The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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SoftBank Group FY 2025 net profit tops 5 tril. yen, record for Japan firm
TOKYO - SoftBank Group Corp. said Wednesday its net profit for fiscal 2025 surged more than fourfold to 5.00 trillion yen ($31.70 billion), marking a record high for a Japanese company, on the back of its investment in OpenAI, the developer of the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT.
It exceeded the previous net profit record for a Japanese company of 4.99 trillion yen, also set by SoftBank Group, in fiscal 2020.
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Nissan logs net loss of 533.10 billion yen in FY 2025
TOKYO - Nissan Motor Co. said Wednesday it posted a net loss of 533.10 billion yen ($3.4 billion) for the year ended March due to restructuring costs, marking the second straight year of red ink.
The struggling Japanese automaker reported an operating profit of 58.01 billion yen for the period, down 16.9 percent from the previous year, but in line with its earlier estimate. It had earlier projected an operating loss of 60 billion yen before revising it in late April citing faster-than-expected progress in reform efforts, the weaker yen and one-time gains from U.S. emissions regulations changes.
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Japan's Inpex lifts FY 2026 net profit outlook on higher oil prices
TOKYO - State-backed Japanese oil and gas explorer Inpex Corp. on Wednesday raised its net profit forecast for the year through December to a range of between 350 billion yen ($2.2 billion) and 450 billion yen on higher oil prices triggered by instability in the Middle East.
The company issued its earnings outlook as a range for the first time, citing increased uncertainty over the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz following the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
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Japan chemical makers fear Mideast supply disruptions to hit earnings
TOKYO - Japanese chemical makers, including Mitsui Chemicals Inc. and Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corp., said Wednesday they fear supply disruptions of oil-derived naphtha stemming from the Middle East conflict will hurt earnings for the current fiscal year through March.
The companies said they have managed to source naphtha, a crude oil-derived raw material used to produce plastics, from regions outside the Middle East but remain concerned about the future course of the conflict and its impact on supplies.
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Succulent that flowers once in decades-long life blooms in Japan
KOCHI, Japan - Agave vilmoriniana, a succulent said to flower only once during its decades-long lifespan, has bloomed with vivid yellow flowers at a garden in western Japan.
Expecting the flowers to remain at their peak for about a week, a spokesperson for Monet's Garden Marmottan in Kitagawa, Kochi Prefecture, urged visitors to "come and see its final moment of glory."
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Trump to arrive in Beijing for "very exciting" summit amid Iran war
BEIJING - U.S. President Donald Trump will arrive in Beijing on Wednesday evening for what he calls a "very exciting" summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with the rest of the world closely watching to see whether any significant developments regarding the Iran war or Taiwan emerge from their discussions.
Trump is joined by more than a dozen top executives from major American companies. He is hoping to clinch huge business deals between the world's two most powerful countries, despite long-running trade friction and an intense race to gain an edge in emerging technologies.
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Figure skating: Retiring Sakamoto grateful for "priceless time," ties knot
KOBE - Japanese figure skating star and four-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto called her decorated career "a priceless time" during her retirement press conference Wednesday when she also announced her marriage.
The 26-year-old Sakamoto, who last June announced her decision to end her competitive career after the 2025-26 season, bowed out in style by winning her last world championship in late March in her farewell performance in Prague.
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Sumo: Ozeki Kirishima, komusubi Wakatakakage continue perfect start
TOKYO - Re-promoted ozeki Kirishima continued his perfect start to the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament on Wednesday as komusubi Wakatakakage and No. 13 maegashira Kotoeiho also claimed their fourth straight win.
Kirishima (4-0) was on the back foot throughout his bout against No. 2 maegashira Ichiyamamoto (1-3), who made the Mongolian-born grappler sweat in the day's final bout at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan but was slapped down at the edge.
==Kyodo
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