There's a sense of panic within Japan Inc and the government - the world's No. 3 economy doesn't have enough experts in artificial intelligence and it's time to do something about it.

Nintendo has announced a new Switch bundle for Japan that ties into the popular Disney Tsum-Tsum franchise.

Nissan Motor plans to expand job cuts to over 10,000 to help turn around its business, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday, showing the tough road ahead for an automaker grappling with management upheaval.

Samsung has denied that it's making additional investments to increase chip production in the US. Local media reports had suggested that the company was considering this since South Korea's trade row with Japan is threatening its business.

Trade wars are continuing to prompt Apple to rethink some of its manufacturing and supply chain options, with the iPhone maker said to be examining the situation of an ongoing tiff between South Korea and Japan, one which could lead to Apple using China's BOE for future iPhone display panels.

Russia is offering to supply etching gas to South Korea, in a move that could help Seoul get around Japanese restrictions on exports to its neighbor of the key element for semiconductor production.

While spot markets make up a small percentage of the memory chip market, Ike Cho, a Bernstein analyst, said the South Korean groups are pushing up prices as they negotiate contracts for the third quarter with their customers.

Russia suggested that it may be able to supply South Korean businesses with highly pure hydrogen fluoride (etching gas), one of the items subjected to recent export controls by the Japanese government, the Hankyoreh has learned.

South Korean president Moon Jae-in urged Japan to withdraw new restrictions on exports in his first public remarks on a dispute that erupted last week and has intensified animosity between the two countries.

Japan's tightening of controls on the export of semiconductor materials to South Korea could hit Samsung's production hard.

Japan tightened controls on exports to South Korea in an unexpected blow to the global technology supply chain that also marks a new low point in relations between the two US allies.

Japan's government said on Monday that high-tech industries will be added to a list of businesses for which foreign ownership of Japanese firms is restricted.

Japan's Toyota Motor and Panasonic said they plan to establish a joint company to develop "connected" services to be used in homes and urban development.

It was supposed to be a period of joyous national celebration, the Golden Week public holiday, which has been extended this year to celebrate the ascension of a new emperor to the Chrysanthemum Throne.

The Cabinet of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday approved a proposed legal revision to lower fees for mobile phone services amid criticism that domestic carriers charge too much compared to other countries.

Automotive chipmaker Renesas Electronics plans to halt production at six plants in Japan for up to two months this year as it braces for a further slowdown in Chinese demand, the company said on Thursday.

Japanese e-commerce firm Rakuten has picked Nokia Oyj as a key partner for its new mobile network in Japan.

Japan Display in advanced talks with Taiwan's TPK Holding and Chinese state-owned Silk Road Fund about an investment.

"This will be one of Japan's biggest IPOs yet, with proceeds expected to reach around 2.5 trillion yen ($22 billion). "

Rakuten is highly committed to support the smooth network evolution from 4G to 5G in order to provide new and rich user experiences in Japan.

Sharp said on Wednesday its first OLED smartphone would go on sale later this year in Japan.

At least nine people are dead and 31 unaccounted for in Hokkaido after a magnitude 6.7 earthquake - reaching the maximum 7 on Japan's seismic intensity scale in some areas - caused landslides that engulfed houses early on Thursday.

Local production was also hit, with Toyota Motor halting operations at most of its group plants, and Honda Motor halting its Suzuka plant in Mie prefecture. Kyocera, Murata Manufacturing, Panasonic and Shiseido were among other manufacturers shutting some of their facilities.

Japan is aiming to force wireless carriers to cut their monthly fees and stop bundling the cost of smartphones with wireless services, a senior telecoms ministry source said on Tuesday, in a move that is likely to hit Apple Inc.

Japan's economy grew more than expected in the second quarter, helped by strong household and business spending and recovering from an earlier contraction, but global trade tensions loom as major risks to the export and investment outlook.

South Korea's Hanwha Q Cells' market share grew 2pp last year to 12.9%, becoming the first overseas producer to top Japan's solar panel market, according to a survey conducted by Nikkei, tapping demand for inexpensive residential products. Canadian Solar Japan and China's JinkoSolar also managed to increase their share.

Amazon Japan said its offices have been raided by the country's fair trade regulator on suspicion of anti-trust violations. The online retailer is suspected of asking suppliers to shoulder costs incurred for selling their products at a discount, according to media reports.

NEC will offer early retirement packages for 3,000 of the 80,000 people employed in Japan by group companies next fiscal year, as it turns to restructuring yet again to help revive stagnant earnings in a fiercely competitive market.

In the latest blow to Japan's manufacturing sector, Toray Industries Inc. admitted Tuesday that one of its subsidiaries had fabricated data for product tests between 2008 to 2016. The company said Toray Hybrid Cord Inc., a tire parts maker, had fabricated data in 149 cases and sold parts that did not satisfy client requirements to 13 companies, including tire makers.

Japan's Sony has said it expects to deliver record annual profits as sales from its gaming businesses and smartphone parts boost the firm.

Toshiba is being investigated by regulators in Japan concerning financial reports relating to the failed Westinghouse nuclear unit.

Yuji Sugimoto, managing director at Bain, spoke to The Nikkei about the private equity firm's plans for the Japanese company, including the more than JPY1 trillion (US$8.9 billion) that will be provided to Toshiba Memory before it goes public.

In India, a country that is emerging as a mobile manufacturing hub, Asahi Glass is looking to tap growing demand for advanced glass products to be used in smartphones and other electronic devices, according to company officials.

The yen may advance to 100 against the dollar by the year end as investors conclude that Japan is still failing to sustain inflation gains five years after Abenomics was introduced, according to HSBC Holdings.

China's Huawei Technologies is causing a stir among young Japanese job seekers by offering monthly salaries of around $4,000 for prospective science and engineering graduates.

Google has admitted that wide-spread connectivity issues in Japan were the result of a mistake by the tech giant. Web traffic intended for Japanese Internet service providers was being sent to Google instead.

Japanese businesses are bringing more production of appliances and everyday goods back home, as the cost appeal of making such items overseas fades amid a soft yen and rising wages in Asia.

Japan's Toshiba is prioritising talks with Western Digital to sell its memory chip business, as negotiations with a previously preferred bidder have stalled, the Nikkei business daily reported on Wednesday.

The world is pushing back against China's foray into semiconductors.