Japan

Beer can boost ‘spiritual or mental’ health, says Kirin president

Japanese brewer’s Takeshi Minakata says alcohol ‘can be a good thing’ as it ‘helps make people happy’

Go eyes robotaxis and acquisitions after Japan’s biggest IPO of 2026. Here’s why it matters

Go’s IPO — Japan’s biggest so far this year — has done more than provide a much-needed boost to the country’s languishing listing season. It has also supplied…

Do it at home too, women tell Japanese fans who cleaned World Cup stadium

Some see a double standard: Japanese men who clean in public while their wives do all the housework.

Japan ramping up defence is 'critical' to prevent war, Defence Minister Koizumi tells BBC

Japan needs to revisit the pacifist posture that has defined it since World War Two, Shinjiro Koizumi says.

Top Japan executive sounds alarm over ‘endlessly’ investing in US

Yoshimitsu Kobayashi highlights worries over $550bn funding for American infrastructure as domestic productivity lags

Japan raises interest rate to highest since 1995

The Bank of Japan has been raising rates from near-zero since 2024.

Bank of Japan raises rates to 1% for first time since 1995

Central bank says it will stop reducing level of monthly bond purchases from next year

Asian stocks soar with ‘risk on’ rally after US-Iran peace deal

Investor euphoria following Friday’s record SpaceX IPO helps propel Japanese and Korean markets

Japan deny Netherlands by fighting back twice in World Cup opener

Asia's most successful side, Japan, twice come from behind to draw 2-2 with Netherlands in Group F opener.

Japan’s PM: Building resilience in a turbulent world

To tackle the new challenges of today, it is essential to acquire new capabilities

Japan’s Wataru Endo retires after injury ends World Cup 2026 dream

Midfielder and captain quits after failing to recover from foot injury ahead of Japan's game against the Netherlands.

Apollo hunts for Japanese life insurer to boost growth

US asset manager may face regulatory hurdles amid preference for domestic players

Black bear caught in Japan after days of sightings

The capture in Utsunomiya comes as bear attacks have reached record levels across Japan.

Wild black bear captured in Japanese city after multi-day hunt

Japanese authorities have captured a bear following a multi-day search that saw nearly 100 schools close.

Persona 6 exists, and that’s all we know

This year's Summer Game Fest turned out to be a good one for fans of Japanese RPGs. First, the conclusion of the Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy was announced at SGF Live, and…

Tokio Marine boss to use Berkshire deal for global growth drive

Masahiro Koike aims to turn Japanese group into top five global insurer within a decade

‘Final Fantasy VII: Revelation’ Set to Conclude Remake Game Trilogy in 2027, First Trailer Revealed

“Final Fantasy VII: Revelation” has been revealed as the third and final title in Square Enix’s “Final Fantasy VII” remake trilogy. The game will…

Final Fantasy VII’s remake trilogy will conclude with Revelation

Square Enix has officially announced the third and final game in its Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy: Final Fantasy VII Revelation. It will release on multiple platforms…

'Extremely intelligent' bear on the run in Japan after injuring four people

Authorities said that a bear in north-east Japan has eluded capture by opening a window.

Japan’s football team sports cowboy hats ahead of World Cup

Japan's national football team wore cowboy hats as fans welcomed them to Monterrey, Mexico.

Watch: Man attacked by bear at steel works in Japan

Watch: Man attacked by bear at steel works in Japan

Japan’s newly crowned top company gets a downgrade on AI ‘mania’ concerns

Deutsche Bank analyst downgraded SoftBank to hold.

Sony’s new fight stick and gaming monitor launch in August

Sony is sharing new details about some of its upcoming gaming-focused hardware, including pricing and August launch dates for its FlexStrike fight stick and its 27-inch monitor.…

Japan’s Koizumi rejects China accusations of ‘new militarism’

Shinjiro Koizumi says Tokyo is pursuing security co-operation across Asia-Pacific region

Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are suffering industrial rot

Artificial intelligence is concealing a China shock

Osaka sparkles in golden French Open outfit

Naomi Osaka continues her tradition of serving jaw-dropping looks at Grand Slams with an outfit that reminds her of "the Eiffel tower at night".

More than 20 people taken to hospital after unknown substance sprayed in Tokyo

More than 20 people have been taken to hospital after someone sprayed an unknown substance in Tokyo, authorities said.

At least 19 people taken to hospital after 'strong smell' reported at Tokyo mall

Police say a man sprayed a substance at an ATM in the luxury Ginza 6 shopping centre.

