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...

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...

Fujifilm will increase its instant camera "Instax" business sales by about 15% from the fiscal year ending March 2023 to 150 billion yen in the fiscal year ending March 2025...

With the number of inbound tourists recovering, driven by the weak yen and other factors, cosmetics manufacturers are restarting their efforts to create related consumption...

KaKa Creation Inc. (Tokyo), founded in June 2023, embarked on producing short animated films using artificial intelligence (AI)...

A tablet or smartphone listens to the conversation and follows along to display the translated text on the screen...

The company will establish a low-cost technology to produce fish paste products like kamaboko (fish cake) with a start-up company in Singapore...

It is made from an ingredient called alginic acid found in seaweed and is said to be similar in taste and texture to natural salmon roe...

DAIZ Inc. (Kumamoto, Japan), a startup developing and producing soybean-derived "plant meat" ingredients, will double its annual production to 8,000 tons by 2025...

Shiseido announced that it will enter the beauty-related supplements and beverages business in earnest. It is diversifying its business in anticipation of saturation in the domestic cosmetics market...

The plant will supply oxygen to SAIL, India's state-owned steel company, and is expected to start operations in October 2025...

This is a 10% increase from 2022 and a significant break from the record high in 2019 (9.05 million units). The shortage of components such as in-vehicle semiconductors is easing...

The total investment will be approximately 5 billion yen, and operations will begin in April 2024. Following the trend of manufacturers moving their manufacturing hubs from China to Mexico against U.S.-China friction...

"PockeTalk" is a mobile translation terminal developed by the Japanese company PockeTalk. They plan to collaborate in creating the domestic corporate market and expanding global sales channels, and selling 1 million new units over the next three years...

Ito En (green tea mega-brand) has begun a demonstration test using artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze users' facial expressions and suggest products that match their moods...

Iseki will make all its mowers and other agricultural machinery deployed in Europe biofuel-compatible by 2025. It aims to reduce environmental impact and expand its market share in Europe, where emission regulations are strict...

Asahi Kasei will begin domestic production in the 10,000-20,000 ton scale by about 2027. Sumitomo Chemical also plans to start mass production around 2025. Amid domestic and international demands to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions...

The birthrate is declining faster than the educational community anticipated. The number of Japanese born in 2022 was 770,747, falling below 800,000 for the first time since statistics began...

"Renewable Diesel (RD)," a renewable fuel made from waste cooking oil and other materials, is expanding. A.P. Moller - Maersk (Denmark), the world's second-largest container shipping company, has partnered with Daikin Industries to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions...

This agreement is the first overseas tie-up for a major Japanese airline after the new coronavirus. The two companies will soon sign and announce a partnership agreement, restarting in anticipation of a full-fledged recovery in mobile demand after COVID-19...

This hub is the first in Japan and the fourth in the world. In collaboration with a consortium of companies, including Kawasaki Heavy Industries and the City of Kobe...

These figures became clear by private estimates. The government launched measures to curb health hazards and economic losses in May. The main focus will be to promote the cutting down and replanting of cedar trees that are the source of pollen...

It is easier to perform than blood or saliva test kits and can measure chronic conditions. The group aims to utilize its strength in hormone testing technology and adapt it for use in corporate welfare programs...

Cluster operates the virtual space "Metaverse" and raised 5.2 billion yen in a capital increase through third-party allotment with SPARX Asset Management and others as underwriters, to be used for human resources recruitment and advertising...

The company receives advertising fees from clients to promote its products on its e-commerce (EC) sites and apps. It is unique in that it uses accumulated data on consumer purchases...

The company will invest over 30 billion yen to build a prototype line for advanced semiconductor devices in Yokohama. It is also coordinating to utilize Japanese government subsidies and will promote joint research with Japanese material and manufacturing equipment manufacturers...

In Japan, commercial whaling resumed in 2019, but there are restrictions on the hunt, and the supply is unstable. Kyodo Vessel (Tokyo), a whaling company, sells whale meat imported from Iceland. It seeks to reopen markets that have shrunk over the years due to supply constraints...

An online counseling section will also be available for visitors to the shop. It aims to respond to the shortage of beauty department staff by opening new stores and renovating existing stores and aims to have up to 15 stores in three years...

