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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Japanese Customer News May 23rd 2015

Japanese Customer News May 23rd 2015

Japanese Customer News May 23rd 2015





● “FX online brokerage firm Pepperstone…was forced to pull out of the Japanese market where local regulators have restrictions on leverage that are not enforced in Australia”

Source: ASIC puts a block on FX Primus Group float, by Sarah Thompson and Jonathon Shapiro, Australian Financial Review, Friday May 15th, 2015, page 37.



● “In Japan, Daikyo is one of the largest builders of apartments and has supplied 450,000 units across 8200 complexes”

Source: Japanese apartment giant Daikyo on comeback trail with Devine, Australian Financial Review, Friday 15th May, 2015, page 37.



● “Lion , a subsidiary of Japanese food and beverage giant Kirin, generates about $5 billion in revenue and employs more than 7000 people in Australia and New Zealand”

Source: Cheese revamp aimed at Asia, by Tim Binsted, Australian Financial Review, Wednesday May 20th, 2015, page 22.



● “I think the services area is an interesting place for Japanese capital. They have a high regard for Australia and the quality of the people and businesses here” Stuart Irvine, Lion, Chief Executive, Australia

Source: Cheese revamp aimed at Asia, by Tim Binsted, Australian Financial Review, Wednesday May 20th, 2015, page 22.



● “Japan’s economy has expanded for a second straight quarter…GDP grew at an annualised 2.4% in the three months through March….”The Japanese have yet to shed fully their deflationary mindset”

Source: Japan’s growth looks better than predicted, By Keiko Ujikane, Australian Financial Review, Thursday 21st May, 2015, page 13.



● “Yields on government bonds of the big advanced economies peaked in the early 1980’s:Japan’s peak was near 10 per cent….Then came the decline. Japan’s rate had fallen below 2 per cent by the late 1990’s”

Source: The wary retreat of the premium bond bulls by Martin Wolf, Financial Times, Thursday May 21st, 2015, Australian Financial Review, page 24.





● “Japan’s version of quantitative easing has supressed bond yields and helped fuel a rally in Japanese equities - chiefly the Nikkei 225”

Source: Don’t get too excited about Japan’s growth, by Vesna Poljak, Australian Financial Review, Thursday 21st May, 2015, page 27.



● “Japan fell into recession after a sales tax hike in 2014, as part of the objective to generate inflation and end the deflation trap”

Source: Don’t get too excited about Japan’s growth, by Vesna Poljak, Australian Financial Review, Thursday 21st May, 2015, page 27.


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Japanese Customer News May 16th 2015

Japanese Customer News May 16th 2015

Japanese Customer News May 16th 2015





● “Japanese animation house, Studio Ghibli celebrates its 30th anniversary this year (2015)”

Source: Celebrating Japanese animation by Michael Bodey, The Australian, Wednesday 13th May, 2015, page 28.



● “Former decathlon champion So Takei (lifted) 700 million yen or (AUD$7.2 million) in cash, weighing about 70kg to promote the “Dream Jumbo Lottery” (in Tokyo)”

Source: MX Newspaper, Melbourne, Australia, Photo Caption, Thursday May 14th, 2015, page 9.



● “China, Japan and South Korea, home to more than $1.5 billion people, account for over 62 per cent of Australia’s exports”

Source: FTA ‘dashboard’ drives trade, by Rick Wallace, The Australian Newspaper, Tuesday 12th, May 2015, page 21.



● “A study last year by HSBC found that…each FTA signed by Australia is used only by 19 per cent of Australian exporters, with the complexity of the agreements cited as a problem”



Source: FTA ‘dashboard’ drives trade, by Rick Wallace, The Australian Newspaper, Tuesday 12th, May 2015, page 21.




● “Sharp plans to cut at least 3500 employees through a voluntary retirement program…Sharp will turn its…panel operation, which makes liquid crystal displays for smartphones…a stand-alone in-house company. Analysts say this could be the first step toward a spin-off”

Source: 3500 to lose jobs as Sharp announces $2.1 billion bail out strategy by Takashi Mochizuki and Megumi Fujikawa, The Wall Street Journal, The Australian Newspaper, Friday May 15th, 2015 page 24.



● “The worst is yet to come for Sharp because no one can imagine how it will survive” Akie Iriyama, an associate professor at Waseda Business School



Source: 3500 to lose jobs as Sharp announces $2.1 billion bail out strategy by Takashi Mochizuki and Megumi Fujikawa, The Wall Street Journal, The Australian Newspaper, Friday May 15th, 2015 page 24.



● “Japanese ..Daikyo aims to build a larger prescence in Australia after forging an alliance with…residential builder Devine… The first project…is the $82 million Mode apartments in Brisbane’s Newstead…under the joint venture…Devine will provide day to day operational management…while its construction arm will build the tower”


Source: Daikyo, Devine forge alliance, by Greg Brown, Prime Space, The Australian Newspaper, Friday May 15th, 2015, page 26.


