Masayoshi Son Softbank Saudi Arabia

Softbank is tainted by Saudi Arabia’s notorious image

Jason BallByJason Ball

Claims that Saudi Arabia may be behind the murder of a journalist have created a crisis for the Japanese billionaire who runs Softbank.

Masayoshi Son is trusted by Saudi princes to invest their vast fortune.

But now an investigation is underway after a critic of the Saudi government disappeared amid rumours of torture and murder.

How will Softbank respond to this blow to the reputation of its close business associate?

You can read more in this week’s Japan Story blog.

Japan Story’s blog is written by former BBC Tokyo Correspondent Duncan Bartlett. Each week he analyses how Japan’s story is being told to the world through the international media.