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July 04, 2026
 

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AI

Recent swings in tech stocks are reviving fears of an AI bubble — and some experts warn that if it pops, the fallout could be bigger than anything Wall Street has ever seen.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jun 27, 2026
Should we fear an AI bubble bust?
Recent swings in tech stocks are reviving fears of an AI bubble — and some experts warn that if it pops, the fallout could be bigger than anything Wall Street has ever seen.
Anthropic won U.S. approval to restore some access to its powerful Mythos 5 artificial intelligence model, after resolving government concerns about the technology's potential threats to national security.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 27, 2026
Anthropic’s Mythos 5 AI model cleared by U.S. for wider use
The clearance eases a confrontation that erupted two weeks ago when the government abruptly barred Anthropic from giving foreign nationals access to Mythos 5 and a related model.
Sony is halting sales of its Aibo robotic dog in Japan, ending an era for the interactive pet that became an instant hit and developed its own personality.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 26, 2026
Sony discontinues Japan sales of Aibo robot puppy
The first iteration of Aibo came out in 1999, followed by numerous models over the years.
Takeda Pharmaceutical is targeting a return on equity of at least 5% over that time, the company's newly appointed Chief Executive Officer Julie Kim said at her first news conference after assuming the top job this week.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 26, 2026
Takeda sees return to growth within three years, new CEO says
The company is targeting a return on equity of at least 5% over that time, Julie Kim said at her first news conference after assuming the top job this week.
Rapid advances in AI, highlighted by powerful models like those from Anthropic, are outpacing government oversight and increasing cyber and and other risks.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 26, 2026
Living without an AI kill switch
There is no simple way to shut down advanced AI once it exists, so societies must learn to manage its risks rather than rely on a single fail-safe.
Alibaba’s American depositary receipts sank to a session low on the news, falling more than 3% to $99.10 at 3:38 p.m. in New York on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 25, 2026
Anthropic accuses Alibaba of ‘illicitly’ accessing AI models
The U.S. AI developer had previously decided to keep its products out of China.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a parliamentary meeting in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN / Politics / ANALYSIS
Jun 25, 2026
Takaichi’s smear video scandal shows Japan’s digital campaign rules are behind the curve
A scandal involving alleged AI-generated attack videos has exposed gaps in Japan’s laws governing online election campaigns.
People visit the Delta Electronics booth during the annual Computex trade show in Taipei, Taiwan, on June 3, 2026.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 25, 2026
Thai stock market thriving as surprise beneficiary of AI boom
While the country lacks the semiconductor champions of Taiwan or South Korea, investors are increasingly recognizing its role in supplying the infrastructure behind AI.
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, during a welcoming ceremony before talks at the Kremlin in Moscow in May 2025.
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 25, 2026
Scarier than fiction: ‘The Wizard of the Kremlin’ comes to life
The objective is not to promote authoritarianism directly, but to corrode the trust that sustains democratic societies and international cooperation grounded in rule of law.
An artificial intelligence-equipped camera system shows a person trapped inside a railway crossing gate during a test by Kintetsu Railway.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Jun 25, 2026
Japanese railway firms adopt AI safety systems at crossings
The technology can automatically detect and report abnormalities, such as stalled vehicles or people trapped on the tracks.
The inside of a car from British autonomous driving technology company Wayve Technologies. Safety concerns and costs have long slowed progress on autonomous vehicles.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 25, 2026
First global rules adopted for self-driving cars, U.N. says
Safety concerns and the cost of developing next-level systems have long slowed progress on autonomous vehicles.
A ship lays undersea fiber-optic cable off a beach near Bilbao, Spain, linking Europe and the U.S.
COMMENTARY / Japan / Geoeconomic Briefing
Jun 24, 2026
Japan lays the groundwork for submarine cable resilience
Fiber-optic cables carry nearly all the world’s data between continents.
A GMO AI and Robotics humanoid robot performs a dance at an international exhibition at Tokyo Big Sight in December.  REUTERS
COMMENTARY / Japan / Geoeconomic Briefing
Jun 24, 2026
Japan’s manufacturing sector and the race for physical AI
Turning industrial strength into leadership in the next AI frontier.
