🇯🇵 Japan
Geopolitics & Diplomacy
Typhoon Dujuan kills 14 in Japan, flooding persists
The death toll in Chiba and elsewhere is 14 (as of 28 September), and about 1,600 homes were flooded. Whether the toll has risen recently is unverified.
Finance & Economy
Nikkei rises 1.31% to 61,248.59 as dollar nears 160 yen
[Wed 11/11 close] The Nikkei 225 rose 789.01 points for a third straight gain, led by chip stocks such as Advantest and Tokyo Electron. SoftBank Group fell 0.44% after reporting a 1.1 trillion yen second-quarter net loss. In New York the dollar rose to about 159.8 yen, its highest since early September, raising intervention risk.
Sources: newsonjapan.comad-hoc-news.de
Tech & Energy
Rapidus starts producing 2nm test chips, in design talks with about 60 companies
Rapidus, backed by the Japanese government and companies including Sony, Toyota and SoftBank, will start producing 2nm customer test chips at the end of 2026, targeting mass production in 2027-2028. Targeting demand for on-device chips for AI and robotics, it is in design talks with about 60 companies and plans to expand to 1.4nm and 1nm afterwards.
Sources: dig.watchSK Hynix (via Bain Capital) becomes Kioxia's largest shareholder after Toshiba stake sale
Toshiba sold part of its stake on the back of a surge in Kioxia's share price, raising about ¥360 billion and cutting its holding from 14.06% to 12.84%, which made SK Hynix, through the Bain Capital consortium, Kioxia's largest shareholder (confirmed in mid-September). Kioxia is building a third new plant in Iwate Prefecture to meet AI-driven NAND demand and is also preparing a US listing of American depositary shares (ADS), as the restructuring of ownership in the South Korean and Japanese NAND industries continues.
Sources: en.sedaily.comjapantimes.co.jp