Hiroshima University and Kewpie utilized genome (complete genetic information) editing technology to alter genes. When heated, it has almost no allergens and may be eaten by people with egg allergies...

The data will amount to over 30 million customers, making it one of the largest in the country. The plan is to analyze consumer behavior after anonymization so that coupons and other sales promotion activities can be accurately launched....

By the fiscal year ending March 2030, Colowide will increase the number of directly managed stores to 700, five times the number at the end of March 2023...

Flying cars will be a near-future means of transportation in urban areas, and their development and commercialization are spreading worldwide...

Meiji is developing the "Zavas" series of powdered soy protein in Japan, but it has entered the Chinese market this time...

New Innovations (Tokyo), a developer of artificial intelligence (AI)-based commercial robots, will launch an automated cooking robot for restaurant chains by the end of 2023...

Twenty-eight million people will visit the Expo. Cash payment will not be available at the venue of Osaka-Kansai Japan Expo, only credit cards, transportation IC cards, and QR codes...

On January 6, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) announced that the export value of agricultural, forestry, fisheries and food products in 2022 reached 1243.3 billion yen by November...

The investment will be several billion yen, and the plant will be operational and begin sample production in 2024. Air conditioning accounts for a large proportion of EV power consumption...

In addition to an increase in the number of acquisitions of Japanese companies by domestic and foreign investment companies, the number of business successions also grew. On the other hand, the number of M&A cases worldwide is declining ...

The company that operates "Sushiro" will open up to 60 stores overseas in 2023, more than double the number of stores it has opened in Japan. In some countries, the COVID-19 pandemic has begun to subside, and restaurant visits are recovering as curfew restrictions are eased...

Quantum computers have the potential to compute more than 100 million times faster than supercomputers, but there are many challenges...

Regarding the number of related patents, Korean firms such as LG Electronics ranked first and second, with Chinese firms in fourth place. The terminal will likely become the next leading electronic device after smartphones...

Kyowa Kirin will build a new dedicated training facility, and Daiichi Sankyo will increase its technical staff by about 30%. The mainstream of large-scale new drugs is shifting from conventional small molecule drugs...

Gunma Prefecture accounts for more than 90% of the nation's konnyaku potato production. Tsutomu Foods (Tomioka City, Gunma), which manufactures konjac products and shirataki using local ingredients and clear water, began working to expand its own brand overseas in 2018...

Bridgestone will put recycling to practical use in 2030 through making new tires from used ones. It is estimated that about 100,000 tons of tires will be treated annually, equivalent to about 10% of the total amount of tires disposed of in Japan...

Skydrive, a startup developing a flying car, has raised 9.6 billion yen from 13 companies including Suzuki mainly through capital increase through third party allotment (announced on September 26)...

The program will select 100-200 participants from Japan, Korea, and other countries to enhance their skills in filmmaking...

Kao will expand production facilities at its Oresa factory in Spain to further strengthen their fragrance business in Europe...

Tech Japan (Taito-ku, Tokyo), a staffing agency, recently kicked off a mediating website linking Indian students with Japanese companies...

ANA Holdings has partnered with ClimbWorks, Swiss start-up company involved in the business of capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) directly from the air...

DNP (Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.) will start a service for domestic publishers to detect and monitor manga pirate sites and request removal of works on their behalf, starting from August...

The first product to be launched in the US market will be fried chicken made by cooked and processed soybean meat (meat substitutes)...

This service is to enable payment at concession stands and other locations by recognizing faces with tablet terminals without the use of cash, credit cards, or smart phones...

Itochu will plan and develop products using soy-based ingredients from Fuji Oil Holdings, a group company, for consumers...

Google, which operates YouTube, has established a fund that will pay contributors a total of $100 million (about 13 billion yen) by 2022...

Toppan Inc. and the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) will develop an IC card using a new cryptographic technology later in the month...

FamilyMart will install robots that automatically replenish beverages on display shelves in 300 stores by fiscal year 2024...

Fujitsu has developed a technology that can identify people based on video images of how they walk...

Daikin will invest a little over 40 billion yen to build a new air conditioning plant in Poland. It will start operation in 2024 and produce energy-efficient heating equipment to be sold in Europe...

