Who are the 5 richest Japanese in 2026?

Masayoshi Son

SoftBank Group founder Masayoshi Son recorded the largest increase and reclaimed the number one position after four years, according to Forbes.

His net worth surged by $51.8 billion, or 184%, to $80 billion, making him the biggest gainer in both percentage and dollar terms.

SoftBank, a tech-focused investment conglomerate, reported a record net profit of JPY5 trillion ($31 billion) for the year ended March 31, following its multibillion-dollar investment in ChatGPT maker OpenAI.

Son, 69, established SoftBank in 1981 as software distributor Nihon SoftBank. He studied economics at the University of California, Berkeley, before returning to Japan to launch the business.

Under Son, SoftBank expanded from computer software distribution into internet services, telecommunications and global technology investment.

One of his most successful deals was a $20 million investment in Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba in 2000, which eventually generated major gains and established his reputation as a bold technology investor.

In recent years, Son has made artificial intelligence the centerpiece of SoftBank’s strategy. The group has committed tens of billions of dollars to ChatGPT developer OpenAI and is pursuing large-scale AI infrastructure and semiconductor investments.

From L: Nobutada Saji, chairman of Suntory Holdings; Kazuma Sekiyam, CEO and president of Disco; Tadashi Yanai, president of Fast Retailing; Masayoshi Son, founder of SoftBank Group; Takemitsu Takizaki, founder of Keyence. Graphic designed by VnExpress/Dat Nguyen. Photos courtesy of AFP, AFLO, Government of India.

Tadashi Yanai & family

Uniqlo billionaire Tadashi Yanai fell to second place even as his fortune climbed by more than a third to $65 billion, supported by solid revenue and net profit growth at parent company Fast Retailing.

Yanai, 77, studied political economy at Waseda University before joining his father’s clothing business in 1972.

He became president of the company in 1984, the same year it opened the first Unique Clothing Warehouse store in Hiroshima. The name was later shortened to Uniqlo.

Under Yanai’s leadership, the business evolved from a regional menswear retailer into one of the world’s largest apparel groups, with operations across Asia, Europe and North America.

From a single store in ‌the western ⁠Japanese city of Hiroshima, Uniqlo now has shops in more than 2,500 locations globally, and the franchise is rapidly expanding in Europe and North America as it looks beyond China, its largest overseas market, according to Reuters.

Takemitsu Takizaki

In the third place is Takemitsu Takizaki, founder of electronics producer Keyence, with a net worth of $23.6 billion, up 21% from last year.

His company is a supplier of sensors and electronic components used in factory automation systems.

Takizaki, 81, resigned as chairman in 2015 but continues to serve on the board of directors and holds the title of honorary chairman.

Sales to customers outside Japan have steadily increased and now account for about two-thirds of the company’s revenue.

Keyence’s customers include automotive parts manufacturers, electronics companies and food packaging businesses.

Nobutada Saji & family

Nobutada Saji, chairman of beverage powerhouse Suntory Holdings, held the fourth place with a total of $9.3 billion in wealth. His company is behind brands including Suntory Whisky, Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark.

Saji, 80, is a grandson of company founder Shinjiro Torii, who established the business in Osaka in 1899.

Saji became president of Suntory in 1990 and helped transform the family-controlled company into a major international drinks producer. During his leadership, Suntory expanded beyond its traditional Japanese whisky, beer and soft-drink businesses through overseas investments and acquisitions.

The company’s most significant deal came in 2014, when it acquired U.S. spirits producer Beam for $16 billion.

Saji stepped down as president in 2014, when Suntory appointed Takeshi Niinami as the first person from outside the founding family to lead the company. Saji remained chairman and continued to influence its long-term direction and international expansion.

Sekiya family

The Sekiya family rose three positions to the fifth place after adding $4.1 billion, bringing its net worth to $9.1 billion.

Shares of the family’s chip-equipment maker, Disco, more than doubled amid surging demand for AI-related products.

Mitsuo Sekiya founded Disco in 1937 in Hiroshima prefecture to manufacture vitrified grindstones. The company’s current CEO and president, Kazuma Sekiya, is a grandson of Mitsuo.

Disco makes the equipment that slices semiconductors into tiny squares and rectangles for use in products like cell phones.