Economy — 2,007 insights
Kansai Airport CEO envisions travelers taking flying taxis to Osaka casino
Economy

Kansai Airport CEO envisions travelers taking flying taxis to Osaka casino

Yasuaki Mikami hopes to attract wealthy visitors in shift away from budget carriers Cumulative passenger traffic at Kansai International Airport since its 1994 opening has exceeded 600 million. (Photo by Atsushi Ohoka) OSAKA -- The operator of Kansai International Airport, which has grown by attracting low-cost carriers, now sees a chance to capture higher-value travelers with the planned 2030 opening of a hotel-and-casino resort in Osaka, the company's CEO told Nikkei.

September 11, 2026
Japan’s Sekisui Chemical to buy Australian builder, eyeing modular homes
Economy

Japan’s Sekisui Chemical to buy Australian builder, eyeing modular homes

Sekisui Chemical operates its home construction business under the Sekisui Heim brand. (Photo by Mizuho Miyazaki) OSAKA -- Sekisui Chemical will acquire a controlling stake in Australian construction company Ausbuild Group for $335 million Australian dollars ($240 million) under plans announced Thursday by the Japanese homebuilder.

September 11, 2026
Nissan looks to maintain Japan capacity at 1m vehicles
Economy

Nissan looks to maintain Japan capacity at 1m vehicles

Japanese automaker plans to consolidate minivan production in 1 plant Nissan Motor will transfer production of the Elgrand minivan to its Tochigi plant in Japan. (Photo by Shintaro Ino) TOKYO -- Nissan Motor will retain the capacity to produce 1 million vehicles in Japan after a plant closure by transferring production among remaining facilities.

September 11, 2026
Japan developer Hulic and peers spend $1.5bn on Tokyo office tower deal
Economy

Japan developer Hulic and peers spend $1.5bn on Tokyo office tower deal

Deal shows growing presence of domestic players in prime property market The deal for offices in the Pacific Century Place Marunouchi building in Tokyo is among Japan's largest single-building transactions. (Photo by Taizo Wada) TOKYO -- A Japanese consortium that includes property developer Hulic has bought part of a skyscraper near Tokyo Station for about 230 billion yen ($1.49 billion), making it among the country's largest single-building transactions, Nikkei has learned.

September 11, 2026
Yasuchika Hasegawa, ex-Takeda CEO and globalization champion, dies at 80
Economy

Yasuchika Hasegawa, ex-Takeda CEO and globalization champion, dies at 80

Led Millennium Pharmaceuticals purchase, served as chief of Keizai Doyukai business lobby Yasuchika Hasegawa led Takeda and the Japanese business community "with exceptional decision-making and extraordinary leadership, laying the foundation for the global company we are today," says Julie Kim, Takeda's current president and CEO. (Nikkei) TOKYO -- Yasuchika Hasegawa, former president and CEO of Takeda Pharmaceutical, who also served as a chairman of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives (Keizai Doyukai) and played a leading role in advancing the globalization of Japanese companies, died on July 3. He was 80.

September 11, 2026
Japan’s hotel industry checks out of big projects as costs soar
Economy

Japan’s hotel industry checks out of big projects as costs soar

Labor shortages and rising materials prices force rethink, pivot to refurbishments The new design pictured for Tokyo's Imperial Hotel aims to rebuild its tower and alter the main building as part of a wider development of the area near the Imperial Palace. (Screenshot from Imperial Hotel's website) TOKYO -- Soaring construction costs are forcing delays or rethinks for hotel development and renovation projects across Japan, even as investment in the sector surges on the back of anticipated growth in foreign visitors.

September 11, 2026
Chinese Nvidia challenger Enflame jumps 188% in Shanghai market debut
Economy

Chinese Nvidia challenger Enflame jumps 188% in Shanghai market debut

Tencent-backed 'little dragon' raises $910m; tech stocks' post-IPO slumps draw scrutiny Enflame's products are displayed during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai in July 2026. (Photo by Tomoko Wakasugi) HONG KONG/SHANGHAI -- Shanghai Enflame Technology, one of China's leading makers of artificial intelligence chips and the country's answer to Nvidia, rose 188% in its debut on Shanghai's bourse on Friday, after the company flagged a lower valuation relative to peers.

September 11, 2026
China automaker BYD scraps plans for Malaysian assembly plant
Economy

China automaker BYD scraps plans for Malaysian assembly plant

EV maker is in 'advanced talks' with local partner to build cars in the country BYD did not disclose the exact reason for abandoning plans to build its own assembly plant in Malaysia. © Reuters KUALA LUMPUR -- Chinese auto giant BYD has shelved plans to set up its own assembly plant in Malaysia and is instead in "advanced talks" with a local partner to meet its production aims in the country.

September 11, 2026
Ukraine set for 5G bids but legal gap invites China risks, critics say
Economy

Ukraine set for 5G bids but legal gap invites China risks, critics say

Huawei, ZTE networks could hinder Russia's war efforts, help Kyiv's drones Local telecom operator Kyivstar's pilot 5G network depends almost exclusively on Huawei. LONDON -- Ukraine is preparing to launch a long-awaited 5G auction without a regulatory framework around high-risk vendors in place, raising concerns in Europe that Chinese players Huawei Technologies and ZTE could gain a foothold in the next-generation network.

September 11, 2026
BRICS Summit marks dual milestones and tests limits of cohesion
Economy

BRICS Summit marks dual milestones and tests limits of cohesion

India will host this year's BRICS Summit on Sept. 12-13. One analyst said New Delhi faces a difficult balancing act: strengthening the grouping without letting it become an instrument of Chinese influence. (Nikkei illustration) 25 years since term coined and 20 since bloc formed, energy ties deepen amid crises TOKYO/NEW DELHI -- Back in 2001, Jim O'Neill, then the head of global economic research at Goldman Sachs, released a paper that still resonates, though not exactly as he envisioned.

September 11, 2026
Giant robot arm to probe Fukushima nuclear debris after 5-year delay
Economy

Giant robot arm to probe Fukushima nuclear debris after 5-year delay

Upcoming inspection is critical step toward removing highly radioactive fuel TEPCO will attempt to remove radioactive debris using this 4.6-ton robot arm. (Pool photo) TOKYO -- Tokyo Electric Power Co. Holdings is preparing to inspect and remove fuel debris from one of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactors using a massive robot arm, a step that, while five years behind schedule, could bring the ruined plant closer to decommissioning.

September 11, 2026
Apple folding Duo opens opportunity for Nitto Denko, Nippon Electric Glass
Economy

Apple folding Duo opens opportunity for Nitto Denko, Nippon Electric Glass

Japan parts makers eye place in US smartphone giant's broad supply chain Foldable smartphones like Apple's new iPhone Duo require components that can withstand repeated bending. (Photo by Kohei Yamada) TOKYO -- Apple's entry into the foldable smartphone market may offer more opportunities for Japanese suppliers that have worked since the feature phone era to make their materials and parts more compact and lightweight.

September 11, 2026