Wealth Of Japan's 50 Richest On Forbes List Rises 14% To US$228Billion
Uniqlo founder Tadashi Yanai remains at No. 1
SINGAPORE (June 3, 2025) – The collective wealth of Japan's 50 Richest on the 2025 Forbes list rose 14% to US$228 billion, helped by a stronger yen. The complete list can be found at www.forbes.com/japan and www.forbesjapan.com/feat/japanrich/, as well as in the June issue of Forbes Asia.
Bracing for the impact of tariffs from the U.S., its biggest export market, Japan cut its economic growth estimate for this year to 0.5% from 1.1%. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index was down nearly 2% since fortunes were last measured, but a stronger yen helped boost net worths of the country's 50 richest. Overall, 37 people on the list saw an increase in their wealth.
The country's richest person, Tadashi Yanai, the retailing billionaire behind the Uniqlo clothing brand, added more than $10 billion and propelled his fortune to an all-time high of $48.2 billion. Shares of his Fast Retailing were up 20% as it reported double-digit growth in both revenue and net profit for the first six months ended February. Though the company gets only 8% of its revenue from the North American market, it has cut its growth forecast in light of the tariff threat.
Masayoshi Son, founder of SoftBank Group, which reported its first annual net profit in four years for the fiscal year ended March, retained the No. 2 spot with $28.2 billion. Son is making multibillion dollar investments in AI, including in the $500 billion Stargate Project, a joint venture with OpenAI, Oracle and MGX to build AI data centers in the U.S.
Taking the third spot on the list is Takemitsu Takizaki, founder of sensor manufacturer Keyence, who saw his net worth fall slightly to $20.7 billion. The wealth of Nobutada Saji (No. 4), of Suntory Holdings rose to $10.5 billion, up $1.2 billion from last year.
Entering the top five ranks for the first time is Yasumitsu Shigeta (No. 5), chairman of Tokyo-listed mobile phone retailer Hikari Tsushin, which also supplies electricity and gas to small and midsized businesses. Shares of the company were up 62% in the past year on higher sales and profits, boosting Shigeta's net worth to $6.9 billion from $4.2 billion last year.
The biggest gainer in percentage terms is video games billionaire Kagemasa Kozuki, whose fortune doubled to $3.5 billion, and he moved up nine places to No. 17. His Konami Group, which has racked up over 850 million downloads globally for its eFootball game with Lionel Messi as one of its brand ambassadors, scored another hit selling over two million copies of horror game 'Silent Hill 2,' which was released last October.
Among the nine whose fortunes fell is the Sekiya family (No. 8), as shares of their chip-equipment maker Disco tumbled nearly 40%, pulling their net worth down by $2.4 billion – nearly a third – to $5 billion. The company was impacted by concerns over tariffs and the rising yen.
The three returnees this year include Shintaro Tsuji (No. 32, $1.7 billion), founder of Sanrio, the company behind the iconic Hello Kitty brand, which has regained its sheen under Tsuji's 36-year-old grandson Tomokuni.
The minimum net worth to qualify for the list rose to $1.2 billion from $980 million last year.
The top 10 richest in Japan are:
This list was compiled using shareholding and financial information obtained from the families and individuals, stock exchanges, annual reports and analysts. The ranking lists both individual and family fortunes, including those shared among relatives. Private companies were valued based on similar companies that are publicly traded. Net worths were based on stock prices and exchange rates as of the close of markets on May 9, 2025. The list can also include foreign citizens with business, residential or other ties to the country, or citizens who don't reside in the country but have significant business or other ties to the country.
For more information, visit www.forbes.com/japan and www.forbesjapan.com/feat/japanrich/
About Forbes
Forbes champions success by celebrating those who have made it, and those who aspire to make it. Forbes convenes and curates the most influential leaders and entrepreneurs who are driving change, transforming business and making a significant impact on the world. The Forbes brand today reaches more than 140 million people worldwide through its trusted journalism, signature LIVE and Forbes Virtual events, custom marketing programs and 42 licensed local editions in 68 countries. Forbes Media's brand extensions include real estate, education and financial services license agreements.
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Catherine Ong, cell: +65 9697 0007, Email: cath@catherineong.com
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