AI fever and off-exchange boom grip Japanese retail traders

Average daily trading volume on Tokyo Stock Exchange’s prime market almost doubles in 12 months

‘The Samurai and the Prisoner’ Review: The Verb is Mightier Than the Sword in Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Dialogue-Laden Historical Mystery

The director of 'Cloud' and 'Cure' returns to Cannes with a period piece set in 16th-century feudal Japan, when warring samurai clans fought for control of the land.

‘My Hero Academia Final Season’ Lands Top Prize at 10th Annual Crunchyroll Anime Awards

“My Hero Academia Final Season” took home the top prize for Anime of the Year at the 10th Crunchyroll Anime Awards, held on Saturday, May 23, in Tokyo. Voice actress…

Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2026 Winners — Full List

Crunchyroll celebrated the 10th edition of its Anime Awards on Saturday in Tokyo, honoring this year’s winners, who were chosen from 73 million votes globally. Hosted by…

Japanese Cinematographer Ashizawa Akiko on Sneaking Angles Past Directors, Blowing Past ISO Limits and Why Bell Peppers Make the Best Color Charts

Ashizawa Akiko, a veteran of more than 70 features and one of the most accomplished cinematographers in the history of Japanese cinema, delivered a wide-ranging masterclass at the…

Nintendo keeps finding new ways to reinvent platformers

In most platforming games, you're fighting against the world around you. You're trying to beat a level, nail a seemingly impossible series of jumps, or defeat a powerful boss. But…

‘Shogun’ Star Tadanobu Asano Returns to Cannes in Yukiko Sode’s Arresting Romance ‘All the Lovers in the Night’

Adapted from Mieko Kawakami's acclaimed novel, this accomplished Un Certain Regard entry co-stars Yukino Kishii as a solitary Tokyo copy editor whose tentative love affair unfolds…

Fujifilm’s X Half is even more whimsical with a $300 price cut

Fujifilm’s X Half digital camera wasn’t designed to replace your main camera, though you’d be forgiven for assuming it was with its ludicrous $850 price. However, the company…

Record high Japanese yields trigger bets on repatriation

Fund managers say country’s investors will sell out of US Treasuries to invest in JGBs

‘Sheep in the Box’ Review: Hirokazu Koreeda Trains His Tender Gaze on Human-AI Co-Existence in a Grief Drama in Search of an Emotional Payoff

A couple scarred by the tragic loss of their young son sign up for a robotics program that recreates the deceased as lifelike humanoids in the 2018 Palme d'Or winner's latest.

Sony tries to explain that its AI Camera Assistant doesn’t suck

After Sony drew some unwanted attention for a post demonstrating its AI Camera Assistant on the Xperia 1 XIII, it's trying to clarify how the feature works. The company says it…

‘Sheep In The Box’ Review: Hirokazu Koreeda Turns The Stuff Of Dystopian Nightmares Into A Beautiful Fairytale Study Of Loss – Cannes Film Festival

Who do the dead belong to? This strange but thoughtful question is incredibly on brand for Japan’s Hirokazu Koreeda, and he explores it in one of his purest, most dream-like films…

Mitoma fails to make Japan’s 2026 World Cup squad due to hamstring injury

Monaco forward Takumi Minamino also misses out due to injury, but ex-Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu makes the cut.

Japanese snacks go black-and-white: Why Iran war is driving up ink prices

Calbee says it would temporarily use only black and white colours on 14 of its products due to a lack of printing ink.

Kôji Fukada on What Drives His Cannes Competition Debut ‘Nagi Notes’: ‘I Believe What Is Being Tested Now Is the Evolution of Democracy’

Previously selected for Cannes Premiere (“Love on Trial”) and Un Certain Regard (“Harmonium”), Kôji Fukada will now vie for the Palme d’Or in his first competition film with “Nagi…

Sony’s new Xperia phone gets an overdue redesign

Sony's Xperia 1 flagships have looked more or less the same since 2020, but that's finally changing with the Xperia 1 VIII, which moves to a chunky square camera island. The phone…

Sony upgraded its wearable AC so it’s cooler and better at hugging your neck

Sony has announced a new version of the wearable personal air conditioner the company first revealed in 2019 ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The latest version is an upgrade to…

Japan says Bessent offered ‘understanding’ on yen intervention

Currency weakens after US Treasury secretary meets finance minister Satsuki Katayama

Japan says Bessent offered ‘understanding’ on yen policy

Currency weakens after US Treasury secretary meets finance minister Satsuki Katayama

AFC Asian Cup 2027: Japan to face defending champions Qatar in tough draw

Saudi Arabia will host the 2027 tournament from January 7 to February 5 and will face Palestine, Kuwait and Oman.