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Japanese Customer News May 9th 2015

Japanese Customer News May 9th 2015

Japanese Customer News May 9th 2015




● “Japan’s central bank is set to move its inflation forecast for the 2015 fiscal year down several tenths of a percentage point from the current 1 per cent and shave its growth forecast from the current 2.1 per cent, even as its quantitative easing program buys Y80 trillion yen worth of bonds each month”

Source: Japan set to cut inflation forecast, by Robin Harding, Financial Times, Australian Financial Review, April 28th, 2015, page 22.




● “The yen which has tumbled about 28 per cent since the end of 2012, has propelled the earnings for companies from Toyota Motor to Mitsubishi Electric”

Source: BOJ refrains from added stimulus, by Toru Fujioka and Masahiro Hidaka, Bloomberg, Australian Financial Review, Friday May 1st, 2015, page 31.



● “Australia’s notoriously slow and expensive internet is now hurting “all aspects of business, government and the community”

Source: Digital Innovation rate too slow, by Noel Towell, The AGE Newspaper, Monday 4th May, 2015, page 9.





● “A Tokyo hotel is offering women a special room to cry in. The rooms in Mitsui Garden Yotsuhai hotel, come with a selection of tear-jerker movies and luxury tissues. A hotel spokesperson says the $100 rooms are designed so female guests can “cry heartily in comfort “ because crying helps people combat stress”. Make-up remover and steam eye masks are also provided for post-sobbing”


Source: What the ? MX Newspaper, Melbourne, Australia, Wednesday 6th May, 2015, page 3.







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Japanese Customer News May 2nd 2015

Japanese Customer News May 2nd 2015







Japanese Customer News May 2nd 2015





● “The land of the rising sun is arguably one of only a few countries in the world to be driving the new dawn creative agenda: Commes De Garcon, Toyota’s fuel Cell car, and the world- renowned Yamazaki Whisky, the list goes on”

Source: Creativity is the New Economy by Justin Graham, B+T Magazine, April/May 2015, page 45.



● “69% of Japanese travellers are least likely to ditch their mobile device when travelling”

Source: Presentation “Converting social leads into revenue” based on “Majority of Americans say they would vacation without staying connected” report August 12, 2014 by Katherine Cole, Regional Director, Hotels.com, Wednesday April 22nd 2015, Connect Expo, Melbourne.



● “Mr. Obama said US and Japanese negotiators have come close to completing a bilateral agreement on trade issues - an agreement that would help pave the way for completion of the broader 12 nation TPP…”Japanese farmers are tough”

Source: Obama warns of China push on trade deal, by Gerald.F.Seib, The Australian Newspaper, Wednesday April 29th, 2015, page 25.



● “Fitch ratings downgraded Japan’s credit rating…long-term foreign and local credit issuer rating by one notch to A from A-plus..”Japan’s main sovereign credit and rating weakness is the high and rising level of government debt”..adding that lack of growth was another ratings weakness”



Source: Fitch cuts Japan’s credit rating, by Eleanor Warnock, The Wall Street Journal, The Australian Newspaper, April 29th 2015, page 24.



● “rare- earths production is far more a chemical business than a mining one, and some prospective mine players have chosen to leave processing to those with experience, such as the Japanese”


Source: Will Oil, Ore rally last by Robin Bromby, The Australian Newspaper, Monday April 27th 2015, page 26.



● “Japanese life insurance firms prfer to invest in domestic bonds as they generally make payments to their customers in yen and don’t have to worry about forex risks”

● “Japanese life insurers …plan to keep pouring money into US debt this year as the list of countries able to meet their thirst for yield shrinks”

Source: Japan insurers pile into US debt market by Kosaku Narioka and Eleanor Warnock, The Wall Street Journal, The Australian Newspaper, Tuesday April 28thth , 2015, page 24.



● “Japanese companies are vying for chances to join three fast-train projects under construction in the US,Los Angeles and San Francisco. Dallas and Houston; and New York and Washington with high -speed systems”

Source: Abe wants US to get on board Japan’s bullet train, by Mitsuru Obe, The Wall Street Journal, The Australian Newspaper, Tuesday April 28th, 2015, page 25.



● “Mr.Cook, effectively second-in-charge of the Australian subsidiary (Mitsubishi Motors Australia) …he recently warned that aggressive sales targets set by Japan for 100,000 cars a year by 2017, might not be achievable despite recent strength in sales of light commercial and SUV vehicles”


Source: Fraud fear as Mitsubishi mourns boss, by Rebecca Urban, The Australian Newspaper, April 30th, 2015, page 5.



