Culture 4 March 2026

Valor Is Finally Coming To Tokyo — Why Ota Ward Is A Bigger Test Than It Looks
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Valor Is Finally Coming To Tokyo — Why Ota Ward Is A Bigger Test Than It Looks

Valor Holdings is set to launch its first Tokyo supermarket in Ota Ward this autumn, marking a fresh attempt by the Gifu-based chain to carve out space in Japan’s largest grocery market. The retailer, which broke into the Kanto region last November with a Yokohama store, is now putting its fresh-food-centric model to the test outside its traditional Chubu stronghold. Timing’s key here. Valor wants scale—a target of ¥1 trillion in operating revenue by March 2028 is on the table. Tokyo unlocks a big, crowded customer base, but it means pricier rents, stiffer competition, and higher labor costs too.
May 9, 2026
Grab doubles Indonesia Eid bonus budget to Rp110 billion as new payout rule takes hold
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Grab doubles Indonesia Eid bonus budget to Rp110 billion as new payout rule takes hold

Grab Holdings Limited’s Indonesian arm announced it’s boosting its Bonus Hari Raya allowance for app-based drivers, setting the budget for 2026 between 100 billion and 110 billion rupiah—twice what it allocated previously. More than 400,000 drivers with high activity stand to benefit, according to Grab Indonesia chief Neneng Goenadi, who said the initiative is meant to ensure “support that is directly felt” by their partners. Indonesia’s decision hits now, as the country raises the bar for what gig-economy companies owe just before Eid al-Fitr, shifting what used to be a special bonus into a firmer expense. The manpower ministry has issued a circular, local media say, bumping up the minimum BHR to 25% of a driver’s average net income over
March 4, 2026