Representatives from E.W.G Co., Ltd. (left), Otaru City (center) and Tabist Co., Ltd. (right) take part in ribbon-cutting ceremony for Tabist Kaihourou Otaru Following a downturn during the pandemic, Japan’s hotel and tourism industry has …

Cubic Telecom, a global leader in software-defined connected vehicle (SDCV) solutions, officially joined SoftBank Corp.’s (TOKYO: 9434) group of companies on March 6, 2024. Working with the world’s leading automotive, transportation and ag…

Atsushi Horiba is Lead Independent External Director at SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) and also Chairman and Representative Director & Group CEO at his own company, HORIBA, Ltd., a global provider of precision instruments and systems. He bri…

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., …

As technology advances, AI is increasingly becoming part of our daily lives. While many are familiar with AI in the traditional sense, newer terms like AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) and ASI (Artificial Superintelligence) are enteri…

Following full-fledged commercial rollouts around the world, 5G brought ultra-high speeds, ultra-low latency and massive simultaneous connections to the masses. 6G is expected to bring even more wireless communication advancements and inno…

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…

Kajima Corporation and BOLDLY Inc., an autonomous driving systems development and service subsidiary of SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434), have been conducting Level 2 autonomous driving bus operations – which sees hands-free driving under cert…

SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) is developing an uncrewed solar-powered aircraft for High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) stratospheric-based wireless communication systems. Unlike a satellite, it requires energy to maintain a consistent alt…

SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) held its 38th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM) on June 20, 2024, at Tokyo Garden Theater in the Ariake area of Tokyo. President & CEO Junichi Miyakawa chaired the meeting, and after reviewing SoftBa…

To enable a society that coexists with AI, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) is building out next-generation social infrastructure such as generative AI computing platforms and AI data centers, and developing homegrown large language models (LL…

While it has been about four years since SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) launched commercial 5G services, SoftBank and the telecommunications industry are already looking ahead to 6G, a mobile communications technology expected to see commerc…

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 …

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…

Quantum computers, with their computational capabilities that have the potential to far surpass what traditional computers can achieve, are at the vanguard of information technology. Given their potential, quantum computers could profoundl…

From April 3 to 4, 2024, a pioneering trial took place at Fukuoka PayPay Dome (now MIZUHO PayPay Dome FUKUOKA) to demonstrate a new way to experience baseball game viewing with augmented reality (AR). Get a first hand look at how this adva…

Ginga Miyata, an engineer at SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434), was selected for the 2023 Japan AWS Jr. Champions, a program that chooses young engineers in their first to third working year who have demonstrated a certain degree of technical 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…

On May 9, 2024, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) President & CEO Junichi Miyakawa presented earnings results for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024 (FY2023). At the press conference held in Tokyo, Miyakawa said that for FY2023, revenue (6,08…

SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) was selected for inclusion in the top 10% of companies worldwide in S&P Global’s Sustainability Yearbook 2024. On April 9, 2024, the research and rating firm hosted an award ceremony in Tokyo where SoftBank rec…

In 2001 the red shopping bags shown above were distributed in cities across Japan and became a common sight. Each bag held an ADSL modem, which made it possible for consumers to connect to high-speed Internet using their existing home tele…

Since 2010, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) has been using high-quality paper shopping bags with a plastic finish at its ‘SoftBank’ stores and other retail outlets. The luxurious white bags displaying the ‘SoftBank’ logo have been a common si…

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 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…

In March 2024, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) announced it is aiming to further enhance its call centers for mobile, fixed-line and Internet communication services in Japan by using generative AI. To achieve this goal, it is launching a join…

While the latest global wireless standard 5G is still continuing to see adoption, 6G is not too far away on the horizon. But what is 6G? And how might it change the way we communicate and live? When the term 6G comes up, many might associa…

On March 13, 2024, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) launched its "Private 5G (Dedicated Type)" service that enables enterprises, local governments and other organizations to build customized 5G networks on their premises with dedicated base st…

As a company that provides telecommunications and IT services as its main business, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) believes that contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) not only helps solve social issues in various situation…

The formation of the AI-RAN Alliance, a new collaborative initiative aimed at integrating AI into cellular technology to further advance radio access network (RAN) technology and mobile networks, was one of the top stories of Mobile World …

The Republic of Rwanda has mandated the use of information and communication technology (ICT) to accelerate its socio-economic development, and has already made significant progress in integrating it into its society. One symbol of the cou…

2024’s World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting was held from January 15-19 in Davos, Switzerland, and this year’s program featured AI House Davos, a new initiative that brought leaders in industry, civil society, government, the investin…

On February 26, 2024, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) held its first Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) briefing for investors. At the event in Tokyo, three SoftBank executives–Junichi Miyakawa (President & CEO), Masato Ikeda, (Vice Pre…

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…

How can AI innovations be utilized to advance the telecommunications industry, and society at large? To address this challenge, leading technology, industry, and academic institutions came together at Mobile World Congress Barcelona on Feb…

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 part of its long-term plan to build next-generation social infrastructure, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) has been making good progress on its initiatives to build a generative AI computing platform and develop Large Language Models (LLMs…

On February 7, 2024, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) President & CEO Junichi Miyakawa presented earnings results for the nine months ended December 31, 2023 (Q1-Q3) of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024 (FY2023). At the press conference he…

As reported earlier by SoftBank News, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) has been conducting various initiatives to restore communications on the Noto Peninsula following the magnitude 7.6 earthquake that struck on January 1, 2024. Further to it…

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…

From November to December 2023, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)’s World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC-23) was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) was there representing Japan, along w…

From left: SoftBank VP and Global Business Division Head Kimimasa Kudo, CelcomDigi CEO Datuk Idham Nawawi, Malaysia Minister of Communications YB Fahmi Fadzil and SC-NEX CEO Jun Okawara SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) is actively pursuing bus…

As reported earlier by SoftBank News, on January 1, 2024, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, and immediately after that SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) has been urgently working to restore comm…

Keio Research Institute at SFC (KRIS) and SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) established a “Digital Twin Campus Lab” in 2022 and have been collaborating on research and development of next-generation infrastructure, including Digital Twin techno…

On January 1, 2024, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. The earthquake and its aftershocks severely disrupted transportation, power and water supplies and communications. In response, SoftBan…

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…

The 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), was successfully held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), from November 30 to December 12, 2023. The Japan Pavilion, hosted by the M…

SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434), which is developing a High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) business to offer telecommunication services from the stratosphere, is also a founding and executive member of the HAPS Alliance, an industry associa…

In its research and development efforts to realize next-generation networks, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) has been actively researching Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) technologies and working to implement them, as evidenced by a Bus Rapid Transi…

Championing its concept of “a world where all things, information and minds are connected,” SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) is placing priority on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To do this, SoftBank is working to solve so…

From October 8th to 12th, 2023, Internet Governance Forum Kyoto 2023 (IGF Kyoto 2023), the latest in a series of yearly forums hosted by the United Nations, which brings together a wide range of stakeholders to engage in dialogue on all is…