According to an article by Nikkei on 7 July, a study of the number of patents related to all-solid-state batteries worldwide showed that Toyota Motor was the leader...

Pigeon, famous as a top brand of baby bottles, introduced a system that uses QR codes to determine whether the product is legitimate, and Panasonic Holdings began monitoring video sites...

NTT Group will introduce a system that allows employees to live and work freely anywhere in Japan starting in July...

Skylark Holdings, the largest family restaurant chain operator, will introduce unattended self-checkouts at more than 800 restaurants, including its mainstay "Gusto" and "Bamiyan," by the end of 2022....

Umbrella manufacturer OKAMOTO, which celebrated its 120th anniversary in 2020, has announced its original brand “CACA”...

Domestic wholesale prices of imported chicken and pork are rising due to the prolonged Ukrainian crisis...

Some guest rooms of Sheraton Miyako Hotel Tokyo (Minato-ku, Tokyo) have been renovated recently, and meeting rooms and a lounge for the exclusive use of residents were also prepared...

On March 25, the Yokohama Rubber announced to acquire TWS, a leading global supplier of tires and complete wheels for off-highway vehicles and specialty applications...

NTT will sell a part of their DC holdings in Europe and the US for approximately 100 billion yen and switch to joint ownership, as well as jointly construct a new hub in the future...

It is anticipated that telecommuting will partly continue even after the new coronavirus infection is contained, and Google will hurry to develop services that support “hybrid” work styles...

OTEC is a form of renewable energy that uses the point where the temperature of seawater varies greatly between the surface and deep layers of the ocean to generate electricity....

Mitr Phol Group will ally with Marubeni (Japan’s trading conglomerate) to produce and sell products that will be used as materials primarily for bags, using sugar cane and starch as raw materials...

Shionogi calls for the application of the "conditional early approval system," which allows commercialization before all clinical trials are completed....

On February 25, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare announced that the number of births in 2021 (preliminary figures) was 842,897...

Onward intends to increase the percentage of EC sales from 30% to 50% by 2030, wanting to ensure low-cost operation of stores...

Job type is a common way of working in Europe and the U.S. and specifies the skills required for each job in job descriptions...

According to a report by the Japan Productivity Center, hourly labor productivity (added value per hour of employment) in 2020 was $49.5...

Starting in 2022 this year, Fast Retailing will raise the annual salary for mid-career hires to a maximum of ¥1 billion...

Demand increased due to the coronavirus disaster, and the market for disposable endoscopes is rapidly expanding

Suntory enters the market with no sugar and Nestlé collaborates with Starbucks

Data-analysis company Astamuse examined the value of decarbonization technologies and patents held by the world's leading companies and ranked them on the scale of carbon reductions expected in 2050.

Exports of Japan's agricultural, forestry, and fishery products and foodstuffs are growing amid the new Corona Virus

To be commercialized in 2025 as one step further measures of global warming

Mitsui will develop health promotion insurance that links health data with insurance premiums

Amid a labor shortage, the number of door-to-door delivery service providers will increase

Returning plastic waste to a state close to crude oil and reusing it as a raw material

Companies with strong ability to create new businesses are advancing

In fiscal 2021, 48% of major listed companies in Japan did not appoint either women or foreign people as directors.

Japan is increasingly using digital personnel across national borders

Starting the first branch in Mumbai with a local conglomerate

What fields is Japan’s CVC (Corporate Venture Capital) investing in?

Upcycling recycles unwanted items into treasure

Advanced materials are indispensable for raising the performance of AI and EVs

Next-generation LEDs Bring a Revolution in Movies Images

The Japanese car industry has an edge in electric vehicle (EV) technology

Making the most of technical strengths with the combination of patents and trademarks to promote brands

Opening stores where you can buy products with smartphone authentication, without going through checkout

Working towards fully touchless customer service with remotely-operated robots

The number of M&As between January and June set a record, and the level remained high in July

A move in response to consumers and investors who demand action for the environment

Shionogi and other Japanese pharmaceutical companies are starting to rethink their reliance on foreign sources

Evolving from a “rice cracker and snack manufacturer” to “the ‘Better for You’ food company”. We interviewed Mr. Ichiro Nishikura and Ms. Eri Udagawa, driving force behind Kameda’s mission to “deliver delicious plant-based protein”, at their office in Tokyo.

