May 15, 2026
TOKYO – The number of corporate bankruptcies nationwide last month was 883, marking the fifth monthly year-on-year increase in a row, Tokyo Shoko Research Ltd., a credit reporting agency, said on Wednesday. The figure was a 12-year high for the month of April.
The recorded bankruptcies involved total liabilities of ¥10 million or more and marked an increase of 6.6% compared to the same month last year.
Total liabilities amounted to ¥111.9 billion, an increase of 8.8% year on year.
The agency said that rising prices, along with increased labor costs and interest rates, are putting a strain on corporate profits, leading to growing cash flow difficulties for an increasing number of companies. It also said that the effects of naphtha shortages and rising crude oil prices caused by the situation in the Middle East are beginning to be felt.
“There are concerns that the impact will spread to small and medium-sized companies,” it added.
AloJapan.com