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July 13, 2025
 

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LINE

Police arrested two Nepalese men living in Tokyo for allegedly contacting a woman via social media pretending to be Shohei Ohtani and swindling money out of her.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 25, 2025
Nepalese men posing as Ohtani arrested over fraud charges
Two suspects, both living in Tokyo's Adachi Ward, are believed to have swindled ¥1 million from a woman in Tokyo in early to mid-November last year.
A new scam causing concern in Japan starts out simple, but when victims request to continue, they are instructed to set up an account on a certain app or website where they are to enter their personal information.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 12, 2025
Japan's consumer watchdog raises alarm over new social media scam
The deceptively innocent scheme requires users to do one simple thing to earn some extra cash: take screenshots of videos.
Fans wait in line to meet Webtoon Entertainment creators during the company’s initial public offering at the Nasdaq Market site in New York in June 2024.
BUSINESS
Jan 16, 2025
Webtoon invests in Japanese webcomic studio No. 9 as manga booms
Webtoon’s first investment since its U.S. initial public offering in June is meant to strengthen its content pipeline in Japan.
According to a recent survey by Child Fund Japan, a nonprofit, one in eight minors in Japan have experienced online requests from strangers to meet or for sexual photos. Despite the potential harms of social media, strong regulations are lacking.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 28, 2024
Japan doesn't need a social media ban, but it must protect children
Short of stopping minors from using social media, Japan needs to beef up its response to an evermore perilous online environment. One that adults often struggle to grasp.
A text message sent by a scammer tells a recipient that a refund can be made only through an electronic money transfer.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Nov 5, 2024
Police warn of refund scams involving smartphone payment apps
Scammers are exploiting smartphone payment apps, particularly PayPay, and fake online discount stores to commit fraud.
The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry has said the 50-50 control of LY, the operator of the Line app, by SoftBank and Naver leaves the messaging app vulnerable to cyberattacks.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 4, 2024
SoftBank and Naver to sell down stake in Japan’s Line app
The tender comes as the capital structure of the operator of Japan’s biggest messaging app Line threatens to become a diplomatic flash point with South Korea.
LINE, the app at the center of a tug-of-war for control. Line was introduced in Japan in 2011 by Naver, the operator of South Korea’s leading search engine.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 24, 2024
Japan and South Korea are fighting over an app at a tense time
Leaders on both the Japanese and South Korean sides appear determined to prevent the quarrel over Line from escalating.
Line, which has evolved into an all-encompassing app used for messaging, payments, job searches and more, is now at the center of a dispute over its ownership.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 5, 2024
Why Line, a superapp, sparked a diplomatic dispute
Line, which has evolved into an all-encompassing app used for messaging, payments, job searches and more, is now at the center of a dispute over its ownership.
LY said in November that there had been unauthorized access of its systems by a third party via Naver's cloud system, causing the leak of the personal data records of more than 300,000 Line users and others.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 10, 2024
Naver exploring options including stake sale in Line operator
Naver apologized for a recent security breach that led the Japanese government to issue administrative guidance.
SoftBank is in talks with South Korea's Naver over control of LY, which operates the popular messaging app Line, the telecommunications firm's CEO has said.
BUSINESS
May 9, 2024
SoftBank in talks with Naver over control of Line operator LY
LY is majority owned by a joint venture between SoftBank and Naver.
Japan's Fair Trade Commission may take administrative action against Google over its digital advertising business.
BUSINESS
Apr 16, 2024
Japan FTC may take administrative action against Google
The FTC suspects that Google is unfairly restricting transactions on Yahoo Japan and messaging app Line, in violation of Japan's antimonopoly law.
Shintaro Tajima (left) and his son, Daisuke, pose in their forest in Hita, Oita Prefecture, in January. At their feet is wasabi growing in clusters.
BUSINESS / Companies / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Mar 18, 2024
Oita forestry firm signs carbon trade deal with Line operator
LY, which operates Line and Yahoo services, will purchase 1,500 tons of carbon credit per year from Tajima Forest for 10 years.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 13, 2023
Nomura to scale back loss-making brokerage venture with Line
As part of the restructuring, Japan’s biggest securities firm will take over the management of client brokerage accounts.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 3, 2023
Z Holdings to merge with Line and Yahoo Japan by March 2024
The SoftBank-backed company is looking to streamline its operations in a bid to position itself as a world-leading AI company.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 8, 2021
Internet giants take fire in South Korean echo of China crackdown
Naver, which runs the messaging platform Line as well as a host of apps, slid 8% Wednesday, its biggest intraday loss in over a year.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 22, 2021
Can security be improved by bringing personal data back to Japan?
While storing and managing data within Japan may better protect against foreign governments' attempts to obtain personal information, critics are yet to be convinced.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 22, 2021
Line data scandal alerts Japan of need to get serious about data protection
Following the news that the firm had allowed a Chinese software company to access users' personal information, calls are being made for better regulation of information.
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Mar 31, 2021
Will data handling setback damage Line’s dominance in Japan?
A scandal over a Chinese firm's access to user data could derail Z Holdings' plan to facilitate the digital transformation of the public sector.
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Mar 24, 2021
Line data scandal highlights perils of storing information across borders
Concerns over Japan's national security have arisen because of the obligations of a Chinese affiliate under that country's National Intelligence Law.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 4, 2021
South Korean tech firms shake up Japan's storied manga industry
Backed by tech giants Kakao Corp. and Naver Corp., Piccoma and Line Manga have become Japan's highest-grossing mobile apps outside of games.
Tokyo hit by torrential rainfall at rush hour
People line up at Shibuya Station in Tokyo as they try to avoid the heavy rain on Thursday.
Foreign drivers in Japan to face tougher license conversion rules from October
According to the National Police Agency, there were 75,905 people who converted their foreign driver’s license to a Japanese one in 2024, up from 48,885 in 2019.
Nissan clinches $4.5 billion bond deal after orders soar
Nissan Motor has raised $4.5 billion through a junk bond sale in U.S. dollars and euros, part of which carries a record-high coupon rate.
Chinese fighters came within 30 meters of Japanese spy aircraft, Tokyo says
A Chinese JH-7 fighter jet makes an near an Air Self-Defense Force YS-11EB surveillance aircraft over the East China Sea this week in this image released Thursday.
What Japanese politics could look like after Upper House election
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who heads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (center) waves to attendees as he departs after delivering a campaign speech in Yokohama on Sunday.
New IG Arena set to dial down temperature at Nagoya Basho, in a good way
With IG Arena getting glowing early reviews as the Nagoya Basho’s replacement venue, it may be a while before fans wax nostalgic about the Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium.
Once a niche, anime is now mainstream content for Netflix and other streaming services
Though Netflix remains the dominant choice globally for anime viewers, Amazon Prime Video has also invested heavily in anime, steadily adding titles to their catalogue.
NGOs condemn rise in anti-immigrant rhetoric ahead of Upper House vote
Sanseito head Sohei Kamiya holds a board that reads "Japanese First" in Tokyo on July 2. In a joint statement on Tuesday, eight human rights nongovernmental organizations described the far-right party's stance as "hate speech."
Japanese dancers find a home abroad at Houston Ballet
“Giselle” lead Yuriko Kajiya (center), performing with Connor Walsh as Albrecht, is one of six Japanese dancers at Houston Ballet.
From the Abes to the Ohtanis: How siblings shape athletic development
Olympic judoka Uta Abe (second from left) and Hifumi Abe (second from right) with their brother Yuichiro (center) and their parents. “I’m always consciously trying to be a good older brother,” Yuichiro said.

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