Japanese customers receive generous incentives to adopt green technology

“...people who buy Mitsubishi Motor Corp.'s i-MiEV, (in Japan) which is priced at 3.98 million yen, can receive subsidies totaling about 2 million yen from the central and local governments.”




Source: Eco-taxis zap CO2 emissions / Battery-switching demo project rolled out in Roppongi
Tomoko Echizenya and Makoto Fukumori
Yomiuri Shimbun
Apr. 28, 2010
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/business/T100427004136.htm

Japanese customers vote Sakamoto Ryoma as Japan's Obama for leadership skills and charisma

“ In a survey conducted by Lifenet Insurance Co. in January, 14.2 percent of the 1,000 people polled said Sakamoto Ryoma is most fit to be described as "Japan's version of Barack Obama " because he was innovative and displayed strong leadership that changed the country.”

Source: SAKAMOTO RYOMA
Sakamoto, the man and the myth
By JUN HONGO
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20100427i1.html

Japanese customers drawn more by price if products are discounted

“Consumers are drawn to purchases more by price if they are discounted than by other factors, and this carries the risk of accelerating deflation, an industry ministry survey released on Saturday concludes. “


Source: Discounts may speed deflation
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
2010/04/26
http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201004250164.html

Japanese customers feel heat rise in Tokyo as temperature has increased by three degrees over the past 100 years

“Heat-trapping concrete and asphalt have raised Tokyo's temperature by about 3 degrees Celsius over the last century, according to the government.”



Source: Tokyo's goal: Be the greenest
It’s been reducing solid waste, requiring factories and offices to cut carbon emissions, giving cash incentives to install solar panels, toughening building standards and planning more greenery.
By Marla Dickerson,
Los Angeles Times
April 23, 2010
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-green-tokyo-20100423,0,5981163,print.story

One third of Japanese workers are on part time contracts according to statistics

“One-third of Japan’s workers have part-time, contract or freelance jobs, said Takuji Aida, senior Japan economist at UBS Securities Japan Ltd. They include mothers working part-time while raising children, young people who can’t find better jobs and retirees needing money. Temp hires all of these.”



Source: Japanese Mothers Are New Workforce for Temporary Staffing Firm
April 15, 2010
Businessweek
By Chana Schoenberger
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-04-15/japanese-mothers-are-new-workforce-for-temporary-staffing-firm.html

Number of Japanese companies on Forbes most powerful companies drops

“The number of Japanese firms ranked among the world's 100 most powerful companies by Forbes magazine this year has fallen to 3 from 11 from last year...The US business magazine on Wednesday released its Forbes Global 2000 list, based on sales, profits, assets and market value...Japan's Toyota Motor, which ranked 3rd last year, dropped to 360th place, due partly to its massive recalls. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, which ranked 21st last year, fell to 369th.”



Source: Japanese firms reduce presence on Forbes list
2010/04/22
http://www.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/22_23.html

Japanese innovation leads instant noodles to growth market - 92 billion servings

“Last year (2009), more than 92 billion servings of instant noodles were sold”



Source: Instant noodle evolution
Nissin chief eyes healthier, less salty fare Sean Yoong
By SEAN YOONG
The Associated Press
Friday, April 23, 2010
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nb20100423a1.html

New book - "Economic thought in early modern Japan" Gramlich,Bettina & Smit

Below are details for those of you who want more information about Japan's economic history





Title: ECONOMIC THOUGHT IN EARLY MODERN JAPAN
Editors:Gramlich-Oka, Bettina and Gregory Smit (editors)
Publisher: Leiden Brill Academic
Details:Published 2010, pages 300pp, ISBN 978 9004 183834, Price $221.




Overview
It explores early forms of economic thought, Japan appears to have followed a unique, non-Western path to capitalism. Book topics include money and the state, freedom and control, national interest ideology, shogunal politics and networks, case studies of the Saga Domain and Ryukyu Kingdom, Confucian banking& early Meiji entrepreneurship. The essays provide a new understanding of early-modern Japan.

In Japan private detectives will track down your first love so you know why you were dumped

“OSAKA, Atsuko Sato runs a private detective agency to help clients look for their first love...We can find 95 percent of the people in their memories...She also said that recently there have been growing numbers of people who cannot accept that they were spurned by a member of the opposite sex and have sought the agency's help to confirm they were indeed rejected....the agency receives about 20 requests a month to find people lingering in her clients' memories, but also handles cases involving people with extramarital problems and those trying to quit various cults.”


