Japanese photoresist makers validate metal oxide resist lines for High-NA EUV chipmaking
JSR, TOK and Adeka advance inorganic patterning materials as leading foundries test sub-2nm lines on ASML 0.55 NA scanners.
Japan
All coverageMaterials, equipment, robotics and the economic-security agenda reshaping Japanese industry.
Japan optical suppliers scale laser diodes and engines for AI co-packaged optics
Furukawa Electric and Sumitomo Electric expand continuous-wave laser output as data centers adopt external optical sources.
Japanese makers deploy thermal-shielded automated forklifts for cold storage
Toyota Industries and Mitsubishi Logisnext engineer heated sensors and sealed powertrains to eliminate condensation and battery…
Japan Motion Control Makers Accelerate Real-Time Ethernet on Next-Gen Servos
Mitsubishi, Yaskawa, and Omron integrate microsecond-level TSN and multi-protocol architectures to eliminate latency in complex…
Lasertec ships EUV pellicle defect inspection tools for sub-2nm chip production
Japanese metrology specialist Lasertec and Finland's Canatu integrate dedicated CNT pellicle inspection systems to secure…
Japan chemical makers expand LiFSI electrolyte salt synthesis for fast-charging EVs
Nippon Shokubai revises its Kitakyushu plant budget to $295 million while scaling output in China to supply thermal-resistant…
Tokyo Electron qualifies BSPDN coater-developer tracks for sub-2nm fabs
Japanese toolmakers secure process-of-record status on advanced logic pilot lines as backside power delivery doubles lithography…
Japanese trading houses expand cobalt refining ties to counter supply risk
Sumitomo Metal Mining, Marubeni, and Mitsui build alternative hydrometallurgical refining channels to feed Japanese battery…
Japan Linear Guide Makers Expand Ultra-Clean Units for 2nm Fab Robotics
THK, NSK, and IKO scale maintenance-free motion hardware and zero-outgassing stages as sub-3nm semiconductor fabs require…
Japan mask blank makers qualify High-NA EUV substrates for sub-2nm chips
HOYA and AGC accelerate extreme low thermal expansion blank deliveries to foundries and R&D consortia as High-NA EUV lithography…
Japanese epoxy mold makers reformulate resins to tame warpage in 16-high memory
Chemical suppliers modify spherical silica filler morphology and polymer matrices to counter extreme thermomechanical stress…
Japanese shipbuilders standardize electric coastal feeder designs to cut renewal costs
Mid-size yards and domestic carriers share battery integration blueprints to replace aging coastal cargo fleets within strict…
Japan Tightens Laser Micromachining Screening Under Revised Dual-Use Export Rules
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry updated technical thresholds for pulse duration and beam wavelength, altering…
Japan vision makers deploy polarized image sensors for carbon fiber testing
High-speed CMOS polarization sensors with on-chip nanowire grids enable single-shot defect detection on automated aerospace and…
Japanese automakers standardize prismatic battery cold tests as EV timelines advance
Shared public labs and automaker test benches expand sub-zero cell protocols to resolve winter range loss ahead of 2027 regional…
Japanese trading houses secure Indonesian HPAL nickel to bypass tolling bottlenecks
Capital commitments to Sulawesi mixed hydroxide precipitate refineries give East Asian battery supply chains direct access to…
Japan certifies $2.4 billion in battery subsidies to lock in solid-state cell capacity
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry approved funding for 12 manufacturing projects by Toyota, Nissan, and Panasonic to…
Daifuku expands cleanroom transport backlogs as Asian chipmakers accelerate fab builds
Surging orders for overhead hoist transport systems across Japanese, Taiwanese, and South Korean wafer fabs lift cleanroom…
Japan nuclear restarts widen regional power cost gap for manufacturers
Faster reactor inspections in Kansai and Kanto compress utility fuel costs while reshaping industrial electricity tariffs across…
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries refines Mogami frigate design for Oceanian naval tenders
The shipbuilder offers tailored combat system integration and modular build plans to meet Australia and regional delivery…
Nabtesco adapts cycloidal gearboxes for heavy logistics robots
Japanese precision reducer leader shifts industrial robot joint drives into heavy-payload autonomous mobile platforms and pallet…
