Four Companies Form New Firm for Domestic AI Development

Apr 12, 2026 | News On Japan

TOKYO - SoftBank, NEC, Honda, and Sony Group have jointly established a new company aimed at developing domestically produced artificial intelligence, as Japan seeks to regain competitiveness in the rapidly advancing global AI sector.

The new company, named Japan AI Foundation Model Development, will be led by an executive from SoftBank. In addition to the four core firms, Nippon Steel, Kobe Steel, and Japan’s three major megabanks have also invested in the venture.

The initiative will focus on building foundational AI models developed within Japan, with the project expected to receive government support as part of broader efforts to strengthen the country’s technological independence and competitiveness.

Source: テレ東BIZ

Touch-Free Ticket Gates Coming to Tokyo's Yamanote Line

East Japan Railway (JR East) announced on November 10th that it will introduce touch-free ticket gates at 40 stations, including every station on Tokyo's Yamanote Line, from spring 2028, allowing passengers using Mobile Suica to pass through without taking their smartphones out of their pockets or bags.

Japan Unveils Guidelines for Children's Internet Use

Japan's Children and Families Agency unveiled its first national guidelines on November 10th for parental involvement in children's internet use, dividing those aged 0 to 18 into six developmental stages as the government considers tighter regulations on social media platforms to protect young people from online bullying, exploitation, and other growing risks.

Typhoon No. 32 Moves Away From Japan Islands

As of 3 a.m. on Wednesday, November 11, Typhoon No. 32 was moving east-northeast over waters east of Chichijima in the Ogasawara Islands, gradually heading away from the Japanese archipelago after passing near the island between late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning.

Odakyu Unveils New Romancecar With Giant Circular Windows

Odakyu Electric Railway unveiled images of its next-generation Romancecar limited express train on November 10, revealing a striking blue-green design featuring enormous circular windows that will allow passengers to enjoy panoramic views from ceiling to floor when the new trains enter service in March 2029.

270-Kilogram Bear Killed in Hokkaido After Repeated Farm Attacks

A male bear weighing approximately 270 kilograms was killed by hunters in Iwamizawa, Hokkaido, on November 8th after being caught in a box trap, with local hunters suspecting it was responsible for a series of attacks on a nearby poultry farm that left more than 100 chickens and ducks dead since August.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Web3 NEWS

AI Boom Faces Reality Check

Japan's stock market remains vulnerable to sharp swings as uncertainty surrounding artificial intelligence investment intensifies, with Masamitsu Oki, investment director at Five Star Asset Management, warning that AI-related stocks have entered an era resembling gambling and that investors face considerable uncertainty over the industry's long-term prospects.

SoftBank Group to Invest $1 Billion in Malaysia AI Infrastructure Project

SoftBank Group has announced plans to invest $1 billion in a major artificial intelligence infrastructure project in Malaysia, joining Singapore-based technology giant Grab and a local energy company in a $1.85 billion initiative aimed at developing one of Asia's largest AI infrastructure networks.

Mujin Leads Push Into Physical AI

Artificial intelligence is moving beyond computer screens and into factories and logistics centers, where robots capable of interpreting their surroundings and making independent decisions are emerging as a potential solution to Japan's chronic labor shortages, with Japanese unicorn startup Mujin and industrial robot manufacturer Yaskawa Electric leading efforts to develop the next generation of intelligent machines.

Japanese Farm Uses AI to Revolutionize Strawberry Production

Japanese agricultural technology startup Oishii Farm is seeking to transform global food production through artificial intelligence, robotics and fully controlled indoor farming, having succeeded in mass-producing Japanese strawberries in the United States and now joining forces with leading Japanese manufacturers to develop plant factories for export worldwide.

Anti-AI Tops Hit Product Predictions

Japanese monthly magazine Nikkei Trendy has unveiled its ranking of the top 30 products and services expected to become hits in 2027, with "anti-AI" emerging as the central theme as consumers increasingly seek ways to distinguish genuine human activity from artificial intelligence-generated content.

Important Facts About Sweepstakes Gaming Rules, Rewards, and Eligibility

Six thousand yen. That's the charge a Japanese citizen, or a foreigner who lives in the country, will pay at the casino door of the resort now going up on Yumeshima, the reclaimed island in Osaka Bay that hosted Expo 2025.

AI Film Festival Japan Draws 730 Entries From More Than 60 Countries

The AI Film Festival Japan 2026, one of Asia's largest international film festivals dedicated to works created using artificial intelligence, held its awards ceremony in Tokyo on November 1, attracting more than 730 submissions from over 60 countries and regions, with short films and animation accounting for the majority of entries.

What an AI Ad Generator Solves for a Shop Serving Foreign Visitors

A visitor stands outside a small restaurant in Kyoto trying to work out three things. Whether the place takes cards. Whether they need a reservation. And whether walking in without Japanese is going to be awkward for everybody.

< 2 3 4 5 >