Kioxia's rising shares signal Japan market shift from autos to chips

Kioxia Iwate's Kitakami plant in northern Japan is seen here in March 2024. The maker of memory chips has seen its share price jump 24 times, year on year. (Photo by Koji Uema) 

TOKYO -- Japanese memory chip maker Kioxia has come to symbolize a potential shift in Japan's industry leadership as its share price has rocketed by a factor of 24, year on year, and nearly fivefold so far in 2026.