Stronger yen helps Japanese customers buy more foreign cars as sales up 26.2%

"the Japan Automobile Importers Association said Monday 131,799 registered imported cars were sold between January and August, an impressive 26.2 percent rise from the same period in 2009."


Source:Foreign carmakers use high yen to slash prices
The Yomiuri Shimbun
Sep. 8, 2010
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/business/T100907004316.htm

72% of Japanese households have a Toto toilet - What is a Toto?

"Toilet of choice to the stars (and to 72% of Japanese households), the Toto is one of the highest-tech toilets around."




Source:The Toto
By Frances Perraudin
Tuesday, Sep. 07, 2010
Time Magazine
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2016258_2016259_2016262,00.html#ixzz0zGy6FH52

Further reading:

Young Japanese customers see their real incomes dropping over last ten years according to figures

"According to figures from the National Tax Agency, average annual salaries for Japanese workers in their early 20s fell to 2.48 million yen in 2008, the latest year for which figures are available, from 2.83 million yen in 1997. At the current exchange rate, that is a decrease to $29,470, from $33,635."



Source:Young Japanese Seek Second, and Third, Jobs
By GEAROID REIDY
September 6, 2010
New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/07/business/global/07iht-jobs.html?sq=&st=cse&%2334;japanese=&%2334;=&scp=2&pagewanted=all

38 year old Japanese housewife became the 500 millionth visitor to Tokyo Disney & Disney Sea

"... a 38-year-old housewife who went through the entrance gate of Disneyland at 10:21 a.m. with her family, was the lucky 500 millionth visitor. She received commemorative gifts such as a five-year passport valid for both parks and a hotel voucher for five nights at the Disney Ambassador Hotel."




Source: No. of visitors to Tokyo Disneyland, DisneySea hits 500 million
Saturday 28th August,2010
Japan Today
http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/no-of-visitors-to-tokyo-disneyland-disneysea-hits-500-million

Railway platform barriers protecting more Japanese customers as stations with barriers rise to 449 nationwide

"Barriers on railway platforms to prevent passengers from falling onto the tracks were installed at 449 rail stations on 38 lines nationwide as of the end of March, up 17 in the past year, the transport ministry said Saturday."


Source: Barriers on railway platforms installed at 449 stations
Sunday 29th August,2010
Japan Today
http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/barriers-on-railway-platforms-installed-at-449-stations

New teaching scheme for Japanese English teachers to train in US for up to 2 years being considered according to report

"A new scheme could enable Japanese teachers to travel abroad to improve their English language skills...it is likely that the scheme will cover primary, middle and secondary school teachers who have recently qualified. They could remain in the US for up to two years learning new language and teaching skills."


Source: Japan plans US teacher training scheme
Thursday, 11th November 2010
In General Japan News,
Written by Kimberley Homer.
http://insidejapantours.com/japan-news/1582/japan-plans-us-teacher-training-scheme/

Intellectual property in Japan - music - Joji Takahashi

"(Joji Takahashi) The singer makes ¥12 million a year from the song "Road," which he wrote and performed back in 1993 with his band Tora Bu Ryu (a compound of three kanji whose pronunciation is meant to mimic the English word "trouble"). This song, which is divided into "chapters," sold 2.2 million copies in the year after it was released, netting him ¥1.6 billion"



Source: Some recent adventures in intellectual property
By PHILIP BRASOR
The Japan Times
Sunday, Oct. 24, 2010
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fd20101024pb.html

34 prefectures in Japan ban riding a bicycle with headphones on, up to a 50,000 yen fine

"A total of 34 prefectures, including Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka, have banned the use of ear or headphones while riding a bicycle, ...a fine of up to 50,000 yen will be imposed on violators...The following prefectures have banned using earphones or headphones while riding bicycles: Hokkaido, Aomori, Akita, Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima, Gunma, Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo, Toyama, Yamanashi, Nagano, Gifu, Shizuoka, Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Wakayama, Tottori, Shimane, Yamaguchi, Tokushima, Kagawa, Ehime, Kochi, Fukuoka, Saga, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, Kagoshima and Okinawa."