Japan’s pharmaceutical industry is looking at its drug feedstock production and starting to rethink its reliance on foreign sources...

Successful test flight when introduced into a privately-owned jet...

Recreating construction sites in 3D to optimize worker allocation...

A stream of foreign and domestic companies is entering the home meal delivery market, which is booming because of Covid-19...

Nissin Foods Scraps the Seals That Hold the Lids of its Main Cup Noodle Products...

It provides the mall-type e-commerce site Coupang, which aims to be the Amazon of South Korea...

The first example of a major precision device company moving into analysis of customer companies’ data...

Thai Union, the canned tuna giant, is entering the Japanese pet food market...

UNIQLO will launch “UNIQLO+ (Plus)”, an environmentally conscious sports apparel worldwide from June...

The state of empowerment of women in companies is an essential factor for their growth, and is taken into consideration in investment decisions...

Kao publicize their high-end cosmetics through social media and similar channels, to make cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) sales...

By 2040, Honda will stop selling new vehicles which emit CO2 while driving, including hybrids (HV)...

This testing biochip imposes little physical burden on the subject, and is usable on infants as well as on general subjects...

“Synthetic diamonds”, artificially made from carbon for use in jewelry, are spreading in Japan...

Kewpie aims to move away from being a company that only sells foodstuffs...

Nissan will provide services that can complete everything from sales negotiations through to car delivery remotely, from a smartphone...

A $500 Million Market is in Reach With Further Development of Latent Demand and Mining of Gift Demand...

Remote support using tools such as Smartglasses is developing into a center of earnings...

Taisei has developed technology to make concrete from CO2...

Materials companies are launching streams of products with antiviral effects...

In its 2021 spring and summer lineup, Uniqlo announced products jointly developed with leading brands...

Mitsubishi Heavy Industry will develop the world’s first CO2 carrier ships for practical use by 2025...

The "72-hour wall" refers to the sharp drop in disaster victim survival rates from 72 hours after a disaster, and drone technology is developing in a bid to break it down...

Sony clarifies its transition from an electronic device company to an entertainment-centered conglomerate...

Kubota will develope driverless tractors, and polishing its automatic driving technology with artificial intelligence tech from the US semiconductor company Nvidia...

Uber Eats is teaming up with the food wholesaler Eiwa Bussan to enable delivery of the latter's ingredients, starting in Eastern Tokyo...

As the COVID-19 pandemic shakes the selling environment, Shiseido is changing direction towards high-end products aligned with its core strengths, such as skin care...

Canon Electronics is starting sales of small satellites, able to image the Earth's surface and space, to meteorological and data analysis companies...

Asahi GHD is taking action first in Europe, where wind power generation is widespread and renewable energy procurement costs are low. It aims to cover all its factories worldwide by 2050...

Ito Yokado, under the umbrella of Seven and i Holdings, is planning to roll out mobile supermarkets, with goods loaded onto vehicles, nationwide by 2022...

The government has drawn up a roadmap to reach zero effective greenhouse gas emissions by 2050...

Workman is expanding into low-priced outdoor wear. It plans to double its current number of stores, to 2,000 by 2040...

Sony are buying US companies and movie companies are joining in, to counter Netflix...

The number of large startup companies, dubbed "unicorn companies", has grown to 500 worldwide. Their number has doubled in the last two years, backed by IT mergers with existing companies and the advance of artificial intelligence...

Governor Yuriko Koike has presented the policy of switching to hybrid vehicles (HV) and electric vehicles (EV)...

The growth of unlisted startups continues, even amid the Covid-19 pandemic...

Hayabusa 2 Asteroid Probe achieved seven world firsts before returning its capsule safely to Earth...

It is becoming increasingly common for company workers to have a second job outside the company. The proportion of companies allowing side jobs has risen to 30%, and 70% or more of company employees are interested...

Nippon Yusen is going to switch 40 ships, roughly half of its fleet of specialized car transporter ships, to burn liquefied natural gas (LNG) rather than fuel oil by as early as 2030...

