IKEA, the Swedish furniture giant, is set to open its first outlet in Hokkaido in mid-May, marking its long-awaited entry into the region not in the major city of Sapporo but in the neighboring town of Tobetsu, where deep historical ties with Sweden have helped pave the way for the project.
Japan is now facing a new challenge rarely seen before — a wave of foreign tourists unlike any in the country's history.
SoftBank has launched a new service enabling smartphones to connect directly to SpaceX’s Starlink satellites, aiming to ensure reliable communication even during disasters.
A growing shortage of products derived from naphtha is beginning to affect everyday industries, as instability surrounding supply routes linked to tensions involving Iran raises concerns across Japan’s economy.
In November 2025, a major development shook Japan’s food service industry when U.S. financial giant Goldman Sachs acquired all shares of BK Japan Holdings, which runs Burger King’s Japan operations, for 80 billion yen.
Honda announced it will launch a new compact electric vehicle designed to appeal to dedicated car enthusiasts, with sales set to begin in late May.
SoftBank said it will effectively raise monthly mobile fees by up to 550 yen, following similar moves by NTT Docomo and KDDI, meaning all three major carriers in Japan have now implemented price increases.
Heavy oil prices have doubled over the past six months, placing mounting pressure on Japan’s green tea producers and transport sectors as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced on April 10th that the government will release an additional 20 days’ worth of national oil reserves in an effort to ease supply bottlenecks.