Datawatch

    20 September 2026
    Among global sovereign wealth funds, the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and other Middle Eastern entities have significant presence as money providers.
    The Japanese government has approved a target to increase the spaces for bicycle traffic in the fiscal year ending March 2031 by 20% from fiscal 2024 numbers.
    Datawatch

    Japan lags behind major countries in creating safe bike lanes

    Nation's 'blue ticket' system fining bicyclists for traffic violations renews awareness of road risks

    13 September 2026
    People in Japan tend to choose living in the Tokyo metropolitan area partly in the hope of receiving higher incomes. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Rie Ishii)
    Datawatch

    Tokyo, Seoul bucking trend of major nations' capital exodus

    Over 60% of OECD capitals see concentration easing amid remote work, high housing prices

    13 August 2026
    Multilayered defense is important for preventing initial cyberattacks from spreading to other devices. But hackers are sharpening their tools in this fight as well.
    Datawatch

    AI makes cyberattacks too fast to fight

    Intruder needed only 27 seconds to start spreading in network in one instance

    26 July 2026
    Temperature and humidity in Tokyo have risen to levels matching Southeast Asian cities. Incidents of heatstroke in workers poses challenges not only for outside work but also for jobs inside buildings. (Nikkei montage/Source photo by Toshiki Sasazu)
    Datawatch

    Tokyo becomes as hot, humid as cities in Southeast Asia

    Work time lost due to heat rises to 2.8 billion hours a year in Japan

    12 July 2026
    Elon Musk's SpaceX held the largest initial public offering ever on June 12, a milestone widely seen as the start of a race for investor dollars. 
    Datawatch

    SpaceX's debut fires first salvo in new era of mega-IPOs

    Record $75bn offering could ignite race among tech giants to tap frothy market

    21 June 2026
    As scientists discover new species at an increasing rate, hopes are rising that compounds derived from these organisms could open up promising avenues for drug development. 
    Datawatch

    Growth in species discoveries fuels hopes for new drugs

    Advances in DNA sequencing help uncover Earth's biodiversity

    14 June 2026
    Green shade is becoming harder to find in Japan, especially in major cities such as Tokyo, as multi-unit housing replaces homes with gardens and local governments favor low-maintenance tree species.
    Datawatch

    Throwing shade: Japan's urban tree coverage dwindles, bucking global trend

    Tokyo lags behind desert-enclosed Phoenix, Arizona, in green canopy cover

    7 June 2026
    The COVID pandemic gave horse racing in Japan a shot in the arm. As betting moved online, more women and younger Japanese grew interested. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Kyodo)
    Datawatch

    Japan horse racing gallops ahead on digital shift

    Online betting grows fanbase, bringing in younger and more female patrons

    17 May 2026
    Attracting retail investors can be a double-edged sword for Japanese companies, as an increasing number of these shareholders are siding with activists seeking changes in management policy.
    Datawatch

    Japan's retail investors embrace shareholder activism

    A survey finds 72% exercised voting rights in 2025

    19 April 2026
    Despite growing concerns about the environmental impact of plastics, their recycling remains limited, with less than 10% of global output reprocessed into new plastic or reused annually.
    Datawatch

    Global plastic recycling stalls at under 10%

    Low rate raises alarms over climate impact and ecosystem damage

    5 April 2026
    AI has made writing academic papers easier, but the resulting spike in submissions has complicated content review, potentially helping false information spread.
    Datawatch

    AI-fueled surge in scientific papers raises quality concerns

    Traces of machine-generated text found in over 13% of global biomedical publications

    15 February 2026
     The U.S. exported more soybeans to emerging nations like Pakistan in 2025. (Source photo by Reuters)
    Datawatch

    Trump deals lift US exports to emerging markets 17%, excluding China

    Shipments to India and others only partly offset drop in trade with Asian rival in 2025

    17 January 2026
    Japan's trove of high-quality secondhand goods is drawing shoppers from around the world.
    Datawatch

    From Rolexes to iPhones, 'used in Japan' gains global cachet

    Care, authentication lift sales of pre-owned items in $580bn market

    1 January 2026
    State-backed unicorns -- unlisted companies valued at $1 billion or more -- are set to multiply in China as dollar funding dries up amid worsening tensions between Beijing and Washington.
    Datawatch

