SoftBank and other companies are considering establishing a new firm dedicated to the development of artificial intelligence, with the aim of building a domestically produced AI platform through a public-private partnership.
Rakuten Mobile continues to draw attention every earnings season, and while its losses have been narrowing, the pain it inflicts on the Rakuten Group’s overall performance has not fundamentally changed. Even so, chair Hiroshi Mikitani describes the mobile business as contributing “more than expected,” and insists the company will maintain its stance of keeping low-price, unlimited data plans even as other carriers move to raise fees.
Nvidia maintains an estimated 80% share of the global AI chip market, but a surge of new competitors is beginning to challenge the company’s dominance, reshaping expectations across the semiconductor industry.
The Nikkei Stock Average climbed into the 52,000-yen range in October before swinging sharply and falling back below 50,000 yen, raising questions over whether the benchmark has already entered a correction phase or whether the market can stabilize above the 50,000-yen level and aim higher.
A dramatic shift is beginning to unfold in software development as AI transforms programming into an everyday skill that no longer requires specialist expertise, a trend highlighted in a forthcoming set of 2026 technology forecasts compiled by Nikkei BP.
The Nikkei Stock Average surpassed 50,000 yen for the first time in history following the launch of the Takaichi administration, with the surge driven primarily by just a handful of AI-related stocks. But as share prices swing wildly, questions are growing over whether this market euphoria is truly sustainable.
SoftBank Group has reported a record-breaking net profit for the April–September period, marking the highest half-year earnings ever achieved by a Japanese company.
The Nikkei Stock Average closed at 50,512 yen on October 27th, surpassing the 50,000 mark for the first time in history and setting a new all-time high. The benchmark index rose 1,212 yen from the previous trading day, driven by strong gains across sectors.
The Hanshin Tigers opened the 2025 Japan Series with a hard-fought 2–1 victory over the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks on October 25th.
The Japan Series will open on October 25th, with the Pacific League champion Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks facing off against the Central League champion Hanshin Tigers. As the Hawks seek their first championship in five years, not only the players but also the people of Fukuoka are charged with excitement.
Baseball legend Sadaharu Oh, 85, chairman of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, has been awarded this year’s Order of Culture, while voice actress Masako Nozawa, 88, known for voicing the protagonist Son Goku in the anime "Dragon Ball," has been named a Person of Cultural Merit — the first voice actor ever to receive the distinction.
SoftBank is ramping up its ambitions in the artificial intelligence sector, committing vast sums of capital and striking major strategic deals as part of an aggressive bid to position itself at the center of the AI revolution.
Japanese mobile payment industry leader PayPay has purchased a 40 percent stake in the Japanese division of the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world, Binance.
SoftBank Group announced that it will acquire the robotics business of ABB, a Swiss company known for developing industrial robots, in a deal valued at approximately 800 billion yen. The acquisition is scheduled to be completed in 2026, as the company aims to accelerate its robotics operations using artificial intelligence (AI).
SoftBank Group announced it will invest about 300 billion yen in U.S. semiconductor giant Intel, which has been struggling in the competitive chip industry.
SoftBank Group Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son announced at a corporate event in Tokyo that the company aims to create 1 billion autonomous AI agents in-house by the end of this year. These agents are designed to operate independently without human instructions.
SoftBank announced on June 26th that it will begin pre-commercial services next year for its airborne mobile base station known as HAPS (High Altitude Platform Station), with plans to expand the service nationwide by 2026.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry convened a panel of experts to discuss Japan’s national energy policy, focusing on how to address the expected rise in electricity demand driven by the spread of artificial intelligence and other technologies. A central topic was the energy consumption of data centers, which has raised growing concerns.
SoftBank has teamed up with Intel and the University of Tokyo to establish a new semiconductor memory development company in Japan focused on artificial intelligence applications. Named SAIMEMORY, the new firm aims to develop cutting-edge memory chips with enhanced performance and lower energy consumption.
SoftBank Group, which oversees major operations including telecom company SoftBank and the Vision Fund investment vehicle, has set out an ambitious plan involving over 1 trillion yen in investments since January.
SoftBank Group Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son is pursuing the idea of launching a Japan-US joint sovereign wealth fund aimed at investing heavily in American technology and infrastructure.
OpenAI, the developer behind the conversational AI ChatGPT, announced on May 22nd plans to build a large-scale AI data center in the United Arab Emirates in partnership with SoftBank Group, Nvidia, and others.
SoftBank Group has returned to profitability for the first time in four years, reporting on May 13th a net profit of 1.1533 trillion yen for the fiscal year ending March 2025, driven by a global rebound in stock markets that sharply boosted the value of its investment holdings.
As NTT Docomo and KDDI move to raise their mobile phone fees, SoftBank has also revealed it is considering a similar hike.
The newly established Hokkaido Valley Vision Council aims to create a 'Hokkaido version of Silicon Valley' by promoting development around next-generation semiconductor firm Rapidus and transforming the region from Tomakomai to Ishikari into a hub for advanced technology.