Society

Toshiba spinoff Kioxia set for October IPO in Japan's biggest of year

Aug 26 (Nikkei) - Flash memory maker Kioxia Holdings will list on the Tokyo Stock Exchange as soon as October with a market capitalization projected at more than 2 trillion yen ($18.9 billion), making for the nation's biggest initial public offering of 2020.

The Tokyo Stock Exchange is expected to greenlight Kioxia's listing soon.

Kioxia, formerly Toshiba Memory Holdings, is the world's second-largest producer of NAND flash memory chips behind Samsung Electronics. Toshiba has a roughly 40% stake, with the rest held by a consortium of U.S., Japanese and South Korean investors.

Toshiba sold its memory business in 2018 to the consortium led by U.S. buyout firm Bain Capital for roughly 2 trillion yen. The deal was in response to the massive losses at U.S. nuclear power subsidiary Westinghouse Electric. The financial troubles compounded the damage sustained earlier in an accounting scandal.

Upon selling Kioxia to the consortium, Toshiba bought back the partial stake. Toshiba and Bain Capital will sell a portion of their Kioxia holdings as part of the listing.

This divestment is anticipated to come in tandem with a small issuance of new shares. Although such terms as the offering price will depend on investor demand, Kioxia is expected to attain a market capitalization of 2 trillion yen to 2.5 trillion yen.

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

Bear sightings across Japan have already climbed to nearly twice the level recorded during the same period last year, prompting entry bans in mountain areas behind Kyoto’s Ninna-ji Temple and the cancellation of hiking events in Kansai, while new research suggests that the key to reducing encounters may lie in understanding what bears eat in each region.

Copper Thieves Target Japanese Shrines

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.

1200-Year-Old Temple on Miyajima Reduced to Ashes

Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.

From Bento Boxes to Garbage Bags, Rising Costs Hitting Daily Life Across Japan

Uncertainty surrounding the situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect daily life in Japan, as concerns over crude oil supplies spread to restaurants, cleaning services and even household garbage disposal systems across the Kansai region.

Tochigi Robbery-Murder Suspect’s Wife Posted Dance Videos on Social Media

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Garbage Burnoff Spreads to 3 Buildings in Okayama

A fire that broke out in Kagamino, Okayama Prefecture, shortly after noon on May 20th destroyed three buildings, including a home, after flames from open burning spread to dead leaves and then to nearby structures.

Gang Members Arrested After Opening Office Near Nursery

Six people, including a senior member of a group affiliated with the Sumiyoshi-kai crime syndicate's Kohei-ikka faction, have been arrested on suspicion of opening a gang office in a prohibited area near a nursery school in Tokyo's Itabashi Ward.

Six Police Officers Injured After Man Sprays Liquid at Station

A man who visited a police station in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, in the early hours of May 21st allegedly sprayed a transparent liquid inside the building, causing six police officers to complain of eye and throat pain and be taken to hospital with minor injuries.