    Beijing takes the reins of dollar-starved unicorns

    Chinese startups struggle to secure the greenback as U.S.-China rift grows

    16 November 2025
    Japanese golfers have captured four of the LPGA Tour’s five major championships over the past two years. (Source photos by Kyodo)
    Datawatch

    Japan swings into the elite club of women's golf

    Country now ranks third for top players after South Korea and US

    9 November 2025
    Both the U.S. and the Asia-Pacific region have seen sharp increases in the social costs of caring for people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, including caregiver burden and lost patient productivity.
    Datawatch

    Dementia care adds burden on working families

    Cases set to more than triple in China and India by 2050

    19 October 2025
    Despite widespread forest loss from logging and wildfires, overall carbon dioxide absorption has risen as warmer temperatures stimulate plant growth in colder climates.
    Datawatch

    Higher CO2 uptake in once-colder regions hasn't slowed global warming

    Absorption being challenged as deforestation in South America and Africa becomes severe

    21 September 2025
    With traditional succession and apprenticeship systems falling short, Japan Arts Council-trained individuals are playing a growing role in classical performing arts.
    Datawatch

    From Noh to Kabuki, Japan's stage arts struggle to pass the torch

    One traditional genre hit by 90% drop in training program applicants

    7 September 2025
    Japan's digital deficit -- the negative balance of payments for digital services -- has surged, highlighting the country's growing dependence on foreign-based cloud and other IT services.
    Datawatch

    Japan posts biggest drop in IT labor productivity among G7

    Profit growth lags workforce expansion due to slow adoption of cloud tech

    3 August 2025
    India is solidifying its role as a major player in the global space industry, driven by rising foreign investment and a deep talent pool fueling a surge in promising startups. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters)
    Datawatch

    India lifts off as major force in global space industry

    South Asian country now second only to US in number of private sector players

    6 July 2025
    Labor shortages and new regulations are causing record construction delays in Japan, stalling over $100 billion worth of projects and weighing on economic growth.
    Datawatch

    Japan's construction bottleneck hits $100bn as labor crunch deepens

    New overtime rules further strain an already stretched workforce

    29 June 2025
    Stream article image
    Datawatch

    Children's sports participation in Japan hurt by income inequality

    Rising costs for tickets and lessons are limiting opportunities for young athletes

    25 May 2025
    The rise of middle-income consumers and the widespread use of social media platforms have driven the demand for homegrown pop music in Southeast Asia.
    Datawatch

    Southeast Asia's homegrown pop music surges in popularity

    In Indonesia, local content outpaces U.S. artists in streaming share

    16 March 2025
    The price of a Big Mac is often used as a point of cross-border price comparison. A Nikkei analysis used the data to compare workers' purchasing power.
    Datawatch

    Big Mac exposes Japan's weak hourly-wage purchasing power

    Lower price of hamburgers does not necessarily mean inexpensive for workers

    16 February 2025
    India and other countries are promoting homegrown digital settlement systems to challenge the dominance of Western credit card brands.
    Datawatch

    Asia goes cashless as countries push for digital payments

    Share of cash transactions expected to drop from 47% in 2019 to 14% by 2027

    2 February 2025
    Although China says it is working toward a zero-carbon economy, its efforts to cut its reliance on imported oil are driven more by concerns about energy security, say analysts.
    Datawatch

    China's oil demand near peak as government pushes to cut imports

    Move away from crude driven more by energy security worries than environmental concern

    26 January 2025
    Many experts believe that aquaculture could play a crucial role in addressing global warming and food shortages.
    Datawatch

    Farmed fish emerge as a key global protein source

    Aquaculture output quadruples in 30 years, surpassing beef and approaching pork

    19 January 2025
    The movie industry is making longer films, defying a consumer trend that values entertainment based on its "time performance."
    Datawatch

    Movie durations rise with streaming but clash with consumer trend

    As speed watching takes hold, 1 in 4 big box office hits exceeds 2-1/2 hours

    12 January 2025
    The proportion of household income spent on food in Japan has been rising, partly due to increased purchases of prepared meals by busy dual-income couples.
    Datawatch

    Meals take a big bite out of Japanese household budgets

    The country has the highest Engel's coefficient in the G7 as prices rise and population ages

    24 November 2024