The American business magazine Forbes has released the 2025 edition of the Global Billionaires List. The Forbes Global Billionaires List, published annually since 1987 by the authoritative financial magazine, ranks individuals with a net worth exceeding $1 billion, serving as a definitive barometer of the world’s wealthiest individuals.
This list specifically highlights Japanese billionaires from the global ranking, with all individual net worth estimates based on publicly available asset and liability data, denominated in U.S. dollars.
In the newly released 2025 edition of the list:
- Japan has 42 billionaires on the list, an increase of 1 from the previous year.
- The global total of billionaires reaches 3,028, with Japanese billionaires accounting for approximately 1.4%.
- Notably, while the global billionaire count surged by 247 compared to the previous year, Japan added only 1, resulting in a declining proportion of Japanese billionaires globally.
[2025 Latest] Complete Japan Billionaires Ranking
According to the Forbes 2025 Global Billionaires List, 42 Japanese billionaires made the cut. Below is the complete ranking:
| Japan Rank | Global Rank | Name | Net Worth (USD) | Net Worth (JPY) | Company | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 | Tadashi Yanai | $45.1B | ¥6.67T | Fast Retailing | Apparel Retail |
| 2 | 60 | Masayoshi Son | $29.4B | ¥4.35T | SoftBank Group | Financial Investment |
| 3 | 102 | Takemitsu Takizaki | $19.5B | ¥2.89T | Keyence | Manufacturing |
| 4 | 540 | Yasumitsu Shigeta | $6.4B | ¥947.2B | Hikari Tsushin | Telecommunications |
| 5 | 767 | Takahisa Takahara | $4.7B | ¥695.6B | Unicharm | Consumer Goods Retail |
| 6 | 789 | Takao Yasuda | $4.6B | ¥680.8B | Don Quijote | General Retail |
| 7 | 823 | Hiroshi Mikitani | $4.4B | ¥651.2B | Rakuten Group | E-commerce Retail |
| 8 | 868 | Akira Mori | $4.2B | ¥621.6B | Mori Trust | Real Estate |
| 9 | 902 | Masahiro Miki | $4.0B | ¥592.0B | ABC-Mart | Footwear Retail |
| 10 | 1015 | Yoshihiro Noda | $3.6B | ¥532.8B | Obic | Tech Services |
| 11 | 1072 | Kentaro Ogawa | $3.4B | ¥503.2B | Zensho Holdings | Food & Beverage |
| 11 | 1072 | Yuji Otsuka | $3.4B | ¥503.2B | Otsuka Corporation | Tech Services |
| 13 | 1172 | Akio Nitori | $3.1B | ¥458.8B | Nitori | Home Furnishings Retail |
| 14 | 1265 | Kagemasa Kozuki | $2.9B | ¥429.2B | Konami Group | Entertainment & Media |
| 15 | 1305 | Shigenobu Nagamori | $2.8B | ¥414.4B | Nidec | Manufacturing |
| 16 | 1513 | Yoshiko Mori | $2.4B | ¥355.2B | Mori Building | Real Estate |
| 17 | 1626 | Toshio Motoya | $2.2B | ¥325.6B | APA Hotel Group | Hospitality |
| 18 | 1688 | Katsumi Tada | $2.1B | ¥310.8B | Daito Trust | Real Estate |
| 18 | 1688 | Masaaki Uno | $2.1B | ¥310.8B | Cosmos Pharmaceutical | Pharmacy Retail |
| 20 | 1850 | Masaaki Arai | $1.9B | ¥281.2B | Open House Group | Real Estate |
| 21 | 1947 | Yasuhiro Fukushima | $1.8B | ¥266.4B | Square Enix | Gaming & Entertainment |
| 22 | 2019 | Tsunehisa Shimamura | $1.7B | ¥251.6B | Shimamura | Apparel Retail |
| 23 | 2110 | Yoshiaki Yoshida | $1.6B | ¥236.8B | DHC | Cosmetics Retail |
| 24 | 2233 | Junro Ito | $1.5B | ¥222.0B | 7&I Holdings | Retail |
| 24 | 2233 | Hirohisa Ito | $1.5B | ¥222.0B | 7&I Holdings | Retail |
| 24 | 2233 | Yusaku Maezawa | $1.5B | ¥222.0B | ZOZO | E-commerce Tech |
| 24 | 2233 | Naoko Yamamoto | $1.5B | ¥222.0B | 7&I Holdings | Retail |
| 28 | 2356 | Fumio Kaneko | $1.4B | ¥207.2B | Daiyo Environment Group | Environmental Services |
| 28 | 2356 | Nobutada Saji | $1.4B | ¥207.2B | Suntory Holdings | Food & Beverage |
| 28 | 2356 | Hajime Satomi | $1.4B | ¥207.2B | Sega Sammy Holdings | Gaming & Entertainment |
| 28 | 2356 | Kenzo Tsujimoto | $1.4B | ¥207.2B | Capcom | Gaming & Entertainment |
| 32 | 2479 | Keiko Erikawa | $1.3B | ¥192.4B | Koei Tecmo Holdings | Gaming & Entertainment |
| 32 | 2479 | Yoichi Erikawa | $1.3B | ¥192.4B | Koei Tecmo Holdings | Gaming & Entertainment |
| 32 | 2479 | Yasuhide Uno | $1.3B | ¥192.4B | U-NEXT Holdings | Streaming Tech |
| 32 | 2479 | Seishi Wada | $1.3B | ¥192.4B | Obic Business Consultants | Tech Services |
