Companies
Why ANA's Peach LCC unit, Tokyo Haneda dominance, 787 launch-customer status and cargo strength differentiate it from JAL — and what corporate-travel buyers, freight forwarders and aerospace suppliers should know.
Why the 2008 Asia-Pacific and EMEA Lehman deal still defines Nomura's global identity — and why, despite the messy retreats from US equities trading, it remains Japan's only credible global investment bank.
From the 1999 three-way mega-merger to the system outages and the Greenhill + Rakuten Securities trades — Japan's #3 megabank, twenty-six years in, finally feels like one company.
Inside the Jefferies alliance, the ASEAN consumer-finance push (BTPN, VPBank, Mahindra), and the Sumitomo Mitsui Card/SMBC Nikko ecosystem that distinguishes SMFG from MUFG's white-shoe playbook.
Buffett's stake, the LNG portfolio (Sakhalin, Mozambique, Cameron), the iron-ore tie with Vale, and the healthcare push that quietly makes Mitsui the cleanest natural-resources play among the shosha.
The largest of Japan's five trading houses — and the most resource-heavy. Inside the Lawson take-private, the LNG franchise that still pays the bills, and the consumer pivot every shosha is now trying to write.
How a Hamamatsu loom maker built ~40%+ share of India's car market, dominated Japan's kei segment, and walked away from Volkswagen — a profile of Japan's most underrated automaker.
How a Nakajima Aircraft successor built one of Japan's most loyal US customer bases — and what the EV transition forces it to rebuild via its Toyota tie.
SkyActiv-X, the rotary's return as a range extender, the deepening Toyota tie and the unusual US-heavy sales mix make Mazda Japan's most contrarian automaker.
From Omi-merchant linen trader to consumer-oriented sogo shosha. Why Itochu's FamilyMart take-private, Dole acquisition and family-business culture set it apart from Mitsubishi Corp's resources playbook.
Inside Rakuten's ecosystem — Ichiba, Card, Bank, Mobile, Symphony, Englishnization — and which parts of the playbook foreign retailers, fintechs and telcos should actually copy.
Why MHI is again Japan's largest defence contractor, and what the GCAP fighter, Type 12 missile ramp and shipbuilding revival mean for foreign partners.
