On January 22, 2025, MONET Technologies Inc.—a joint venture with SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434), Toyota Motor Corporation and other Japan-based automotive manufacturers—launched an autonomous mobility service that runs on the public roads o…

In the latter half of fiscal 2024*, MONET Technologies Inc.—a joint venture with SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434), Toyota Motor Corporation and other Japan-based automotive manufacturers—plans to launch an autonomous mobility service that will…

Looking for a way to bring photos and videos on your smartphone to life, but are hesitant to use 3D glasses or VR goggles? Starting September 6, 2024, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) will offer a new service in Japan to meet this need. Called…

While Japan’s service sector is widely lauded for its high standards of politeness, punctuality, efficiency and attention to detail, one issue front-line workers are contending with is “customer harassment” in which retail workers or call …

SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) announced that from April 19, 2024, the “Leitz Phone 3” will be available exclusively at select ‘SoftBank’ brand outlets in Japan. The newest and third smartphone to be fully supervised by Leica Camera AG – a c…

As reported earlier, in September 2023 MONET Technologies Inc.—a joint venture with SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434), Toyota Motor Corporation and other Japan-based automotive manufacturers—Toyota Motor Corporation, Hoei Kotsu, Studio Ghibli a…

“My Neighbor Totoro,” a 1988 Japanese fantasy film animated by Studio Ghibli, counts many fans around the world. Some of the most memorable scenes from the film feature the “Cat Bus” as a key character. Fans will be pleased to know a vehic…

It can be hard for musicians to assemble in a studio when they live far away from each other, and coordinating studio time can also be difficult. Seeing the need to bring musicians in different locations together, Yamaha Corporation develo…

Is it better to have more than one smartphone? Some would say yes, as they can use them separately for work and personal use. And with the emergence of affordable smartphones and others with high-end features, it seems that multiple smartp…

FTE is short for “Full-Time Equivalent,” a unit used to represent employee workloads for projects and other company activities. The unit is useful for human resource management. As workstyles diversify, FTE is a useful measure While tradit…

Outside Japan, many people may not know about Yahoo! JAPAN services, which widely differ from those of other Yahoo!-branded services around the world. For the unfamiliar, Yahoo! JAPAN is Japan’s largest online platform, logging more than 7…

In the apparel industry, there’s a growing need for new product and marketing strategies that take traditional customer touchpoints, such as brick-and-mortar stores, as well as new digital touchpoints, such as AR, VR and the metaverse, int…

Founded in Germany in 1869 by Ernest Leitz, Leica Camera is an international premium manufacturer of cameras and sports optics. The Leica brand has long been renowned for its combination of German craftsmanship and industrial design with i…

One June 5, 2022, Pepper—the world's first social humanoid robot capable of recognizing faces and basic human emotions—celebrated eight years since first coming to life in 2014. It wasn’t a normal birthday, however. Pepper marked the occas…

BALMUDA Inc. is a fast-growing Japan-based company that offers stylish home appliances designed to offer not only convenience, but also, in the words of BALMUDA CEO and Chief Designer Gen Terao, “thrilling and wonderful experiences.” Produ…

With the increased adoption of high-speed 5G services and decreased attendance at sports venues due to COVID-19 and other factors, people of all ages are increasingly using their smartphones and other devices to watch sports content. To me…

All five members of Japan’s top-selling boy band Arashi appeared at a SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) press conference held at Tokyo International Forum on August 5 to unveil a 5G-based project that promises to open up new entertainment possi…

June 5 is a very special day. Why? Because it’s Pepper’s birthday! Since Pepper’s unveiling in 2014, Pepper has come a long way. In Japan, Pepper can be found in homes, at retail establishments, restaurants, medical institutions and care f…

Emperor Akihito’s ascension to the throne in May 2019 marked the start of the Reiwa era in Japan. 2019 also marked the 25th anniversary of the Republic of Palau’s independence and the start of diplomatic relations between Palau and Japan. …

PayPay Corporation, a joint venture established by SoftBank Corp. and Yahoo Japan Corporation, held a press conference on November 22, 2018 to announce a new campaign for its “PayPay” smartphone payment service that uses QR codes and barco…