Japanese council votes to remove unconscious mayor

Kikuo Hatakeyama, 72, has served as the mayor of Hachirogata in north-east Japan since 2008, but fell ill in February.

Sony, PlayStation Chiefs Detail AI Vision Amid Tariffs, Memory Crunch: ‘Human Creativity Must Remain at the Center’

Sony Group Corporation and its PlayStation division have outlined an AI strategy built on the principle that human creativity must anchor every application of the technology, with…

Toyota warns of $4.2bn hit from Middle East war

World’s biggest carmaker sells record 10.5mn vehicles last year on strong demand for hybrids

Toyota switches on to electric vehicles to counter Chinese threat

Hybrid pioneer’s push comes as rivals scale back their EV targets

Yoshida Keisuke Drama ‘Mentor’ Lands at Kino Films for World Sales (EXCLUSIVE)

Japanese sales and distribution outfit Kino Films has taken on world sales rights for “mentor,” a film directed by Yoshida Keisuke. Two boys once triggered a…

Japan PM says Iran war oil crisis having ‘enormous impact’ in Asia Pacific

Sanae Takaichi makes comments during a visit to Australia, where she signs agreements on energy supplies.

Kimura Taichi’s ‘Fujiko’ Wins Audience Award at Far East Film Festival

“Fujiko,” the second feature from Japanese director Kimura Taichi and produced by Megumi, took the Mulberry Audience Award at the 28th Far East Film Festival. The…

Japan’s Inoue beats Nakatani to retain undisputed super bantamweight title

Naoya Inoue wins 116-112, 115-113, 116-112 in a fight billed as the biggest boxing match in ​Japanese history.

Everyone loves Nintendo — except investors

Higher memory chip costs fuel fears of price rise for Switch 2 and cast shadow over console’s success

How this Japanese toilet maker became an unlikely AI winner

Toto is “aiming to achieve a toilet that never needs cleaning.” It’s also supplying electrostatic chucks — a semiconductor-manufacturing component critical to the memory-chip boom.

This Japanese toilet maker seeking ‘the perfect flush’ is moonlighting as a hot AI play

Toto is “aiming to achieve a toilet that never needs cleaning.” It’s also supplying electrostatic chucks — a semiconductor-manufacturing component critical to the memory-chip boom.

Japan just put a ‘Band-Aid’ on the yen. Why high oil prices could soon rip it off.

Concerns about high oil prices are adding to inflation fears in Japan, as the BOJ just moved to rescue the yen from a roughly 40-year low.

Japan’s Takaichi pledges deeper energy cooperation with Vietnam

Takaichi signs six agreements with Vietnam, including on technology, agriculture and space, during a trip to Hanoi.

SoftBank plans to list new AI and robotics company in the US

Masayoshi Son plots IPO for business named Roze as soon as this year

SoftBank shares dive, U.S. tech stocks under pressure on report of missed goals at OpenAI

SoftBank Group shares tumbled in Tokyo trade, suffering its worst single-day percentage loss in six months, after a published report that OpenAI missed several internal targets in…

After report of OpenAI missing targets, one company sees its worst share-price decline in six months

SoftBank Group shares tumbled in Tokyo trade, suffering its worst single-day percentage loss in six months, after a published report that OpenAI missed several internal targets in…

Sho Miyake answers life’s greatest questions

Acclaimed Japanese director Sho Miyake has arrived in the States. He's brought with him two feature films: Small, Slow But Steady and Two Seasons, Two Strangers, a pair of…

SusHi Tech Tokyo isn’t a conference — it’s a deal room with 60,000 people

When 60,000 attendees descend on Tokyo Big Sight April 27–29, the headline numbers are hard to ignore: 750 startup exhibitors, 151 sessions, city leaders from 49 countries. But…

Japan loosens arms export rules in break from post-WW2 pacifism

This clears the way for Japan to sell weapons to more than a dozen countries.

Japan on high alert for 'huge' second quake after lifting tsunami warning

Japan's meteorological agency warns another, stronger earthquake may hit in the next week.

Japan on high alert for 'huge' second quake after issuing tsunami warning

Japan's meteorological agency warns another, stronger earthquake may hit in the next week,

Japan downgrades tsunami warning after strong earthquake

No reports of major damage from waves that hit north-eastern coastline after magnitude 7.4 tremor

Japan issues tsunami warning after major earthquake

Warning for wave up to 3 metres high on north-eastern coast

Japan reveals new name for 40C-and-hotter days after blistering summer

The term - kokushobi - translates to "cruelly hot", "brutally hot" or "severely hot", and comes after Japan's hottest summer on record.

