Latest news with #Itochu
Straits Times
13 hours ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Popular Japanese character Npochamu aims for overseas expansion
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Japanese characters Npochamu (right) and Kimimaro are already a hit among young people in Japan and South Korea. TOKYO - Japanese character Npochamu, marketed as a goofy and rotund yoghurt fairy, is aiming to capitalise on its popularity overseas, with trading house Itochu gaining merchandising rights for countries and regions in Asia and North America. Npochamu and friend Kimimaro are already a hit among young people in Japan and South Korea, with goods such as charms featuring their likeness dangling from bags on city streets, while clips of their antics have amassed millions of views online. Created by Japanese illustrator Kawaisouni!, whose moniker comes from an expression roughly meaning 'How pitiful!' in English, Npochamu started gaining attention in 2022 after the artist began posting content of the white marshmallow-like figure on social media. Itochu will develop Npochamu through a Hong Kong-based investee firm that also holds the rights to the Finnish storybook characters known as The Moomins. The Japanese conglomerate aims to increase the total annual distribution value of Npochamu content to around 150 billion yen (S$1.3 billion) by 2029. Its current value is around 10 billion yen. In Japan and South Korea, a separate Japanese firm holds the rights to and manages the sales of Npochamu goods such as plushies and keychains. The Japanese government has positioned the export of goods and content like manga and video games as part of its 'Cool Japan' strategy for economic growth. KYODO NEWS Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Business Keppel to sell M1's telco business to Simba for $1.43b, says deal expected to benefit consumers Business Singtel, StarHub shares fall after announcement of Keppel's M1 sale Opinion Anwar's government: Full house but plenty of empty offices Singapore S'pore Govt asks inactive political parties including Barisan Sosialis for proof of existence Singapore 79 arrested, over 3kg of heroin seized in 5-day drug blitz Singapore Man's claim amid divorce that his mother is true owner of 3 properties cuts no ice with judge Asia Tourist spots in South Korea face complaints over rude service, price gouging during peak season Singapore Healthy lifestyle changes could save Singapore $650 million in healthcare costs by 2050: Study
Kyodo News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Kyodo News
Popular Japanese character "Npochamu" aims for overseas expansion
TOKYO - Japanese character "Npochamu," marketed as a goofy and rotund yoghurt fairy, is aiming to capitalize on its popularity overseas, with trading house Itochu Corp. gaining merchandising rights for countries and regions in Asia and North America. Npochamu and friend Kimimaro are already a hit among young people in Japan and South Korea, with goods such as charms featuring their likeness dangling from bags on city streets, while clips of their antics have amassed millions of views online. Created by Japanese illustrator Kawaisouni!, whose moniker comes from an expression roughly meaning "How pitiful!" in English, Npochamu started gaining attention in 2022 after the artist began posting content of the white marshmallow-like figure on social media. Itochu will develop Npochamu through a Hong Kong-based investee firm that also holds the rights to the Finnish storybook characters known as The Moomins. The Japanese conglomerate aims to increase the total annual distribution value of Npochamu content to around 150 billion yen ($1.02 billion) by 2029. Its current value is around 10 billion yen. In Japan and South Korea, a separate Japanese firm holds the rights to and manages the sales of Npochamu goods such as plushies and keychains. The Japanese government has positioned the export of goods and content like manga and video games as part of its "Cool Japan" strategy for economic growth. According to government estimates, the amount of such exports in 2022 reached 4.7 trillion yen, rivaling the scale of the steel and semiconductor industries.
Reuters
01-08-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Food businesses offset commodity price hits at Japanese trading houses
TOKYO, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Higher profits at the diversified food businesses run by Japanese trading houses offset weaker performances at their commodities units, disclosures by Mitsui, Marubeni and Itochu showed on Friday. This diversification from the traditional commodity trading businesses at Itochu (8001.T), opens new tab, Marubeni (8002.T), opens new tab, Mitsui (8031.T), opens new tab is part of what drew Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BRKa.N), opens new tab to take minority stakes in the companies. Profits at Mitsui (8031.T), opens new tab for the three months ended on June 30 fell 31% from a year earlier partly because of weaker iron ore prices but income at its lifestyle unit, including overseas shrimp and broiler processing as well as domestic foods, grew by around 1 billion yen, accounting for 8% of the total 191.6 billion yen ($1.3 billion) the company earned. Marubeni's food and agriculture business saw a profit increase of 4 billion yen for the same period to 35.5 billion yen, or 23% of its 154.4 billion yen total. Income at the company's metals and mineral resources unit fell by 6 billion yen to 28.7 billion yen. Itochu's profits from its food business rose by nearly 10 billion yen to a record 28.8 billion yen while profits at its FamilyMart convenience store chain rose by 4.5 billion yen to 15.4 billion yen. Combined, they made 16% of Itochu's 284 billion yen quarterly net profit, highest so far. Mitsui, Marubeni and Itochu kept their full fiscal year profit forecasts unchanged on Friday at 770 billion yen, 510 billion yen and 900 billion yen, respectively. ($1 = 150.4600 yen)
Nikkei Asia
13-07-2025
- Business
- Nikkei Asia
Itochu to debut ammonia refueling ship in 2028
Itochu's ship will refuel other vessels with ammonia. (Photo by Fumie Yaku) YUI SATO TOKYO -- Japanese trading company Itochu plans to begin operating in 2028 a vessel that supplies ammonia fuel to other ships, in what is expected to be a world first, Nikkei has learned. By building refueling ships -- known as bunkering tankers -- Itochu aims to become a leader in offering an ammonia supply chain, including the production and transport of the fuel.
Japan Times
05-06-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Itochu working to support overseas pharma firms to fill Japan's drug gaps
Two Itochu units are expanding into the business of attracting more foreign drug companies to Japan, in a bid to help them develop innovative therapies for the local market that are already available overseas. The Japanese trading house's subsidiaries A2 Healthcare and ITC Venture Partners are launching an end-to-end hub service for international biotechs — arranging everything from early-stage consulting, regulatory advice and clinical testing support to post-launch distribution in Japan — according to people familiar with the matter who declined to be identified because the information isn't public. A spokesperson for Itochu declined to comment. Intermediary support is crucial for drug availability in the nation, where more than 50 therapies have been identified as needed but unavailable to patients, a government-funded study reported in March. The situation is known locally as "drug loss,' a term that refers to a list of treatments for which there is no current plan for introduction to the Japanese market. They include medicines for rare diseases, drug-resistant tuberculosis, cancer and Parkinson's disease. While Japan is home to some of the world's biggest drug giants, including Takeda Pharmaceutical and Eisai, the number of medications locally available trails the U.S. and Europe. Officials have expressed concerns over the gap. Foreign drugmakers, especially smaller ones, find it challenging to navigate hurdles to market entry. Tokyo-based trading house Itochu formally entered the contract research business in 2005. Health care is seen as a key growth sector by some of Japan's biggest companies, as the country's graying population drives an increased need for care.
