Companies
Japan Inc. sells record $25bn in cross-held shares, led by Toyota
Governance trend reduces buffer against takeover bids and activist investors
Materials
Shin-Etsu beats Apple's operating margin with commodity-grade PVC
Japan chemical maker's drive to keep operation efficient honed over decades
Consumer
Japan's Daiso aims for 200 stores in India and more local sourcing
Hundred-yen store operator expects to have 50 Indian outlets by early 2027
Travel & Leisure
IHG adds three Crowne Plaza hotels in Japan in bid to reach smaller cities
U.K. hospitality chain partners with local hotel group to cash in on tourism boom
International relations
Japanese politician gets 'positive' Chinese response on visa-waiver issue
Delegation led by ruling LDP heavyweight looks to smooth short-term travel
Agriculture
Japan's struggling dairy farmers shift to wagyu, despite lean market
Influx of new breeders risks undercutting prices further as supply grows
Energy
Central Japan nuclear reactor fails to pass safety review
Tsuruga plant's No. 2 reactor may lie above active fault in Fukui, watchdog says
The Big Story
Tighter U.S.-Japan alliance is unexpected legacy of Kishida-Biden era
Uncertainty over successors threatens momentum of 'global partnership'
Retail
IKEA launches new urban store model in Tokyo's Shibuya
City center locations tie into online shopping to help make up for small size
Japan's leadership race
Japan's prime minister race clashes with U.N., ASEAN summit season
G20, APEC meetings also follow ruling LDP leadership vote in packed calendar
International relations
Japan condemns China military plane incursion as 'grave' violation
Tokyo silent on whether defense officials talked via year-old hotline
Media & Entertainment
Sony to raise PlayStation 5 price by 20% in Japan
Conglomerate cites difficult external environment as global sales fall
Automobiles
Toyota and BMW to form alliance in fuel cell vehicle manufacturing
German auto giant aims to start mass production in a few years
Automobiles
Isuzu to develop self-driving trucks with U.S. startup
Japanese automaker hopes to put fully autonomous vehicles on road by fiscal 2027
Asia Insight
China's kindergarten closures foreshadow economic hit from falling births
20,000 schools shut in two years; Beijing seeks urgent solutions as workforce shrinks
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Semiconductors
Japan's SBI to take big stake in AI unicorn Preferred Networks
Investment is part of financial group's entry into semiconductor industry
Technology
Hitachi and Singtel deepen AI data center collaboration
Partners to combine strengths to improve efficiency
International relations
Chinese surveillance plane breaches Japanese airspace for first time
Japan's defense ministry says fighters were scrambled to warn off Y-9
Japan's leadership race
Japan Digital Minister Kono joins ruling party presidential race
Outspoken 61-year-old launches third bid to become prime minister
Currencies
Yen carry trade to grow once volatility ebbs, strategists say
Despite recent trend, Japan-U.S. interest rate spread to remain wide in short term
Markets
Asia's private debt market faces test amid higher rates, economic slowdown
Nascent investing space sees fund-raising drop to a third of 2021 peak
Media & Entertainment
Japan's adult manga sellers fear global credit card companies' wrath
Creative expression in tension with trend toward protective restrictions
Life
All aboard: Life-size Japanese model trains debut at Hong Kong cafe
Retro railcars by world-renowned modeler Hara transport guests to 1920s Japan
Food & Beverage
Japan scallop prices rebound as exports expand beyond China
Domestic consumption campaign also fuels recovery after Beijing's import ban
Society
Bangladeshi women in garment industry held back by knowledge gap
'Magic bullet' of education seen as key to opening up managerial opportunities