Japan METI allocates clean power grid grants to anchor Hokkaido semiconductor hub
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will fund dedicated renewable transmission and substation assets to guarantee…
Imabari and JMU consolidate dry bulk engineering to standardize ammonia dual-fuel vessels
Nihon Shipyard unites yard drafting teams across Western Japan to deliver standardized 200,000-dwt zero-emission bulk carrier…
Japan Separator Makers Accelerate Ceramic-Coated and Solid-State Film Expansion
Asahi Kasei and Toray are retooling production lines toward high-heat ceramic films and solid-electrolyte substrates to secure…
Semiconductors
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Shinko Electric to Convert Former iPhone Display Plant Into AI Chip Substrate Site
The Nagano-based packaging substrate maker said Oct. 13, 2026 it will repurpose a shuttered display line for AI accelerator…
Shinko buys Japan Display plant to build advanced packaging hub
The 373,483-square-meter Mobara factory will yield a 51.4 billion yen gain for JDI while giving Shinko flip-chip substrate…
Murata completes Vietnam inductor plant for power components
The 3-billion-yen facility in Dong Nai expands passive component manufacturing outside China as electric vehicles and server…
Batteries & EV
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Suzuki selects BYD LFP battery cells for inaugural Japanese mini EV
The procurement decision equips Suzuki's e SKY kei car with a 26 kilowatt-hour pack, intensifying cost competition against…
Suzuki launches Japan's cheapest mini EV using BYD batteries
The 2.12 million yen e SKY undercuts domestic rivals and presses Japanese cell makers as lithium iron phosphate chemistry…
Panasonic Energy opens Osaka battery hub for advanced cells
The 24,500-square-meter Kadoma facility consolidates 500 engineers to cut development lead times by 15% as the supplier prepares…
Robotics
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Omron agrees to acquire US industrial computer maker OnLogic for $675M
The all-cash buyout of the Vermont PC maker gives the Japanese automation group edge computing hardware to run physical…
Hitachi and Fanuc unite on physical AI to automate factories
The Japanese manufacturers will combine edge chips and robot arms at Ibaraki test sites ahead of an external commercial rollout…
Harmonic Drive pitches integrated actuators for robot joints in 2026
The motion specialist focuses on modular strain wave units as parent firm Harmonic Drive Systems projects ¥68.0 billion in annual…
Shipbuilding
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Mitsubishi Heavy buys shipyard land in Shimonoseki buildout
The 100 billion yen investment will construct a hull-block factory backed by 40 billion yen in Japanese economic security…
Imabari Shipbuilding wins two Aframax tankers from Carlova by 2030
The Greek shipowner reserved delivery slots in late 2029 and 2030, turning to Japanese yard capacity as South Korean builders…
Mitsubishi Heavy buys Shimonoseki site in $638M yard plan
The group signed a contract on Oct. 2 to acquire 14.5 hectares for a new hull block plant, backed by up to 40 billion yen in…
Energy & Minerals
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Mitsubishi Materials taps Vietnam tungsten to counter China curbs
The Japanese refiner began commercial shipments from Masan High-Tech Materials on Oct.
Idemitsu Kosan Produces Recycled Naphtha at Chiba Refinery
The Japanese refiner integrated a 20,000-ton chemical recycling unit to crack plastic waste into crude oil substitute, closing…
Iwatani and Cosmo approve 50 billion yen Chiba hydrogen hub
The joint venture will restore an idled 80-ton daily generator and build a liquefaction unit at Cosmo Oil's refinery, creating an…
Trade & Policy
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Japan leads India FDI with $5.7 billion as factories expand
Ministry data shows Tokyo supplied 28.8% of New Delhi's $19.81 billion first-quarter equity inflows as automakers and component…
Japan urges China to expedite rare earth export approvals
Japanese delegates in Beijing raised administrative export delays as Chinese magnet shipments to Japan fell 17.1% in August…
Japan offers U.S. chip investment to win semiconductor tariff relief
Economy Minister Ryosei Akazawa met Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to protect Japanese chip suppliers using Tokyo's $550…