Japanese Customer News May 30th 2015

Japanese Customer News May 30th 2015

Japanese Customer News May 30th 2015





● “executives in Japan were first alerted to the prospects in the region after witnessing strong sales to Australians travelling in Asia…Satoru Matsuzaki president Kyohin Kaikaku, the company that owns Muji.”At our Singapore store we saw so many Australians visiting the store and buying products”

Source: ‘Ikea of Japan’ plans expansion by Eli Greenblat, The Australian Newspaper, Tuesday May 26th, 2015, page 21.



● “ Yields (%) by maturing in government bond markets

3mth 1 year 2 year 5 year

Japan -0.007 -0.01 -0.01 0.13

Denmark -1.28 -0.58 -0.43 -0.004 “

Source: Goldman Sachs Asset Management

Source: Crazy negative rates put everyone in danger, by Richard Gluyas, The Australian Newspaper, Tuesday May 26th, 2015, page23.





● “April..data from the Ministry of Finance showed this week exports grew 8 per cent on year, while imports fell 4.2 per cent…A plunge in global oil prices has remained a factor curbing the value of the country’s overall import bill….The value of crude oil imports fell 34.6 per cent from a year earlier compared with a 51 per cent decline last month”

Source: Japan slides back into trade deficit by Tatsuo Ito, The Wall Street Journal, The Australian, Tuesday May 26th, 2015, page 24.



● “Japan’s Line….a popular smartphone messaging application, is preparing for an IPO in Tokyo…205 million monthly active users..123 million come from: Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and Indonesia….Line provides free messaging and voice calls and generates revenue from the sale of ‘stickers’, games and other services”

Source: Line mulls Tokyo - NY listing by Alexander Martin and Takashi Mochizuki, The Wall Street Journal, The Australian, Wednesday 27th May, 2015, page 25.



● “Suntory Beverage and Food plans to buy the soft drink operations of Japan Tobacco for Y150billion (AUS $1.5 billion)…Suntory Holdings purchase of (Jim) Beam…for about US $16 billion last year…largely set their sights overseas in search of growth….the latest deal gives…canned coffee brands Roots….peach flavoured drink Momono Tennensui …..170,000 (vending) machines”
Source: Suntory to buy Japan Tobacco’s drink arms, by Megumi Fujikawa, The Wall Street Journal, The Australian, Wednesday May 27th, 2015, page 25.



● “Share of individuals with low numeracy skills aged 16-29

Korea 6%

Japan 7%

OECD Average 15%

Australia 17%

US 28%
Source: OECD”

Source: Skills shortage to worsen as apprentice numbers tumble by Natasha Bita, The Australian, Thursday May 28th, 2015, page 5.



● “Japanese architectural firm…SANAA…were yesterday announced as lead architects for (The Art Gallery of NSW) $450 million Sydney Modern Project. Tokyo Architects..Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa”

Source: Japanese win gallery design job by Michaela Boland, The Australian, Thursday, May 28th, 2015, page 7.



● “Japan’s hi-tech toilets…are the latest weapon in the country’s battle to boost its economy…they warm on chilly days…they flush automatically…a cleansing water jet…the first model, the washlet, appeared in 1980…automated wash toilets have dominated Japanese bathrooms”

Source: A day in the life of Japanese toilets, The Times Newspaper, The Australian, Thursday May 28th, 2015, page 10.





● “In the world of cafes and restaurants, android waiters are making their mark, with China, Japan and South Korea leading the way…human-looking androids with typical human facial mannerisms, such as Japanese newsreader robot kodomoroid”

Source: Hospitality goes Hi-tech by Chris Griffith, The Australian, Thursday May 28th 2015, page 16.



● “todays formal handover of Toll to its new Japanese owners Toll chief executive Brian Kruger…said he expected moves to bring Japan Post’s technology and transport management systems to Australia would help build Toll’s share of parcel deliveries locally to 30 per cent within two years”

Source: Toll plans to deliver the goods by Damon Kitney, The Australian, Thursday May 28th, 2015, p19.



● “Apple is likely to issue the company’s first yen - denominated bonds in Japan in June…Japanese bond yields and issuance costs are among the lowest in the world as the central bank keeps interest rates low with its massive monetary easing program. Apple said in December that it would open a new research site near Yokohama”

Source: Apple set to issue Japanese bonds by Takashi Mochizuki and Eleanor Warnock, The Wall Street Journal, The Australian, Thursday May 28th, 2015, page 24.





● “Universal Studio’s Japan theme park in Osaka is planning to list on the Tokyo Stock Exchange as early as September. USJ has a current valuation of about $US 5 billion. The company’s valuation soared since…the new attraction…dedicated to Harry Potter last year”

Source: Japanese theme park eyes IPO by Yvonne Lee, The Wall Street Journal, The Australian, Thursday May 28th, 2015, page 25.



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