Source: Private detective agency helps clients track down old flames
By KEIKO TABATA
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Japan Times
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20100417f2.html

Japanese customers feel ok about Japan shrinking in size

“..many Japanese seem more at ease with the idea of stately decline and genteel isolation. One of Japan’s most popular books in years, The Dignity of a Nation, even suggested Japan should stop teaching its children English and withdraw from the world trade system altogether. Short of such radicalism, many people ask what is wrong with being a backwater of wealth and civility in an out-of-kilter world. “



Source: Japan’s splendid isolation may be at risk
By David Pilling
Published: April 14 2010 22:23
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/fb85d0a2-47f6-11df-b998-00144feab49a.html

Japanese cherry blossoms more than hanami but the meaning to life, short but beautiful

“In Japan, the cherry blossoms are appreciated not only for their good looks but also for their metaphorical value. The Japanese culture traditionally took the essence of being to reside in the transition, rather than the permanence, of existence.”



Source: Cherry blossoms teach us the value of life,Mainichi Japan
April 12, 2010Kenichiro Mogihttp://mdn.mainichi.jp/perspectives/news/20100412p2a00m0na001000c.htm

Japanese airport Narita handled about 1.8 million tons of cargo in 2009

“...Narita airport...handled about 1.8 million tons of cargo last year (2009)."




Source: Military handgun shipment mistakenly clears Narita customs
Kyodo News
Monday, April 12, 2010
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20100412a6.html

Japanese book market valued at 21 billion dollars seen as unique as rules different for publishers

“ Japan’s $21 billion book market ...is unique in that retailers must absolutely follow prices set by publishers..Stores are shielded from book returns, which is why such a great number of small outlets can exist...For example, a book sold for 1,000 yen ($10.70) in Tokyo would typically result in the publisher receiving 630 yen, the author getting 70 yen, the distributor pocketing 80 yen and the bookstore being left with the remaining 220 yen, according to Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.”



Source: iPad May Be ‘Black Ship’ That Shakes Up Japan’s Book Industry
April 08, 2010
By Pavel Alpeyev and Yoshinori Eki
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-04-08/ipad-may-be-black-ship-that-shakes-up-japan-s-book-industry.html

Japanese electronic manufacturers see their market share drop to 40% according to trade association

“ The Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association says that the global electronics parts market was worth 15.21 trillion yen in 2009. The association estimates that Japanese companies' aggregate market share likely came to 40%, down 3 percentage points from 2007.”




Source: iPad Has Almost No Japanese Parts
The Nikkei
Friday, April 9, 2010
http://e.nikkei.com/e/fr/tnks/Nni20100408D08JFF04.htm

Japanese customers see more of their medical imaging data read by Chinese doctors

“.. an increasing number of medical institutions commissioning analysis of patients' image data to outside entities via the Internet ....entrusting the work to doctors in China who offer low-priced services. While it costs about 3,000 yen per image to entrust analysis of CT and similar images to an outside entity, it costs only 700 yen to 900 yen per image if the work is done in China.

Source: Responsibility must be clear
By Keishi Takahashi
Yomiuri Shimbun
Apr. 7, 2010
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20100407TDY02T07.htm

More Japanese customers apply for welfare 1.82 million in Jan up 16,000 according to survey

“...more than 1.82 million people were on welfare in January, up about 16,000 from a month earlier...Of these 11,000, the elderly made up about 2,280 households, single mother households around 1,110, and households with handicapped people about 960.”



Source: Record 1.31 mil Japanese families live on welfare
2010/04/09
http://www.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/09_20.html

More Japanese customers sleeping in their cars on domestic trips to save money

“...recently, an increasing number of people are traveling and sleeping in their cars parked in rest areas at popular destinations. ... Sleeping in one's car saves time and money during a trip. .. In tandem with this trend is an increase in the number of roadside rest areas with free parking lots and toilets available around the clock to more than 900 nationwide. “



Source: For older travelers, cars replace hotels at bedtime
Yutaka Ogaki
Yomiuri Shimbun
Mar. 30, 2010
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20100330TDY03101.htm

Japanese customers see famous domestic brands enter the Chinese market - Kewpie mayonnaise

“Struggling in a shrinking domestic market, Japanese food makers are looking to Asia to market their products--and a Japanese culinary lifestyle with a local twist... House introduced heat-and-eat retort-pouch curry products in China in 2001, before launching pre-cooked curry roux items in 2005. .. Kewpie Corp. (Japanese mayonnaise manufacturer) also had to make changes to sell its mayonnaise products in China, where people rarely eat raw vegetables. “



Source: With fewer mouths to feed, Japan food firms eye Asia
BY OSAMU UCHIYAMA THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
2010/03/29http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201003280259.html

Charcoal appreciated by Japanese customers for its eco benefits "binchotan"

“Binchotan, (charcoal) the crystalline, almost luminescent material is made by gathering oak branches and baking them at temperatures of up to 800 degrees for as long as five days. It is appreciated for ridding air of harmful chemicals and odor, being rich in natural minerals and to regulate humidity.”





