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June 30, 2026
 

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STARTUPS

The industry ministry announced ¥387.3 billion in funding to develop a domestic foundation model for physical AI that controls robots, aiming to strengthen the country's competitiveness against the United States and China.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 30, 2026
Japan announces aid for domestic AI development project
The industry ministry aims to help the country catch up with the United States and China in AI technology.
Carro, which is backed by SoftBank Group, is also considering a second listing in Singapore.
BUSINESS
Jun 23, 2026
SoftBank-backed car marketplace Carro is said to explore U.S. IPO
Carro is working with advisers and may potentially raise as much as $500 million.
Gojek and Grab drivers during the morning rush hour in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Nov. 24, 2025.
BUSINESS
Jun 18, 2026
Tech founder’s downfall in Indonesia shows rising business risks
Nadiem Makarim now faces the prospect of 18 years in jail if found guilty of corruption during his stint as education minister.
SoftBank Group had helped channel billions of dollars to startups through dedicated Latin American funds.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 17, 2026
SoftBank finds fewer tech bets for venture capital in Latin America
The firm is targeting consumer-oriented AI companies with strong proprietary data, growing operations and technology teams capable of competing globally.
A Japanese startup tested a catheter injection of iPS heart muscle cells on a patient at Shinshu University Hospital in late March.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 13, 2026
Japan startup tests catheter injection of iPS heart muscle cells
The Tokyo-based company hopes to develop a minimally invasive treatment method that does not require surgery.
A SpaceX building ahead of the SpaceX initial public offering (IPO), in Starbase, Texas, on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Tech / ANALYSIS
Jun 13, 2026
SpaceX playbook set to fuel China’s IPO ambitions but tech gap persists
In China, the initial public offering was watched as a benchmark for a younger industry eager to go public.
TDK sees Fabric8Labs' 3D-printing technology as an efficient way to process pure copper into cold plates connecting to semiconductors inside data center servers.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 11, 2026
TDK buys U.S. 3D-printing startup to amp up AI ecosystem bet
The Tokyo-based supplier of iPhone batteries is optimistic about Fabric8Labs’ 3D-printing technology for data center server applications.
A medical student poses questions to a surgical support software tool that uses artificial intelligence.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 10, 2026
Japan rushing to develop AI tools to aid surgeons
One surgery support software tool analyzes images of organs and blood vessels using generative AI and creates step-by-step procedures and points requiring caution.
For joint investments with government-backed financial institutions, the Financial Services Agency says it will allow banks to build a lower amount of capital than the levels required as a buffer against potential losses.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 9, 2026
Japan to ease bank capital adequacy requirements
The aim of the Financial Services Agency’s measure is to encourage public-private funding and supporting small regional companies, including startups.
Axiom Space's latest funding round includes support from new backer MUFG Bank, Japan’s largest bank, along with existing investors, the startup has said.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 5, 2026
Axiom Space boosts funding to $525 million with MUFG Bank as new investor
The startup is among several firms competing to build a commercial replacement to the International Space Station, which is set to be decommissioned by 2030.
Internal affairs minister Yoshimasa Hayashi speaks at a meeting on cybersecurity in Tokyo on May 21.
JAPAN
May 30, 2026
Japan to set special aid category for community-based startups
The internal affairs ministry aims to promote what is known as AI transformation, in which companies reform themselves by placing AI at the center.
Jenny Chatman, dean of the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley
BUSINESS / Tech
May 27, 2026
Japan told that universities are a key to startup success
The dean of the University of California’s business school explains how innovation infrastructure can be developed.
Anis Uzzaman, founder and CEO of Pegasus Tech Ventures, in Tokyo
BUSINESS / Tech
May 18, 2026
Japan’s startup story is just beginning, venture capitalist says
Anis Uzzaman says the country is making the right moves, while the mindset in the business is changing.
Itochu and other Japanese trading houses are making investments to solve the supply chain bottleneck for official toys, apparel and collectibles of anime and manga in overseas markets.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 15, 2026
