Economic Outlook - Japan has revised its economic growth forecast for this year from 1.1% to 0.5% due to the impact of increased tariffs from the United States, which is its largest export market [2] Wealth and Billionaires - The total wealth of Japan's billionaires increased by 14% to $228 billion, despite a nearly 2% drop in the Nikkei 225 index [2] - Tadashi Yanai, the founder of Fast Retailing (Uniqlo's parent company), saw his net worth rise by over $10 billion to a record high of $48.2 billion, driven by double-digit growth in revenue and net profit for the first half of the fiscal year [2] - Masayoshi Son, founder of SoftBank Group, ranked second on the list with a net profit of $7.8 billion for the fiscal year ending in March, marking the first annual profit in four years [4] - Yasumitsu Shigeta, chairman of Hikari Tsushin, entered the top five billionaires with a net worth of $6.9 billion, thanks to a 62% increase in stock price driven by sales and profit growth [5] - Kagemasa Kozuki, a billionaire in the video game industry, doubled his wealth to $3.5 billion, ranking 17th, with significant success from Konami's eFootball and the upcoming release of Silent Hill 2 [5] Notable Changes in Wealth - The Sekiya family, one of the nine billionaires who saw a decrease in wealth, experienced a $2.4 billion drop to $5 billion due to a nearly 40% decline in the stock price of their semiconductor equipment manufacturer, Disco [5] - Shintaro Tsuji, founder of Sanrio, returned to the billionaire list under the leadership of his grandson, who revitalized the company known for Hello Kitty [6] - Keiichi Shibahara, founder of Amvis Holdings, dropped off the list after the company faced allegations of overcharging, leading to an 80% stock price drop [6] Forbes Japan Rich List 2025 - The top five billionaires in Japan are: 1. Tadashi Yanai & family - $48.2 billion (Fashion & Retail) 2. Masayoshi Son - $28.2 billion (Finance & Investment) 3. Takemitsu Taki - $20.7 billion (Manufacturing) 4. Nobutada Saji & family - $10.5 billion (Food & Beverage) 5. Yasumitsu Shigeta - $6.9 billion (Telecommunications) [7][8]