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For the last three years, the 66-year-old has built up the "Toyota Times", hiring Japanese journalists and ramping up coverage of the company to counter what he sees as persistent misinformation and unfair criticism. "What I find unfortunate is that the media often thrives on conflict, setting BEVs against hybrids, for example," Toyoda said on the Toyota Times recently. After almost an hour of scripted presentations and banter, the Toyota Times host turned to questions from reporters. Toyoda has increasingly appeared to eschew traditional media as the company fell out of favour with environmentalists who once lauded its green technology. The Toyota Times also exclusively publishes the closely watched results of the company's spring wage negotiations with its union.

☆ SoftBank faces tech stock weakness at Q2 earnings
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Nov 7 (Reuters) - SoftBank Group Corp (9984.T) is expected to face further weakness in tech stocks when it reports second-quarter earnings on Friday, after two brutal quarters that have shaken Masayoshi Son's tech conglomerate. The Vision Fund investing arm booked $50 billion in losses in the six months to end-June as valuations slid. Founder and Chief Executive Son has moved to cut headcount and refocus the second fund on managing its existing portfolio. Alibaba (9988.HK), , which SoftBank has been selling to raise cash, has fallen more than 40% year-to-date. "For most/all funding needs, SBG will use Alibaba shares to defend its balance sheet or stock price," Goyal wrote.

☆ Sony shares jump 9% after profit forecast hike
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Sam Nussey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Shares in Sony Group Corp (6758.T) leapt 9% on Wednesday morning after the entertainment conglomerate hiked its full-year profit forecast in contrast to lacklustre projections by many peers. Sony reported that it produced more than 6.5 million PlayStation 5 (PS5) units during the second quarter ahead of the year-end shopping season, signalling that supply chain snarls that have hampered the games business are easing. The value of inventory at Sony's games unit surged to 412.5 billion yen ($2.79 billion) in the second quarter, versus 146.2 billion yen three months earlier. Sony aims to sell more than 18 million PS5 units this year, Chief Financial Officer Hiroki Totoki has said. The Japanese conglomerate also hiked the outlook for its movies and image sensor businesses citing the FX boost but noted lower sensor sales.

☆ Sony Q2 gaming profit tumbles 50% on higher costs
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Sam Nussey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FILE PHOTO: Sony Corp's logo is seen on its Crystal LED Integrated Structure (CLEDIS) display at its headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, February 2, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-HoonTOKYO (Reuters) -Sony Group Corp’s second-quarter profit at its key gaming unit fell by 50% from a year earlier as the entertainment conglomerate booked higher costs from game development and acquisitions, the company said on Tuesday. The Tokyo-headquartered company’s gaming unit recorded a profit of 42.1 billion yen ($284.63 million) after selling 3.3 million units of its PlayStation 5 (PS5) console in the second quarter, equal to the year ago sales. It trimmed its full-year forecast for the games business by 12% to 225 billion yen citing lower software sales from third-party developers and the impact of dollar-denominated costs. Sony reported overall group operating profit rose 8% to 344 billion yen ($2.32 billion) in the July-September quarter, beating analyst estimates, after units including the music business offset the weakness in gaming.

☆ SoftBank creates committee to oversee Vision Fund 2 - memo
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Sam Nussey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Oct 21 (Reuters) - SoftBank Group Corp (9984.T) has created an executive committee to oversee its second Vision Fund, Latin America funds and any future funds, its founder and Chief Executive Masayoshi Son said in a memo to employees reviewed by Reuters. Alex Clavel will oversee investing teams in the United States and Latin America, Greg Moon will manage teams in Europe and Asia and Navneet Govil, Vision Fund's chief financial officer, will oversee other functional teams, Son wrote. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe appointment of a new committee comes as Vision Fund architect Rajeev Misra has ceded his frontline role at the second fund to launch an external fund. Son has said the second fund invested at frothy prices and is slashing headcount at the Vision Fund unit. The creation of the executive committee was first reported by Bloomberg.

