Michi Tohma - OHYASHIMA

Almure, a Confidential Computing Startup, Raises $1.25M in Seed Round

Almure, a Tokyo-based startup founded in January 2026, has raised $1.25M in seed funding to develop confidential computing infrastructure for AI agents — aiming to secure sensitive enterprise data even while it is being processed.

2026.04.16

Technology

MLIT to Begin Enforcing New Rules on Mobile Battery Handling Aboard Aircraft

Japan's MLIT will begin enforcing new cabin rules for mobile batteries on April 24. The limit drops to two batteries per passenger, and in-flight charging is now banned.

2026.04.15

Policy & Regulation

Infroneer HD, Known for Construction and Machinery, Acquires Waterworks Operator Swing

Infroneer Holdings, the Japan-based infrastructure conglomerate behind Maeda Corporation, has agreed to acquire waterworks operator Swing Corporation for over 90 billion yen. The deal fills a critical gap in Infroneer's push to become a one-stop infrastructure services provider — and may signal its ambitions to close the revenue gap with Japan's elite "super generals."

2026.04.14

Business

Vol. 5 | Sanpo Yoshi I

What is sanpo yoshi — and did the Ohmi Shonin actually use the term? This installment explores the philosophy behind the concept, and the Marubeni executive who rebuilt an elementary school in a small town, inspired by the founding of Stanford University.

2026.04.13

The Jodo Ethic and the Spirit of the Ohmi Shonin

NHK Announces John Manjiro as the Lead of its 2028 Taiga Drama

NHK has announced John Manjiro as the lead of its 2028 Taiga Drama. The author examines why this ordinary fisherman-turned-cosmopolitan was chosen, and what his story says about Japan's growing inward turn.

2026.04.10

Opinion / Column

Seaweed-Based Food Startup Aqua Theon Raises $5 Million

Aqua Theon, a Japanese-founded food startup based in Los Angeles, has closed a third tranche of its pre-Series A round, raising approximately $5 million. The company's flagship product, OoMee Matcha — a functional beverage made with agar and matcha — is now available in 700 U.S. stores. Aqua Theon positions seaweed as both a health-forward ingredient and a sustainable one, citing its rapid growth rate and CO₂ absorption capacity.

2026.04.07

Business

Vol. 4 | Why So Many Shonin Were Born in One Place

Why did Ohmi produce so many merchant dynasties? This installment of The Jodo Ethic and the Spirit of the Ohmi Shonin examines the competing theories — from naturalized immigrants and free markets to fragmented fiefdoms — and argues that geography, more than any single cause, was the common thread that sustained them all.

2026.04.06

The Jodo Ethic and the Spirit of the Ohmi Shonin

Vol. 3 | Ohmi Shonin and the Textile Trade

From linen peddler to global conglomerate: how Chubei Ito's first journey in 1858 — carrying Ohmi cloth to Kyoto, Osaka, and Kishu — laid the foundation for Itochu and Marubeni's textile empires, and what it tells us about the Ohmi Shonin's enduring commercial legacy.

2026.04.02

The Jodo Ethic and the Spirit of the Ohmi Shonin

Photo electron Soul, Developer of Semiconductor Photocathodes, Raises $5.6 Million

Photo electron Soul, a Nagoya University-based startup developing semiconductor photocathodes, has raised approximately 900 million yen ($5.6 million). The funding will support mass production of its electron beam generation system, which simultaneously achieves the narrow beam and high current needed to inspect increasingly miniaturized and multi-layered semiconductor chips at speed.

2026.04.01

Technology

For Expats in Japan: Yodobashi Camera Offers Free Battery Collection

Yodobashi Camera accepts lithium-ion batteries for free — including swollen ones and those without a PSE or recycling mark. Here's what expats in Japan need to know about dropping off batteries that other retailers won't take.

2026.03.27

Living