Okinawa Prefecture has announced that it will introduce a “lodging tax” to be levied on hotel and inn guests in the prefecture. The prefecture expects to receive approximately 7.8 billion yen (about 50M USD) annually from the lodging tax, with the aim of securing a stable source of revenue for tourism-related policies. This will be […]
More and more men, especially young men, are using cosmetics in Japan. According to a market research firm, the size of the men’s cosmetics market in Japan has grown to 43.3 billion JPY by 2023; compared to its size in 2017, it has expanded 1.74 times over the past six years and is expected to […]
The used smartphone market continues to expand, growing to account for 10% of smartphone sales in Japan. According to MM Research Institute, a private research firm, the number of used smartphones sold in 2023 reached a record high of 2,728,000 units, up 16.6% from the previous year. This figure accounts for 9.7% of all smartphone […]
Major manufacturers of household goods and food products are focusing their attention on the growing market for high-end pet supplies in Japan. In recent years, more and more people in Japan consider their pets to be members of the family and want to choose healthy food and high-quality furniture for their pets, even if they […]
The average price per unit of a new condominium in Tokyo’s 23 wards exceeded 100 million JPY (approximately 650K USD) for the sixth consecutive month. The average price per unit in Tokyo’s 23 wards rose 48.6% year-on-year to 129.4 million JPY in October, the Real Estate Economic Institute announced on November 20. The number of […]
The “Black Friday” sales that have been introduced in supermarkets in Japan are now being introduced in department stores as well. “Black Friday” was originally a large-scale sale held toward the end of November in the U.S., but in recent years, Japanese retailers have begun to introduce the concept as well. Sogo & Seibu, one […]
Beaujolais Nouveau, a new French wine, was released for sale on November 21. Import costs rose due to the weak yen and high fuel prices, but there was a noticeable trend among importers to keep prices unchanged due to sluggish demand. It is said that the import cost of Beaujolais has risen 5% from the […]
Marriott International, Inc. opened its first business hotel in Japan, Four Points Flex by Sheraton Osaka Umeda, in Osaka City on November 18. Four Points Flex by Sheraton is Marriott’s first business hotel brand and the first to open in the Asia-Pacific region. The hotel will offer accommodation services at an affordable price range for […]
The number of cases in which customs offices across Japan stopped the import of counterfeit brand goods in the six months through June of this year was the highest for this time of year. According to the Ministry of Finance, customs offices across Japan detained 18,153 cases of counterfeit brand goods from January to June […]
Japan’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) from July to September 2024, announced by the Cabinet Office, showed positive growth for the second consecutive quarter. In real terms, excluding price changes, it was up 0.2% from the previous quarter, or 0.9% on an annualized basis. Personal consumption, which accounts for more than half of GDP, was plus […]