Japanâs 50 Richest 2021: Collective Wealth Jumps Nearly 50%
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After contracting nearly 5% in 2020, Japanâs economy remained on course for a strong recovery thanks to a rebound in exports and the upcoming summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. The benchmark Nikkei 225 stock index was up 54% from a year ago, shrugging off lingering uncertainty after the government imposed measures in April to fight surging Covid-19 infections. Consequently, Japanâs 50 richest saw their collective wealth swell to $249 billion, a 48% rise from last year. For the first time, all 50 fortunes exceed $1 billion, with minimum wealth for inclusion on the list at $1.15 billion.
Private social audio app Clubhouse is growing rapidly in Japan and now ranks first among free apps on Apple's App Store in a test of its international viability following its latest funding round.
Akihabara News (Tokyo) Mercari was founded in February 2013 by entrepreneur Shintaro Yamada, who had come to the conclusion that there could be a bright future for a new Japanese mobile app that offered a fixed price customer-to-customer service, quite similar to an online flea market.
Yamada had once interned with Rakuten, helping to develop Rakuten Auction, while he was studying at Waseda University. It was after a number of other moderately successful ventures and after a six-month tour of the world hitchhiking and staying in cheap hostels that Yamada recruited two colleagues, fellow Waseda alumni Tommy Tomishima and Ryo Ishizuka, and launched the new venture.