Smartphone-based mobile payments are continuing to take root in Japan in all kinds of settings, from inside convenience stores and restaurants to public transportation. As adoption grows year by year, Japan-based SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 943…

A battery that uses entirely solid materials for its internal components. Long-lasting battery built for extreme conditions All-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) are a type of battery where all internal components are made of solid materials. …

The Greater Shibuya Area – which encompasses Shibuya, Harajuku and Omotesando – is a hot spot in Tokyo where work and play are closely intertwined. While destinations like the Shibuya Scramble Crossing – said to be one of the world’s busie…

Well known for its unique blend of modern and traditional cultural experiences, excellent cuisine, efficient transportation and safety and cleanliness, not to mention its relatively low costs compared to other major world centers like New …

3D glasses or special goggles typically come to mind when it comes to 3D viewing. SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434), however, broke this mold in September 2024 with the launch of a new 3D experience service called “TOBIDERU.” TOBIDERU is unique…

Looking for a unique nightlife experience in Tokyo? Located in the heart of Shibuya, one of Tokyo’s top entertainment districts, CLUB THE PEPPER, offers an unforgettable mixture of dining and entertainment with music and dancing robots. Wh…

Following a downturn during the pandemic, Japan’s hotel and tourism industry has seen a rapid recovery of late. Both visitors from abroad and locals have driven demand, with some tourists keen on venturing to Japan’s outlying regions. This…

While Japan is well known for having a wide array of public transportation options with its extensive train and bus network, other modes of mobility like bike sharing have emerged to fill in the “one last mile” gaps. OpenStreet Co., Ltd., …

League of Legends (LoL) is a multiplayer online video game that boasts over 100 million users worldwide. First developed by the US game company Riot Games in 2009, LoL is a quintessential title for esports that sees major competitions arou…

For foodies seeking some good eats in Tokyo, sushi or ramen might immediately spring to mind, but a range of other culinary delights are on offer. Japan’s gastronomic capital has been experiencing a bakery boom of late, and bagel shops – s…

Liquid condensation, a phenomenon where droplets form around a glass filled with a cold drink, or on windows during a cold or humid day, is a common sight in daily life. Did you know, however, that smartphones are also prone to condensatio…

As previously documented by SoftBank News, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434), first launched its 3G services in Japan on December 20, 2002, through its predecessor J-PHONE Co., Ltd. After approximately 22 years of service, SoftBank’s 3G service…

With its extensive network of rail lines, trams, monorails and buses, Japan is well known for having a wide array of public transportation choices. There is still room for improvement, however, and new and complementary mobility options to…

As people use headphones, earphones and earbuds with their smartphones more and more, some are likely to listen to music at high volumes while others may spend several hours each day with earphones in their ears. This kind of regular usage…

2023 was a banner year for tourism in Japan as COVID-19 subsided and Japan re-opened its borders. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, visitor arrivals to Japan in December 2023 were 2.734 million, a record high for Decemb…

During the COVID-19 pandemic, travel restrictions made 2020 to 2022 a difficult time for hotel businesses in Japan. Amid this challenging time, Tabist, a SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) group company, was launched to offer new experiences tai…

For users of SoftBank Corp.’s ‘SoftBank’ mobile service in Japan thinking of traveling to the United States, there’s a unique service that may be of interest. Called “America Flat-rate” (or “America-houdai” in Japanese), the service gives …

While Japan was mainly closed to travel when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, 2023 is seeing a revival of tourism as entry requirements ease. Many services and tools are appearing to help make the journey more enjoyable and convenient fo…

With its e-commerce platform ZOZOTOWN supporting over 8,500 brands and 11 million customers in Japan*, ZOZO, Inc. is a well-known Internet apparel pioneer in the country. A SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) group company since 2019, ZOZO also m…

Digital Transformation (DX) is a term that continues to gain traction in the business world. While more companies are setting goals to promote DX so they can enhance their competitiveness, many companies are still finding it difficult to i…

On September 18, 2022, Yahoo Japan Corporation, a SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) group company, and Kahoku Shimpo Publishing Co., the Sendai-based publisher of a major newspaper in Japan’s Tohoku region, held Tour de Tohoku 2022, a bicycle e…

