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July 12, 2026
 

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SONY

Gaming enthusiasts check out the Sony PlayStation booth during the Tokyo Game Show at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture in September.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jul 8, 2026
Sony hits eject on the era of owning games
Fans are losing one of their last bits of leverage over an industry that is going places many don’t like and there are clear downsides from Sony’s move.
From January 2028, PlayStation games will release only as digital downloads, calling into question protections about ownership over software and the long-term playability of older titles released on discs.
LIFE / Digital
Jul 2, 2026
Sony to end video game disc production in January 2028
The gaming giant says the move toward digital-only games aligns the company with consumer trends toward online marketplaces.
Sony is halting sales of its Aibo robotic dog in Japan, ending an era for the interactive pet that became an instant hit and developed its own personality.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 26, 2026
Sony discontinues Japan sales of Aibo robot puppy
The first iteration of Aibo came out in 1999, followed by numerous models over the years.
Cosm's large-screen theater in Dallas offers seating that includes high-top tables and booths designed to create a more social theater experience.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 25, 2026
Sony Pictures invests $100 million in giant-screen startup Cosm
Founded in 2020, Cosm serves food and offers seating that includes high-top tables and booths designed to create a more social theater experience.
Sony is preparing its first U.S. investment-grade bond sale in nearly 30 years, according to a source familiar with the matter.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 23, 2026
Sony plans its first dollar-bond sale in nearly three decades
Selling dollar-denominated debt is more attractive to Japanese companies since BOJ policy tightening has put its benchmark interest rate at the highest level since 1995.
Japan’s global soft power through anime and video games has grown in recent years in part because it largely remains more attuned to fans than investors.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jun 17, 2026
Don’t let Wall Street crush Japan’s soft power
Gamers fear that big money, foreign or otherwise, is going to ruin what might be one of the least-touched bastions of nerd entertainment.
SoftBank, which already has a foothold in the payment services industry, is among the parties that have advanced to the second round of bidding for SP.Links.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 3, 2026
SoftBank among the bidders for Blackstone’s Japanese payment firm
Japan’s cashless payments market has expanded for more than a decade as consumers who once overwhelmingly favored paper money turn to electronic services.
The newest Sony Bravia TVs are likely the brand's final high-end television sets before its TV and home theater business merges with TCL next year.
BUSINESS / Tech
May 28, 2026
Sony takes final bow as standalone TV maker with new Bravia sets
It’s unclear whether Sony’s signature techniques will carry forward, which could prompt some enthusiasts to buy what they may perceive as the last true Sony TVs to come to market.
Nojima President Hiroshi Nojima (right) and Noriharu Amiya, senior vice president of Hitachi, attend a news conference in April to announce Nojima's plan to take over Hitachi's home appliance business.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 26, 2026
The changing face of Japan’s consumer electronics industry
A new wave in the “Made in Japan” home appliances sector is seeing companies from other industries enter the market even as major manufacturers pull out due to unprofitability.
Sony Group said Friday it expects operating profit to rise about 11% to ¥1.6 trillion for the year through March 2027, broadly in line with market expectations.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 8, 2026
Sony announces $3 billion buyback as memory prices take toll
Sony’s shares are down 22% this year as escalating component costs erode margins across the consumer electronics industry.
A professional table tennis player competes against Sony AI autonomous robot Ace in December in Tokyo.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 23, 2026
Table tennis robot Ace makes history by beating top-level human players
The feat could presage an array of other applications for similarly adept robots.
Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Ryosei Akazawa holds a news conference after a Cabinet meeting at the Diet building on Friday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 17, 2026
Sony to receive up to ¥60 billion in state subsidies for image sensor plant
The state aid is intended to help ensure a stable supply of semiconductors, designated as a specified important item under the economic security promotion law.
A newly established AI company led by SoftBank, NEC, Sony Group and Honda Motor will apply for a government-backed AI development support program run by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 12, 2026
SoftBank and others set up new firm to develop high-performance AI
Engineers from SoftBank and Tokyo-based AI developer Preferred Networks Inc. are expected to participate in the development.
Sony Pictures Entertainment is restructuring for growth, leading to hundreds of job cuts across its film, TV and corporate divisions in the coming months.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 8, 2026
Sony Pictures Entertainment to cut hundreds of jobs in TV and film
The job cuts at Sony Pictures come amid a deep slump and existential crisis in Hollywood, which has faced setbacks, two labor strikes and the ongoing collapse of cable TV.
Sony Bravia XR 4K televisions at a showroom in Tokyo
BUSINESS / Tech
Apr 2, 2026
TCL-Sony deal marks China’s rise to prominence in TV market
TCL’s joint venture with Sony is set to surpass South Korean rivals and bookmark decades of Japanese consumer electronics dominance.
High school students interested in science-related studies and careers take part in an event held by Sony Group in Kikuyo, Kumamoto Prefecture, in December.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Apr 1, 2026
Sony expands support for women pursuing science and engineering careers
The company is hoping to share the excitement of discovering new knowledge and the appeal of applying it in real-world careers.
Sony has raised the prices of its PlayStation 5 video-game console lineup by as much as $150, citing economic pressures.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 28, 2026
Sony raises PlayStation 5 prices by up to $150 citing economic pressures
The increases are a continuation of an unusual trend for gaming consoles, where prices have gone up over time instead of gradually falling.
A Sony-Honda Afeela 1 Signature electric vehicle. Development of the first- and second-generation Afeela EVs will be shelved effective immediately, the companies said in a joint statement.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 26, 2026
Honda and Sony drop joint EV development project
The decision to scrap the venture underscores the strain on legacy automakers due to high costs and fluctuating demand.
Sony has focused on expanding its portfolio of intellectual property assets while trimming consumer electronics.
BUSINESS
Mar 23, 2026
Sony is said to near $1 billion home entertainment deal with TCL
The companies have made progress on their negotiations and are seeking to announce a transaction as soon as this month.
Sony faces a lawsuit in the U.K. for allegedly breaching competition law by overcharging millions of PlayStation users.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 8, 2026
Sony faces $2.7 billion class-action suit from U.K. PlayStation users
The claimants’ website accuses Sony of “exploiting its U.K. customers” for nearly a decade by charging them “too much for PlayStation digital games and in-game content.”
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

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