● “So far this year, Japanese companies have struck $US 41.8 billion of overseas deals, nearly double the $US 21.2 billion in the same period last year according to Dealogic. The total for all of 2014 was $US 53.4 billion”

● “in Japan, where companies have tended to hang on to their cash, rather than paying generous dividends, deals that are seen as creating value over the long term often bring a share price - pop”


Source: Deals on rise as Japanese companies snap up overseas assets, The Wall Street Journal, The Australian Newspaper, Thursday April 30th, 2015, page 24.




● “while Japan’s shrinking population is still enduring seemingly interminable recession, it’s global net asset position of more than $US 3 trillion is easily the highest in the region (and indeed the world)”

Source: Asia still the answer as boom fizzles out, by Adam Creighton, In the Zone, The Australian Newspaper, May 1st, 2015, page

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Video: Japanese Customer News April 25th 2015

Video: Japanese Customer News April 25th 2015

Japanese Customer News April 25th 2015

Japanese Customer News April 25th 2015

Japanese Customer News April 25th 2015




● “Lion owned by Japanese..Kirin, is the largest supplier to Australian supermarkets through its wide portfolio of brands and foods…dairy products such as white…flavoured milk and cheeses to juices…it is the nation’s biggest brewer”


Source: Lion’s roar over looming price war by Eli Greenblat, The Australian Newspaper, Monday 20th April, 2015, page 19.



● “Uniqlo’s sales per square meter are higher in Australia than Uniqlo’s global average but rent and labour costs are also higher”

Source: Uniqlo to target interstate growth, by Sue Mitchell, Australian Financial Review, April 21st, 2015, page 17.



● “Leading Japanese firms with subsidiaries in Australia…such as Kirin… have found difficulty in persuading employees in Australia to latch on to opportunities in ASEAN and beyond”


Source: Japanese seek Asian focus, by Greg Earl, Australian Financial Review, April 21st 2015, page 21.



● “ 2015 Australian Corporate Reputation Index Source: AMR

1. Toyota

10. Mazda

18. Lion

36. 7-Eleven”

Source: Toyota in consumer trust sweet spot, by Timna Jacks, Australian Financial Review, April 22nd, 2015, page 15.



● “Central Japan Railway’s seven-car “maglev” - aka magnetic levitation - train …..set a new train world speed record in a test run today near Mount Fuji. It reached more than 600km/h”

Source: When you said the in-carriage movie was speed, MX Newspaper, Wednesday April 22nd, 2015, page 8.



● “The Nikkei average of 225 stocks closed up 224.81 points….at 20,133.90, the first close above the 20,000 mark since April 14, 2000”

Source: Nikkei surges above 20,000 by Kosaku Norioka, The Wall Street Journal, Thursday April 23rd, 2015, page 31.




● “Nikkei is a simple average of 225 (companies), what’s behind its rise is expectations for higher corporate earnings” Toshihiko Matsuno, SMBC Friend Securities…”(The Nikkei) could climb higher if TPP talks reach an accord, sparking hopes for the promotion of external trade”Mr. Matsuno said”



● “Japan posted its first trade surplus in nearly three years in March, as imports fell due to tumbling oil prices, while the value of exports to North America soared”

Source: Nikkei hits 15-year record on earnings optimism, AFP, Australian Financial Review, Thursday April 23rd 2015, page 17.



● “Mitsui’s investments in Australia have totalled $14 billion in the past decade, with joint ventures in the resources field alone with companies including BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Anglo American, Santos, Wesfarmers and Woodside”

Source: China yet to sate its appetite for steel says Mitsui local boss, by Rowan Callick, The Australian Newspaper, Friday April 24th, 2015, page 19.



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Video: Japanese Customer News Saturday 18th April, 2015

 Video: Japanese Customer News

 Saturday 18th April, 2015

In this edition we share news of the week

* Nikkei 225 hits a 15 year milestone

* What is the percentage of Japanese with tertiary qualifications?

* More Japanese customer news

Japanese Customer News April 18th 2015

Japanese Customer News April 18th 2015





Japanese Customer News April 18th 2015





● “Percentage of 25 - 34 year olds with tertiary qualifications including vocational, Korea 67.1, Japan 58.4, Australia 45.7, USA 44.8, Source: OECD”

Source: Data Point: World Leader, Education, Australian Financial Review, April 13th, 2015, page 24.


● “Japan….the worlds’s third largest economy…the largest foreign owner of US government bonds…Japan held $US 1.2244 trillion at the end of February (2015)”

Source: Japan surpasses China as biggest foreign holder of US government bonds by Philip Baber, Australian Financial Review, Friday April 17th, 2015, page 22.


● “since December 2013, when Shinzo Abe was elected…on a platform of spurring inflation by weakening the yen, its US government debt holdings have risen $US113.2 billion…The yen declines 30 per cent in value to 119 per US dollar”

Source: Japan talks US debt holder crown by Kasia Klimasinka and Daniel Kruger, Australian Financial Review, Friday April 17th, 2015, page 29.