Source: Prefectures ban earphone use while riding bikes
The Yomiuri Shimbun
Oct. 18, 2010
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T101017001952.htm

Japan ranks number three in the world on the Global Peace Index

In 2010 Japan ranks number three
in the world on the Global Peace Index






Source: Global Peace Index
Saturday October 9,2010
http://www.visionofhumanity.org/gpi-data/#/2010/scor/

New Japanese television show aims to compare everything in Japan with foreign cultures

"Never underestimate Japanese TV's capacity for self-obsession. The new variety show "Kuraberu Kuraberaa" (Comparing Comparers; TBS, Wed., 9 p.m.) endeavors to compare everything in Japan with its foreign counterparts."



Source:CHANNEL SURF
The secret story of Minako Honda; Japan vs. the world; CM of the week: Asahi's Wonda
Sunday, Nov. 7, 2010
Japan Times
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fd20101107cs.html

New Book - THE POLITICS OF CULTURE: Around the world of Naoki Sakai

"Naoki Sakai is an important and prominent thinker in Asian and cultural studies and his work continues to make itself felt across a broad range of both national and disciplinary borders. Originally finding a home in the otherwise circumscribed field of Japan Studies, Saksai's writings have succeeded in large part in destabilising that home, exposing the fragility of its boundaries to an outside that threatens constantly to overwhelm it."


Calichman, Richard and John Namjun Kim (editors)
THE POLITICS OF CULTURE: Around the world of Naoki Sakai
Abingdon, Routledge 2010 272pp.
ISBN 978 0415 562164

Japanese scientists have won 10 Nobel prizes in science since 2000

"The awarding of the Nobel Prize for chemistry to Akira Suzuki and Ei-ichi Negishi, alongside co-winner Richard Heck of the U.S., brings to 10 the number of Japanese scientists to win Nobels since 2000, and might be a good occasion to rethink further Japan’s postwar history."




Source: What Nobel Prizes Say About Japan
October 7, 2010
WSJ
http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2010/10/07/what-nobel-prizes-say-about-japan/

Transportation companies reduce prices between Narita and downtown, new limousine bus service 1000 yen one way set to start

".. Cab Station Co. will begin .. offering limousine bus rides between Narita airport and Tokyo's Ueno and Asakusa district for a one-way fare of 1,000 yen... a third of the standard fare between Narita and central Tokyo."


Source: Taxi Firm To Offer Y1,000 Tokyo-Narita Airport Shuttle
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
The Nikkei
http://e.nikkei.com/e/fr/tnks/Nni20101108D08JFA08.htm

Change in womens participation rate in Japan could impact GDP growth by as much as 15% according to report

"While Japan’s overall female employment rate is now at a record 60%... If the female employment rate was also 80%, this would add another 8.2 million employees to the work force and boost Japan’s GDP by as much as 15%."



Report "Womenomics 3.0: The time is now"



Source:Women: Japan’s Secret Economic Weapon
WSJ
Mariko Sanchanta
October 7, 2010
http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2010/10/07/women-japans-secret-economic-weapon/

How to send a message of sympathy to your Japanese customer regarding the recent earthquake & tsunami

If you have Japanese customers that you do business with you may have been thinking about them recently and wondered what would be suitable to say at this time.

As everyone is very busy at the moment thinking about family, friends, loved ones and colleagues a short message expressing sympathy may be of comfort.

When sending an email at this time please remember that as people are currently very busy (physically and mentally) they will most certainly read your message but may not respond. Don't be too worried about this. Your point is to communicate with them.

Japanese

この度の地震により被災された皆様に、心よりお見舞い申し上げます。

一日も早い復旧・復興を心からお祈り申し上げます。

English - translation

To everyone affected by the earthquake at this time, I would like to express sincere sympathy.
We sincerely hope early recovery and reconstruction.

You may want to include both the Japanese and English translation. The English translation may be useful for your Japanese colleague to help form a short English reply.

As mentioned don't worry if you do not get a reply, they will read it.