Some see Japanese equities as an attractive way to diversify away from U.S. stocks while still benefiting from the global artificial intelligence rally.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jun 24, 2026
AI boom sees investors shift from Japan’s value to growth stocks
Investors had classified Japan’s equities as low-growth value stocks, but the rising prominence of high-growth firms suggests a meaningful shift in the investment narrative.
A supporter holds a flag calling for unlimited constitutional powers for Russian President Vladimir Putin, as he stands near the State Historical Museum and the Kremlin wall in central Moscow on June 23.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 24, 2026
Russia’s Wiki warfare tries to distort reality, documents show
Russia’s “Project 2026” wasn’t just to spread misinformation on social media — its main goal to create an alternative information ecosystem.
Workers at Elon Musk's xAI facility, which houses a large supercomputer known as Colossus, used for Artificial Intelligence (AI) data processing, in Memphis, Tennessee, on Sept. 11, 2025
BUSINESS / Tech
Jun 24, 2026
China beats U.S. with fastest supercomputer, but race not geared for AI work
The Chinese victory on ​the ​list more likely shows that China wanted recognition for its chip design efforts.
SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son dismissed the idea of space-based data centers, arguing that the AI race will be won by computing power on Earth.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 23, 2026
Masayoshi Son dismisses Musk’s idea for orbital data centers
The main advantage of building data centers in space would be to slash electricity costs, but such expenses comprise a small fraction of total costs.
Luke Edwards, head of Brookfield’s Japan unit, said the firm plans to promote investment in artificial intelligence data centers.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 23, 2026
Canadian asset manager Brookfield to promote AI investments in Japan
Brookfield plans to invest over $10 billion, or some ¥1.6 trillion, in Japan over the next five years.
The Taiwan Stock Exchange in Taipei on June 8. Much of the market's boom is fueled by heaps of money borrowed at rock-bottom interest rates.
BUSINESS / Markets
Jun 23, 2026
‘FOMO really got me’: Taiwanese go deep into debt to amp 100% stock rally
Much of the AI stock boom is fueled by money borrowed at rock-bottom interest rates.
An engineering graduate student demonstrates a part of the semiconductor manufacturing process at Korea University in Seoul on June 11.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 23, 2026
In South Korea, a job or partner at Samsung or SK Hynix is the new ‘A+’ catch
South Korean matchmaking firms say people working at the companies are now being ranked alongside doctors, lawyers and those from other traditionally elite professions.
‘My dream is broken’: Japan visa rules push out foreign residents
A man orders from a kebab shop in the Okubo district in Tokyo.
Japan triples departure tax in push to combat overtourism
Tourists in Yanaka Ginza, Tokyo, on Wednesday. Japan tripled its International Tourist Tax (departure tax) to ¥3,000 from ¥1,000 on Wednesday for all travelers leaving Japan, regardless of nationality.
Japanese-language education is at a turning point
The country is gradually transforming Japanese-language education from a volunteer-driven system into a professional, government-supported network to better serve its growing foreign population. 
Japan’s princesses face life-altering legal revisions
Princess Aiko, the daughter of Emperor Naruhito, said in a 2022 news conference upon coming of age that she hopes to “spend a long time together” with her parents.
Japan plans to sharply raise fees for residence permits from October
Foreign tourists walk on the path leading to the Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in May.
Iran war exposed, but hasn’t changed, Japan’s reliance on imported oil
Wind turbines generate energy from strong easterly winds on the Shonai Plain in Yamagata Prefecture. Despite the oil crisis caused by conflict near the Strait of Hormuz, and concerns instability in the region could continue to impact supply and the price of imports, the administration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi does not seem to be drawing on the war as a pretext to hasten progress toward Japan's renewable goals.
Six of the best: rikishi of note in each sumo division
Kazuma (right) faces off against future <i>yokozuna</i> Onosato during the All Japan Amateur Sumo Championships at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo in December 2020.
Some startups see opportunity in an aging Japan
Yasmin Baba, CTO of Amilis, wins the Grand Prize at the Pitch2Tokyo Grand Final on Feb. 19.
Japan’s fertility system offers few safe paths for same-sex couples
A Tokyo Pride parade participant holds a sign that says "we want to be a married couple, not a couple."
Life inside Japan’s largest prison for women
Western-style rooms spanning the size of four tatami mats with hardwood floors, a toilet and soft mattresses on bed frames are designated for foreign nationals and those with health conditions at Tochigi Prison.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

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What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
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