Rakuten and Amazon Set to Enter Japan Satellite Market

Aug 19, 2025 | News On Japan

TOKYO - Rakuten Group and Amazon.com are preparing to enter Japan’s satellite communications market as early as 2026. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has begun discussions on frequency bands, transmission power, and other regulatory frameworks necessary for new entrants.

The move is expected to expand connectivity to mountainous regions and remote islands where terrestrial base stations are not available. Competition will intensify in a market previously dominated by SpaceX’s Starlink service.

In Tokyo’s stock market on August 18th, the Nikkei Stock Average closed at 43,714 yen, up 336 yen, or 0.77%, from the previous trading day. This marked a second consecutive record high following August 15th. The price-to-book ratio (PBR) approached 1.6 times, a level last seen in 2024. Investors continued to buy into relatively undervalued stocks, broadening the rally.

Toho announced on August 18th that box office revenue for its live-action film ‘A Country Report’ reached 10.5 billion yen. This is the first time in 22 years a live-action film distributed by Toho has surpassed the 10 billion yen mark, the last being ‘Bayside Shakedown 2’ released in 2003. Since its June 6th release, the film has drawn 7.47 million viewers in 73 days, ranking third in box office history among live-action films.

Convenience store operator Ministop revealed on August 18th that 23 of its stores in eastern and western Japan falsified expiration dates on in-store prepared products, including rice balls and boxed meals. Similar cases had previously been uncovered, prompting internal investigations. The company has suspended sales of some in-store prepared products across all outlets while continuing its probe.

Health authorities in Guangdong Province, China, reported nearly 10,000 infections from a mosquito-borne viral illness known as Ngonia fever so far this year. While new cases have recently declined, concerns have been raised that containment efforts resemble the strict “zero-COVID” measures once enforced during the pandemic.

Pan Pacific International Holdings, operator of discount retailer Don Quijote, announced on August 18th plans to invest more than 1.2 trillion yen over the next decade through June 2035. The investment will fund store expansion, including 250 new locations, and mergers and acquisitions. This represents a sharp increase from 549.6 billion yen invested over the past decade.

Source: テレ東BIZ

New Tropical Depression Threatens Flooding in Southern Japan

A newly formed tropical depression near Taiwan on June 9th is expected to intensify the seasonal rain front lingering over southwestern Japan, raising the risk of warning-level rainfall across Okinawa and the Amami Islands through around June 11th.

Japan National Team Holds First Training Session in Nashville

Japan's national soccer team arrived in Nashville, Tennessee, on June 8th from Monterrey, Mexico, where it had been conducting a pre-World Cup training camp, and held its first practice session at its base camp for the FIFA World Cup in North America.

Sakurajima Eruption Blankets Kagoshima in Volcanic Ash

A prolonged eruption at Sakurajima on June 7th blanketed parts of Kagoshima City in volcanic ash, turning roads gray and prompting long lines of vehicles seeking car washes after a plume of smoke rose 1,300 meters above the crater.

Japan Lifts Tsunami Advisories After Philippines Quake

A powerful earthquake struck off Mindanao Island in the southern Philippines at 8:38 a.m. (Japan time) on June 8th, generating tsunami waves across parts of the Pacific, causing building collapses and casualties near the epicenter, and prompting the Japan Meteorological Agency to issue tsunami advisories along a wide stretch of Japan's Pacific coastline before lifting all of them at 4:50 p.m.

Unlicensed Peruvian Man Conducts Risky Medical Procedure During Delivery

A clinic director and a former Peruvian staff member have been referred to prosecutors after the man allegedly performed medical procedures without a license, including an external cephalic version—a procedure used to manually turn a baby into the correct position before birth—at an obstetrics and gynecology clinic in Fukuoka City, raising concerns about patient safety and oversight in maternity care.

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