Japanese consumers flock to new bread maker that uses rice to make loaves

Video by Diginfonews


"Sanyo Electric Co. ..finally began selling the world's first bread maker that bakes loaves using ordinary grains of rice. In the spotlight for its use of rice rather than expensive rice flour, the Gopan retails for around 50,000 yen.




Source: Sanyo's Rice Bread Maker In Scarce Supply After Day 1
Friday, November 12, 2010
The Nikkei
http://e.nikkei.com/e/fr/tnks/Nni20101112D11JFA22.htm

Japan's first 3D capable handset will run on a Sharp phone with Android software

"NTT DoCoMo Inc. is introducing ...Japan's first handset with 3-D capability. A new Sharp Corp. smartphone running on Google Inc.'s Android operating system will enable users to see 3-D images without special glasses."





Source: DoCoMo To Release 3-D Smartphone
The Nikkei
Monday, October 25, 2010
http://e.nikkei.com/e/fr/tnks/Nni20101025D25HH782.htm

New Book - JAPAN'S FRAMES OF MEANING: A hermeneutics reader by Michael Marra

"In this book, the author identifies interpretative concepts central to discussions of hermeneutical practices in Japan and presents English translations of works on basic hermeneutics by major Japanese thinkers. Discussions of Japanese thought tend to be centered on key Western terms in light of which Japanese texts are examined; alternatively, a few Buddhist concepts are presented as counterparts of these Western terms."



Michael F. Marra
JAPAN'S FRAMES OF MEANING: A hermeneutics reader
Honolulu, University of Hawaii Press 2010 464pp.
ISBN 978 08248 34609

Young Japanese showing signs of new frugality as they refuse to buy big ticket items according to article

"As living standards in this still wealthy nation slowly erode, a new frugality is apparent among a generation of young Japanese, who have known nothing but economic stagnation and deflation. They refuse to buy big-ticket items like cars or televisions, and fewer choose to study abroad in America."




Source: Japan, Once Dynamic, Is Disheartened by Decline
By MARTIN FACKLER
Steve Lohr contributed reporting from New York.
Published: October 16, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/17/world/asia/17japan.html?_r=1&ref=martin_fackler&pagewanted=all

Austerity considered a virtue in Japan

"Japanese are not averse to austerity, and indeed it is considered a virtue — practically a goal in itself.... Japanese people remain as they have traditionally been, quite at home with less. "





Source: Color me upbeat despite the pessimism now sweeping this land
By ROGER PULVERS
The Japan Times: Sunday, Nov. 7, 2010
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20101107rp.html

Older Japanese consumers worry about the safety of their investments as more focus on bank deposits

"Worried about their old age, Japanese are putting more of their money into safe investment vehicles such as bank deposits... securities constitute 15.4% of total household financial assets, which amount to an average of 11.69 million per household, up 4% from 2009. Savings and deposits account for 6.35 million yen of the total, up 2.6%."




Source: Households Save More, Shun Risky Financial Products: Poll
Saturday, October 23, 2010
The Nikkei
http://e.nikkei.com/e/fr/tnks/Nni20101022D22JFA07.htm

Customer service in Japan "is unbelievably consistent" - Dean Rogers

"Japanese customer service is good, and more than anything, it is unbelievably consistent. Complete standardization of service brings about the utter perfection with which food is prepared here in Japan."





Source: In Japan, the customer is not king
By Dean Rogers
Japan Today
http://www.japantoday.com/category/commentary/view/in-japan-the-customer-is-not-king

Domestic cell phone shipments in Japan in 2009 estimated at 31 million units

"According to the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association, domestic cell-phone shipments totaled some 31 million units in fiscal 2009, about 60% of their peak in 2000."





Source: DoCoMo To Release 3-D Smartphone
The Nikkei
Monday, October 25, 2010
http://e.nikkei.com/e/fr/tnks/Nni20101025D25HH782.htm

New Book - The Economic consequences of demographic change in East Asia

"Recent studies show that almost all industrial countries have experienced dramatic deceases in both fertility and mortality rates. This situation has led to ageing societies with economies that suffer from both a decline in the working population and a rise in the fiscal deficits linked to increased government spending. East Asia exemplifies these trends, and this volume offer an in-depth look at how long-term demographic transitions have taken shape there and how they have affected the community in the region."



