A growing shortage of products derived from naphtha is beginning to affect everyday industries, as instability surrounding supply routes linked to tensions involving Iran raises concerns across Japan’s economy.
In November 2025, a major development shook Japan’s food service industry when U.S. financial giant Goldman Sachs acquired all shares of BK Japan Holdings, which runs Burger King’s Japan operations, for 80 billion yen.
Honda announced it will launch a new compact electric vehicle designed to appeal to dedicated car enthusiasts, with sales set to begin in late May.
SoftBank said it will effectively raise monthly mobile fees by up to 550 yen, following similar moves by NTT Docomo and KDDI, meaning all three major carriers in Japan have now implemented price increases.
Heavy oil prices have doubled over the past six months, placing mounting pressure on Japan’s green tea producers and transport sectors as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced on April 10th that the government will release an additional 20 days’ worth of national oil reserves in an effort to ease supply bottlenecks.
Japanese cosmetics brands are drawing renewed attention as global beauty standards, as a Tokyo-based experiential tour beginning on April 8th invites leading influencers from Europe and beyond to explore Japan’s distinctive skincare philosophy and cultural approach to beauty.
SoftBank has applied for a capital alliance with Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, according to sources familiar with the matter, following the utility’s call for external partnerships as part of its management restructuring plan.
Mizuho Bank announced on April 9th that it will raise its long-term prime rate, a benchmark for corporate lending, by 0.2 percentage points to 3% annually, reflecting the recent upward trend in interest rates, with the change set to take effect on April 10th.