● “in the Japan Australia Economic Partnership Agreement (JAEPA). the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) threshold for Japanese investors in Australian businesses was raised to $1.078 billion”

Source: Australia’s Jobs Future - The rise of Asia and the services opportunity, ANZ:PWC, Asialink Business Services Report, April 2015, Friday 17th April, 2015, page 31.


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Japanese Customer News April 11th 2015

Japanese Customer News April 11th 2015

Japanese Customer News April 11th 2015






● “As recently as 2008…Japanese companies sold two-fifths of the world’s TV’s….by last year (2014) that proportion halved as Korean and Chinese offerings became more popular”

Source: Sun rises again from Japan tech, The Financial Times, Australian Financial Review Newspaper, Wednesday April 8th, 2015, page 25.



● “Japanese investors bought $2.87 billion of Australian bonds in February…(2015)…the second-biggest amount in the past 10 years, Ministry of Finance data showed….Australian bonds have remained attractive (2.25 per cent)…to Japanese investors, where yields are not far from zero”

Source: Japanese bond buying slows Aussie’s descent, by David Rogers, The Australian Newspaper, Thursday April 9th, 2015, page 31.



● “Engineers at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries are developing a wireless power transmission system that uses microwaves. They hope the system can provide electricity to facilities in remote areas where it is difficult to install power cables”

Source: The Small Print, By Steve Trautlein, MetropolisJapan.com, April 9th 2015, Issue 1098.



● “Japanese saying, “Nana - korobi, ya-oki” - Fall seven times, get up eight” Takashi Ueda, President of Sanoyas Holding Corporation

Source: Dizzy Dreams by Patrick Durkin, Boss Magazine, Australian Financial Review, April 2015 issue, page 7.



● “The (Japanese) government last week…submitted a bill making it mandatory for workers to take five days of paid holiday a year… Japanese employees took only half their holiday allowance last year…says online travel agency Expedia”



Source: Cutting hours the Japanese way by Kana Inagaki, The Financial Times, Australian Financial Review, Thursday April 9th, 2015, page 24.






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Japanese Customer News April 4th 2015

Japanese Customer News April 4th 2015

   


 Japanese Customer News April 4th 2015





● “(Casio) Since 2008, costs have fallen more than revenue allowing operating margins to expand by 2 percentage points , to 8 per cent. Net income has doubled the success of the company’s selfie cameras and G-Shock watch range have supported Asian revenue…The share price is at a seven year high”

Source: Japanese electronics win ugly to claim victory, The Lex Column, The Financial Times, Australian Financial Review Newspaper, Thursday March 5th, 2015 page 3.



● “The Bank of Japan is aggressively supporting the economy, and corporations are taking more steps to enact shareholder-friendly policies”

Source: Easy money drives global markets to highs, by Tom Lauricella, The Wall Street Journal, The Australian Newspaper, Thursday April 2nd, 2015, page 31.




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Japanese Customer News March 27th 2015

Japanese Customer News March 27th 2015

Japanese Customer News March 27th 2015





1

● “Japanese saying, “Nana - korobi, ya-oki” - Fall seven times, get up eight” Takashi Ueda, President of Sanoyas Holding Corporation.

Source: Dizzy Dreams by Patrick Durkin, Boss Magazine, Australian Financial Review, April, 2015 issue, page 7.

2

● “The Bank of Japan is aggressively supporting the economy, and corporations are taking more steps to enact shareholder-friendly policies”

Source: Easy money drives global markets to highs, by Tom Lauricella, The Wall Street Journal, The Australian Newspaper, Thursday April 2nd, 2015, page 31.



3



● “Leading Japanese firms with subsidiaries in Australia…such as Kirin… have found difficulty in persuading employees in Australia to latch on to opportunities in ASEAN and beyond”

Source: Japanese seek Asian focus, by Greg Earl, Australian Financial Review, April 21st 2015, page 21.



4

● “Japanese investors bought $2.87 billion of Australian bonds in February…(2015)…the second-biggest amount in the past 10 years, Ministry of Finance data showed….Australian bonds have remained attractive (2.25 per cent)…to Japanese investors, where yields are not far from zero”

Source: Japanese bond buying slows Aussie’s descent, by David Rogers, The Australian Newspaper, Thursday April 9th, 2015, page 31.

5.