Book -THE ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE IN EAST ASIA
Ito, Takatoshi and Andrew K. Rose (editors)
Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 2010 472pp. 66 figures 82 tables
ISBN 978 0226 386850 Price $153

Japan's corporate tax rate remains the highest among the Group of 20 at 40.69% according to survey

"Japan's effective corporate tax rate remains the highest among the Group of 20 leading economies for a ninth straight year, standing at 40.69% as of July, a survey by KPMG International shows.Japan's rate, which includes national and local taxes, far exceeds the world average of 24.99% based on 114 countries. "



Source: Japan Leads G-20 In Corporate Tax Rate For 9th Year
Saturday, October 23, 2010
The Nikkei
http://e.nikkei.com/e/fr/tnks/Nni20101022D22JFA08.htm

New books - Visions of Japanese Modernity by Aaron Gerow

"Japan has done marvelous things with cinema, giving the world the likes of Kuroawa, Mizoguchi, and Ozu."





VISIONS OF JAPANESE MODERNITY.
Articulations of cinema, nation, and spectatorship, 1895-1925
Gerow, Aaron
Berkeley, University of California Press, 2010 344pp.
ISBN 978 0520 254565 (Soft) Price $ 44

Scrutiny of liabilities in a bid to gain grasp of financial condition & eliminate waste in special accounts

".. scrutiny of the liabilities owed by the government's 18 special accounts in a bid to gain a better grasp of their financial condition and to eliminate waste...The 18 special accounts, which are not reflected in the annual general-account budget, had cumulative liabilities of at least 279 trillion yen as of March 2009, according to the Ministry of Finance."



Source:
Kan Wants Close Examination Of 'Hidden' Liabilities
Thursday, October 21, 2010
The Nikkei Oct. 21 morning edition
http://e.nikkei.com/e/fr/tnks/Nni20101020D20JFN06.htm

Japanese investment in IT decreased compared to other hi- tech countries in past ten years

"Japanese spending in (IT) ..grew 130% in the decade starting in 1995, compared with growth topping 300% in the U.S. and the U.K...Denmark led the group with growth of nearly 500%. The ranking also includes South Korea, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Sweden and Finland. Japan and the U.S. both invested about 10 trillion yen in information and communications in 1995. But from that year until 2008, Japan's investment doubled while the U.S.'s soared 350%."



Source:
Japan Slowest In IT Spending Growth: Ministry
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
The Nikkei
http://e.nikkei.com/e/fr/tnks/Nni20100823D23JFA11.htm

"Because of regulations. Japan has the highest landing fees inthe world"

"Japan has consistently been left off the top-10 international-airports list, which is dominated by Asian gateways. Because of regulations, Japan has the highest landing fees in the world: It costs 770,000 yen, or about $9,400, to land a Boeing 747-400 at Narita, compared with 70,000 yen at Heathrow Airport in London."





Source: WSJ: Japan Offers Long-Awaited Alternative To Narita
By MARIKO SANCHANTA
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Kana Inagaki contributed to this article.
http://e.nikkei.com/e/fr/tnks/Nni20101021D20NY130.htm

Broadband penetration rate in Japan is estimated at 24.9% according to union reprt

"The broadband penetration rate stands at 0.7 percent in Indonesia and 2.8 percent in Peru, but reaches as high as 27.1 percent in the United States and 24.9 percent in Japan, according to the International Telecommunication Union, the United Nations' agency for ICT issues."


Source: APEC sets broadband goal
Ministers agree to try to wire Asia by 2020
Monday, Nov. 1, 2010
Japan Times
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nb20101101a1.html

Japanese customers see their pension funds in black for first time in three years according to labor & welfare ministry

"..revenue of the pension fund for company workers was about 46.6 trillion yen in the last fiscal year, while spending was about 38.8 trillion yen. The surplus, the first in 3 years, was about 7.7 trillion yen or 92 billion dollars."


Source: Japan's public pensions move into black
29/8/2010
NHK WORLD
http://www.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/29_14.html