🌸Japanese Customer : Japanese Customer Newsletter, January 26th, 2013

Pages

January 25, 2013

Japanese Customer Newsletter, January 26th, 2013

Japanese Customer Newsletter, January 26th, 2013





#1. Manufacturing



"Toyota has regained the global sales crown lost when the 2011 Japanese tsunami devastated its supplies…Toyota first overtook GM as the world's biggest car maker in 2008, a position GM had held for 77 years in a row 1..."The Japanese company sold 9.7 million cars and trucks worldwide in 2012, although it's still counting. GM sold 9.29 million.2  "

Sources:

1. Toyota back on top, Manufacturing, Business Daily, Herald Sun Newspaper, Wednesday 16th January, 2013, page 29

2. Toyota retakes global sales crown from GM, Japan Times, Wednesday 16th January, 2013
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nb20130116a1.html





#2. Retailing

"The world's biggest retailers and their revenues (in million USD) in 2011, the newest available data:

1 Wal-Mart US $US446,950
2 Carrefour France $US113,197
3 Tesco UK $US101,574
13 Aeon Co, Ltd. Japan $US60,158
16 Seven & i Holdings Co, Ltd Japan $US57,966
17 Woolworths Limited Australia $US54,614
18 Wesfarmers Limited Australia $US52,208
Source: Deloitte"




Source: The world's top 20 retailers, January 16, 2013
The Age Newspaper, Online
http://www.theage.com.au/business/the-worlds-top-20-retailers-20130116-2cssw.html#ixzz2I6vdC2yW



#3. Technology


"A study by Japanese tech giant Sony showed using touch ( for example, a tablet screen) is up to five times faster than relying on vision alone."
Source: Futuristic 'tactile' tablet keyboard has buttons that disappear
January 15, 2013, By James Manning, The Age Newspaper, Online
http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/tablets/futuristic-tactile-tablet-keyboard-has-buttons-that-disappear-20130115-2cr3v.html#ixzz2I6x6B73N



#4. Volunteering


"According to the 2011 survey, an estimated 4,317,000 volunteers helped survivors of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami and other natural disasters, the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry said."



Source: Volunteers Triple, Japan Times, Wednesday January 16th, 2013
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20130116a5.html



#5. Food



" ..ramen fans around the world share certain affinities. Most prefer chewy, al dente noodles over softer varieties. A majority enjoy the dipping-style ramen known as "tsuke-men." And when it comes to soup, "tonkotsu" broth, made from pork bones, is more popular than miso, soy or curry. The favorite toppings are egg, "chashu" (roasted pork) and leeks."



Source: White paper chronicles rise of ramen worldwide
Read the White Paper here, By STEVE TRAUTLEIN
Japan Times, Wednesday January 16th, 2013
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20130116a7.html










#6. Food



"Japanese (Chocolate maker) rival, Royce’, with a very different approach to chocolate-making. …the Nama, vaguely truffle-like and alluringly creamy. Green tea, bitter dark, mild milk and white are some of the options, all made with fresh cream from farms near the factory in Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost region. ..Royce’ makes…novelties like potato chips covered with fromage blanc, cocoa-dipped marshmallows and flat chocolate squares called Prafeuille with gooey fillings of honey, berries and caramel"

Source: From Japan, a New Approach to Fine Chocolates, By FLORENCE FABRICANT, Published: January 15, 2013, New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/16/dining/japanese-chocolates-arrive-in-new-york.html



#7. Beverages



"Asahi Group maintained its No. 1 position in the Japanese beer market in terms of the number of cases shipped in 2012 …The Japanese brewery said its shipments during 2012 dropped 2.0% to 164.298 million cases. That compares with an industry-wide 1.0% fall to 438.110 million cases in the year, the eighth straight year of decline…In 2012, Asahi maintained a market share of 37.5%, bigger than Kirin Holdings Co.'s .. 35.6% market share."

Source: Asahi Maintained Top Spot In Domestic Beer Shipments In 2012
The Nikkei, Wednesday Jan 16th, 2013
http://e.nikkei.com/e/fr/tnks/Nni20130116D16JF123.htm




#8. Travel



"statistics released by the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) showed a spike in Japanese arrivals in November 2012, up 21.6 percent year-on-year to 122,084 visitors"


Source: Surfs up for Japanese in Hawaii, Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Etravelblackboard
http://www.etravelblackboard.us/article/103076/surfs-up-for-japanese-in-hawaii



#9. Travel



"JTB Corp. says that it expects 18.7 million Japanese to travel abroad in 2013—a record high."



Source: the small print, January 16, 2012, Breaking snooze
By: Reg Dunlap, Metropolis
http://metropolis.co.jp/features/the-small-print/january-16-2012-2/




#10. Economy



"2050 projected GDP at PPP (2011 $USbn)"

1. China 53,856
2. US 37,998
3. India 34,704
4. Brazil 8,825
5. Japan 8,065
6. Russia 8,013
7. Mexico 7,409
8. Indonesia 6,346
9. Germany 5,822
10. France 5,714



Source: Australia to fall out of top 20 economies by 2050, January 17, 2013
Glenda Kwek, The Age Newspaper Online.
http://www.theage.com.au/business/the-economy/australia-to-fall-out-of-top-20-economies-by-2050-20130117-2cusc.html#ixzz2ICorJexE



#11. Video



Japanese Customer Service - Omotenashi 





Source: JapaneseCustomer.com




#12. Economy



"The World Bank announced … its economic growth forecast for Japan to 0.8 percent… projects Japan's economy to grow 1.2 percent in 2014 …. For 2015, it forecasts a 1.5 percent expansion, the first time the bank has released its growth projections for that year."


Source: World Bank cuts Japan estimate due to isle row, Japan Times
Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nb20130117a1.html



#13. Economy



"Households are beginning to feel pinched by the weaker Japanese currency, which has resulted in higher costs for gasoline and some consumer goods.The average price of regular gasoline rose to an eight-month high of 150 yen per liter on Tuesday, up 1.2 yen from a week earlier, according to data released on Thursday by the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy"



Source: Weaker Yen Starting To Hurt Japanese Consumers
The Nikkei, Friday, January 18, 2013
http://e.nikkei.com/e/fr/tnks/Nni20130118D1701A24.htm





#14. Places in Tokyo - Shibamata


Source: Shibamata, By Danny Choo, 15/12/2012

http://www.dannychoo.com/post/en/26020/Shibamata.html



#15. Nature


"According to the government’s newly revised “earthquake probability map,” the chances of a major quake striking Shizuoka City in the next 30 years is 89.7 percent, while for Chiba City it’s 75.7 percent, Yokohama 71 percent, and Tokyo 23.2 percent."


Source: the small print, January 16, 2012, Breaking snooze
By: Reg Dunlap, Metropolis
http://metropolis.co.jp/features/the-small-print/january-16-2012-2/


* We and our content providers have tried to make the information on this website as accurate as possible, but it is provided 'as is' and we accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from this information. You should verify critical information. Articles, reviews, videos, photographs and our written comments are copyright © 2005 - 2013. All rights reserved. Quotes belong to respective owners. Note links to many Japanese websites expire.

* Don't forget to keep up to date with the latest news!

Subscribe to our:

* Videos

* Newsletter

* News Feed

* Book Reviews

* Visit our store for all your Japan related products including books, food and gadgets!


japan, japanese, customer, consumer, news, picture, quote, video, insights, trends, business, economy, lifestyle, retail, marketing, news, www.japanesecustomer.com, @jcustomers, newsletter, #japan, #japanese, #customer, #consumer, #newsletter, 2013

www.japanesecustomer.com