NEW YORK/TOKYO, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Japan's SoftBank Group Corp (9984.T) is cutting around 150 staff globally at its Vision Fund unit and SoftBank Group International, a person familiar with the matter said, as CEO Masayoshi Son retrenches following huge loss on his tech bets. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe cuts will affect staff in the investment teams and back-office staff in departments such as finance and legal, a second source said. The cuts also encompass SoftBank Group International, which was led by Marcelo Claure before he exited the firm and which manages other group investments. Vision Fund has radically scaled back investing activity, with Son saying SoftBank's second Vision Fund would primarily manage its existing portfolio. SoftBank has sold down its stake in key asset Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (9988.HK) and outlined plans to list Arm.

☆ SoftBank to discuss Arm 'strategic alliance' with Samsung
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Andrew KellyRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterTOKYO, Sept 22 (Reuters) - SoftBank Group Corp (9984.T) founder and CEO Masayoshi Son will discuss a "strategic alliance" between chip designer Arm and Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) during the billionaire's first visit to South Korea in three years. I'd like to talk with Samsung about a strategic alliance with Arm," Son said in a statement. The visit comes amid speculation by analysts and media over the potential formation of an industry consortium to buy Arm. SoftBank has outlined plans to list the chip designer in the United States as it looks to raise cash after booking a huge loss at its Vision Fund investment arm. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Sam Nussey; Editing by Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Factbox: The challenges automakers, and now Tesla, face with humanoid robots
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( Hyunjoo Jin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A "Tesla Bot" humanoid robot prototype is seen in this undated handout image. GM-NASAFrom 2007 to 2012, General Motors (GM.N) and NASA joined hands to develop humanoid robots, R2, for assembly and space exploration. NASA said its current focus is the development of next-generation humanoid robots that can be used on the lunar surface and eventually on Mars. HYUNDAI MOTOR-BOSTON DYNAMICSBoston Dynamics created internet buzz with videos of its humanoid robots running, jumping, backflipping and dancing. FORD-AGILITY ROBOTICSIn 2020, Ford (F.N) bought two humanoid robots, Digit, from Agility Robotics, to test the delivery of a package to doorstop from a delivery vehicle.

A man walks on the street in heavy rain and wind caused by Typhoon Nanmadol in Kagoshima on Japan's southernmost main island of Kyushu September 18, 2022, in this photo taken by Kyodo. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN JAPANTOKYO, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Typhoon Nanmadol brought ferocious winds and record rainfall to western Japan on Monday as one of the biggest storms to hit the country in years killed at least two people, disrupted transport and forced manufacturers to suspend operations. "We need to remain highly vigilant for heavy rains, gales, high waves and storm surges," a Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) official told a news conference. Up to 400 mm (15.75 inches) of rain was expected in central Japan's Tokai region, the nation's industrial heartland, over the next 24 hours, it said. Intermittent bouts of heavy rain lashed Tokyo but businesses in the capital were largely operating as normal.

Firefighters work at the site where a building collapsed following a 6.8-magnitude earthquake, in Yuli, Hualien county, Taiwan September 18, 2022. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterTaiwan's fire department said one person had died and 146 were injured by the quake. The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning for Taiwan after the tremor but later lifted the alert. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) (2330.TW), , the world's largest contract chipmaker, said there was "no known significant impact for now". More than 100 people were killed in a quake in southern Taiwan in 2016, while a 7.3 magnitude quake killed more than 2,000 people in 1999.

☆ Chubu Electric joins all-Japan Toshiba buyout consortium
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe logo of Toshiba Corp. is displayed atop of the company's facility building in Kawasaki, Japan June 24, 2022. REUTERS/Issei KatoTOKYO, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Chubu Electric Power Co (9502.T) said on Sunday it is joining private equity firm Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) in conducting due diligence for a potential buyout of Japanese conglomerate Toshiba Corp (6502.T). JIP has contacted more than 10 companies including Chubu Electric, Orix Corp (8591.T) and Central Japan Railway Co (JR Central) (9022.T) to participate in its consortium, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Sunday. Toshiba said it does not comment on candidates for the potential buyout. JR Central did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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