Companies
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.
Why Couche-Tard moved on the world's largest konbini operator — and what the 2025 management-buyout fight revealed about Japan's foreign-takeover defences.
Why every foreign investment bank, asset manager and corporate borrower now routes Japan business through MUFG, and what foreign capital should understand about Japan's megabank consolidation.
From PHS reseller to Arm-and-Stargate AI infrastructure giant. How foreign LPs, sovereigns and corporates should read Masayoshi Son's machine in 2026.
The Tesla battery deal, the airline IFE monopoly, and the appliance giant trying to be three companies at once. Inside the 2022 holdco transition.
