News On Japan

Japan’s Top Banks Break 1 Trillion Yen Profit Mark

TOKYO, Feb 05 (News On Japan) - The three major Japanese banking groups posted consolidated net profits exceeding 1 trillion yen each for the April–December 2025 period, supported by improved interest margins following interest rate hikes by the Bank of Japan and steady corporate demand for funds.

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group reported net profit of 1.8135 trillion yen, up 3.7% from a year earlier, while Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group posted a 22.8% increase to 1.3947 trillion yen, marking its fourth consecutive year of record profits. Mizuho Financial Group saw net profit rise 19.2% to 1.0198 trillion yen, exceeding the 1 trillion yen mark for the first time for this period.

Source: テレ東BIZ

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Japan’s transport ministry has decided on a policy to prohibit the use of mobile batteries on aircraft as early as April following a string of incidents in which the devices caught fire during flights.

Online tutoring provider Banzan, which operates the popular service Megasta, received a court decision on February 17th to begin bankruptcy proceedings, triggering confusion and anger among parents and tutors after the company abruptly halted all operations.

The pairs free skating event saw the duo known as “Rikuryu,” Riku Miura, 24, and Ryuichi Kihara, 33, of the Kinoshita Group, capture a dramatic gold medal in a stunning comeback, delivering a performance that brought the entire arena to its feet and earning 158.13 points, the highest free skating score in history, as they rose from fifth place after the short program to claim the top of the podium, marking the first medal in the discipline for Japan and overturning a 6.9-point deficit from the short program in what became the largest comeback since the current scoring system was introduced.

Water shortages are worsening across Japan amid what meteorologists describe as 'once-in-30-years' low rainfall, with riverbeds exposed, reservoirs falling to record lows, and dry conditions fueling a renewed surge in influenza infections.

Long lines have been forming daily outside the Japanese Embassy in Russia as people seek tourist visas to visit Japan, with an unprecedented boom in travel interest despite Moscow designating Japan an “unfriendly nation” over sanctions related to the Ukraine invasion.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Business NEWS

Japan recorded a trade deficit of about 1.1 trillion yen in January, marking the first shortfall in three months, as the impact of “Trump tariffs” continued to weigh on automobile exports to the United States.

Japan’s real gross domestic product (GDP) for the October–December period posted an annualized increase of 0.2%, marking the first growth in two quarters, though the recovery remains weak.

After its defeat and surrender in World War II, Japan experienced rapid economic growth that permeated the entire nation, reaching its peak in the late 1980s. (TRNGL)

Medical consultation fees at healthcare institutions in Japan are set to rise starting in June as authorities move to address soaring costs and wage increases, with around 70 percent of hospitals nationwide currently operating at a loss.

A severe shortage of truck drivers—forecast to reach 210,000 by fiscal 2030—has prompted a driving school operator in Fukuoka Prefecture to begin recruiting foreign drivers in an effort to support Japan’s strained logistics sector.

PayPay, Japan’s leading QR-code payment service, has announced a partnership with Visa, the world’s largest credit card network, as it looks to expand into the United States, where QR payments remain far less common and tap-to-pay dominates everyday transactions.

Sony is considering spinning off its television business, long symbolized by its BRAVIA brand, in a move that could mark a decisive step away from consumer electronics and toward a new identity centered on entertainment and intellectual property.

A popular household adhesive known as “Bond” is disappearing from store shelves across Japan, with the shortage linked to a continuing boom in a trendy type of sticker that has become especially popular among younger consumers.