6,000 Meters Under the Pacific, Japan Seeks Independence From China on Rare Earths

Tokyo is succeeding where the rest of the world has failed, reducing its reliance on Beijing for crucial rare earth elements—thanks to an enormous underwater deposit discovered on…

The new Tomodachi Life is made to be shared — even if Nintendo doesn’t want you to

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is hard to explain. The best way to understand is to see it in action; a screenshot of Handsome Squidward and Bob Belcher falling in love over…

Tokyo Film Festival Appoints New Director

Hisamatsu Takeo has been appointed as Festival Director at the Tokyo Film Festival, replacing Ando Hiroyasu, who is due to step down on May 31.  Takeo previously served as…

TechCrunch is heading to Tokyo — and bringing the Startup Battlefield with it

SusHi Tech 2026 is zeroing in on four technology domains reshaping society: AI, Robotics, Resilience, and Entertainment. Expect live demos of humanoid robots, sessions on…

Japan cracks down on its wayward cyclists

Enforcement regime will levy fines for infractions including using headphones and riding with one hand

Nintendo is weathering the storm

Things aren't going so well in the video game industry. Consoles are getting more expensive, games are shutting down, layoffs are prevalent, the live-service space is a mess,…

Divorced couples in Japan can now share custody of their children

Japan was, until recently, the only G7 country to not recognise the legal concept of joint custody.

K2 Pictures Lifts Lid On Hirokazu Kore-Eda Protégé Nanako Hirose’s ‘Between Two Lovers’

Japan’s K2 Pictures has unveiled fresh details for former Hirokazu Kore-eda assistant Nanako Hirose’s love triangle drama Between Two Lovers starring Masami Nagasawa, Tasuku Emoto…

Cult Japanese Director Shinya Tsukamoto Unveils Vietnam Vet Drama ‘Mr. Nelson, Did You Kill People?’

The English-language film, starring Rodney Hicks as an African American war veteran alongside Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush, is based on a true story and was shot across four…

Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Protégé Unveils Polyamorous Romantic Drama ‘Between Two Lovers’

Nanako Hirose's Japan-Taiwan co-production stars Masami Nagasawa, Tasuku Emoto and Shizuka Ishibashi and probes unconventional love and family structures among a trio of…

Shinya Tsukamoto Vietnam Veteran Drama ‘Mr. Nelson, Did You Kill People?’ Sets Japan Release

Shinya’s Tsukamoto’s “Mr. Nelson, Did You Kill People?” is headed to Japanese cinemas. The film rounds out the Japanese director’s informal trilogy…

Why SoftBank’s new $40B loan points to a 2026 OpenAI IPO

Wall Street giants JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs are extending a 12-month, unsecured loan to the Japanese conglomerate.

'Get out, get out!': Max Verstappen kicks journalist out of press conference

Former Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen kicked a reporter out of a press conference ahead of Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix.

Nintendo cuts Switch 2 production amid weakening console sales

Nintendo will produce fewer Switch 2 units than it previously projected in response to weakening demand for the console in the US, Bloomberg reports. Four million units of…

Japan’s SMFG explores possible takeover of Jefferies

Sumitomo Mitsui’s banking unit holds minority stake in US investment bank

Apollo agrees biggest Japan deal in $3.7bn rescue of glassmaker NSG

Japanese manufacturer has struggled since swooping for UK rival Pilkington two decades ago

Japan sounds alarm over UK delays to combat aircraft project

Tokyo frustrated by funding hold-ups that are preventing the signing of a development contract

Unease in Japan after Trump cites Pearl Harbor to defend Iran war

US president's reference to Japan's 1941 attack has shaken Japanese as PM Takaichi's silence gets mixed reaction.

Japan beat Australia to lift Women’s Asian Cup title

Japan edges tournament hosts Australia 1-0 in ⁠the Women's ⁠Asian Cup final to claim third title in four editions.

Japan 1-0 Australia: Women’s Asian Cup 2026 final – as it happened

All the updates following our text commentary stream of the Women's Asian Cup final in Sydney.

Trump makes Pearl Harbor remark in meeting with Japan's PM

President Trump compared US strikes on Iran to the deadly 1941 Japanese attack and declaration of war as part of World War Two.

The fate of Japan’s $6trn foreign portfolio rattles global markets

The knock-on effects of a sell-off in Japanese-held foreign investments would be far-reaching

Why is the yen still so weak?

Newly alluring yields on Japanese bonds have not propped up the currency

Japan’s bond-market tremble reflects a fiscal-monetary clash

As investors worry about budgetary laxity, the central bank prepares for more rate hikes

Japan’s dealmaking machine revs up

Private equity is enjoying a renaissance in an unlikely place

Japan has been hit by investing fever

Will old folk catch the bug?