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In September 2020, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) began the process of moving to its new headquarters located in Tokyo Portcity Takeshiba, a next-generation smart building complex, and the transition will be complete by January 2021. SoftBan…
A central tenet of SoftBank Corp.’s (TOKYO: 9434) human resource policy is “creating a strong organization by combining the capabilities of diverse individuals.” With the belief that the promotion of diversity is key to company growth, Sof…
On November 25, the Fukuoka SoftBank HAWKS won the “SMBC NIPPON SERIES 2020,” the championship of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB)’s 2020 season. The victory marked the 4th consecutive title for the HAWKS in Japan’s highest level of base…
In May 2020, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) announced it was making the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) a top managerial priority. To learn more about how SoftBank’s business activities are contributin…
On November 4, 2020, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) held its earnings results briefing for the six months ended September 30, 2020 in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2021 (Q2 FY2020). At the event President & CEO Ken Miyauchi reviewed finan…
On August 21, 2020, Japan-based publishing major Kodansha Ltd. held a press conference to showcase Mixalive TOKYO, a new pop culture complex located in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district. “Mixalive,” which stands for a mixture of live content with…
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. …
HAPSMobile Inc., a SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) subsidiary launched in 2017 with the mission of bridging the digital divide, marked two major milestones on September 21, 2020. First, the solar-powered, unmanned aircraft “Sunglider” took fl…
When typhoons, earthquakes, landslides and other types of natural disasters strike, mobile phones serve as an important lifeline for people to get information and to stay in touch with their family, friends and colleagues. SoftBank Corp. (…
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…
Over the years, mobile communication technologies have evolved in cycles lasting approximately 10 years, as evidenced with commercial 3G and 4G services launching around 2001 and 2010, respectively. The world is now witnessing the full-fle…
On August 4, 2020, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) held its earnings results briefing for the three months ended June 30, 2020 for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2021 (Q1 FY2020). At the event President & CEO Ken Miyauchi took the opportuni…
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…
SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) held its 34th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM) on June 24, 2020, its second since listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in December 2018. To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, the meeting was held o…
5G is expected to redefine industries with its ultra-fast speeds, high capacity, low latency and massive device connectivity. The transportation and logistics sector, which is expected to utilize autonomous driving in the future, is likely…
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…
Building on its past efforts to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations (UN), SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) announced the promotion of SDGs as a top managerial priority on May 11, …
On May 11, 2020, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) held its earnings results briefing for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020 (FY2019). On a consolidated basis, revenue was 4,861.2 billion yen (a 4% increase year-on-year), operating income was…
Companies and organizations around the world have turned to telecommuting as a way to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, and SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) is no exception. Since the beginning of March 2020, SoftBank strongly encourag…
On March 5, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) held a press conference in Tokyo to announce the launch of commercial 5G services. 5G LAB to deliver immersive entertainment experiences Jun Shimba, Representative Director & COO and Head of the Con…
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. …
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 …
On February 7, 2020, at a Tokyo hotel, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) held its earnings briefing for the third quarter (nine months ended December 31, 2019) of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2020. President & CEO Ken Miyauchi opened his pr…
Lippo Karawaci CEO John Riady and SoftBank Corp. Vice President and Head of Global Business Strategy Hidebumi Kitahara announce their cooperation in Jakarta PT Lippo Karawaci Tbk, the largest listed property company in Indonesia, and SoftB…
From left: SoftBank Corp.'s Representative Director & CTO Junichi Miyakawa and Chairman Masayoshi Son, The University of Tokyo's President Makoto Gonokami and Executive Vice President Teruo Fujii On December 6, 2019, the University of Toky…
In April 2019, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) launched the “Randsel of Love Donation Project” as a CSR initiative. About 20,000 of these leather school backpacks used by elementary school children in Japan made their way across the ocean to …