The Japanese government is scheduled to sign a memorandum with the Indian government in December on comprehensive collaboration in the data communications field...

Reflecting ruefully on its late start with 5G, NTT Group is consolidating the technologies that are scattered across the Group, and aiming to take the lead in 6G, the next high-speed communications standard...

Virtual Youtubers (V-Tubers), who take the appearance of anime-like characters in their streamed video, are expanding their economic reach...

Walmart is stepping up its service which allows shoppers to place orders online and pick up their goods in store parking lots, without getting out of their cars. It will double the number of "picker" employees in readiness for the end of year sales season...

Shobunsha Holdings has begun a service that uses maps and data to predict and analyze the behavior of travelers in tourism spots...

A succession of regulations on gasoline vehicles is coming into effect around the world, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions...

Fugaku, the super-computer developed by Riken and Fujitsu, has kept its top spot in the latest global ranking of computation speed competition published on 17 November...

According to a "SDGs Management Survey” by the Nikkei Shimbun, 60% of Japanese companies take the view that environmental action will be important for both future growth and maintenance of existing business...

Major aluminum roller UACJ aims to expand its worldwide production capacity of aluminum sheet by 40% from the 2019 level by 2022. It is expanding production in expectation of global demand growth...

Japanese chemical manufacturer Kuraray has started developing biodegradable fishing gear. It is looking to expand this business to Western countries with high environmental awareness, and elsewhere...

Hydrogen is becoming a rapidly growing presence amid decarbonization moves, which are accelerating around the world. The use of hydrogen is essential for honoring the Paris Accords, which set the path for climate change countermeasures...

Bentall GreenOak (BGO) acquired a large office building in Tokyo in April this year. In 2017, the company attracted attention by spending JPY20 billion to buy the whole of the 8th floor of the Ginza Six building...

Within FY2020, Onward Holdings will open new bricks-and-mortar stores that are only for trying clothes on. Purchases are made online and the products are delivered...

From November, Ministop, the mid-range convenience store chain, will roll out around 1,000 compact stores, where customers process their own payments. The stores will be in locations such as corporate offices...

According to Refinitiv, the total value of M&A worldwide from January to September was around USD2.32 trillion, down 20% from the same period of last year...

In the food service industry, the novel coronavirus is causing ongoing restaurant closures and employee layoffs, prompting people to migrate to home delivery in search of work. The home meal delivery business is starting to change the nature of the food service industry...

East Japan Railway will increase business-use private spaces both inside and near the station. Currently, there are about 30 hubs such as Tokyo Station, which will be expanded to major stations in the suburbs of Tokyo...

Public support for recurrent education (re-education) that fosters digital human resources is spreading in Europe and the United States...

The balance of power among Japanese-affiliated retailers in Southeast Asia is shifting from department stores to discount stores. Mitsukoshi Isetan Holdings has closed its flagship branch in Bangkok, Thailand...

Saizeriya, an Italian restaurant chain with over 1,500 branches, is opening compact branches with around 60% the floor area of its ordinary branches....

It's increasingly likely that the digital society that semiconductor technology has supported will be followed by quantum technology as the driver of innovation in the 21st Century...

Glass is non-porous and more hygienic than plastic, giving it an advantage amid the coronavirus pandemic...

The market for solid soap was worth JPY22.9 billion (USD215 million) in 2019. In 2020, sales are expected to increase due to the impact of the coronavirus...

Apparel retailers and supermarkets, which had been lagging in moving online, have started devising new policies with their eyes on the “post-coronavirus” situation...

Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association is the largest group in Japan’s alcoholic beverages industry, with 1,691 member breweries and distillers. It disseminates information, inside and outside Japan, about the appeal of Japanese sake, its trends, new ways of drinking it, and more...

The products and services that consumers are looking for have been transformed by the behavior of avoiding contact with other people. Revenues in land and air transport are down by 70%...

On August 7th, the research agency of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology announced that China had overtaken the USA to take first place in the number of papers published in natural science fields...

Global food manufacturers like Nestle, the world’s largest food company, as well as new companies, are competing to develop artificial meat. With the impact of the novel coronavirus, artificial meat is also attracting attention for its health aspects...