| 36 | 2623 | Hiroshi Ishibashi | $1.2B | ¥177.6B | Bridgestone | Tire Manufacturing |
| 36 | 2623 | Eiichi Kuriwada | $1.2B | ¥177.6B | Sagawa Express | Logistics |
| 38 | 2790 | Ryuji Arai | $1.1B | ¥162.8B | Bic Camera | Electronics Retail |
| 38 | 2790 | Takaya Awata | $1.1B | ¥162.8B | Toridoll Holdings | Restaurant Chain |
| 38 | 2790 | Hideyuki Busujima | $1.1B | ¥162.8B | Sankyo | Gaming Industry |
| 38 | 2790 | Kenji Kasahara | $1.1B | ¥162.8B | Mixi | Social Networking |
| 38 | 2790 | Hisao Nagata | $1.1B | ¥162.8B | Trial Holdings | Supermarket Chain |
Data Source: Forbes 2025 Billionaires List - The Richest People In The World Ranked
2025 Japan Billionaires List: Wealth Overview
Top Spot: Tadashi Yanai (Fast Retailing)
• Net Worth: $45.1 billion (approx. ¥6.67 trillion)
• Year-on-Year Change: Increase of approx. ¥380 billion
Tadashi Yanai, one of Japan’s most iconic entrepreneurs, has held the title of Japan’s richest individual for four consecutive years (2022–2025), with a net worth exceeding the second-place holder by over ¥2 trillion. Fast Retailing, the parent company of Uniqlo and GU, has built a global apparel retail empire.
Second Place: Masayoshi Son (SoftBank Group)
• Net Worth: $29.4 billion (approx. ¥4.35 trillion)
• Year-on-Year Change: Decrease of approx. ¥460 billion
Masayoshi Son, the renowned head of SoftBank Group, remains among Japan’s top entrepreneurs. Known for legendary investments like Alibaba, the acquisition of Vodafone Japan, and the UK’s ARM, his wealth has seen a decline in recent years.
Third Place: Takemitsu Takizaki (Keyence)
• Net Worth: $19.5 billion (approx. ¥2.89 trillion)
• Year-on-Year Change: Decrease of approx. ¥510 billion
Takemitsu Takizaki’s Keyence is renowned for its average annual salary exceeding ¥20 million and exceptional profitability (operating profit margin over 50%). Keyence’s unique sales model bypasses agents, with direct sales by its staff, and over half of its revenue comes from international markets.
2025 Japan Billionaires List: Industry Distribution Analysis
The latest billionaire list reveals a concentrated industry distribution among Japanese billionaires. Below is the detailed industry breakdown:
| Industry | Number of Billionaires | Notable Billionaires |
|---|---|---|
| Apparel Retail | 14 | Tadashi Yanai (Fast Retailing), Takahisa Takahara (Unicharm), etc. |
| Entertainment & Media | 6 | Kagemasa Kozuki (Konami), Kenzo Tsujimoto (Capcom) |
| Technology | 5 | Yoshihiro Noda (Obic), Yusaku Maezawa (ZOZO) |
| Real Estate | 4 | Akira Mori (Mori Trust), Yoshiko Mori (Mori Building) |
| Food & Beverage | 3 | Nobutada Saji (Suntory), Kentaro Ogawa (Zensho) |
| Manufacturing | 2 | Takemitsu Takizaki (Keyence), Shigenobu Nagamori (Nidec) |
| Services | 2 | Toshio Motoya (APA Hotel) |
| Gaming Industry | 2 | Hajime Satomi (Sega Sammy), Hideyuki Busujima (Sankyo) |
| Financial Investment | 1 | Masayoshi Son (SoftBank) |
| Other Industries | 3 | Includes Telecommunications, Automotive, Logistics (1 each) |
In the 2025 Japan Billionaires List, apparel retail leads with 14 billionaires, up from 12 last year, showing sustained growth. Entertainment & media follows with 6, technology with 5, real estate with 4, and food & beverage with 3.
Globally, the top 100 billionaires are dominated by technology (first), financial investment (second), and apparel retail (third), reflecting the booming AI-driven tech sector, high returns in finance, and the strength of apparel retail.
In Japan, led by Tadashi Yanai (Fast Retailing, 1st), Takahisa Takahara (Unicharm, 5th), Akio Nitori (Nitori, 5th), Takao Yasuda (Don Quijote, 6th), Hiroshi Mikitani (Rakuten, 7th), and Masahiro Miki (ABC Mart, 8th), apparel retail entrepreneurs dominate the billionaire ranks.
The second-placed entertainment & media sector primarily refers to gaming, with founders or CEOs of iconic Japanese gaming companies like Konami, Square Enix, Capcom, and Koei Tecmo, highlighting Japan’s status as a gaming powerhouse.
Although technology ranks third in Japan, it lags behind countries like the U.S. and China, where tech billionaires are more prevalent, underscoring Japan’s relative lag in the global tech race.
