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July 01, 2026
 

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TECH

This photo handed out on May 25 shows Pope Leo XIV signing his first encyclical letter.
WORLD
May 26, 2026
Pope says AI should be ‘disarmed’ to avoid dominating humanity
Pope Leo XIV said artificial intelligence should be “disarmed” to protect humanity from its dangers, adding his voice to a heated debate over the extent to which governments should regulate a technology that is reshaping the world.
Fujikura’s roller-coaster week reveals how quickly the tides can turn for artificial intelligence stock winners as investors realize hopes for explosive growth may have run far ahead of manufacturers’ ability to deliver.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 26, 2026
Japan cable maker rout exposes cracks in AI infrastructure rally
Fujikura almost halved in value in the week through May 20 as investors rushed to dump its stock following a disappointing earnings forecast and lackluster medium-term plan.
The SpaceX Starship and Super Heavy Booster creates sound waves as it lifts off on its 12th test flight from the SpaceX launch complex in Starbase, Texas, on May 22.
BUSINESS / Tech / FOCUS
May 26, 2026
SpaceX debut draws a crowd, but few recent hot IPOs outpace the market
The space exploration company is expected to target ​a $1.75 trillion valuation, but an analysis shows there is ​no guarantee investors ‌will make money.
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.
A Kirin 9000s chip fabricated in China by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp., taken from a Huawei Mate X5 foldable smartphone in 2023.
BUSINESS / Tech
May 25, 2026
China’s Huawei reveals chip design breakthrough amid U.S. sanctions
China is seen as unlikely to reach Huawei’s target through conventional manufacturing alone because of restricted access to advanced lithography tools and other technologies.
A Huawei booth during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai last year
BUSINESS / Tech
May 25, 2026
Huawei’s ‘chip queen’ etches her name in China’s tech folklore
He Tingbo’s career has tracked Huawei’s rise, its struggle following U.S. sanctions, and then a rebirth as the ​core ​driver of China’s mission to become a high-tech juggernaut.
Countries including Japan see the ability to control chips, data centers and AI models as directly related to national resilience in a landscape dominated by U.S. and Chinese technology.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 25, 2026
Sakura Internet eyes more spending to meet AI data center demand
The data center operator is eyeing an allocation of as much as ¥20 billion to ¥30 billion ($125 million to $190 million) this fiscal year, founder and CEO Kunihiro Tanaka has said.
Combined net profits at Japanese listed companies in fiscal 2025 rose 9.0% from the previous year to a record, according to SMBC Nikko Securities.
BUSINESS
May 24, 2026
Japanese listed firms log record net profits in 2025
The figure for the year ended in March hit a record high for the fifth consecutive year, thanks to rosy earnings of semiconductor- and data center-related companies.
An intelligence bot at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi in February
BUSINESS / Tech / FOCUS
May 22, 2026
The AI bots are coming, and the young are booing instead of applauding
Perhaps the clearest sign of discomfort with the vision of the world offered by tech companies is the rising discontent among America’s youth.
Choi Seung-ho, head of the Samsung Electronics union, Yeo Myung-koo, head of the People Team under Samsung’s Device Solutions division and the company’s chief management negotiator, and Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon pose for photographs after reaching tentative pay deal in Suwon, South Korea, on Monday.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 21, 2026
Samsung reaches 11th-hour deal with union to avoid strike
The truce averts what could have been a damaging strike for Samsung and the tech industry.
Elon Musk at a federal courthouse for his lawsuit with OpenAI, in Oakland, California, on April 30. In a separate case in Australia, a court upheld a regulator's fine against Musk's social media company X after it failed to supply information to regulators in line with online child protection measures.
BUSINESS
May 21, 2026
Elon Musk’s X loses Australia child protection compliance lawsuit
The ‌eSafety regulator, a frequent target of online attacks by ​Musk, fined the company in October 2023, beginning the nearly three-year dispute.
Apple CEO Tim Cook applauds as the iPhone 17 series goes on sale at the Apple Store in New York City last September.
COMMENTARY / World
May 20, 2026
Apple grandmaster Tim Cook is playing 3D chess with AI
The smartphone is the most valuable choke point in the modern economy. It’s the primary entry to the electronic world — and Apple dominates.
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group President and Group CEO Toru Nakashima in 2025. Nakashima believes that Japan must make better use of medical resources.
BUSINESS / Tech
May 19, 2026
SMFG, Fujitsu and SoftBank forming medical alliance to help contain costs
As Japan faces another wave of retirees, technology might help keep the nation fit and control healthcare spending.
Pope Leo XIV holds the weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on May 13.
WORLD
May 19, 2026
Pope Leo to address rise of AI in first major text
The document, known as ‌an encyclical, ‌is likely to decry the use of AI in warfare and address how ​the technology is challenging workers’ rights, according to sources.
ANA President and CEO Koji Shibata speaks during a news conference in Tokyo on April 30.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 18, 2026
Japanese firms post AI-driven rosy profits, but Iran woes remain
Many companies opted not to reflect the impact of the conflict in their earnings projections, as it could affect various aspects such as procurement, manufacturing and consumer sentiment.
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.
The U.S.-China rivalry is increasingly centered on semiconductor and rare-earth chokepoints as Japan tries to revive its chip industry and secure a strategically vital role in global supply chains.
COMMENTARY / Japan / Geoeconomic Briefing
May 18, 2026
Semiconductor chokepoints define U.S.-China rivalry
Two chokepoints now stand out: advanced semiconductors for China and rare-earth minerals for the United States.
A steel factory in Duisburg, Germany. The European Union is attempting to reduce reliance on China by requiring companies to buy critical components from at least three different suppliers.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 18, 2026
EU to force companies to buy components from non-Chinese suppliers, FT reports
Under the new legislation, companies would be limited ⁠to buying about 30% to 40% of components from a single supplier.
Choi Seung-ho, head of Samsung Electronics union, speaks after a mediation session at the National Labor Relations Commission in Sejong, South Korea, on May 13.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 18, 2026
Samsung and its South Korean union resume pay talks as strike risks loom
South Korean government officials have voiced concerns that a strike could pose significant risk to economic growth, exports and financial markets.
Members of Samsung Electronics' labor union chant during a protest against the company's compensation levels, in front of a Samsung semiconductor plant in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, on April 23.
BUSINESS
May 17, 2026
Samsung and labor union to meet in ‘last chance’ to avert strike
Management and the union representatives at the world’s biggest memory chipmaker will meet Monday for the talks on wages and compensation.
Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit
Uruguay's Jose Maria Gimenez reacts after the team'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.
Life inside Japan’s largest prison for women
Western-style rooms spanning the size of four tatami mats with hardwood floors, a toilet and soft mattresses on bed frames are designated for foreign nationals and those with health conditions at Tochigi Prison.
Yen hits 40-year low against the dollar, breaking ¥162 level
Japan's currency broke ¥162 to the dollar on Tuesday in Tokyo.
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."
Life inside Japan’s largest prison for women
Western-style rooms spanning the size of four tatami mats with hardwood floors, a toilet and soft mattresses on bed frames are designated for foreign nationals and those with health conditions at Tochigi Prison.
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.

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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