Uber Japan announced the launch of “Uber Teens,” a new service that allows children ages 13 to 17 to hail a cab under the supervision of their parents or guardians, for the first time in Japan on November 11. The service is available in a total of 30 cities in 11 prefectures (Hokkaido, Aomori, Miyagi, […]
On December 10, KOSÉ, a major Japanese cosmetics manufacturer, announced the acquisition of Thailand’s Puri, which operates the PAÑPURI cosmetic brand. KOSÉ is expected to acquire Thailand’s top share brand to strengthen its business in Southeast Asia, India, and other markets in the Global South. By utilizing KOSÉ’s global sales network, PAÑPURI is expected to […]
The opening of new luxury hotels is accelerating in Osaka in anticipation of the Osaka-Kansai Expo to be held in 2025. With the opening of the Expo as well as the future opening of integrated resorts, including casinos, demand is expected to remain high for the foreseeable future. The Waldorf Astoria, a top-of-the-line hotel by […]
JR Tokai Group, one of Japan’s major railroad operators, announced on April 5 that it has partnered with Hyatt Hotels, a major U.S. hotel company, to develop its first luxury hotel, Hotel Nei Nara. The hotel will be part of Hyatt’s “Unbound Collection by Hyatt” luxury brand, aiming to attract inbound guests, especially from Europe, […]
The number of overseas travelers from Japan is expected to increase due to the nine-day weekend in the year-end and New Year holiday season (the miraculous nine-day weekend), according to various travel agencies. According to a survey by JTB, the number is expected to reach 520,000, up 13% from the previous year, which was the […]
Matsuya Ginza, a department store operator in Ginza, Tokyo, announced on November 27 that it has launched a new e-commerce site, “matsuyaginza.com” to realize OMO (Online Merges with Offline). The new digital platform will allow customers to access a luxury product lineup from around the world, including brands that have stores in Matsuya Ginza as […]
According to preliminary November sales figures released by four major department store operators, all of them posted year-on-year increases. Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd. posted a 10.4% y-o-y sales increase, J. Front Retailing (total of department store operations) a 7.6% increase, H2O Retailing (total of all Hankyu Hanshin department stores) a 5.8% increase, and Takashimaya stores […]
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), one of the world’s largest financial groups, announced on November 29 that it will acquire WealthNavi, Japan’s largest robo-advisor provider of discretionary investment services. In Japan, the government has been promoting the realization of an asset management nation, and new initiatives such as the small amount investment tax exemption (NISA; […]
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 […]