● “Engineers at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries are developing a wireless power transmission system that uses microwaves. They hope the system can provide electricity to facilities in remote areas where it is difficult to install power cables”

Source: The Small Print, By Steve Trautlein, MetropolisJapan.com, April 9th 2015, Issue 1098

japan, japanese, customer, consumer, picture, quote, news, video, podcast, business, economy, trends, insights, behaviour, www.japanesecustomer.com, analysis, #japan, #japanese, #customer, #consumer

Japanese Customer News March 20th 2015

Japanese Customer News March 20th 2015

Japanese Customer News March 20th 2015





1

● “ Japan’s Idemitsu has sold….10 per cent stake in its NSW Boggabri coalmine…(to) Japanese giant Nippon Steel and Sumitomo…the deal…would see the new…partner receive product from the mine….pulverized coal injection (PCI) coal, semi -soft coking coal and thermal coal. The (mine) produced about 5.6 million tonnes of coal last year (2014)”

Source: Idemitsu sells coal mine stake to Nippon Steel by Sarah Jane Tasker, The Australian Newspaper, Wednesday March 25th, 2015 page 22.


2

● “four years ago, when (Australian) companies were allowed to introduce a twin system of “self-regulation”, using their own inspectors throughout meat work’s except for the final carcass health check, Europe and Japan refused to buy “self-inspected” beef products as they did not meet their standards”

Source: Quality fears if beef tick privatized, by Sue Neales, The Australian Newspaper, Monday 23rd March, 2015, page 3.


3

● “….you can spend 20 years in Japan and not understand the culture. But knowing the language offers an intimate environment”

Source: Getting Asians on board, by Verity Edwards, The Weekend Australian, 28th - 29th March, 2015, page 48.

4

● “non-regular jobs have grown to 19.9 million from 18.2 million since Mr. Abe took office two years ago, while permanent full-time positions have fallen to 32.7 million from 33.4 million”

Source: Casual workers miss out on Japan’s bounce by Mitsuru Obe, The Wall Street Journal, The Weekend Australian Newspaper, March 14 - 15, 2015, page 30.

5

● “Household incomes (in Japan) remain roughly where they were 20 years ago….Economists say pay at companies such as Toyota has long served as a benchmark for other businesses”

Source: Japan’s giants OK largest pay rises in years, by Jonathan Soble, Australian Financial Review, Friday 20th March, 2015, page 31.

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Japanese Customer News March 13th 2015

Japanese Customer News March 13th 2015

Japanese Customer News March 13th 2015





1

● “Takahide Kiuchi (a Bank of Japan policy board member)...said if the bank continued with the current program, which absorbs nearly all of newly issued government debt, the market would see a drop in liquidity - the ease with which investors can buy or sell bonds when needed”
Source: BOJ easing steps unsustainable: dissenter, By Takashi Nakamichi, The Wall Street Journal, The Weekend Australian Newspaper, March 7th - 8th, 2015, page 30



2

● “with reasonable expectations of earnings growth between 12 - 13 per cent this year, Japan is one of the few markets with positive revisions in earnings-per-share momentum”

Source: Stick with Japan it’s paying off, By Stirling Larkin, The Weekend Australian Newspaper, March 7-8th, 2015, page 33.



3

● “Japan Post’s surprise $6.6 billion takeover bid for Toll Holdings is…the largest bid by a foreign company in Australia in almost five years”

Source: Japan Post bid for Toll throws open floodgates, By Bridget Carter, The Australian Newspaper, Thursday the 12th of March, 2015 page 22.



4

● “Japan: Population 127 million, Land area: 364,485 square kilometres. GDP per head 2014 $48.427, Growth 2014: 0.1%”

Source: Banking on big ambitions by Rowan Callick, The Australian Newspaper, Friday March 20th, 2015, page 11.





5

● “70 per cent of Japan’s workers are employed in small and midsize enterprises according to government figures”

Source: Japan hopes for pay-led recovery, by Takashi Nakamichi and Yoko Kubota, The Wall Street Journal, The Australian Newspaper, Friday March 20th, 2015, page 25.



6

● “ More than half of the thermal coal shipped out of Australia is sold to Japanese power companies under an annual contract price…”The Japanese traditionally are willing to pay a premium for security of supply and better quality”

Source: Coal miners feel pinch in Japan deal, By Peter Ker, The Australian Financial Review, Friday 20th March, 2015, page 15.




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Japanese Customer News March 6th 2015

Japanese Customer News March 6th 2015

Japanese Customer News March 6th 2015

1

● Japan is the second largest market for Australian Citrus

“China is now the third largest market for Australian citrus after the US and Japan”

Source: Barnaby bags credit for bounce, By Sue Neale, The Australian Newspaper, Wednesday March 4th, 2015, page 2.


2

● “(Casio) Since 2008, costs have fallen more than revenue allowing operating margins to expand by 2 percentage points , to 8 per cent. Net income has doubled the success of the company’s selfie cameras and G-Shock watch range have supported Asian revenue…The share price is at a seven year high”

Source: Japanese electronics win ugly to claim victory, The Lex Column, The Financial Times, Australian Financial Review Newspaper, Thursday March 5th, 2015 page 3.


