Japan's 40 Richest

Special Report
Japan's 40 Richest
(Forbes: Tatiana Serafin, 02.18.09, 10:00 PM EST)
Even the soaring yen couldn't pull up the fortunes of Japan's richest people.
At least someone is making money these days.
Japan's retail tycoon Tadashi Yanai, whose Uniqlo stores sell affordable apparel, has added $1.4 billion to his wealth to become Japan's richest person for the first time. He is now worth $6.1 billion and has moved up to No. 1 from No. 6 last year, becoming the fifth person in as many years to take the top spot in Japan.
Yanai's good fortune aside, most of Japan's richest lost money in the past year as the country slipped into a recession, business confidence hit its lowest level in 34 years, and the Nikkei stock index dropped 45% since its June peak. More ...