Photo taken on June 4, 2026, shows bars and restaurants in Tokyo's Shimbashi district. (Kyodo)

TOKYO - The number of corporate bankruptcies in Japan in the first half of 2026 involving debts of at least 10 million yen ($62,000) rose 7.1 percent from a year earlier to 5,346, topping 5,000 for the first time in 12 years, a credit research company survey showed Wednesday.

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