3

● “One of Japan’s largest builders, Kajima Corporation, has taken a majority stake in mid-tier player Icon.Co. The major deal…gives the Japanese giant inside running on Australia’s recovering property market. Founded in 1840…Kajima is one of Japan’s big - five builders with annual revenue of AUS $17 billion and operating in 50 countries”

Source: Kajima buys majority stake in Icon by Nick Lenaghan, Australian Financial Review, Thursday March 5th, 2015, page 39.


4

“(Japan) the first developed economy to pass the tipping point - in 2011 - at which it’s population began to decline (the) nation remains the third-largest economy and the fourth-leading exporter in the world”

Source: How Japan could still throw off the shackles of debt, by Maximilian Walsh, The Australian Financial Review, Thursday 26th March, 2015, page 55.


5

● “Japan, the world’s biggest LNG buyer, is also willing to switch from gas-fired power to oil-fired based on price, which is why LNG contracts have traditionally been linked to oil prices”

Source: Oil slump puts heat on LNG, by Matt Chambers, The Australian Newspaper, Thursday April 2nd, 2015, page 20.


6

● “Japan’s shrinking population is adding pressure for increased productivity in its services sector….Demography is also forcing companies to seek growth markets outside Japan”

Source: Japanese warm to public private partnerships, Australian style, by Rowan Callick, The Australian, Thursday April 2nd, 2015, page 32.

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Japanese Customer News February 27th 2015

Japanese Customer News February 27th 2015

Japanese Customer News February 27th 2015


1.

“Japan Inc sees no need for an aggressive pursuit of a 2 percent inflation goal or additional monetary easing….The Reuters Corporate Survey, conducted Feb. 2-17, showed ….Around 49 percent of firms saw domestic demand flat this year while 44 percent saw it expanding a little… The 60 percent slide in oil prices between June and January has also boosted hopes that Japanese companies will reap some windfall profits as their hefty fuel import costs drop”

Source: Japan Inc. sees no need for 2 percent inflation or more easing: Reuters poll, by Testushi Kajimoto, Reuters, Sunday February 22nd, 2015. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-companies-idUSKBN0LQ0W820150222#SpxWJjXqmyyqzHp3.97


2.

“Japanese chemical manufacturer Asahi Kasei Corp has agreed to buy Polypore International Inc's PPO.N energy storage business for $2.2 billion, betting on growth in demand for hybrid and electric cars.Both companies produce lithium-ion battery separators used in electronic gadgets and automobiles, Asahi Kasei President Toshio Asano believes “the next big market is electric and hybrid cars"

Source: Asahi Kasei eyes electric car growth with $2.2 billion Polypore battery deal, by Taiga Uranaka, Reuters, Monday February 23rd, 2015. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-polypore-intl-m-a-asahi-kasei-idUSKBN0LR0WP20150223#F1rfMtfdSb6Whh8H.97

3.

“The value of outbound Japanese acquisitions so far in 2015 is already at $27 billion, nearly half of the $56 billion total for all of last year, Thomson Reuters data show. By contrast, the value of domestic deals has more than halved since 2011, last year hitting a 16-year low of $36 billion… After two years of stimulus from the central bank to boost inflation, consumption and investment, Japanese companies, excluding financials, have amassed record holdings of cash, reaching 233 trillion yen ($1.96 trillion), or 24 percent of their total assets.”


Source: Japan Inc shops abroad to duck bleak domestic prospects, by Antoni Slodkowski, Reuters, Tuesday February 24th, 2015. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-m-a-idUSKBN0LS0E120150224#CSeiVsZpsDqqltav.97



4.

“the weak consumer mood has kept a lid on spending as wages have yet to increase enough to make up for the sales tax hike last April, casting doubt on the strength of the recovery. Soft consumption is a headache for the Bank of Japan, which hopes its aggressive money printing will fuel expectations that prices will rise ahead and prompt households to spend more now”

Source: Weak spending to show Japan consumers unconvinced by Bank of Japan's stimulus, by Leika Kihara, Reuters, Wednesday February 25th, 2015. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-economy-idUSKBN0LU05Q20150226#XzDHkO63z3ODwkuZ.97



5.

“Nikon…best known for its cameras, has agreed to buy British retinal imaging firm Optos OPTS.L for .. ($400 million) as it moves into the medical sector…Optos is the market leader in retinal imaging ….Retinal imaging is a booming business due to aging populations, which puts more people at risk of developing age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness. “

Source: Nikon pushes into medtech with $400 million Optos acquisition, by Ben Hirschler, Reuters, Friday February 27th, 2015. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-optos-m-a-nikon-idUSKBN0LV0W020150227#oKiKciSprqRgupcL.97




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Japanese Customer News February 20th 2015

