Themed restaurants, including those offering sumo performances, are part of a tourism ecosystem that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hopes will add ¥5 trillion a year to the nation's economy.
Fast Retailing has 925 Uniqlo outlets in mainland China — more than in Japan — making it a bellwether for a retail market that was hammered by tough COVID-19 restrictions.
The deal marks the fifth major overseas acquisition by Astellas, Japan's third biggest drugmaker by sales, since 2019.
From a country with ever-fewer births, the firm is looking overseas — for production, and for customers who will buy products like its ¥100,000 Gold Label brand pajamas.
Of nearly 500 major companies polled, 82% said a continuation of global inflation was a concern for their business in the coming period.
In the next most common response, 28% said the central bank should revise its 2% inflation target.
The prime minister has repeatedly urged companies to make strong efforts to lift employee pay, which has failed to keep up with the fastest inflation in 40 years.
The company cited currency fluctuations as well as surging costs for materials, labor, transportation and energy as the reasons for the move.
Makiko Ono will be one of only a handful of women to lead a big Japanese company once she takes over the job early next year.
Nao Engineering, which has been selling its Crisis-1 shelters since December 2021, has seen a surge in inquiries after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February.