"Tea cafe", which provides black tea, Japanese tea and Chinese tea is growing rapidly. In July, Starbucks Coffee Japan and a major Chinese tea company opened their first stores in Japan one after another...

Yoshinoya is a major gyudon (rice bowl topped with beef) chain. It is also known overseas as a symbol of Japanese-made fast food. When in lived in the USA, I often ate at Yoshinoya when I missed the tastes of Japan...

Wine market in Japan is now expanding. According to statistics, the total taxable volume for domestic and imported wine amounted to 377,430 kiloliters in 2019, up 4% from the previous year...

With the coronavirus crisis causing sharp declines in demand for products such as cars, “factory sharing” is advancing as a way to apply the resulting surplus factory capacity to new purposes...

Automakers are expanding subscription services which allow users to use cars by paying a flat fee. Nissan will extend their service nationwide by September...

The fusion of the Internet and the real world is proceeding in the sluggish apparel industry. Onward Holdings and ZOZO will tie up in the manufacture and sale of clothing using digital technology...

As digitalization moves forward in government administration and in companies, online identity authentication services are starting to spread. Until now, such services have been used for identity checks when opening bank accounts, for e-commerce payments, and the like...

Responding to the spread of the novel coronavirus, Fujitsu, including its Group companies in Japan, will be halving its office space. Fujitsu aims to complete the process in three years and has started working towards...

The latest global ranking of supercomputers contending over computation speed was published on 22 June. It showed Fugaku, developed by Riken and Fujitsu, in the top spot....

Remote working has become the new norm due to the growing impact of COVID-19 and there is a growing trend in the manufacturing industry to utilize virtual reality (VR) and other remote technologies...

In response to the heightened awareness of hygiene due to the spread of Covid-19, textile manufacturers and others will expand sales of products that have antimicrobial properties....

Japan’s Labor Standards Law, enacted after the war, has asked companies to manage the working hours of workers. With the shift to job-description employment...

Amid the stream of stories about companies reeling from the coronavirus shock, like department stores slumping and a famous long-established apparel company collapsing, home centers are increasing sales...

The industry faces losses of around USD1.2 trillion if countries maintain their travel bans to December in response to the spread of novel coronavirus infection...

There are expanding business opportunities associated with developing new materials and technologies in the move away from plastics...

Getting past the current situation is not the most important thing for the tourism industry today. It will take at least a year and a half to establish a vaccine or treatment method for the novel coronavirus...

Startups are developing IT-based services. They include services to tell customers how crowded the interior of a store is before they enter, or to stream video of store interiors, while taking...

Subscription services, such as movie and music streaming, were directed first at general consumers. In contrast to leasing, subscriptions have short-term contracts that can be easily...

The novel coronavirus state of emergency was fully lifted on May 25. But, the impact, economic as well as medical, has been enormous, and the social chaos looks set to continue...

The spread of the novel coronavirus has prompted a succession of new entries into the online medical treatment field, particularly from new companies. From April, such treatment was allowed for even first-time examinations...

Yano Research Institute has announced its estimate that the size of the home remodeling market in FY2019 (April 2019 through March 2020) was JPY6.557 trillion...

When the novel coronavirus infection was spreading in China, and Wuhan and many other areas were in lockdown, it was still possible for apparel imports from China to pass....

The novel coronavirus has thrown everyday life into turmoil and greatly changed product consumption trends....

According to the Japan Association of Chain Drug Stores, total sales revenue of its 401 companies nationwide grew by 5.7% in FY2019...

Japan’s industries are tabulated below by genre. There are a total of 136 genres. We plan to compile summaries of the current situation, trends, and future outlook in key industries..

The following is an excerpt of information and data presented in “Foreign Trade 2020”, published by the Japan Foreign Trade Council, Inc. (JFTC). The reader should note that it was prepared before the spread of coronavirus infection...

Numbers of bankruptcies related to the novel coronavirus have started to be reported since February 20th, caused by a sharp drop in inbound demand as the entry restrictions etc. that began in February...

People wearing masks has been an everyday sight in Japan before, and doesn’t feel strange to anyone. Masks are essential for hay fever sufferers and people with colds...