Japanese Customer News February 20th 2015

Japanese Customer News February 20th 2015





1

“Japan Display Inc is considering building a plant to supply smartphone screens for Apple Inc and is negotiating with the U.S. company for investment in the project, a person familiar with the situation said on Friday.The Japanese screen maker aims to be the primary supplier of high-tech screens for Apple's wildly popular iPhones, the person told Reuters. Global iPhone sales, notably in China, have surged to make Apple the most profitable company in history.”
Source: Japan Display in talks with Apple to build iPhone screen plant: by Reiji Murai, Reuters, Friday February 20th, 2015 http://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-display-apple-idUSKBN0LO05Q20150220

2

“Japanese manufacturing activity expanded at the slowest pace in seven months in February as domestic order growth slowed, but orders from overseas picked up … The Markit/JMMA flash Japan Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) fell to a seasonally adjusted 51.5 in February from a final 52.2 in January. The index remained above the 50 threshold that separates contraction from expansion for the ninth consecutive month but fell to the lowest since July last year.”
Source: Japan February flash manufacturing PMI falls to 51.5 from 52.2 in January, by Stanley White, Reuters, Thursday February 19th, 2015. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-economy-pmi-idUSKBN0LO03X20150220#aFBvYkqG42kYLjP2.97



3

“Japan's annual exports in January jumped the most since late 2013… …Honda Motor Co, which has virtually no exports from Japan now, aims to ship abroad about 10-20 percent of its cars built at home…Exports to the United States rose 16.5 percent on-year in January, while those to Asia…grew 22.7 percent, driven by a rush in demand before the Chinese New Year holidays”

Source: Japan's annual exports jump most since late 2013 in boost to economy, by Tetsushi Kajimoto and Mari Saito, Reuters, Wednesday February 18th, 2015 http://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-economy-trade-idUSKBN0LM2EV20150219#PTPWR0K0RYIcolTl.97




4

“Japanese freight carrier Kintetsu World Express Inc is buying Singapore's APL Logistics for $1.2 billion, paying a higher than anticipated price for an overseas deal at a time of slow domestic growth. .. Kintetsu Express said it was attracted by APL Logistics' international reach, and expertise in offering logistics services for the automobile and retail industries.”

Source: Japan's Kintetsu Express to buy Singapore's APL Logistics for $1.2 billion, By Ritsuko Ando and Saeed Azhar , Reuters, Tuesday February 17th, 2015. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-apl-m-a-kintetsu-idUSKBN0LL09N20150217#EFLYfb19tg8YkCHk.97

5

“Japanese shipments of traditional flip-phones rose in 2014 for the first time in seven years while smartphone shipments fell, highlighting Japanese consumers' tenacious attachment to the familiar and typically less expensive older models… flip-phone shipments rose 5.7 percent to 10.58 million in 2014….Smartphone shipments fell 5.3 percent to 27.70 million, down for a second year..(according to) ... data from market researcher MM Research Institute Ltd”

Source: Japan's old flip-phones soldier on while smartphones shrink, by Teppei Kasai, Reuters, Monday 16th February 2015 http://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-tech-mobilephone-idUSKBN0LK0AN20150216#u3dRpeQAPYUure8b.97

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Japanese Customer News February 13th 2015

Japanese Customer News February 13th 2015

Japanese Customer News February 13th 2015





1

● “(Prime Minister Shinzo)Abe’s cabinet will cut the company income tax rate by 3.29 percentage points over the next two fiscal years, aiming for a final levy below 30 per, on par with Germany”

Source: Cheap yen spurs investment by Keiko Ujikane, Bloomberg, The Australian Financial Review, Tuesday February 10th, 2015, page 42.


2

● “Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank is in exclusive talks with Citigroup Inc to buy its credit card business in (Japan)…sources with knowledge of the deal had told Reuters that SMBC would acquire the business for about 40 billion yen ($333 million)….Citigroup said in October it was pulling out of consumer banking in 11 markets, including Japan, to cut costs. Its Japanese consumer banking business has been hurt by weak loan demand and falling interest margins..”

Source: Sumitomo Mitsui Trust in talks to buy Citi's Japanese credit card unit: Nikkei, by Amrutha Gayathri, Reuters, Thursday February 12th 2015 www.reuters.com/article/us-citigroup-japan-idUSKBN0LG2QC20150212#Exq1hX72SQUVgjKC.99



3.

● “Foreign direct investment into Japan more than doubled last year (2014)…Inbound investment rose 181 per cent to 1 trillion yen (AUS $ 8.4 billion), the highest since 2009…Asia accounted for 54 per cent…US 47 per cent…There was a net outflow of investment from Europe”

Source: Cheap yen spurs investment by Keiko Ujikane, Bloomberg, The Australian Financial Review, Tuesday February 10th, 2015, page 42.

