to stabilize its finances.
Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe at the Japan Mobility Show 2023 at Tokyo Big Sight in October 2023.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 21, 2024

Honda and Nissan consider mutual production of vehicles, report says

The report added that Honda will also consider supplying hybrid vehicles to Nissan as part of the potential merger, without mentioning the source of the information.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom stands with Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng at an event welcoming pandas to the San Diego Zoo on Aug. 8. American intelligence agencies have warned of influence operations targeting city halls and statehouses. But what's in it for Beijing?
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Dec 22, 2024

As China seeks influence, it has a cuddly way into city hall: pandas

Records and interviews show that Beijing has used pandas as leverage to shape policy on Taiwan and to cultivate relationships with local U.S. politicians.
Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida (left), Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe (second from left) and Takao Kato, CEO of Mitsubishi Motors, hold a news conference on merger talks on Monday in Tokyo.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 23, 2024

Honda-Nissan megamerger in the works

Both carmakers are facing overcapacity and the need for huge investments related to electric-vehicle and self-driving technologies.
The flag of China is seen next to the elements of gallium and germanium on a periodic table.
BUSINESS / Markets
Dec 23, 2024

Tiny but vital metal markets rush to adjust to Chinese clampdown

Beijing this month slapped a ban on U.S.-bound exports of gallium, germanium and antimony in a tit-for-tat move in a technology trade war.
Small businesses in Ino, a town in Kochi Prefecture known for its paper industry, show how a labor shortage is a growing threat to smaller companies that provide seven out of every 10 jobs in Japan.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 24, 2024

Small businesses with low wages struggle to tackle labor shortages

A worker shortage is threatening firms that are otherwise robust, including those that have invested in automation and creative hiring.
David Nemecek
BUSINESS
Dec 25, 2024

The star dealmakers remaking the rules of corporate debt

The world of liability management is a small, aggressive and, thus far, male-dominated corner of corporate finance.
Cocoa beans are pictured next to a warehouse at the village of Atroni, near Sunyani, Ghana, on April 11, 2019.
BUSINESS / Markets
Dec 25, 2024

How a hedge fund exodus reshaped global cocoa markets 

The impact of hedge funds' exit illustrates how reliant trading has become on these lightly regulated funds that increasingly shape financial markets.
Japan Airlines jets at Tokyo's Haneda Airport in August. On Thursday, JAL announced its systems had been targeted in a cyberattack.
JAPAN
Dec 26, 2024

Japan Airlines reports cyberattack on system, impacting flights

JAL's systems appeared to have returned to normal after the router believed to have been causing the disruption was temporarily shut down.
Hip-hop duo Creepy Nuts' uptempo “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” quickly became a TikTok favorite after its release days into 2024, which helped turn the song into a Billboard Japan Hot 100 topper for 19 weeks before rising up viral streaming charts around the world.
CULTURE / Music / 2024 in Review
Dec 27, 2024

Bling-Bang, baby: The J-pop soundtrack of 2024

Japanese music made waves globally, fueled by Coachella debuts, TikTok virality and unexpected hits like Creepy Nuts' "Bling-Bang-Bang-Born."
The health ministry aims to improve accessibility, particularly in areas with few pharmacies.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Dec 27, 2024

Japan to allow convenience stores to handle over-the-counter drugs

Under current regulations, OTC drugs can only be sold at stores with pharmacists or other qualified personnel stationed at all times.
Ground Self-Defense Force members conduct a military drill next to an anti-ship missile unit on Miyako Island in Okinawa Prefecture in April 2022.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Dec 29, 2024

Japan defense spending goals hit by inflation, weak yen and political uncertainty

A slew of obstacles are jeopardizing Tokyo's pursuit of raising defense spending to 2% of gross domestic product by fiscal 2027.
People cover themselves with umbrellas during a hot summer day in Tokyo's Ginza district in August. Temperatures shot up in early July, even before the official end of the rainy season, and the high temperatures persisted well into the fall.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change / OUR PLANET
Dec 29, 2024

Japan’s weather in 2024: Record temperatures hurt people’s health and wallets

Average temperatures across the nation and surrounding seas exceeded last year’s record-breaking levels "by a significant margin," affecting everything from well-being to farming.
Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico during a meeting in Moscow on Dec. 22.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 30, 2024