While Japan was closed to tourism for approximately two years due to the global spread of COVID-19, in June 2022 it reopened its doors to guided tours in limited numbers. In September 2022, Japan began to further relax entry restrictions i…

Earlier this year, the editors of PayPay Inside-Out and SoftBank News teamed up to learn more about the state of cashless payments around the world by checking with PayPay employees, who hail from more than 40 countries and regions. As the…

Walking through a grocery store, you may have noticed foodstuffs that show the “Halal Certified” mark. “Halal” means “permitted” in Arabic, and when a food product is halal certified, it means that it’s been prepared in accordance with Isl…

Battery life is vital when using a smartphone. Sometimes it’s essential to conserve battery power, especially when you forget to charge up your smartphone or bring a portable charge on the go. Persistent heat can also drain battery life an…

In late June this year, temperatures in Japan reached sweltering record highs. And, amidst a power shortage, the Japanese government called on households and businesses to reduce their energy consumption for the first time in seven years. …

The Fukuoka SoftBank HAWKS professional baseball team and SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) are collaborating to bring Fukuoka PayPay Dome—home stadium of the HAWKS—to the metaverse so fans can enjoy sports and entertainment in entirely new way…

An extensive and efficient network of trains and buses often comes to mind when Japan’s transportation infrastructure is mentioned. To avoid crowded trains and get to locations between stations and bus stops, however, bike-sharing is gaini…

Japan is facing considerable demographic challenges—including a low birthrate and an aging population—that are causing labor shortages and posing a threat to economic growth. Against this backdrop, in 2019 the Japanese government created a…

On March 16, 2022, OYO Japan held a virtual press conference to announce it will re-launch under a new brand name, “Tabist.” OYO Japan’s President and Chief Executive Officer Ryota Tanozaki unveiled the new brand and company name that will…

On February 16, 2022, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) and Cameo, a US-based leading marketplace connecting the world's talent directly with their biggest fans, announced a commercial partnership that will expand Cameo's global network to Japa…

When talking about the group companies of SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434), one would be remiss not to mention PayPay Corporation. Jointly formed by SoftBank Corp. and Yahoo Japan in 2018, in collaboration with India’s largest digital payment …

The need to communicate with others who use different languages is universal. Ongoing technological advances in machine translation software are gradually closing the communication gap to enable conversations among those who speak differen…

One the major strengths of SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) is its unparalleled number of customer touchpoints. This customer foundation spans SoftBank’s mobile and broadband subscribers (55 million), and the users of platforms provided by gro…

In Tokyo, a state of emergency was declared for the fourth time in July 2021 to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, and restaurants in the metropolis were once again particularly impacted. The restaurant industry is experiencing a decline in …

Whether it's sushi or ramen noodles, Japanese food is enjoying an unprecedented boom around the world. But Japanese food is much more than sushi, tempura or ramen – there are all kinds of processed foods and snacks, drinks and ingredients …

On October 2, 2020, UK-based mobile analytics firm Opensignal announced its Global Mobile Network Experiences Awards 2020, and in its report SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) was ranked the global no. 1 carrier for Voice App Experience and no. …

After an almost three month delay caused by the spread of COVID-19, professional baseball in Japan this season got off to a start in June, first with empty stadiums and then limited spectator admittance from July 10 in line with government…

In this day and age, we benefit from a multitude of Internet-based services, and the sharing economy, or XaaS—an abbreviation for ‘X (anything) as a Service’—in particular is getting a lot of attention recently. Among XaaS offerings, ride …

Not far from the hustle and bustle of Shibuya’s “Scramble Square,” one of the busiest pedestrian crossings in the world, lies “Pepper PARLOR,” a café that offers a completely new dining experience. Pepper PARLOR is nestled among the array …

Japan has seen typhoons of increasing intensity in recent years. Typhoon Hagibis and Typhoon Faxai caused especially widespread damage, flooding and outages in the Kanto region and other parts of Japan in the fall of 2019. Japan is also pr…

Whether relaxing at home or entertaining important guests, nothing is more refreshing than green tea in Japan. Although popular since ancient times, in recent years green tea plantations have come up against a major issue: a lack of succes…