Japan’s Business Failures in September 2026
(Released by TEIKOKU DATABANK, LTD.)
Number of bankruptcies decreased from the previous year for first time in 4 months
Total liabilities up for the seventh consecutive month
| Bankruptcies |
800 |
| Year-to-Year basis |
▲12.0% |
| Last Year same month |
909 |
| Liabilities |
102,946 million yen |
| Year-to-Year basis |
+4.4% |
| Last Year same month |
140,692 million yen |
Highlight and Outstanding Feature
- ■There were 800 bankruptcies (909 bankruptcies in the same month of the previous year, down 12.0% year-on-year), falling below the figure for the same month of the previous year for the first time in four months. The cumulative total for the January-September 2026 period was 7,999, an increase of 380 or 5.0% from the same period of the previous year (7,619).
- ■Liabilities totaled 102,946 million yen (98,604 million yen in the same month last year, up 4.4%), marking the seventh consecutive month of year-on-year increase. Hatch Out Co., Ltd., a real estate developer, had the largest debt of about 10,762 million yen.
- ■By industry, the number of bankruptcies decreased year-on-year in five of seven industries. The retail industry saw the largest decrease (to 164 from 209 in the same month of the previous year, down 21.5%). On the other hand, the real estate industry saw the largest increase (to 32 bankruptcies from 26 in the same month of the previous year, up 23.1%), exceeding the previous-year level for the first time in two months.
- ■By main cause, 651 bankruptcies were due to “poor sales,” accounting for 81.4% of the total.
- ■By type, there were 769 cases of “liquidation-type bankruptcy,” falling below the same month of the previous year for the first time in four months. There were 31 “rehabilitation-type bankruptcies,” exceeding the previous year's level for the second consecutive month.
- ■By size, the number of bankruptcies of companies with liabilities of "less than 50 million yen" was 501, which was the second-largest on record for September, although it was down from the previous year for the first time in four months.
- ■By years in business, the number of bankruptcies decreased year-on-year in all categories. Among companies that had “been in business for 30 years or more,” there were 262 bankruptcies (291 in the same month of the previous year, down 10.0% year-on-year), falling below the previous year's level for the first time in four months.
- ■By region, seven of nine regions experienced year-on-year declines. Bankruptcies in Kanto decreased for the second consecutive month and those in Hokuriku fell for the third consecutive month.
Bankruptcy Information TOP