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July 05, 2025
 

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TELECOMS

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.
A Rakuten Mobile branch in Tokyo. Rakuten is set for another tough year in 2024, at a time when rivals are on the attack with competitive pricing and reward campaigns.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 29, 2023
Rakuten's mobile misadventure: from ambitious plan to millstone
Founder and CEO Hiroshi Mikitani's vision of a low-cost network using cloud-based software and cheap hardware did not pan out.
Yasuhide Uno, Usen-Next Holdings CEO, has transformed his father’s company into Netflix’s biggest competitor in Japan.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 28, 2023
Reluctant CEO becomes billionaire at Netflix rival in Japan
Initially wanting nothing to do with his father's cable music company, Yasuhide Uno's faith in video streaming helped him rebuild it for a new era.
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.
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.
A Chinese flag flutters near a Huawei store in Shanghai on Sept. 8.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 21, 2023
German proposal for Huawei curbs triggers telecom operator backlash
Telecom operators swiftly criticized the proposals, while Huawei Germany rejected what it called the "politicization" of cybersecurity in the country.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 30, 2023
Kishida's push to protect vital undersea cables
Undersea communications cables, a pillar of the global economy, are starting to get the attention they deserve in part due to Prime Minister Kishida's efforts.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / ANALYSIS
Mar 16, 2023
Fear of the dark: Taiwan sees wartime frailty in communication links with world
War in Ukraine lends new urgency to Taiwan's security needs, especially against cyberattacks or attempts to sever cables that connect the island to the internet.
Japan Times
WORLD
Mar 5, 2023
Satellites could beam poorest nations out of digital desert
Tech giants including Microsoft have pledged to help poor regions hobbled by bad internet services to 'leapfrog' into an era of online connectivity, with satellites set to play a key role.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Mar 3, 2023
NTT to start offering services under next-gen network initiative
The major telecommunications company plans to start offering the services from March 16 for a monthly fee of ¥1.98 million.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 15, 2023
Rakuten Group logs ¥372 billion record loss as it builds mobile base stations
The cybermall and mobile phone group incurred a net loss for the fourth straight year.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 3, 2023
KDDI and SoftBank to provide new dual-SIM service to ensure connectivity during emergencies
The announcement is a response to KDDI’s massive mobile network outage last summer that affected more than 30 million users.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Jan 31, 2023
Biden team weighs fully cutting off Huawei from U.S. suppliers
Sales from U.S. firms to Huawei have been limited for four years, since former U.S. President Donald Trump added the firm to the so-called U.S. 'entity list.'
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 22, 2022
No sign of smartphone recovery until late 2023, TDK CEO warns
Tokyo-based TDK sees little indication of a rebound following major declines in handset sales, especially in the key market of China.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 13, 2022
Struggling Rakuten may need to phone a friend for help with mobile bet
Hiroshi Mikitani isn't as rich as he used to be — and is losing money rapidly on his bet on mobile. The smart play may be to find a partner with deeper pockets.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 25, 2022
NTT West internet services disrupted for hours across wide area
The glitch disrupted Flet's Hikari services in central and western Japan and slowed speeds from Kansai to Kyushu.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 16, 2022
KDDI outage spurs action in Japan over emergency communication system
Discussions on a backup system are ramping up, but there are disagreements between carriers about what the scope of the service should be.
BUSINESS
Jul 29, 2022
KDDI to spend ¥7.3 billion to compensate users for major network outage
The carrier said about 22.8 million subscribers had experienced difficulties making voice calls, while more than 7.65 million users had trouble connecting to the internet during the outage.
BUSINESS
Jul 28, 2022
KDDI’s network outage rekindles calls for stronger emergency systems
To prevent a situation where people are unable to use their cellphones for an extended period of time, there is an urgent need to consider a system enabling 'cross-carrier roaming.'
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 22, 2022
KDDI to pay compensation to millions of users after massive outage of au network
Up to 39.15 million subscribers nationwide had difficulty making calls and using data in the early hours of July 2. It took 86 hours for the company to declare a full recovery.
A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend
A viral manga prediction of a July 5 disaster has gripped Japan with anxiety and triggered an economic impact, but experts warn that while such dates are unreliable, the threat of a massive earthquake remains real. 
Magnitude 5.5 earthquake jars Tokara Islands amid flurry of seismic activity
A strong quake struck off the Tokara Islands on Thursday afternoon, with the island chain having recorded around 1,000 earthquakes since a burst of seismic activity first began on June 21.
Japan to require flight passengers to keep power banks within sight
The transport ministry has announced new regulations requiring flight passengers to keep power banks within sight to mitigate fire risks while on board planes.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Residents of Tokara Islands begin evacuation as seismic swarm continues
Details about evacuations from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecture, is seen written on a whiteboard in the city of Kagoshima on Thursday.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

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