Osaka University and the University of Tokyo are developing technology to create cultured meat from animal cells that resemble real meat more closely...
Global wine consumption in 2023 was down 7% from its peak in 2017. In Australia, wine inventories have ballooned to record levels, and in France, the government is subsidizing the disposal of surplus wine...
V3 Gourmet, headquartered in Singapore and the owner of TWG Tea, will introduce its coffee brand, Basha Coffee, in Japan beginning in 2025. The company sees an opportunity to expand its presence in Japan, as the brand appeals to Japanese tourists...
Geo Holdings expanded to the U.S. in 2018 and now operates 43 2nd STREET stores, primarily in California. Driven by the U.S. and other markets, overseas sales doubled to 14 billion yen for the fiscal year ending March 2024. The company plans to grow to 100 stores by 2028...
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group intends to acquire WealthNavi, the leading provider of discretionary investment services known for its robo-advisory offerings. The firm will initiate a tender offer shortly to buy all shares and transition WealthNavi into a wholly owned subsidiary...
Meat imports will rise in December compared to the same month last year. Trading companies and others are gearing up for the peak demand period at the end of the year. With domestic inventory levels remaining low, import volumes of beef, pork, and chicken are expected to increase...
On November 20, Tokyo Metro revealed that it has been tasked with managing the London Underground in the UK. The company, in partnership with Sumitomo Corporation and a British railway operator, received informal notification from Transport for London on the 19th (local time) regarding the contract to oversee the operations of the Elizabeth Line...
Justsystems, a software development firm, is set to introduce a distance learning service utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) for elementary and junior high students. During interactions with the AI, it provides hints tailored to each student’s comprehension level...
Toridoll Holdings is set to return to South Korea in 2025. On the 19th, the company finalized an agreement with Lotte Group, a leading Korean distributor known for its burger chain Lotteria, allowing it to franchise the udon restaurant Marugame Udon in Korea...
On November 18, Microsoft revealed that it had opened its inaugural research hub in Japan. The initiative aims to boost productivity and foster new business opportunities by integrating artificial intelligence (AI) with robotics and automotive technologies, areas where Japanese firms excel...
Toyota Motor is moving closer to bringing hydrogen-powered vehicles to market. To broaden the project's scope, they have developed a hybrid vehicle (HV) that combines hydrogen fuel with an electric motor. Additionally, they are exploring the option of liquefying hydrogen to enhance storage capacity...
Challengergy, located in Sumida-ku, Tokyo, is a startup focused on wind power development. It plans to offer propeller-less micro wind turbines designed for power generation and communication, particularly in disaster scenarios...
ServiceNow, a prominent business software provider in the US, is set to increase its investments in Japan. The company intends to allocate $2 billion (around 310 billion yen) over the next few years to enhance its data centers and its Tokyo hub...
Seven-Eleven plans to integrate an app that provides online medical care and prescription services with a delivery locker located in their stores. This will allow customers to receive medications prescribed through online medical care...
The demand is expected to monitor specific sea areas to confirm the status of disasters such as earthquakes and for security purposes. The images taken will be sold to the government and municipalities...
Sony G has primarily acquired production companies and film copyrights. The company increases the value of its content by integrating it into movie theaters. Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), a film subsidiary of Sony G, acquired it from the US investment fund that owns Alamo and its founders...
Kirin has strategically invested approximately 33% in FANCL and plans to acquire the remaining shares to make it a wholly-owned subsidiary through a tender offer within the year. The expected acquisition price is about 210 billion yen...
Qualips, a rising star from Osaka University, has made a significant stride in the race for iPS cell technology. They are on the verge of submitting a regulatory application to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for iPS cell-derived cardiac muscle sheets...
This partnership is a significant step forward for both companies and promises to deliver innovative solutions to the industry. The company will provide digital printing presses manufactured by Canon...
Exciting plans are underway to expand the subway system in Jakarta, the vibrant capital of Indonesia. Japan is supporting this ambitious project through Official Development Assistance (ODA) to triple the total distance of the subway system by 2031...
In fiscal year 2023, the household penetration rate of digital cameras fell below 50% for the first time in 19 years. This decline is attributed to the increased ownership of smartphones, which has led to decreased demand for compact digital cameras...
Intel is collaborating with 14 Japanese companies, including OMRON, to develop manufacturing technology in Japan. The focus is on automating the "back-end process" of assembling semiconductors into final products...
Nippon Steel announced on May 3 that they would be changing the completion date of their planned acquisition of United States Steel from April to September 2024 to July to December 2024...
The company has announced its intention to make its largest acquisition yet, investing $2.4 billion. Its cancer immunology drug, Opdivo, has been a critical factor in driving its performance growth, but its patent will expire in stages beginning in 2028...
Logsys, backed by JCB and MUFG Bank, is poised to introduce a game-changing digital ID wallet. This innovation will fundamentally alter how users manage and verify their personal information and credentials in the metaverse, heralding a new era of seamless commercial and financial interactions...
Mitsubishi Corporation has a 30% stake in a company that manages car dealerships in India and sells Honda and other Japanese cars. To encourage their widespread use, Mitsubishi will also handle electric vehicles (EVs)...
The total acquisition price is approximately 88 billion yen. You Yang Sun International, the largest manufacturer of Chinese herbal medicines in Southeast Asia...
With the spread of Netflix and other video streaming services, animation is now proliferating overseas. Expanding the animation economic zone originating from Japan is beginning to be in full swing...
Seven & I have teamed up with delivery startup OniGO (Tokyo) to expand the service to 120 stores by February 2025. The service delivers fresh and ready-made foods in as little as 20 minutes...
New stores will be established mainly in the US, bringing the number of overseas stores to 130, 2.6 times the current number. The domestic capsule toy market is expected to reach a record high in the fiscal year ending March 2024...
TSR, acquired by Sumitomo, has many trenches to prevent collapses during excavation work. A trench is a construction machine used for excavating narrow spaces below the ground surface...
Hayao Miyazaki's animated film THE BOY AND THE HERON won the US Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film. Compared to about 20 years ago, when director Hayao Miyazaki won the same award for "Spirited Away," Japanese animation has made great strides worldwide...
Domestic trading prices for raisins used in bread and confectionery reached their highest level in about 44 years. The 2023 crop failed in the US and Turkey, the main production areas and shortages were felt worldwide...
Daikin Industries, the world's leading air conditioning company, has launched a strategy to capture the "Global South," including Africa. They have grown through energy-saving technologies and skillful mergers and acquisitions (M&A)...
AEON announced that its subsidiary Welcia Holdings, the largest drugstore operator, and Tsuruha Holdings, the second largest, have entered into talks to merge their operations...
Ice cream from Japan is becoming increasingly popular in Asia. The unique taste and texture of mochi (rice cakes), which have been cultivated in Japan, have won the hearts of local consumers...
The European Union is considering new regulations for food packaging. If realized, this could make exporting sake and wagyu beef in the region difficult. The Japanese government will step up its efforts to have them removed from the list...
Suntory will invest more than 15 billion yen in beverage factories in Thailand and Vietnam to increase production capacity for coffee drinks, typified as "BOSS." ...
Starting with establishing an assembly line in Nigeria, Daikin is preparing for production in Algeria. It will take a step forward from the development of Africa, which is based on product imports...
