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April 01, 2026
 

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The Mitsukoshi department store in Tokyo. Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings saw duty-free sales rise 5.4% in March, in line with a 5.5% increase in overall sales.
BUSINESS / Companies
Japan's department store duty-free sales rebound as China-driven slump eases
The gains mark a shift for the stores, which had endured consecutive months of declining duty-free sales amid lingering tensions with China.
BUSINESS / Companies
Japanese companies welcome new employees as fiscal year starts
The ceremonies were held against a backdrop of global turmoil stemming from the Middle East conflict and economic uncertainty at home.
BUSINESS / Companies
Japan’s international flights to get pricier due to hike in fuel surcharge
Fuel surcharges are expected to rise up to double their current rates due to the ongoing Iran conflict.
The Sphere lights up in Las Vegas. SBI Holdings is exploring plans to build a Tokyo arena modeled on the iconic immersive venue.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 1, 2026
SBI Holdings eyes Sphere arena in new Tokyo entertainment push
By Jessica Speed
The Tokyo-based financial group is considering the Odaiba waterfront district as a potential site for the project.
KDDI President and CEO Hiromichi Matsuda (left) bows in apology during a news conference in Tokyo on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 1, 2026
KDDI says ¥246.1 billion overstated via fictitious transactions
Eight KDDI executives, including President and CEO Hiromichi Matsuda, will return portions of their executive remuneration.
Japanese companies including Mitsubishi, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking and Toyota Ventures invested in a $147 million Africa-focused venture fund, highlighting rising interest in African startups.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 31, 2026
Japanese investors back new VC fund targeting African startups
By Loni Prinsloo
The backing by large firms underscores the growing interest from the nation in African companies as they contend with a shrinking market and relatively low interest rates at home.
Mark Zuckerberg exits the Los Angeles Superior Court on Feb. 18.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 31, 2026
Meta’s $280 billion tailspin sparks ‘tobacco moment’ questions
By Ryan Vlastelica
Wall Street is grappling with the possibility that social media companies could face a similar risk to the shrinking of the tobacco industry following stronger regulations.
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group CEO Toru Nakashima says the banking group is seeking growth without large acquisitions.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 31, 2026
SMFG cools on acquisitions as banking giant sets new profit goal
By Taiga Uranaka and Hideki Suzuki
Japan's second-largest lender is aiming for ¥2 trillion in profit and a 13% return on tangible equity in three years.
Toyota’s global sales in February fell 2.3% from last year to 806,905 units.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 30, 2026
Toyota sales fall, while Japan’s automakers brace for Iran impact
By Nicholas Takahashi
The carmaker was hurt by aggressive competition in electric vehicles in China and weak demand at home in Japan.
A Uniqlo store in New York. Operator Fast Retailing struck a landmark deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers to raise its brand recognition in the U.S. market.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 30, 2026
Uniqlo taps into Ohtani magic at Dodgers Stadium to fuel U.S. push
By Kanoko Matsuyama and Yui Hasebe
The alliance is an almost perfect match, leveraging U.S. and Japanese fans' fascination with the multiple-MVP batter and pitcher.

Former mayor of Ito indicted after allegedly falsifying academic record
Maki Takubo, former mayor of Ito in Shizuoka Prefecture, was indicted without arrest on Monday by public prosecutors on suspicion of violations including contravening the local autonomy law through alleged academic fraud.
ADHD medication in short supply in Japan as demand soars
Concerta, an ADHD drug marketed by Janssen Pharmaceutical, is in short supply in Japan as demand has climbed recently.
JMA warns of potential tremors throughout the week after magnitude 5.0 quake
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck Tochigi and Ibaraki prefectures on Wednesday morning.
Japan’s 'counterstrike capability' takes shape with missile deployments
Kumamoto Gov. Takashi Kimura (left) and city of Kumamoto Mayor Kazufumi Onishi (second from left) speak to reporters after viewing upgraded Type-12 surface-to-ship missile systems (seen in the background), which have a range of about 1,000 kilometers, at the Ground Self-Defense Force’s Camp Kengun in the city of Kumamoto on March 17.
Yemen's Houthis enter Iran war with attacks on Israel, as U.S. Marines arrive in region
Young Houthi supporters hold weapons during a rally in solidarity with Tehran and Beirut, amid the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa on Friday.
Japan’s 'counterstrike capability' takes shape with missile deployments
Kumamoto Gov. Takashi Kimura (left) and city of Kumamoto Mayor Kazufumi Onishi (second from left) speak to reporters after viewing upgraded Type-12 surface-to-ship missile systems (seen in the background), which have a range of about 1,000 kilometers, at the Ground Self-Defense Force’s Camp Kengun in the city of Kumamoto on March 17.
ADHD medication in short supply in Japan as demand soars
Concerta, an ADHD drug marketed by Janssen Pharmaceutical, is in short supply in Japan as demand has climbed recently.
What happens when Japan curates its aesthetic for the world?
The Sui Collection, a Cabinet Office-backed showcase of traditional Japanese artisanship, is visually stunning, but what is lost in translation when the state is a partner in cultural communication?
With the end of 3G, Japan's beloved flip phones go dark
Japan was the first country in the world to adopt 3G, but this month, it cuts off access to the obsolete wireless network for good.
Japan to tighten requirements for naturalization starting April 1
Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Friday.

Podcast

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

Longform

Amy Yee poses for a photo in Lalibela, Ethiopia. An award-winning journalist and former foreign correspondent for the Financial Times, Yee shifted her focus to the issue of Tibetans in exile for her book, “Far From the Rooftop of the World: Travels Among Tibetan Refugees on Four Continents.”
The voices of Tibet, far from home
By Michael Judge

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