Japan

The Shanghai skyline seen across the Huangpu River from the Bund, with the Oriental Pearl Tower on the left and the skyscrapers of Lujiazui to its right.

There Are 30% Fewer Japanese Companies in China Than in 2012. Those That Stay Still Make Things There, but Fewer Count on Selling There.

Teikoku Databank counted 10,118 Japanese companies with a presence in mainland China in June, down 22 per cent in two years and 30 per cent from the 2012 peak. A record 4,137 left or could no longer be traced. Among those that remain, China's standing as a production base has slipped only a little since 2019. Its standing as a market has collapsed.

By Alison Acosta 19 hours ago

A Japanese city street seen from above, with taxis, delivery vans and pedestrians on a raised walkway.

World

Japan Spent Thirty Years Not Importing Workers, and Is Quietly Reversing

A country that built its post-war labour model on not relying on foreign workers now depends on them in the industries that keep it running. The policy has changed less than the practice.

By Thomas Gutierrez August 29, 2026

Tagged stories

There Are 30% Fewer Japanese Companies in China Than in 2012. Those That Stay Still Make Things There, but Fewer Count on Selling There.

Japan Spent Thirty Years Not Importing Workers, and Is Quietly Reversing