
Honda mulls investment in state-backed Japan chip venture Rapidus
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Honda Motor Co. is considering investing in the state-backed Japanese chip venture Rapidus Corp., sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday, in a move that is likely to be utilized in cutting-edge technology, including autonomous driving.
If realized, the Japanese automaker would follow Toyota Motor Corp., one of eight major companies that invested in Rapidus when it was established in 2022.
The chip venture plans to begin mass production of the state-of-the-art 2-nanometer chip, not yet commercially available worldwide, in 2027 through a technology collaboration with IBM Corp.

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Tokyo Stocks Fall amid Middle East Tensions
Tokyo, June 13 (Jiji Press)--Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average briefly gave up more than 600 points on Friday morning, amid concerns about the deteriorating situation in the Middle East following Israel's attack on a nuclear-related facility in Iran. The Nikkei average finished the morning session at 37,665.93, down 507.16 points, or 1.32 pct, from Thursday's closing. The broader TOPIX index dropped 35.01 points, or 1.26 pct, to 2,747.96. "Investors adopted stronger risk-averse attitudes amid the deteriorating Middle East situation," said an official at a major securities firm, adding that the stock market was also weighed down by the yen's further strengthening against the dollar. In Tokyo trading, the safe-haven Japanese currency temporarily rose past 143 per dollar in the morning. At noon, the dollar stood at 143.06-09 yen, down from 143.86-88 yen at 5 p.m. Thursday. The euro was at 1.1544-1545 dollars, up from 1.1526-1526 dollars, and at 165.17-20 yen, down from 165.83-84 yen. Japanese government bonds also attracted buying, pushing the key 10-year JGB yield down as low as 1.385 pct, the lowest since May 12. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]


The Mainichi
2 hours ago
- The Mainichi
Tokyo stocks drop sharply in morning as Israel strikes Iran
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Tokyo stocks dropped sharply Friday morning, hit by fears of heightening tensions in the Middle East after the Israeli military attacked Iranian nuclear and military sites. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average fell 507.16 points, or 1.33 percent, from Thursday to 37,665.93. The broader Topix index was down 35.01 points, or 1.26 percent, at 2,747.96. The U.S. dollar briefly sank to the upper 142 yen range in Tokyo, as the Japanese currency, seen as a safe-haven asset, was bought amid concern about the deteriorating situation in the Middle East.


Japan Today
2 hours ago
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Bento shop bankruptcies increase as Japan's boxed lunch stores struggle in new dining landscape
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