Nissan Motor announced on Friday that it will fully redesign and launch its Roox minicar this fall, marking the first new domestic model in about three years. The new Roox is the first Nissan minicar to feature a 3D surround-view system that allows drivers to confirm their surroundings in a three-dimensional display, enhancing safety functions. (News On Japan)

The yield on the new 10 year Japanese government bond, a key benchmark for long term interest rates, rose to 1.61 percent on August 22nd. This marked the highest level in about 16 years and 10 months, since October 2008. (News On Japan)

McDonald’s Japan announced that it will postpone the launch of its planned "One Piece Card Game" Happy Meal campaign, originally scheduled to begin next Friday, in response to recent controversy over its Pokémon card distribution. (News On Japan)

The founder of video-sharing site FC2 has been handed a suspended sentence for allowing the distribution of obscene videos accessible to an unspecified number of people. (News On Japan)

Japan recorded a trade deficit of 117.5 billion yen in July as exports to the United States fell by more than 10 percent, marking a fourth consecutive monthly decline and underscoring the impact of so-called Trump tariffs. (News On Japan)

Mercari, Japan’s leading flea market app, has banned the sale of empty cartridges from July after a request from the National Police Agency, citing concerns that they could be reused to make live ammunition. (News On Japan)

Rakuten Group and Amazon.com are preparing to enter Japan’s satellite communications market as early as 2026. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has begun discussions on frequency bands, transmission power, and other regulatory frameworks necessary for new entrants. (News On Japan)

SoftBank Group announced it will invest about 300 billion yen in U.S. semiconductor giant Intel, which has been struggling in the competitive chip industry. (News On Japan)

With the AI development race intensifying and Meta announcing a trillion-yen investment, data centers are gaining increasing attention. (News On Japan)

McDonald's Japan announced it will impose purchase limits on the second phase of its Pokémon-themed Happy Meal campaign, starting tomorrow. For the first three days, each group will be limited to a maximum of three sets. (News On Japan)

Paypay, a leading smartphone payment service, has begun preparations for a stock market listing in the United States. On August 14th local time, the company confidentially filed documents related to an initial public offering (IPO) with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. (News On Japan)

Japan’s gross domestic product for the April to June period rose at an annualized rate of 1.0%, marking the fifth consecutive quarter of growth. (News On Japan)

The Nikkei Stock Average rose for the second consecutive day to reach a new record, surpassing 43,000 yen for the first time on August 14th. The rally was fueled by expectations of a U.S. interest rate cut as early as next month and relief that the worst-case scenario from planned Trump tariffs had been avoided. (News On Japan)

Tokyo's Nikkei surpassed its previous all-time high set in July 2024 when trading resumed this week, a move attributed to eased trade concerns, a weaker yen, and investor momentum driven by fear of missing out. (News On Japan)

The Nikkei Stock Average closed at a record high of 42,718 yen on August 12th, surpassing the previous peak of 42,224 yen set on July 11th last year for the first time in over a year. The benchmark index gained more than 1,100 yen at one point before ending the day 897 yen higher than last Friday’s close. (News On Japan)

Tesla has opened its first direct store in Okinawa, located in the city of Tomigusuku. (News On Japan)

The iconic stick-shaped chocolate snack Pocky has been officially registered as a three-dimensional trademark, marking a major milestone for manufacturer Ezaki Glico. (News On Japan)

Seven & i Holdings has announced a new mid-term strategy targeting the addition of 2,300 stores globally by 2030—1,000 in Japan and 1,300 overseas—amid concerns that the company has grown complacent in its dominant market position. (News On Japan)

A severe and prolonged heatwave is taking a widespread toll across Japan, affecting everything from traditional summer events to vegetable harvests and dairy farms. (News On Japan)

The impact of Trump-era tariffs is being strongly felt. Mazda has announced its financial forecast for the fiscal year through March 2026, which had previously been left undecided due to the uncertainty surrounding the tariffs. (News On Japan)