Chinese automakers are set to become the world’s largest sellers of new vehicles in 2025, ending more than two decades of Japanese dominance in global auto sales.

TAKE and GIVE NEEDS (T&G), long known for its premium, mansion-style wedding venues, is entering the low-cost wedding market with the launch of a new brand, UNWEDDING.

Across Japan, traditional craft makers are redefining their products to reach younger customers and overseas markets.

Labor cuts are spreading across major consulting firms worldwide. U.S. firms McKinsey & Company and Accenture are cutting thousands to tens of thousands of employees, primarily in administrative departments.

As Japanese content such as manga and anime continues to gain worldwide popularity, licensing negotiations with overseas companies are increasingly being held in Japan.

Mergers and acquisitions led by Japanese companies reached an unprecedented level in the first half of 2025.

Thailand’s largest conglomerate, Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group, and Japan’s leading meat producer, NH Foods, are teaming up to seize the fast-growing market for Japanese cuisine in Thailand.

Zensho Holdings plans to open 3,000 new overseas outlets over the next three years, starting in fiscal 2025, bringing its international restaurants to nearly three times the size of its domestic network.

Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, together with venture capital firms and other partners, will establish the country’s first public-private alliance to support Japanese companies seeking to expand into Africa.

Unicharm is shifting from an export-based model to a fully localized operation in Africa, taking on responsibility for product development, manufacturing, and marketing.

Indian caregivers have started working in Japan in July. The first group trained by Sompo Care, a long-term care service company under Sompo Holdings based in Shinagawa, Tokyo, has completed its program in India and begun employment in Japan as certified care workers.

Japan’s dependence on foreign food continues to deepen. Food imports surpassed ¥10 trillion for the third consecutive year in 2024—nearly nine times the value of exports. A combination of global competition for food, abnormal weather, and the weakening yen has driven costs ever higher...

The rising social costs of caring for people with dementia present a serious problem. Family members provide most caregiving and cannot be officially measured. Even in the United States, the world’s largest economy, when the lost labor of patients and their families is factored in, the total annual cost exceeds $1 trillion (approximately ¥147 trillion)...

Fujifilm has announced plans to build a semiconductor materials plant in India, with operations expected to start around 2028. The decision supports India’s national effort to boost its semiconductor sector and reflects the global realignment of supply chains amid the ongoing U.S.–China conflict...

Nissin Foods Holdings will re-enter Türkiye, a market it withdrew from in 2018. The company will outsource the production of instant noodles to local firms and begin full-scale sales as early as 2025...

Ito-Yokado will cease its clothing procurement from Adastria, Japan's third-largest apparel manufacturer, with the 2025 Fall/Winter collection serving as its final product. Ito-Yokado has exited in-house development and has been sourcing from Adastria as part of its clothing restructuring plan...

Aeon’s compact supermarket chain “My Basket” is set to more than double its footprint, expanding to 2,500 stores by 2030. The strategy centers on repurposing existing retail spaces—particularly vacant convenience store sites—allowing the chain to cut initial investment costs in half while accelerating its rollout...

The Ministry of Defense and the Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) are considering adopting Turkish-made drones (unmanned aerial vehicles). On August 19th, Defense Secretary Gen Nakatani met with Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and agreed to expand bilateral cooperation in the defense sector...

Investment fund ABF is creating a new model for Japan’s restaurant industry by funding chefs who want to operate their own establishments. Founded in 2020, the fund has raised over 4 billion yen so far...

Japan and India will create a new cooperation framework to secure critical supplies vital for economic security. Under a 10-year action plan, semiconductors, essential minerals, artificial intelligence (AI), and other important fields will be set as priority areas...

Pan Pacific International Holdings (PPIH)—the company behind the famously chaotic and beloved Don Quijote—is about to stir things up in the supermarket world. Starting in 2026, the retail giant will roll out a brand-new store brand focused on food, fresh meals, and everyday bargains...

Japan’s 2024 hotel room supply shows a widening gap between major cities and rural regions. According to the Japan Tourism Agency’s Accommodation Travel Statistics Survey, nine prefectures, including Fukushima, will have fewer guest rooms than before COVID-19...

Toyota Tsusho Corporation has completed the full acquisition of Good Life Pharmacy, East Africa’s largest drugstore chain, in a strategic move to capture the continent’s booming consumer market—especially its rapidly expanding Generation Z demographic...

Tokyu Fudosan plans to establish a new company and will introduce a total of 2,000 talents, mainly from Asia, into group companies and other organizations by fiscal 2030...

Japan’s sake industry is facing a sharp decline in brewery numbers due to a lack of successors. At the same time, new manufacturing licenses are difficult to obtain. As a result, more third-party entrepreneurs are taking over existing breweries to begin sake production...

Mitsubishi Corporation has announced a major strategic move to acquire a leading Norwegian salmon farming company for approximately 150 billion yen (about USD 950 million)...

The number of bankruptcies among Japanese used car dealerships is increasing rapidly. In the first five months of 2025, 50 dealerships have closed, a 56% rise compared to the same period last year, pushing the industry toward an all-time high...

KDDI and NEC are establishing a strategic cybersecurity alliance and aiming to launch operations within the year. The partnership will deliver advanced cyber defense services to the public and private sectors, with a focus on critical infrastructure such as utilities, transportation, and finance...

The government is set to begin testing artificial intelligence (AI) to improve policy formulation. By analyzing data from over 5,000 subsidized and public projects, including goals, budgets, and outcomes, AI aims to optimize policy design and budget allocation. The initiative is expected to be fully implemented by FY2028...

The global shipment value of digital cameras in Japan, including mirrorless single-lens cameras, reached its highest level in nine years in 2024. The primary driver is the demand from China's young Generation Z for "looking good" photos on social media. ..

KADOKAWA is enhancing small-lot printing and increasing profits through a "multiple varieties" strategy for publishing manga and other titles. By leveraging digital printing at its facilities, the company can now fulfill orders starting from just 100 copies, a significant reduction to one-twentieth of the previous minimum...

Local sake breweries are focusing on exporting sake. Its popularity has surged due to factors like the Japanese food boom, and exports in 2024 are projected to rise by 90% compared to a decade ago, primarily to the United States and China. Promoting sake...

A research institute affiliated with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications will establish a new base in Washington...