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July 06, 2026
 

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TECH

Some AI-generated content is easy to spot as fake and is marked as such, but others are convincing enough that anyone scrolling through social media could easily be misled.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Feb 7, 2026
In Japan, generative AI takes fake election news to new levels
Leaders of a new Japanese political party unveil a logo that features China, a candidate campaigns in freezing weather wearing tank tops and grannies vent in public — or do they?
SkyDrive’s flying car unit at its flight test base in the city of Yamaguchi
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 6, 2026
Japan’s SkyDrive hopes to have flying cars in service by 2028
Regulatory approval from the Japanese government is key to achieving the company’s goal.
Yutaka Matsuo, professor of the University of Tokyo's graduate school of engineering, has been named among 40 experts to sit on a U.N. panel on AI.
JAPAN
Feb 5, 2026
University of Tokyo professor recommended for U.N. panel on AI
The panel will carry out scientific assessments covering opportunities and risks associated with AI.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s plant in Kumamoto Prefecture. The go-to chipmaker for Nvidia and Apple has decided to adopt cutting-edge technology for its second wafer fabrication plant in the prefecture.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 5, 2026
TSMC plans major upgrade of Japan chip plant in win for Takaichi
The go-to chipmaker for Nvidia and Apple has decided to adopt cutting-edge technology for its second wafer fabrication plant in Kumamoto.
Panasonic Holdings now projects an operating profit of ¥290 billion, down from its previous estimate of ¥320 billion, while net profit is forecast at ¥240 billion, compared with ¥260 billion previously.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 5, 2026
Panasonic cuts profit estimates on restructuring costs
The company’s operating profit is now projected at ¥290 billion, down from its previous estimate of ¥320 billion.
A growing number of European countries are weighing a social media ban for minors.
WORLD / Society
Feb 5, 2026
Move to ban social media for kids gains traction in Europe
The European moves could trigger an aggressive response from U.S. President Donald Trump and his orbit.
Leonardo Doin, head of engineering and research for DeepL Voice, in Berlin on Jan. 23
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 4, 2026
DeepL to release AI-powered interpretation software in Japan this year
The software will integrate speech recognition and machine translation technologies as well as speech synthesis that mimics the tone of speakers’ voices, a company official said.
A monitor showing the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average, which hit a record closing high, in Tokyo's Chuo Ward on Tuesday
BUSINESS / Markets
Feb 3, 2026
Nikkei reaches new high as earnings help fuel rebound
The Nikkei rebounded from Monday’s drop to rise 3.9%, closing at a record 54,720.66, with tech-related firms like TDK and Kyocera among the top gainers.
Sony has effectively handed control of its TV business to China’s TCL, allowing the Sony brand to live on screens made by others while the company concentrates on higher-value areas.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 2, 2026
Sony switches off the TV and that’s just fine
It is the end of an era as Japan’s iconic electronics giant, Sony, cedes TV business to TCL.
Kunihiro Nitta, a pharmacist at the Sukoyaka pharmacy in Naha, gives medication instructions to a resident on Minamidaito Island in Okinawa Prefecture via a video call in September.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Okinawa
Feb 2, 2026
Pharmacy in Okinawa goes online to reach residents on remote islands
Sukoyaka pharmacy stepped up after two local pharmacies on Minamidaito Island and Yonaguni Island hundreds of kilometers away were shuttered.
India is considering a ban on social media for children, following Australia's passage of the world's first ban last month.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Feb 1, 2026
Modi ally proposes social media ban for India’s teens as global debate grows
India, the world’s second-biggest smartphone market with 750 million devices and a billion internet users, is a key growth market for social media apps.
The DEEPX booth at the 2025 Korea Tech Festival in Seoul in December. South Korea has enacted a comprehensive national law called the AI Basic Act to build public trust in AI technology.
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 1, 2026
A breakthrough law won’t kill Korea’s AI revolution
The rest of the world will be watching closely. The nation has also become a live demo of how quickly the technology can spread throughout the real economy.
A mine containing rare earth minerals in northern China
JAPAN
Jan 30, 2026
Japan struggling to reduce rare earth dependence on China