Itochu invests in San Francisco venture to chase anime merchandise demand
Following Itochu’s investment, startup Octas will license Japanese characters and work with North American manufacturers and retailers to develop products.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (center) receives recommendations from Masaaki Taira (second from left), chairperson of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's Headquarters for National Cybersecurity Strategy, at the Prime Minister’s Office on Thursday.
JAPAN / Politics
May 15, 2026
Takaichi says responding to Mythos is a ‘race against time’
Mythos, developed by U.S. startup Anthropic, is highly adept at identifying system vulnerabilities, which has sparked concerns about its possible use in cyberattacks.
Tokyo, once ahead in tech before being overtaken by Silicon Valley, is now trying to reinvent itself as a global startup hub by leveraging its stability, AI potential and government-backed support for entrepreneurs.
COMMENTARY / Japan
May 4, 2026
Silicon Valley made AI powerful. Tokyo wants to make it work
Japan is full of contradictions on AI. People here are the least fearful in the world of the technology, perhaps because a shrinking population and labor shortages.
SkyDrive's SD-05 flying car during a demonstration event at the Tokyo Big Sight convention center in the Japanese capital's Koto Ward on Feb. 24
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Apr 30, 2026
Flying cars take off as support systems emerge, but hurdles remain
A new SkyDrive test flight over Tokyo Bay showed how close Japan’s flying car plans may be, while also highlighting the challenges that could still keep them grounded.
Staff from Nishikawa Koryu-za prepare one of its AI <i>ningyō jōruri</i> robots for a performance at SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026.
BUSINESS / Tech
Apr 27, 2026
SusHi Tech Tokyo underway, bringing startups, big companies and investors together
Organizers of Asia’s largest startup convention hope the event results in 10,000 business negotiations.
ITAMAE aims to build a community of young challengers across the country and build a foundation to grow the innovators of tomorrow.
BUSINESS / Tech / FOCUS
Apr 24, 2026
The fresh faces behind SusHi Tech Tokyo — the students driving Japan’s entrepreneurial turn
A student group is pushing to reshape how young Japanese people think about success, risk and entrepreneurship.
Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, is known for its traditional townscape, including shrines and stone-paved streets, but turning this heritage into a stronger draw for tourists had long been a challenge.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 10, 2026
Financial support program for community-focused startups draws growing interest
The continuation rate for supported projects is high, and the program has received positive reviews from communities for providing tangible benefits.
Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit
Uruguay&#039;s Jose Maria Gimenez reacts after the team&#039;s loss against Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
India’s gig workers pay the price for exposure to New Delhi’s hazardous air
Rohit Kushwaha waits for a customer as he delivers his last parcel of the day, in New Delhi in January. His work as a delivery driver has helped pay the family’s bills, but has had a significant impact on his health.
Chinese and Russian bombers and fighter jets stage joint patrol near Japan
A Chinese Air Force H-6 bomber is seen during a joint patrol with Russian military aircraft on Saturday.
U.S. missile moves in Japan send China clear message: A new era has arrived
Soldiers conduct the first Typhon midrange capability live-fire exercise outside of the continental United States, firing an SM-6 missile in July last year in Australia&#039;s Northern Territory during Exercise Talisman Sabre.
Japan’s fertility system offers few safe paths for same-sex couples
A Tokyo Pride parade participant holds a sign that says "we want to be a married couple, not a couple."
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
A French ship with close ties to Japan combines arts and sciences on the high seas
Romain Troublé, the executive director of Tara Ocean Foundation, speaks to visitors aboard the Tara during a rare port call in Tokyo in April.
In Kyushu’s far south, Senti.U sparks a culinary destination
Chef Yasuhiko Uchida was born in Saga Prefecture but has made his home in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, since 2012.
‘The colors speak for themselves’: How Japan’s chroma bible went global
“A Dictionary of Color Combinations” is meant to function as a quick-reference guide for artists, designers and anyone with a passing interest in aesthetics as a quantifiable pursuit.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

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