Source: No diamonds, no pearls: This Ginza shop is all about charcoal
BY LOUIS TEMPLADO STAFF WRITER
2010/03/26
http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201003250423.html

Japanese customers frequent many businesses that are over three centuries old according to survey

“ According to Teikoku Databank Ltd., as of 2008, 19,518 companies in Japan had been in business for at least a century, accounting for 1.6 percent of the 1,188,474 companies in its database. Among them, 938 had been in operation for more than two centuries, and 435 for more than three centuries. “



Source: The longevity secret of Kyoto businesses
BY KATSUHIKO TAGAYA ASAHI SHIMBUN SENIOR STAFF WRITER
2010/03/24
http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201003230325.html

Japanese customers feel the effects of deflation as gap between demand and supply estimated at 30 trillion yen

“Deflation happens when demand for goods and services falls short of supply. The government has estimated the current gap between demand and supply at 30 trillion yen. “



Source: JAPAN BIZ TRACK: 'Bad money' must not be allowed to spread
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
2010/03/22
http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201003210194.html

Japanese women enjoying South Korean fermented alcohol drink sales up 26% on last year

“Sales of makgeolli, a traditional Korean alcohol, have soared in recent years, particularly among women drawn to its sweet taste, health benefits and low alcohol content. ..6,157 tons of makgeolli were imported from South Korea in 2009...a 26 percent increase from the previous year. ..Made from rice and rice malt, makgeolli is ...Fermented with lactic acid bacteria, it has a rich, sweet flavor, contains plentiful amounts of amino acid and is only 6 to 7 percent alcohol. ...many female customers order [makgeolli] for its beauty and health benefits,"

Source: Korean alcohol attracts Japanese women in droves
The Yomiuri Shimbun
Mar. 22, 2010
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20100322TDY02305.htm

Japanese customers taking to Japanese versions of hit western films as "Die Hard" gets makeover Japanese style

“Actor Kenji Sakaguchi, 34, will play the main role in a loose Japanese version of the hit 1988 American film “Die Hard,” which will be aired on Fuji TV in May. The story deals with a stoic and daring detective who has to cope with a terrorist plot....In the film, the entire city of Tokyo is threatened by a terrorist who threatens to detonate a massive bomb. Police have 24 hours to pay up or else. Sakaguchi’s character is modeled on John McClane, which propelled Bruce Willis to stardom in the “Die Hard” series. “


Source: Sakaguchi, Yada to star in Japanese version of 'Die Hard'
Monday 22nd March, 2010
http://www.japantoday.com/category/entertainment/view/sakaguchi-yada-to-star-in-japanese-version-of-die-hard

Japanese customers not taking half of entitled holidays each year according to survey

“..workers in Japan on average use only 8 1/2 days of their paid holidays — or 47.4 percent of their total average annual entitlement — according to the latest data from the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry."



Source: Moves afoot to make Japanese holidays a pleasure not a pain
By TOMOKO OTAKE
The Japan Times: Sunday, March 21, 2010
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/print/fl20100321x3.html

Japanese customers smoking habits affect tourism policies

“. after a Japanese tourism association remarked that Taiwan's strict airport smoking ban has been keeping Japanese tourists away from Taiwan. ..so.. Taiwan's Tourism Bureau promised to coordinate the establishment of smoking rooms at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Monday”


Source: More smoking areas planned to win back Japanese visitors2010/03/15
March 15
By Chen Shun-hsieh and Y.L. Kao
http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/WebNews_Detail.aspx?Type=aALL&ID=201003150019

Japanese customers adapt to "doggy bags" to reduce food waste

“the amount of food waste in Japan every year equals the amount of global food aid. It's nonsense." In fact, he said, the food aid supplied annually to 50 million people in developing countries worldwide amounts to just 7.4 million tons.”




Source: Can doggy bags save the world?
In Japan every year, leftovers are roughly the same as the world's annual total of food aid. And then there's the waste-disposal crisis . . .
By ERIKO ARITA
The Japan Times: Sunday, March 21, 2010
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/print/fl20100321x1.html