SelfStaking

Denso has made a ¥1.3 trillion acquisition offer to ROHM, planning to acquire all of its shares through a tender offer (TOB). This will strengthen its market position in the power semiconductor sector, especially in electric vehicles and data centers, marking a shift for Japanese companies from collaboration to mergers and acquisitions.

Iran blocks the Strait of Hormuz, and Japan responds cautiously. The Chief Cabinet Secretary stated that it has not been recognized as a major impact event or a crisis of existence, a concept originating from the 2015 security law.

Japan adjusts electric vehicle subsidy policies, leading to market segmentation. In China, BYD's vehicle subsidies remain unchanged, contrasting with local automakers. The EV subsidy cap has been raised to 1.3 million yen, while subsidies for fuel cell vehicles have been reduced. The relevant policies consider future development needs.

After the United States and Israel attacked Iran, gold prices remained weak, affected by the appreciation of the US dollar and rising interest rates. Meanwhile, financial market volatility increased, and investors sold off gold to offset losses. The New York futures gold price continued to decline, failing to become a safe-haven asset.

Since its launch in 2017, SoftBank Group's Vision Fund has increased its total investments to $163.2 billion, with pre-tax investment gains of approximately ¥3.7 trillion. Despite challenges, the fund's improved performance has strengthened the group's financial position and promoted investments in the AI sector.

In 2025, Japan's imported car sales are expected to increase by 7%, reaching 243,129 units, with pure electric vehicle sales growing by 26%, setting a new record. Tesla and BYD performed notably in the Japanese market, with Tesla's sales surpassing 10,000 units for the first time, and BYD's sales increasing by 62%.

China is gradually increasing its power generation capacity in the field of artificial intelligence research and development. By 2025, the new power generation capacity is expected to reach 470 gigawatts, seven times that of the United States, further widening the gap with the U.S. Low-cost electricity will become an important advantage for China in the US-China AI competition.

Semiconductor memory DRAM prices increased by 40% in November to December 2025, mainly due to strong demand from data center AI servers, leading to supply shortages in the civilian sector. The tight supply has caused a rare phenomenon where large-volume transactions cannot be formed, with DDR5 and DDR3 product prices soaring significantly, indicating a risk of a bubble in the memory market.

The global supply chain and the so-called "global strategic models" that symbolize the benefits of free trade are disappearing. The American electric vehicle (EV) giant Tesla has stopped developing low-cost global strategic models. A "fragmented" world is gradually becoming the norm, and such a world lacks a dominant force to lead innovation and set rules. Automakers are being forced to rebuild their business models.
Tesla's "Model 2" Fails
"We hope to extend the contract by about five years."
By 2025, executives at American parts suppliers doing business with Tesla began receiving such requests from Tesla. The globally strategic "Model Y," launched in 2020, is facing a new comprehensive redesign, but Tesla seems to have already decided to continue sales in the short term.
To read more, click here to enter Nikkei Chinese Web
_Nikkei Inc. and The Financial Times merged into the same media group in November 2015.

The integration of data and artificial intelligence in manufacturing sites is driving a competitive surge in robot development. SoftBank's acquisition of ABB's robotics business has prompted collaboration between Yaskawa Electric and Fanuc, helping Japanese companies revive their robotics industry. Masayoshi Son stated that integrating AI with robotics technology will achieve a revolutionary evolution.

The Japanese yen continues to depreciate as interest rate differentials narrow, overturning traditional consensus. Although the Bank of Japan is expected to raise interest rates, the USD/JPY exchange rate remains stable around 155 yen, revealing complex and changing market dynamics.

President Trump’s demand for Greenland has sparked tensions with eight European countries, potentially leading to the disintegration of NATO. Expert Ian Bremmer believes that Trump’s actions stem from personal vanity and lack of domestic support. If pressure continues, Europe may turn to cooperate with China.

GAC Group plans to officially enter the Japanese EV market in summer 2026 by launching the pure electric vehicle brand “AION,” with the goal of reaching 2,000 orders by 2027. Initially, they will sell the compact car AION UT and the SUV AION V, targeting corporate clients to enhance competitiveness in Japan’s EV market.

In the foreign exchange market, the Chinese currency, the Renminbi, has appreciated. On January 5th, the RMB against the US dollar reached a rate of 6.97 yuan per dollar, the highest level of RMB appreciation and dollar depreciation in 2 years and 8 months. The continuously accumulating trade surplus and other factors have created pressure to sell dollars and buy RMB. To prevent an economic slowdown, Chinese authorities and related departments have shown restraint regarding the RMB's appreciation.
Annual trade surplus first exceeds $1 trillion
On December 30, 2025, the RMB temporarily appreciated to 6.9870 yuan per dollar, breaking the important 7-yuan threshold, further intensifying the appreciation. This was the first time since May 2023 that the RMB broke through the 7-yuan mark. On January 5, 2026, it further appreciated to 6.9770 yuan per dollar.
In April 2025, during the peak of US-China trade frictions, the RMB exchange rate once fell to 7.3518 yuan per dollar, the lowest level in 17 years and 4 months.

In areas outside Tokyo, Japan, the prices of newly built residential buildings have risen significantly, with average housing prices exceeding 10 times the local annual income, making it difficult for ordinary salaried families to buy homes. The national price-to-income ratio is 10.38 times, indicating that single-income families find it hard to afford new homes. Experts point out that a more realistic range for house prices is 5 to 7 times annual income.

On January 7th, Trump directed the U.S. government to withdraw from 66 international organizations and treaties, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, further indicating America's departure from multilateralism and shifting towards a policy of establishing order through strength.

The Japanese government will provide Malaysia with rare earth mining technology support, planning to offer equipment and environmental protection technology cooperation through ODA projects, aiming to diversify rare earth procurement channels. This is the first collaboration between the two countries in this field, with experts dispatched to promote the project and plans to invite Malaysian technicians to Japan for training.

Denso has made a ¥1.3 trillion acquisition offer to ROHM, planning to acquire all of its shares through a tender offer (TOB). This will strengthen its market position in the power semiconductor sector, especially in electric vehicles and data centers, marking a shift for Japanese companies from collaboration to mergers and acquisitions.

Iran blocks the Strait of Hormuz, and Japan responds cautiously. The Chief Cabinet Secretary stated that it has not been recognized as a major impact event or a crisis of existence, a concept originating from the 2015 security law.

After the United States and Israel attacked Iran, gold prices remained weak, affected by the appreciation of the US dollar and rising interest rates. Meanwhile, financial market volatility increased, and investors sold off gold to offset losses. The New York futures gold price continued to decline, failing to become a safe-haven asset.