Ukraine-Russia gas transit deal faces critical moment of truth

As its year-end expiry looms, Slovakia and a group of central European companies are putting pressure on Ukraine to keep Russian gas flowing.
OnlyFans CEO Keily Blair gestures during the Axios BFD event in New York on Oct. 12, 2023.
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 30, 2024

How OnlyFans turned into a global empire bent on redefining porn

For all its ambition and influence, the inner workings of OnlyFans remain opaque.
A satellite image shows the Sverdlov plant in Dzerzhinsk, Russia, on Sept. 13, 2022.
WORLD / Politics
Dec 31, 2024

The Russian billionaires whose chemical factories fuel Moscow's war machine

The analysis demonstrates how heavily plants forming part of Russia's war machine rely on the chemical factories.
Children play with fireworks at the Bureij camp for displaced Palestinians on Monday.
WORLD
Dec 31, 2024

World greets 2025 after sweltering year of Olympics, turmoil and Trump

As New Year's Eve parties kicked into gear along Australia's picturesque Sydney Harbour, many revelers were relieved to see the past 12 months in the rearview mirror.
Photos taken from the same place but at different times in the Noto Peninsula towns of Wajima (left) and Suzu illustrate the progress made following the devastating earthquake that hit these areas of Ishikawa Prefecture on Jan. 1, 2024.
JAPAN / Society
Jan 1, 2025

A year after a deadly earthquake, Noto Peninsula still faces long road to recovery

Reconstruction remains a prolonged and complex ordeal for cities in the worst-hit areas, with recovery further hampered by torrential rains in September.
Japanese architect and Expo Site Design Producer Sou Fujimoto stands on the construction site of his Grand Ring.
LIFE / Style & Design
Jan 1, 2025

Architect Sou Fujimoto says his 'Grand Ring' will be a symbol of unity at the Osaka Expo

Traditional techniques for joining wooden pillars were used and inspired by the raised platform at Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto.
A recovery in the olive harvest in Spain and elsewhere is easing the olive oil crisis, but depleted stocks and rising global demand mean prices will likely stay higher than pre-crisis levels.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 3, 2025

The olive oil crisis is over — but fears continue to linger

Prices for the golden commodity are set to drop thanks to a bountiful harvest this season. That doesn’t solve all its problems.
A bottle line packaging production worker at the Coors brewery in Golden, Colorado, takes Coors Light cases off the line for label inspection.
WORLD / Science & Health
Jan 4, 2025

U.S. surgeon general urges cancer warnings for alcoholic drinks

The move could signal a shift toward more aggressive tobacco-style regulation for the sector if adopted.
U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision will further burnish his climate credentials, deepening his record of fostering conservation and zero-emission energy.
WORLD / Politics
Jan 4, 2025

Biden to ban new oil drilling over vast stretch of U.S. Atlantic and Pacific waters

The move represents a sweeping effort to permanently protect coastal waters from fossil fuel development and the risk of oil spills.
The Bristol Bears' Ilona Maher takes a selfie with fans after her team's match against Gloucester-Hartpury in Bristol, England, on Sunday.
MORE SPORTS / Rugby
Jan 6, 2025

U.S. rugby star Ilona Maher draws record crowd in debut for Bristol

She came off the bench for the final 20 minutes at Ashton Gate to huge cheers but was unable to make a major impact.
Analysts believe the strength of the Japanese economy will help to push up domestic stocks, despite pressure from likely interest rate hikes from the Bank of Japan and uncertainty caused by Donald Trump’s presidency in the U.S.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jan 6, 2025

Japan stocks look set for new highs in 2025 on earnings and reforms

Analysts see better corporate earnings as the country transitions to a growth economy from a deflationary one.
Prototypes for Honda 0 Series EVs, set to launch in 2026, were revealed on Tuesday in Las Vegas.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 8, 2025

Honda showcases U.S.-made EVs as it considers slowing investments

The firm plans to introduce 30 new electric vehicles globally by 2030.
Jensen Huang, co-founder and CEO of Nvidia, speaks during the 2025 CES event in Las Vegas on Monday.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jan 8, 2025

Nvidia slides after unveiling leaves investors wanting more

Though Nvidia’s latest announcements gave an upbeat view of the company’s long-range prospects, there wasn’t as much near-term upside as some investors had sought.

Longform

Growing families are being priced out of Tokyo’s condo market, forced to choose between downtown convenience and suburban space.
Is living in central Tokyo still affordable?