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Ito-Yokado Draws the Curtain on Its Apparel Reconstruction Plan

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 “My Basket” to Double Store Count by 2030

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...

Japan Considers Using Turkish-Made Drones to Expand Defense Capabilities, Strengthening Ties with Turkiye

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...

ABF Fund Backs Chefs in Bid for Independence

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 Forge 10-Year Economic Security Partnership: Building a Resilient Supply Chain Beyond China

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...

Don Quijote’s Next Big Move: A Supermarket Revolution

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...

Hotel Room Supply Stalls in Regional Areas

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 Bets Big on Africa’s “Final Frontier” with Full Takeover of Leading Pharmacy Chain

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 Holdings (HD) will Enter the Foreign Talent Recruitment Business in August, Primarily for Building Cleaning and Hotel Customer Service Positions

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...

Nurturing a New Generation of Sake Brewers through Third-Party Business Succession

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 Acquires Norwegian Salmon Farming Company to Bolster Global Position and Secure Food Supply

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)...

Used Car Dealership Bankruptcies Rise Despite High Demand

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 Launch Strategic Cybersecurity Partnership with Global Ambitions

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...

Government to Leverage AI for Smarter Policy Decisions

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 has Returned to its Highest Level

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 Boosts Publishing and Logistics Efficiency with Digital Printing

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...

"Japanese Sake: Captivating the Globe – Export Volume Increases by 90% Over 10 Years" Years"

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...

Starting in 2025, the Japanese and US Governments will Initiate Collaborative Research on Cyber Attacks Leveraging Artificial Intelligence

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