From 40nm to 2nm in five years: Japan banks on ‘last chance’ to regain dominance in chips

TOKYO – Three decades ago, Japan was the world leader in semiconductors, controlling half of the global market share.

But its edge was blunted, first in a trade war with the United States in the 1980s, and then weak government support as Tokyo misjudged the demand for smaller and more cutting-edge chips.