Mizuho Financial Group has decided on a policy to improve operational efficiency through the use of artificial intelligence, aiming to reduce administrative work equivalent to as many as 5,000 employees over the next decade. (News On Japan)

The Japan Fair Trade Commission has conducted an on-site inspection of Microsoft’s Japanese subsidiary on suspicion of violating the Antimonopoly Act by potentially restricting the use of rival services. (News On Japan)

Food delivery service Wolt announced that it will withdraw from Japan on March 4th as competition in the domestic delivery market intensifies. (News On Japan)

A long-awaited spell of steady rain fell across Japan following a record stretch of low precipitation, offering much-needed relief to farmers and manufacturers that had struggled with water shortages. (News On Japan)

McDonald’s, which opened in Japan in 1971 and has long counted the Big Mac among its signature products, saw the burger’s price rise from 280 yen in 2008 to 480 yen before increasing further to 500 yen on February 25th, nearly doubling over the past two decades. (News On Japan)

Japan’s largest rice wholesaler, Shinmei Holdings, has laid out its view of where rice prices are heading and how it plans to secure the staple’s future, as households grapple with the sharpest price pressure in years and farmers continue to exit an industry where profits are thin. (News On Japan)

How will AI transform marketing? The answer, according to leading marketer Kazuki Nishiguchi, lies not in marginal efficiency gains but in a dramatic restructuring of business itself, as AI agents move closer to consumers and potentially displace even dominant platforms such as Amazon. (News On Japan)

Gold prices continue to surge, while China’s restrictions on rare earths and other developments are drawing renewed attention to mineral resources, prompting a closer look at resource strategies in an increasingly geopolitical era through an interview with Sumitomo Metal Mining President Shinsuke Matsumoto. (News On Japan)

Lawson has decided to enter the Indian market, with plans to open five directly operated stores in Mumbai in 2027 before expanding to 100 outlets by 2030 and ultimately aiming for 10,000 stores by 2050 as it seeks to establish a new pillar of overseas earnings in a country expected to see sustained growth driven by the world’s largest population. (News On Japan)

Japanese 7-Eleven feels like a different universe, while the American version is struggling and trying to “be more like Japan.” But what if the real reason has nothing to do with fresh sandwiches at all? (Asian Boss)

Japanese automakers that have long relied on domestic or Western-made semiconductors are increasingly adopting Chinese-made automotive chips, marking a significant shift in procurement strategy as companies such as Toyota and Suzuki move to install Chinese systems not only in vehicles sold in China but also in models destined for other markets. (News On Japan)

Japan’s nationwide consumer price index in January rose 2.0% from a year earlier, slowing from the previous month as lower energy prices, driven by the abolition of the provisional gasoline tax rate, helped ease inflationary pressures. (News On Japan)

Major retail chains, including large supermarkets and home goods retailers, are rapidly entering the fast-growing market for so-called recovery wear, apparel promoted as helping to ease fatigue while being worn, as companies outside the traditional fashion industry seek new business opportunities in the expanding health and wellness sector. (News On Japan)

The hamburger chain rebranded from Lotteria to Zetteria has announced plans to aim for the top position among burger chains in terms of sales and store numbers as the conversion of outlets moves toward completion. (News On Japan)

Japan recorded a trade deficit of about 1.1 trillion yen in January, marking the first shortfall in three months, as the impact of “Trump tariffs” continued to weigh on automobile exports to the United States. (News On Japan)

Online tutoring provider Banzan, which operates the popular service Megasta, received a court decision on February 17th to begin bankruptcy proceedings, triggering confusion and anger among parents and tutors after the company abruptly halted all operations. (News On Japan)

Japan’s real gross domestic product (GDP) for the October–December period posted an annualized increase of 0.2%, marking the first growth in two quarters, though the recovery remains weak. (News On Japan)

After its defeat and surrender in World War II, Japan experienced rapid economic growth that permeated the entire nation, reaching its peak in the late 1980s. (TRNGL)

A severe shortage of truck drivers—forecast to reach 210,000 by fiscal 2030—has prompted a driving school operator in Fukuoka Prefecture to begin recruiting foreign drivers in an effort to support Japan’s strained logistics sector. (News On Japan)

Medical consultation fees at healthcare institutions in Japan are set to rise starting in June as authorities move to address soaring costs and wage increases, with around 70 percent of hospitals nationwide currently operating at a loss. (News On Japan)