Japan’s Corporate Crown
Is Moving
SoftBank has become Japan’s most profitable company on its OpenAI windfall, while MUFG has overtaken Toyota in market value. Yet Toyota still earned ¥3.85 trillion and is placing a $3.6 billion bet on Texas. Across 15 new reports, four selections from July 27 and a single-focus watercolor Art Choice, this Corporate Power Edition examines how Japan’s hierarchy is being rewritten by banks, AI, chips, autos, retail and energy.
Four Stories to Read First
SoftBank, MUFG, Toyota and the Texas investment
Four Selected From July 27
AI, industrial strategy, prices and wages
Today’s News: 19 Stories
15 new stories + four selected from July 27
SoftBank Becomes Japan’s Most Profitable Company With ¥5 Trillion OpenAI Windfall
Gains on SoftBank’s OpenAI investment produced a record annual profit and transformed its position among Japan’s corporate giants.
MUFG Overtakes Toyota as Japan’s Most Valuable Company
Higher interest rates, record bank earnings and renewed investor confidence pushed MUFG’s market value above Toyota’s.
Toyota Earns ¥3.85 Trillion but Loses Japan’s Corporate Crown
Toyota’s enormous profit faces tariff and cost pressure as financial and AI companies challenge its long dominance of corporate Japan.
Toyota Bets $3.6 Billion on a Second Texas Assembly Line
The San Antonio expansion would add more than 2,000 jobs and approximately 150,000 vehicles of annual capacity.
SMFG Delivers Record ¥1.58 Trillion Profit as Global Ambitions Grow
Higher Japanese interest rates and a deepening relationship with U.S. investment bank Jefferies are supporting SMFG’s global ambitions.
Japan Turns to JPMorgan to Help Finance Its $550 Billion U.S. Investment Pledge
Expensive dollar funding is limiting Japanese banks, opening a role for U.S. lenders in financing Japan’s enormous American investment commitment.
Nvidia May Guarantee $250 Billion for SoftBank’s Giant Ohio AI Project
Reported financing talks around SoftBank’s OpenAI data-center project reveal extraordinary power requirements and financial risks.
Sony and Mitsubishi Electric Form AI Vision-Sensor Joint Venture
Sony imaging and Mitsubishi Electric factory automation will combine to automate inspection, recognition and industrial decision-making.
Kioxia’s Remarkable Comeback: AI Turns NAND Memory Into a Strategic Asset
Next-generation BiCS Flash samples and AI inference demand for high-capacity storage are powering Kioxia’s recovery.
Hitachi and Nvidia Bring Physical AI to Japan’s Infrastructure
Hitachi’s HMAX platform is expanding into autonomous railway, energy, manufacturing and other mission-critical operations.
Uniqlo Owner Fast Retailing’s Quarterly Profit Jumps 45.7%
International growth, tourism demand and operating discipline are moving Fast Retailing toward a fifth consecutive record year.
Mitsubishi Corporation Deepens U.S. Energy Bet With Major Shale-Gas Acquisition
The completed Texas and Louisiana acquisition positions Mitsubishi Corporation for rising U.S. electricity demand.
Mitsui and Penske Propose Taking Penske Automotive Group Private
The nonbinding proposal could expand Mitsui’s mobility and vehicle-distribution business through ownership of a global automotive retailer.
Berkshire Hathaway’s $1.8 Billion Tokio Marine Investment Opens New M&A Path
Berkshire’s strategic stake and reinsurance cooperation could give Tokio Marine a new platform for international acquisitions.
ENEOS Secures Oil Through September and Reduces Middle East Dependence
U.S., Azerbaijani and rerouted supplies are protecting Japan’s largest refiner from disruption around the Strait of Hormuz.
Beyond “200 Times Faster”: How Hitachi Plans to Transform Development With AI Agents
A closer look at the distinction between dramatic gains in individual tasks and Hitachi’s goal of 30% productivity growth across development.
Can ¥370 Trillion Buy Japan’s Industrial Future?
Japan’s plan would direct ¥370 trillion in public and private investment toward AI, chips, biotech, defense and other strategic sectors by 2040.
Japanese Companies Learned to Raise Prices—The Economic White Paper’s Warning
Companies are passing import and energy costs into retail prices faster than before, suggesting inflation is becoming embedded.
The ¥75 Minimum-Wage Test: Can Workers and Small Businesses Both Win?
The debate seeks higher pay for workers facing inflation without crushing small companies that cannot pass on labor costs.
20. Today’s Art Choice
Watercolor / Single Focus / Corporate Power
One Focal Point for a Complex Corporate Story—Today’s Watercolor
Watercolor washes, restrained detail and one dominant focal point unify the Corporate Power Edition. Each illustration reduces a complex business story to one immediately recognizable subject.
Read the Art Choice →