As part of its backlash against Takaichi’s remarks about a possible Taiwan contingency, the Chinese government has shown signs of restricting Japan-bound exports of the minerals.
Despite Donald Trump’s celebratory claims that TikTok’s U.S. odyssey is over, the formerly Chinese-owned app now faces mounting challenges around growth, competition, governance, user trust and execution that could quickly erode its immense value.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Jan 30, 2026
The TikTok U.S. saga isn’t over — it’s just beginning
To call the saga over — as many headlines did — would be unwise. Its challenges are only just beginning.
Hiroo Oota, incoming chief executive officer of Kioxia Holdings, speaks during a news conference in Tokyo on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 30, 2026
Memory maker Kioxia names new CEO to navigate AI chip boom
Shares of Kioxia, which are up more than twelvefold since their initial public offering at the end of 2024, reversed losses and rose 1.6% after the announcement.
China’s DeepSeek received extensive technical assistance from Nvidia as a legitimate commercial partner hone artificial intelligence models that were later used by the Chinese military, it has been revealed.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jan 29, 2026
Nvidia helped DeepSeek hone AI models later used by China’s military
When Nvidia provided DeepSeek help, there was no public indication that its technology was ​being used ‌by the Chinese military, U.S. lawmaker John Moolenaar says.
Masashi Jinbo, head of the Japanese Electrical Electronic and Information Union, speaks at a union meeting in Tokyo on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 28, 2026
Japanese electronics unions to demand pay scale hike of over ¥18,000
Last year, member unions of the Japanese Electrical Electronic and Information Union demanded an increase of at least ¥17,000.
TikTok is moving to settle a lawsuit with a woman who claimed that the social media giant and others designed their platforms to addict young users.
BUSINESS
Jan 28, 2026
TikTok joins Snap settling youth addiction suit before trial
TikTok is moving to settle a lawsuit with a woman who alleged that the company and other social media giants designed their platforms to addict young users.
Masayoshi Son, chairman and CEO of SoftBank Group, at a conference in Tokyo in December
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 28, 2026
SoftBank in talks to invest $30 billion more in OpenAI, report says
The increase in commitment that reflects Masayoshi Son’s ambitions to play a central role in developing artificial intelligence.
A vehicle carrier cargo ship is docked near the Hyundai Motor plant in Ulsan, South Korea. The carmaker would be severely affected if the U.S. raises its tariffs on South Korea to 25%.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jan 28, 2026
U.S. trade spat with South Korea driven by tech laws and gridlock
South Korea is the latest nation to be singled out by U.S. President Donald Trump for moving too slowly on its trade promises.
Thailand gets serious about chasing high-spending tourists
Chinese tourists at Wat Arun Ratchawararam Rathawaramahawihan in Bangkok
Murakami says his novels are ‘different’ from AI literature
Haruki Murakami's first book in three years hit shelves in Japan on Friday.
Japan’s princesses face life-altering legal revisions
Princess Aiko, the daughter of Emperor Naruhito, said in a 2022 news conference upon coming of age that she hopes to “spend a long time together” with her parents.
Japan plans to sharply raise fees for residence permits from October
Foreign tourists walk on the path leading to the Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in May.
Micron breaks ground on $9 billion western Japan plant expansion
Micron Technology’s factory in Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture
Okinawa’s prized seaweed under threat as oceans warm
Local harvesters gather <i>mozuku</i> during low tide at Hyakuna Beach in the city of Nanjo, Okinawa Prefecture. As the planet warms, rising ocean temperatures are placing increasing pressure on the seaweed industry.
‘Defense,’ not ‘warfare,’ stressed as pacifist Japan beefs up capabilities
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi attends an annual training session near Mount Fuji at Higashifuji Training Field in Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture, on June 7.
Japan plans to sharply raise fees for residence permits from October
Foreign tourists walk on the path leading to the Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in May.
X Games returns to Chiba with new team format
Skateboarder Sora Shirai practices at Makuhari Messe in Chiba on Friday afternoon. X Games Chiba begins on Saturday.
NU Festival tests Takanawa Gateway City complex’s culture cred
Veteran improvisers Kazuo Imai and Atsuhiro Ito brought some unruly energy to NU Festival, a three-day multimedia event held at the Takanawa Gateway City complex.  

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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