https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/ Bilingual news on Japanese M&A and investment into the United States: acquisitions, stakes, new US facilities and US–Japan investment policy. en Fri, 30 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/assets/social-profile-400.pnghttps://kakehashi-ma-news.com/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/japan-us-package-loan-progress/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/japan-us-package-loan-progress/ Wed, 28 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Policy Energy and industrial Policy. From: Government of Japan (Tokyo). Covers: Projects under the $550 billion Japan–US investment package, United States. Value: $69B in signed loan contracts, out of $130B in projects announced. Japan's Finance Ministry told a Fiscal System Council subcommittee that, as of the end of September, loan contracts had been signed for $69 billion of the $130 billion in US projects announced under the $550 billion investment deal. Contracts cover five projects, including gas-fired power plants, but not yet the small modular reactor or the chip-plant projects. JBIC and partner banks have approved about $11 billion in co-financing. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/otafuku-new-jersey-plant/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/otafuku-new-jersey-plant/ Wed, 28 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000 US Facilities Food (sauces) US facility. Company: Otafuku Sauce (Hiroshima). Project: New sauce plant, Otafuku's second in the US, Totowa, New Jersey. Value: About ¥2B for the land (total plant investment not disclosed). Otafuku Sauce, the Hiroshima maker of okonomiyaki sauce, has bought an 18,210-square-meter site in Totowa, New Jersey, about 30 minutes by car from Manhattan, for about ¥2 billion. It plans to build a plant there and start production in January 2028. It will be the company's second US plant, after Los Angeles, which opened in 2013. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/umios-high-liner-foods/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/umios-high-liner-foods/ Mon, 26 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Acquisitions Food (seafood) Acquisition. Buyer: Umios (formerly Maruha Nichiro) (Tokyo). Target: High Liner Foods, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada (sells across the US). Value: About C$804M for the shares (C$27.00 a share); about C$1.25B including debt. Umios, the seafood company formerly called Maruha Nichiro, agreed to buy all of High Liner Foods for C$27.00 a share in cash, a 79% premium to its last close. That values the shares at about C$804 million, and about C$1.25 billion including debt. High Liner, based in Nova Scotia, is a leading seller of frozen seafood to stores and restaurants in the US and Canada, and owns the Mrs. Paul's and Van de Kamp's brands, bought in 2025. Umios plans to make it the core of its North American business and to turn Alaska pollock into finished products there. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/mitsubishi-power-savannah-expansion/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/mitsubishi-power-savannah-expansion/ Fri, 23 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000 US Facilities Power equipment US facility. Company: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (via Mitsubishi Power Americas) (Tokyo). Project: Savannah Machinery Works expansion (gas-turbine parts), Pooler, Chatham County, Georgia. Value: $490M. Mitsubishi Power Americas, the US arm of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' power business, will invest $490 million to expand its Savannah Machinery Works near Pooler, Georgia, Governor Brian Kemp's office said. The plant makes gas-turbine parts. The expansion adds 450,000 square feet, roughly doubling its industrial space, and is expected to create more than 220 jobs in manufacturing, operations and technician roles. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/mitsubishi-copper-world-fid/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/mitsubishi-copper-world-fid/ Wed, 21 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Investments Metals and mining Investment. Investor: Mitsubishi Corporation (via MC Americas Resources) (Tokyo). In: Copper World copper mine (30% stake, with Hudbay Minerals), Near Tucson, Arizona. Value: Up to about $423M more, on top of the $600M already paid (about ¥152.6B in total). Mitsubishi Corporation and Canada's Hudbay Minerals made the final decision to build Copper World, an open-pit copper mine about 50 km southeast of Tucson. The first phase will cost about $2.07 billion. Mitsubishi, which owns 30%, will put in up to about $423 million more in equity on top of the $600 million it has already paid, or about $218 million if the project takes on $650 million of debt. Kyodo put Mitsubishi's total at about ¥152.6 billion. The mine is planned to produce about 102,000 tonnes of copper a year on average in its first ten years. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/mitsui-penske-automotive/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/mitsui-penske-automotive/ Thu, 15 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Investments Auto retail Investment. Investor: Mitsui & Co. (Tokyo). In: Penske Automotive Group, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Value: Up to about $1.6B (about ¥240B, Mitsui's share). Penske Automotive Group agreed to be taken private by Penske Corporation and Mitsui, paying public shareholders $212 a share in cash in a deal valuing the dealer group at about $16.3 billion. The agreement follows a July 22 proposal from the two partners, which together held about 72% of the company. Mitsui will invest about ¥240 billion and raise its holding from about 20% to 36%, with Penske Corp. owning the other 64%. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/fujifilm-mesa-cmp-slurry/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/fujifilm-mesa-cmp-slurry/ Wed, 14 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000 US Facilities Semiconductor materials US facility. Company: Fujifilm (via FUJIFILM Electronic Materials U.S.A.) (Tokyo). Project: CMP slurry production expansion, Mesa, Arizona. Value: About $18M (about ¥3B). Fujifilm will invest about $18 million at its Mesa, Arizona site to expand production of copper CMP slurries, the liquids used to polish chip wiring layers flat. It is also adding facilities for other slurries, including ones for advanced packaging such as hybrid bonding. The expanded line is due to start in 2027. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/globalfoundries-japan-fabs/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/globalfoundries-japan-fabs/ Wed, 14 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Policy Semiconductors Policy. From: Government of Japan (Japan). Covers: Two new GlobalFoundries-run chip plants, Malta, New York. Value: Up to $21B. Under the $550 billion US–Japan investment program, Japan will provide the capital and GlobalFoundries will build and run two 300mm chip plants next to its Fab 8 in Malta, earning fees and licensing its technology. In a separate agreement, the US Commerce Department takes an equity stake of about 4% in GlobalFoundries itself. Together the plants could add up to about 1.8 million wafers a year of basic chips for cars, industrial equipment and telecom networks, and Renesas plans to use the capacity. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/createmedic-globizz/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/createmedic-globizz/ Wed, 14 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Acquisitions Medical devices Acquisition. Buyer: Create Medic (Yokohama). Target: Globizz group (4 companies), California. Value: Not disclosed. Catheter maker Create Medic bought all shares of four Globizz group companies: Globizz Corporation and Universal Design Life Corporation in California, plus affiliates in Tokyo and Seoul. The group helps medical device makers file with the US FDA and does market research and strategy work. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/omron-onlogic/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/omron-onlogic/ Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Acquisitions Industrial automation Acquisition. Buyer: Omron (Kyoto). Target: OnLogic, South Burlington, Vermont. Value: $675M. Omron will take full ownership of Interlogic, OnLogic's parent, through a reverse triangular merger. OnLogic builds rugged, made-to-order industrial computers and sells mostly direct to customers; the group had sales of about ¥23.9B in 2025. OnLogic keeps its brand, management and Vermont headquarters, where about 160 of its 300 staff work. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/shionogi-intrabio/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/shionogi-intrabio/ Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Acquisitions Pharma Acquisition. Buyer: Shionogi (Osaka). Target: IntraBio, Austin, Texas. Value: $2.0B. Shionogi will acquire all shares of Austin-based IntraBio through its US unit, Shionogi Inc. The deal brings in Aqneursa, IntraBio's marketed treatment for a rare neurological disease, along with its global IP and commercialization rights. IntraBio, founded in 2015, booked about $68 million in sales in 2025. Closing depends on antitrust waiting periods and other regulatory clearances. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/jll-crossvascular/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/jll-crossvascular/ Tue, 29 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Acquisitions Medical devices Acquisition. Buyer: Japan Lifeline (Tokyo). Target: CrossVascular, California. Value: Up to about $4.7M (about ¥743M), including an earnout of up to $4M. Japan Lifeline is buying all shares of CrossVascular, Inc. through its wholly owned US subsidiary, JLL MedUSA, for up to about $4.7 million, most of it an earnout. CrossVascular has FDA 510(k) clearance for a radiofrequency system for atrial septal puncture, the step that lets catheters cross into the left side of the heart, but had no revenue through 2025. Japan Lifeline holds a leading position in Japan's electrophysiology and ablation market for arrhythmia. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/honda-ohio-hybrid-plant/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/honda-ohio-hybrid-plant/ Wed, 23 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000 US Facilities Autos US facility. Company: Honda (Tokyo). Project: New hybrid vehicle plant, Union County, Ohio. Value: About $2.5B (¥300–400B). Nikkei reported in September that Honda was in final talks to build a plant in Ohio for large hybrid models, investing roughly ¥300 to ¥400 billion. On October 7, Honda filed an application with the Ohio EPA for a plant code-named Project Sunrise: about 300 acres of land it already owns in Union County, near its East Liberty plant, building hybrid Honda and Acura vehicles with about 3,000 workers. Honda confirmed the filing but says it has not made a final decision to build a new US plant. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/softbank-rai-institute/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/softbank-rai-institute/ Fri, 18 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Acquisitions Robotics / AI Acquisition. Buyer: SoftBank Group (Tokyo). Target: Robotics and AI Institute (RAI), Cambridge, Massachusetts. Value: Not disclosed. SoftBank Group has agreed to acquire the Robotics and AI Institute from Hyundai Motor Group, according to The Robot Report. The Cambridge, Massachusetts, lab was founded in 2022 by Boston Dynamics founder Marc Raibert and started with more than $400 million from Hyundai. The deal is under CFIUS review; terms were not disclosed. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/resonac-nitto-fund/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/resonac-nitto-fund/ Thu, 17 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Investments Semiconductors Investment. Investor: Resonac and Nitto Denko (Tokyo and Osaka). In: Matter Venture Partners Fund II, Los Altos, California. Value: $10M (about ¥1.5B) from Nitto Denko; Resonac's amount not disclosed. The fund totals $450M. Nitto Denko and Resonac each invested as limited partners in Matter Venture Partners Fund II, a California venture fund that closed at $450 million in September. Nitto committed $10 million; Resonac invested through its US unit, Resonac America, and did not disclose an amount. The fund backs early-stage hard-tech startups in chips, robotics and physical AI, AI infrastructure and advanced manufacturing. ASML and TSMC are among its other limited partners. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/misumi-kiban-and-vc-fund/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/misumi-kiban-and-vc-fund/ Thu, 17 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000 US Subsidiaries Industrial parts / Venture capital US subsidiary. Parent: Misumi Group (Tokyo). New US unit: KIBAN, LLC and MISUMI Venture Capital Fund I, LP (via MISUMI Investment USA), Delaware. Value: $90M combined: $40M into KIBAN, up to $50M into the fund. Misumi's US holding company will set up two new Delaware entities. KIBAN, LLC, with $40 million of funding, will build a manufacturing platform for 'frontier technology' industries, handling precision machining through inspection, packing and supply chain management. MISUMI Venture Capital Fund I will invest up to $50 million in startups in frontier hardware, robotics and industrial AI. Reports of the plan come from Japanese business media; we have not seen Misumi's own release. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/hitachi-energy-gallman/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/hitachi-energy-gallman/ Tue, 15 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000 US Facilities Power grid US facility. Company: Hitachi (via Hitachi Energy). Project: Mississippi plant, Gallman, Mississippi. Value: $528M. Hitachi's grid business will build a factory in Gallman, Mississippi, its largest single US investment, creating more than 700 jobs by the company's count (Mississippi's governor's office cites 654 new jobs). The plant will make small and medium power transformers and more than double output compared with the nearby Crystal Springs site, which it will replace. The project brings Hitachi Energy's US manufacturing expansion to about $1.5 billion. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/itochu-wsc/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/itochu-wsc/ Fri, 04 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Acquisitions Consumer electronics Acquisition. Buyer: Itochu (Tokyo). Target: We Sell Cellular, New York. Value: ~$13.4M (Nikkei; Itochu did not disclose). Itochu bought the remaining 20.5% of We Sell Cellular, a used-phone distributor serving more than 700 customers in 47 countries, lifting its stake from 79.5% to 100%. Nikkei put the price at about $13.4 million. Itochu plans to make the company the core of its North American used mobile device business and wants to capture US demand for lower-cost handsets as new-device prices rise. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/astemo-berea-hybrid-motors/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/astemo-berea-hybrid-motors/ Tue, 01 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000 US Facilities Auto parts US facility. Company: Astemo (Tokyo). Project: Hybrid-motor expansion at two Berea plants, Berea, Madison County, Kentucky. Value: More than $112M in phase 1; up to $379M in total. Astemo Americas, the US arm of Japanese auto-parts maker Astemo, will add about 300,000 square feet across its two plants in Berea, Kentucky, to make more motors for hybrid vehicles. The first phase costs more than $112 million and creates 114 jobs; the full plan could reach $379 million and 282 jobs. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/mitsubishi-electric-pci/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/mitsubishi-electric-pci/ Thu, 20 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Acquisitions Energy software Acquisition. Buyer: Mitsubishi Electric (Tokyo). Target: PCI Energy Solutions, Norman, Oklahoma. Value: $1.4B. Mitsubishi Electric agreed to buy all of PCI Energy Solutions, an Oklahoma-based maker of software for power trading, generation scheduling and energy-asset optimization, from its individual shareholders for $1.4 billion. PCI has about 350 staff and serves utilities and power producers. Mitsubishi Electric plans to keep PCI's management and pair its software with its own grid control systems and Serendie data platform. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/metaplanet-super-league/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/metaplanet-super-league/ Tue, 18 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Acquisitions Digital media / bitcoin treasury Acquisition. Buyer: Metaplanet (via Metaplanet Holdings) (Tokyo). Target: Super League Enterprise (to be renamed Superplanet), Santa Monica, California. Value: 2,100 bitcoin (about $132.1M) plus $2.5M in cash, for about 95.7%. Metaplanet, a Tokyo company that holds bitcoin as its main business, agreed to put 2,100 bitcoin from its reserves and $2.5 million in cash into Super League Enterprise, a small Nasdaq-listed games and media company, in return for new shares, preferred stock and warrants. Metaplanet would own about 95.7% and appoint most of the board. Super League would be renamed Superplanet, trade as SUPA and become Metaplanet's US bitcoin treasury company. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/jbic-us-gas-power-loan/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/jbic-us-gas-power-loan/ Fri, 14 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Policy Power Policy. From: Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) (Tokyo). Covers: Gas-fired power projects (Japan Invest 4 and 5), Pennsylvania and Texas. Value: About $4.61B. JBIC and two US banks, Citibank and JPMorgan Chase, agreed to lend about $4.61 billion to US investment vehicles JBIC set up to fund natural-gas power projects in Pennsylvania and Texas. Power from the plants is expected to supply data centers. Japan's export insurer NEXI covers the private banks' portion. It is the first financing in the second wave of projects under the $550 billion Japan–US investment deal. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/kyoto-fusioneering-oak-ridge-hq/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/kyoto-fusioneering-oak-ridge-hq/ Tue, 11 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000 US Subsidiaries Energy / Fusion US subsidiary. Parent: Kyoto Fusioneering (Tokyo / Kyoto). New US unit: Kyoto Fusioneering US headquarters (moving from Seattle), Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Value: $46.9M investment; 51 jobs. Kyoto Fusioneering, a Japanese fusion technology startup founded in 2019, is moving its US headquarters from Seattle to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, investing $46.9 million and creating 51 jobs. The project centers on UNITY-3, a fusion test facility to be built at Oak Ridge National Laboratory with a deuterium-tritium neutron source, which has US Department of Energy funding. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/eneos-tpc/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/eneos-tpc/ Fri, 07 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Acquisitions Chemicals Acquisition. Buyer: ENEOS Holdings (Tokyo). Target: TPC Group, Houston, Texas. Value: About $758M purchase price (ENEOS estimate at closing, to be finalized after net-debt adjustments); Bloomberg had reported about $1.3B including debt. ENEOS Holdings signed a merger agreement for its US subsidiary to acquire TPC Holdings, whose TPC Group runs a C4 chemicals plant in Houston and terminals in Port Neches, Texas, and Lake Charles, Louisiana. TPC is a leading North American producer of butadiene and butene. ENEOS gave no price when it signed, but put it at about $758 million when the deal closed on October 26, 2026. Bloomberg had reported about $1.28 billion including debt. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/japex-fundare/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/japex-fundare/ Thu, 06 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Acquisitions Oil & gas Acquisition. Buyer: Japan Petroleum Exploration (JAPEX) (Tokyo). Target: Fundare Resources, Colorado and Wyoming. Value: About ¥50.4B (about $320M) at announcement; ¥43.9B ($278M) at closing. JAPEX agreed, through its US subsidiary, to buy all equity in Fundare Resources Operating Company and three related companies, which hold shale oil and gas acreage in Colorado and Wyoming. The acreage sits next to assets JAPEX bought in the same states in February 2026. The deal closed on October 1 at about ¥43.9 billion after adjustments. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/itochu-aviation-capital-group/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/itochu-aviation-capital-group/ Mon, 03 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Investments Aircraft leasing Investment. Investor: Itochu (Tokyo). In: Aviation Capital Group (50% of holding company TC Skyward Aviation U.S.), Newport Beach, California. Value: About $1.946B (about ¥306.3B) for 50%. Itochu agreed to buy 50% of TC Skyward Aviation U.S., the California holding company through which Tokyo Century owns aircraft lessor Aviation Capital Group, for about $1.95 billion. After the deal the two Japanese companies will each own half and run ACG jointly, and the unit becomes an equity-method affiliate of Tokyo Century. Itochu will also buy ¥10 billion of bond-type class shares issued by Tokyo Century. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/daiwa-house-holiday-builders/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/daiwa-house-holiday-builders/ Thu, 16 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Acquisitions Homebuilding Acquisition. Buyer: Daiwa House Industry (via Stanley Martin Homes) (Osaka). Target: Holiday Builders, Florida. Value: Not disclosed. Stanley Martin Homes, Daiwa House's US homebuilding arm, agreed to acquire Holiday Builders, a Florida builder that closed about 1,050 homes in 2025 and ranks No. 62 among US homebuilders. The deal adds about 10,600 controlled lots and more than 40 communities across markets including Orlando, Tampa, Fort Myers-Naples and the Panhandle. The price was not disclosed. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/otsuka-icu-austin/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/otsuka-icu-austin/ Fri, 10 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000 US Facilities Medical supplies US facility. Company: Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory (Naruto, Tokushima). Project: Otsuka ICU Medical (Austin plant), Austin, Texas. Value: More than $500M. Otsuka ICU Medical, the IV-solutions joint venture between Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory's US arm and ICU Medical, will invest more than $500 million at its Austin, Texas site. The plan adds a new building of roughly 500,000 square feet and upgrades existing lines. Part of the push is developing IV bags free of the plasticizer DEHP. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/yoshinoya-kizuki/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/yoshinoya-kizuki/ Fri, 10 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Acquisitions Restaurants Acquisition. Buyer: Yoshinoya Holdings (Tokyo). Target: Kizuki International, Seattle, Washington. Value: About ¥4.66B (for 70%). Yoshinoya Holdings agreed, through its US holding company, to acquire 70% of Kizuki International, which runs about 17 ramen and izakaya restaurants centered on Seattle and has its own production kitchens. The price was about ¥4.66 billion. Kizuki had revenue of roughly ¥5.8 billion in 2025. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/toyota-san-antonio-expansion/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/toyota-san-antonio-expansion/ Mon, 06 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000 US Facilities Autos US facility. Company: Toyota Motor (Toyota City, Aichi). Project: Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas, San Antonio, Texas. Value: $3.6B. Toyota will invest $3.6 billion to add a second assembly line at its San Antonio plant, which already builds the Tundra and Sequoia. Production of the Tacoma pickup will shift there from Toyota's Baja California plant in Mexico over about four years. The project adds 2.5 million square feet and 2,000 jobs, taking the site to about 6,000 workers. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/hanwa-associated-steel-group/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/hanwa-associated-steel-group/ Tue, 30 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Acquisitions Steel buildings Acquisition. Buyer: Hanwa (with Development Bank of Japan) (Osaka). Target: Associated Steel Group, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and Batesville, Mississippi. Value: $347M base value for 100%; Hanwa invested about $226M for 50.1%, including loans to repay ASG debt. Steel trader Hanwa and the Development Bank of Japan agreed to buy Associated Steel Group, which makes pre-engineered steel buildings for factories and commercial sites in the southern US through Alliance Steel in Oklahoma and ACI Building Systems in Mississippi. Hanwa took 50.1% through Hanwa American and DBJ 49.9%. The deal closed at the end of August after US antitrust clearance. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/us-steel-fairfield-qt-line/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/us-steel-fairfield-qt-line/ Wed, 24 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000 US Facilities Steel US facility. Company: Nippon Steel (via U.S. Steel) (Tokyo). Project: Quench-and-temper line at Fairfield Tubular Operations, Fairfield, Alabama. Value: $475M. U.S. Steel, owned by Nippon Steel since June 2025, approved $475 million for a new quench-and-temper line at its Fairfield Tubular Operations in Alabama. The line heat-treats steel pipe in-house, removing a production bottleneck and letting the plant sell more heat-treated products. The project also adds training facilities. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/mitsui-chemicals-ultradent/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/mitsui-chemicals-ultradent/ Fri, 12 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Acquisitions Dental materials Acquisition. Buyer: Mitsui Chemicals (Tokyo). Target: Ultradent Products, South Jordan, Utah. Value: $900M (about ¥144.3B). Mitsui Chemicals agreed to acquire all of Ultradent Products, a Utah maker of tooth-whitening and restorative dental materials, through a new US holding company. Ultradent had sales of about ¥59.6 billion in 2025 and sells directly to US dental clinics. Regulatory approvals came faster than planned and the deal closed in mid-August, a month ahead of schedule. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/tdk-fabric8labs/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/tdk-fabric8labs/ Wed, 10 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Acquisitions Electronic components / data center cooling Acquisition. Buyer: TDK (Tokyo). Target: Fabric8Labs, San Diego, California. Value: Up to $400M (about ¥64B), including earnout. TDK signed a definitive agreement to acquire all of Fabric8Labs, a San Diego company founded in 2015 that makes fine metal parts with its electrochemical additive manufacturing (ECAM) process. The price is up to $400 million in cash, split between an upfront payment and a multi-year earnout. TDK plans to use the technology for thermal management components such as cold plates for cooling AI data centers. TDK Ventures had backed the startup since its seed round. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/us-steel-mon-valley/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/us-steel-mon-valley/ Mon, 08 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000 US Facilities Steel US facility. Company: Nippon Steel (via U.S. Steel) (Tokyo). Project: Mon Valley Works (new hot strip mill at Edgar Thomson Plant), Braddock, Pennsylvania. Value: Nearly $3B (raised from up to $2.5B in June). U.S. Steel plans nearly $3 billion of capital spending (first set at up to $2.5 billion in June 2026) at Mon Valley Works near Pittsburgh, centered on a new hot strip mill at the Edgar Thomson Plant in Braddock. The mill will replace an 87-year-old line at the Irvin Plant and target automotive and other high-value grades. The company projects up to 6,381 jobs and $1.7 billion of economic impact in Pennsylvania over three years. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/create-restaurants-nova/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/create-restaurants-nova/ Mon, 08 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Acquisitions Restaurants (modern American dining) Acquisition. Buyer: Create Restaurants Holdings (via Create Restaurants MN) (Tokyo). Target: Nova Restaurant Group (Hazelwood Food + Drink restaurants), Minneapolis area, Minnesota. Value: About $23.4M (about ¥3.8B). Create Restaurants Holdings bought six modern American restaurants near Minneapolis, including the Hazelwood Food + Drink brand, from Nova Restaurant Group for about $23.4 million. The six restaurants had about ¥7.6 billion in sales in 2025. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/mol-delfin-flng1-fid/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/mol-delfin-flng1-fid/ Thu, 04 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Investments LNG / energy Investment. Investor: Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (Tokyo). In: Delfin FLNG 1 (floating LNG export plant), Offshore Louisiana. Value: About $300M (about 23% of the project's equity). Mitsui O.S.K. Lines will invest about $300 million in Delfin FLNG 1, a floating plant about 40 miles off the Louisiana coast that will turn US natural gas into LNG for export. That is about 23% of the project's roughly $1.4 billion in equity, alongside an investor group led by BlackRock's Global Infrastructure Partners and Vitol. The vessel will be able to produce 4.4 million tonnes of LNG a year. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/fujikura-us-fiber-optic-plan/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/fujikura-us-fiber-optic-plan/ Tue, 19 May 2026 12:00:00 +0000 US Facilities Optical fiber cable US facility. Company: Fujikura (Tokyo). Project: US optical fiber cable production (site not yet chosen), United States. Value: Up to ¥260B (plan for fiscal 2026–2028). Fujikura will invest up to ¥260 billion in the United States to make optical fiber cable, as part of a plan to raise its cable capacity to about four times fiscal 2022 levels. It is setting up a US subsidiary in Delaware to prepare the investment and has not yet chosen a site. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/shibaura-machine-moore-nanotech/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/shibaura-machine-moore-nanotech/ Mon, 18 May 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Acquisitions Machine tools Acquisition. Buyer: Shibaura Machine (Tokyo). Target: Moore Nanotechnology Systems, Keene, New Hampshire. Value: $150M (about ¥24B). Shibaura Machine agreed through its US subsidiary to acquire all of Moore Nanotechnology Systems, a New Hampshire maker of ultra-precision machine tools for optical and reflective parts. Moore has installed more than 1,000 machines in over 30 countries, serving optics, aerospace, defense, medical and automotive customers. Shibaura plans to sell its grinding machines through Moore's North American and European network and share development resources. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/us-steel-big-river-dri/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/us-steel-big-river-dri/ Thu, 30 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000 US Facilities Steel US facility. Company: Nippon Steel (via U.S. Steel) (Tokyo). Project: Direct reduced iron plant at Big River Steel Works, Osceola, Arkansas. Value: $1.9B. U.S. Steel will spend about $1.9 billion on a direct reduced iron facility at its Big River Steel Works electric-arc-furnace complex in Osceola, Arkansas. The plant will feed high-quality iron to the furnaces, reducing reliance on scrap for premium grades. The company expects about 2,000 construction jobs at peak and credited its Nippon Steel parent with pulling the project forward by years. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/jst-guntersville/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/jst-guntersville/ Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000 US Facilities Electronic components US facility. Company: JST (J.S.T. Mfg.) (Osaka). Project: Connector plant, Conners Island Business Park, Guntersville, Alabama. Value: $500M. Connector maker JST will build a 540,000-square-foot plant on a 240-acre site in Guntersville, Alabama, where it has run a small operation since 2003. Molding, stamping, plating and cable assembly will all be automated with AI and robotics. The project adds 80 jobs to the 25 already on site, plus an engineering and sales building. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/smbc-charlotte-second-us-hq/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/smbc-charlotte-second-us-hq/ Tue, 07 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000 US Subsidiaries Banking US subsidiary. Parent: Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMBC Group) (Tokyo). New US unit: Second US headquarters, Charlotte, North Carolina. Value: $50.5M investment; 2,000 jobs. SMBC Group will open a second US headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, investing $50.5 million and adding 2,000 jobs over six years. The roles range from executives to analysts, with an average salary of about $165,000. Most of the staff (about 1,800) will be hired locally. SMBC already has around 160 employees at a regional office in the city. Charlotte beat Jacksonville, Florida, the other finalist. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/wacoal-glamorise/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/wacoal-glamorise/ Mon, 30 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Acquisitions Apparel (intimates) Acquisition. Buyer: Wacoal Holdings (Kyoto). Target: Glamorise Foundations, New York. Value: $33M, plus up to $11M more if targets are met. Wacoal Holdings agreed to buy all shares of Glamorise Foundations, a women's innerwear brand founded in 1921 that focuses on full-figure sizes and sells more than 90% of its products online. The buyer is Wacoal Direct, part of Wacoal's US arm. The price is $33 million (about ¥5.2 billion), with up to $11 million more due by March 2029 if Glamorise hits performance targets. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/otsuka-transcend/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/otsuka-transcend/ Fri, 27 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Acquisitions Pharma Acquisition. Buyer: Otsuka Pharmaceutical (via Otsuka America) (Tokyo). Target: Transcend Therapeutics, New York, New York. Value: $700M upfront, up to $1.225B with milestones. Otsuka Pharmaceutical agreed through Otsuka America to acquire New York-based Transcend Therapeutics for $700 million at closing plus up to $525 million in sales-based milestones. Transcend is developing TSND-201 (methylone), a fast-acting neuroplastogen for post-traumatic stress disorder. The deal closed on June 12, 2026. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/shionogi-apnimed-sass/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/shionogi-apnimed-sass/ Tue, 24 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Acquisitions Pharmaceuticals (sleep medicine) Acquisition. Buyer: Shionogi (Osaka). Target: Shionogi-Apnimed Sleep Science (Apnimed's 50%), Massachusetts. Value: $100M upfront (about ¥15.95B), plus a $50M milestone payment and royalties. Shionogi agreed to buy Apnimed's 50% of Shionogi-Apnimed Sleep Science (SASS), the joint venture the two set up in 2023 to develop drugs for sleep apnea and other sleep disorders. Shionogi pays $100 million upfront, another $50 million if SASS-002 (sulthiame) hits a development milestone, and royalties on future sales. Shionogi said running the venture alone would speed up decisions and launch. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/toyota-kentucky-indiana/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/toyota-kentucky-indiana/ Mon, 23 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000 US Facilities Automotive US facility. Company: Toyota Motor (Toyota City, Aichi). Project: Toyota plants in Georgetown, Kentucky and Princeton, Indiana, Kentucky and Indiana. Value: $1B ($800M Kentucky, $200M Indiana). Toyota will spend $800 million at its Kentucky plant to prepare for a second battery electric vehicle and add Camry and RAV4 capacity. Another $200 million goes to Indiana to raise output of the Grand Highlander SUV. The investment is part of Toyota's plan to spend up to $10 billion on US manufacturing over five years. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/japan-us-investment-second-tranche/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/japan-us-investment-second-tranche/ Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Policy Energy (nuclear and gas power) Policy. From: Government of Japan (Tokyo). Covers: US Department of Commerce, Tennessee, Alabama, Pennsylvania and Texas. Value: Up to $73B. Timed to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's White House visit, the two governments announced a second batch of projects under Japan's $550 billion pledge. It includes up to $40 billion for small modular reactors in Tennessee and Alabama built by GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy, plus gas-fired power plants in Pennsylvania (up to $17 billion) and Texas (up to $16 billion). Part of the gas output is meant to power co-located data centers. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/iida-wright-homes/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/iida-wright-homes/ Tue, 10 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Acquisitions Homebuilding Acquisition. Buyer: Iida Group Holdings (via Hajime Construction) (Tokyo). Target: Wright Homes (Wright & Associates, 51%), Utah. Value: About $38.2M (about ¥5.92B) for 51%. Hajime Construction, part of Iida Group Holdings, agreed to buy 51% of Wright & Associates, the operating company of Wright Homes, through its new US unit Hajime America. Wright Homes, founded in 1994, builds about 250 homes a year in Utah, many of them townhomes for first-time and 55-plus buyers, and had about ¥11.2 billion in sales. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/morinaga-my-mochi/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/morinaga-my-mochi/ Fri, 06 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Acquisitions Food Acquisition. Buyer: Morinaga & Co. (Tokyo). Target: My/Mochi Ice Cream (MyMo Holdco), Los Angeles, California. Value: $130M (about $135M including fees). Morinaga & Co., maker of Hi-Chew candy, agreed to acquire My/Mochi Ice Cream, a Los Angeles-based frozen snack brand, for $130 million (about $135 million including fees). My/Mochi had net sales of about $60 million in the year to June 2025, and its retail sales tracked by SPINS were about $80 million. The brand keeps its headquarters in Los Angeles. https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/mediado-seven-seas/ https://kakehashi-ma-news.com/story/mediado-seven-seas/ Mon, 02 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Acquisitions Publishing (manga translation) Acquisition. Buyer: Media Do (via Media Do International) (Tokyo). Target: Seven Seas Entertainment, Los Angeles, California. Value: $80M (¥12.4B). Media Do, Japan's largest e-book distributor, bought Seven Seas Entertainment, an independent Los Angeles publisher of English translations of Japanese manga and light novels, for $80 million. Seven Seas had sales of about $50 million in 2024. Media Do plans to use its AI translation system to cut translation time, a plan that drew criticism from fans and creators.