Business & Economy
Rakuten’s Third-Quarter Revenue Hits ¥697.1 Billion
Rakuten reported ¥697.1 billion in third-quarter revenue, up 10.9% year on year, on November 13. Its mobile operating loss narrowed but remained substantial, highlighting the tension between growth in fintech and continued network investment.
Official source / results ↗ASICS Details Third-Quarter Results and a 2029 Plan
ASICS published its third-quarter financial statements and a new Mid-Term Plan 2029 on November 13. The disclosures offer investors a look at how the Japanese sportswear company intends to sustain international growth and investment.
Official source / results ↗Japan’s Parcel Deliveries Rise to 5.16 Billion
MLIT reported 5.16178 billion parcels handled in fiscal 2025, about 2.5% above the previous year. The mail-delivery figures were affected by changes in statistical coverage, underscoring the need for care when comparing logistics trends.
Official source / results ↗Science & Technology
AI Reads tRNA Directly From Nanopore Signals
Researchers from the University of Tokyo and Chiba University used deep learning to classify 48 E. coli tRNA species from raw nanopore electrical signals with 98.2% accuracy. The approach also supports absolute quantification and detection of selected RNA modifications.
Official source / results ↗Scientists Observe Self-Heating in Unstable Plasma
A team including the National Institute for Fusion Science and Tohoku University reported observations of self-heating linked to instabilities in plasma inside the Large Helical Device. The finding advances plasma physics, not a claim that commercial fusion power has been achieved.
Official source / results ↗Amino-Acid Transport Reveals a Brake on Inflammation
Kyoto University researchers found that the amino-acid transporter SNAT2 helps regulate osmotic balance, metabolism and inflammasome activation in macrophages. The work advances understanding of inflammatory control but does not establish a clinical treatment.
Official source / results ↗Communities
Japan Seeks Digital Tools for Aging Water Systems
MLIT invited submissions for its water and sewerage digital-technology catalog on November 13. The effort addresses aging facilities and shrinking technical workforces. Applications close December 11; a revised catalog is planned for March 2027.
Official source / results ↗Environment Ministry Establishes Physical-AI Recycling Forum
Japan’s Environment Ministry announced a physical-AI consortium for waste treatment and resource circulation. It is intended to bring governments, companies and trade bodies together to examine deployment obstacles; it is not an announcement of working nationwide AI recycling systems.
Official source / results ↗Kumamoto Reconstruction Officials Convene on November 16
MLIT and Kumamoto Prefecture scheduled a November 16 coordination meeting to examine reconstruction work, contractor capacity, materials, labor and upcoming procurement. This is a meeting notice—not evidence of decisions or completed repairs.
Official source / results ↗Sports
Gunma Beats Shinshu 85–74 in B.LEAGUE PREMIER
Gunma Crane Thunders defeated Shinshu Brave Warriors 85–74 on November 13 in B.LEAGUE PREMIER. Gunma led 53–36 at halftime, according to the league box score, underlining the club’s competitiveness in Japan’s top basketball tier.
Official source / results ↗Culture
Yokosuka Opens a 70-Work Setsuko Migishi Retrospective
Yokosuka Museum of Art opened a Setsuko Migishi retrospective on November 14, presenting about 70 works from her early career through her later landscapes in France. The exhibition runs through December 20.
Official source / results ↗Ibaraki Reassesses Avant-Garde Painter Natsuyuki Nakanishi
The Museum of Modern Art, Ibaraki opened the first posthumous retrospective of Natsuyuki Nakanishi on November 12. Around 75 works, plus documentation, trace his evolution from experimental performance with Hi-Red Center to a sustained investigation of painting.
Official source / results ↗Selection and verification
Prepared for the November 16 edition, with event dates distinguished from announcement dates. The selection prioritizes corporate disclosures, university and government announcements, museum notices, and official sports results.