TOKYO, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Corporate bankruptcies in Japan involving liabilities of at least 10 million yen (around 61,600 U.S. dollars) climbed 7.1 percent in the first half of 2026 from a year earlier, reaching 5,346 cases and surpassing 5,000 for the first time in 12 years, a credit research company survey showed Wednesday.
Tokyo Shoko Research attributed the increase partly to accelerating inflation amid a weaker yen, which is squeezing corporate finances, especially at small and medium-sized firms.
A persistent labor shortage is compounding the pressure, an official at the firm said, cautioning that bankruptcies may accelerate from fall.
Companies with fewer than 10 employees accounted for 90 percent of the total, and those carrying liabilities under 100 million yen made up nearly 80 percent.
Bankruptcies linked to price increases surged 27.6 percent to 439 from the same period a year earlier, while failures related to labor shortages jumped 37.7 percent to 237. Among those, cases involving soaring labor costs spiked 2.4-fold to 120, the survey found.
By industry, bankruptcies increased in eight of 10 sectors, with services posting the highest count at 1,819 cases, up 7.2 percent, followed by construction at 1,026.
June alone saw bankruptcies surge 20.4 percent year on year to 1,021, the first time the monthly figure topped 1,000 in 25 months. ■