Installing an e-kakashi device With an aging population of farmers and a labor shortage, among other issues, Japan is facing an agricultural crisis. Other countries are facing similar problems as well. On the other hand, the use of robotic…
SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) held a press conference on November 5, 2019 to present its earnings results for the first six months (H1) of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2020 (FY2019). President & CEO Ken Miyauchi, summarizing the results…
Starting from December 2018 through to March 2019, in Japan's Aichi Prefecture SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) conducted testing of its “Smart Highway” concept, which uses 5G to improve the driver experience. Some of Japan's expressways have …
On October 23, the Fukuoka SoftBank HAWKS won the “SMBC NIPPON SERIES 2019,” the championship of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB)’s 2019 season. The victory marked the third straight title for the HAWKS in Japan’s highest level of baseba…
Photo of the award ceremony For the third year in a row, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) was awarded a gold rating--the highest ranking-- in the ‘PRIDE Index’ for its LGBT-friendly workplace policies. A conference was held on October 11, 2019…
Okinawa, a chain of islands in the southernmost part of Japan, is famous for its pristine beaches and colorful coral reefs. Due to climate change, however, these reefs have recently seen severe coral bleaching, a phenomenon that greatly di…
SoftBank Corp. Representative Director & COO Jun Shimba welcomes Rui Hachimura as SoftBank’s new 5G ambassador On August 7, 2019, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO:9434) held a pep rally at its Tokyo headquarters to show support for the Japan men’s ba…
HAPSMobile's HAWK30 successfully completed its first test flight at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center on September 11, 2019 Imagine an unmanned aircraft circling the stratosphere, acting as an airborne base station to smoothly transm…
This summer, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO:9434) deployed pre-commercial 5G services at Japan's largest outdoor rock music event, FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL ‘19. The annual event took place from July 26-28 at Naeba Ski Resort in Niigata Prefecture. SoftBa…
On August 5, 2019, SoftBank Corp. held its earnings results conference for the first quarter of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2020. President & CEO Ken Miyauchi discussed financial highlights, including the impact of consolidating Yahoo…
“This daily rush hour commute is such a grind...” That's an often-heard comment from commuters in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, which is world famous for its packed trains during the morning and evening rush hours. In certain areas, passeng…
MONET Technologies Inc., a joint venture with SoftBank Corp., Toyota Motor Corporation and other Japan-based automotive manufacturers that is working to promote MaaS (mobility as a service) business development, held its first MONET Consor…
On July 18 and 19, SoftBank World 2019 showcased presentations from about 80 IT industry leaders along with 86 exhibits from companies with leading-edge technologies and solutions. The annual event held by SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO:9434) and i…
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…
On June 24, 2019, SoftBank Corp. held its first Annual General Meeting of Shareholders since listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on December 19, 2018. In front of approximately 1,500 shareholders at the Makuhari Event Hall, located east of…
SoftBank Corp. held a briefing on June 3, 2019 about its upcoming positioning service in Japan that will offer accuracy centimeter-level accuracy, an advance over current services that are accurate within meters. With the coming of the IoT…
On April 25, 2019, SoftBank Corp. held a press conference to reveal a completely new business. SoftBank Corp. announced that it is preparing a global business that delivers telecommunications network connectivity from a new frontier—the st…
The sports industry continues to evolve as it incorporates various new technologies, and the front line of sports broadcasting is no exception. SoftBank Corp. is a top partner for B.LEAGUE, Japan’s professional baseball league. B.LEAGUE he…
Anticipating commercial 5G services planned for 2020, SoftBank Corp. conducted trials that used multi-angle virtual reality (VR) at the FUKUOKA YAHUOKU! DOME (YAHUOKU DOME), home of the Fukuoka SoftBank HAWKS (HAWKS) baseball club. SoftBan…
On January 18, 2019, Dynamic Map Platform Co., Ltd. (“Dynamic Map Platform”), a Tokyo-based company that provides 3D map data, and SoftBank Corp. conducted a trial in Kamakura to test the generation of high-precision 3D “dynamic maps” for …
What happened on the day 8:50 Greeting the lead underwriter On an auspicious day of blue skies in Tokyo, SoftBank Corp. embarked on a new chapter with its listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. SoftBank Corp. executives first went to greet t…
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…
SoftBank Corp. and Toyota Motor Corporation jointly held a press conference on October 14, 2018, to announce a strategic partnership and the launch of MONET Technologies Inc., a joint venture to facilitate the creation of new mobility serv…