4

“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it approved Japan's Eisai Co Ltd's drug to treat the most common form of thyroid cancer more than two months ahead of the review date. The drug, Lenvima, was cleared for use in patients with progressive, differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) who have not adequately responded to radioactive iodine therapy”

Source: FDA approves Eisai's thyroid cancer drug, by Jason Reed, Reuters, Friday February 13th, 2015. www.reuters.com/article/us-eisai-fda-idUSKBN0LH1N820150213#ATEeHcXD7pHtCTcV.97



5

“Canon Inc made a ..($2.83 billion) offer for (Swedish) network video surveillance leader Axis AB … .Around half of its sales come from the Americas, 40 percent from Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and the rest from Asia…(it is).. the biggest purchase ever for the Japanese firm … The deal will make Canon a top player in the video surveillance market, which was worth an estimated $15 billion at the end of last year, according to researcher HIS… (the highly prized) $3.86 billion segment for network-connected security cameras which is led by Axis with a 17.5 percent share as of 2013(is part of the deal)…(Canon)..which earned over 80 percent of its revenue overseas in 2014, said it would pay in cash.”

Source: Canon to buy video surveillance leader Axis for $2.8 billion by Ritsuko Ando, Chris Gallagher and Olof Swahnberg, Reuters, Tuesday February 10th, 2015.http://www.reuters.com/article/us-axis-canon-idUSKBN0LE0KK20150210#ossm0f3KvbWQVGe5.97



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Japanese Customer News February 6th 2015

Japanese Customer News February 6th 2015

Japanese Customer News February 6th 2015

1

● “the Japanese corporate structure is too rigid….in the age of the Internet, the company must respect its employees and encourage them to innovate” Zang Ruimin, Chairman of Haier Group

Source: Haier model at the vanguard of a new wave of innovation in China, By Peter Cai, The Weekend Australian Newspaper January 31st - February 1st, 2015, page 31.


2

● “Sony (is) …shutting down…Music Unlimited at the end of March (2015)…the streaming service, one of the biggest in Japan, is integrated into Sony’s PlayStation consoles…Spotify will now power the music for PlayStation users in 41 markets…Spotify hasn’t launched in Japan….despite negotiating for years with Japanese record labels, which still rely heavily on CD s ales for profit”

Source: Sony’s music streaming exit fuels shake-out, By Hannah Karp, The Wall Street Journal, The Australian Newspaper, Friday January 30th, 2015, page 23.


3

● “credit cards must be returned to customers Japanese-style, with two hands and full eye contact” Uniqlo Training…Japan is the world’s most competitive retail market…To be No 1 in Japan means….customer service” Shoichi Miyasaki, CEO, Uniqlo Australia.

Source: Heir Apparel by Georgina Safe, Good Weekend Magazine, The Age newspaper, Saturday January 31st, 2015, page 24.





4

● “How we compare

Country GDP Goods & Global Rank by

Growth Services Competitiveness % of

2014 % Exports as GDP

% of GDP

Australia 2.8 21.3 22 4

Japan 0.1 17.3 6 5

USA 2.4 13.4 3 6

Singapore 3.6 187.2 2 2

Hong Kong 3.0 229.6 7 1

Malaysia 5.9 82.6 20 3

Source: DFAT, World Economic Forum”

Source: No stomach for reform by Rowan Callick, The Australian Newspaper, February 5th, 2015, page 11.

5

● “Projected GDP at purchasing power parity rankings (in 2014 $USbillion)

PPP 2014 $USbn PPP 2030 $USbn PPP 2050 $USbn

Rank Rank Rank

4 Japan 4,788 4 Japan 6,006 7 Japan 7,914

19 Australia 1,100 23 Australia 1,707 28 Australia 2,903

Source: PWC

Source: Education may stop backslide by Jacob Greber, The Australian Financial Review Newspaper, Wednesday February 11th, 2015, page 3.

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Japanese Customer News January 30th 2015

Japanese Customer News January 30th 2015

Japanese Customer News January 30th 2015

1

● “Toyota…the Japanese company- held on to pole position in the global car market with sales of 10.23 million cars and trucks in 2014…North America - it’s biggest region, with about 28 per cent of volume sales…sales of 1.1 million in China this year, an annual rise of 6.6 per cent…The company is expecting 3 per cent growth in the US”

Source: Toyota’s car sales reign threatened by Kana Inagaki and Andy Sharman, The Financial Times, Australian Financial Review Newspaper, Friday 23rd January, 2015 page 20.


2

● “Advocates of QE (Quantitative Easing) point to Japan, which has endured bouts of deflation since its economy imploded in 1990..collectively, the Japanese enjoy the biggest net foreign asset position in the world”

Source: Printing more money not the answer for ailing European economies by Adam Creighton, The Australian Newspaper, Friday January 23rd 2015, page 29.



3

● “According to data from Swift, the international currency clearing system….the Japanese yen… (accounted for) 2.7 per cent of (all) transactions (in 2014)”

Source: Renminbi hits top five for global transactions by Josh Noble, The Financial Times, Australian Financial Review Newspaper, Friday January 30th, 2015, page 20.



4

● “Yahoo will continue to …hold its 35.5 per cent interest in Yahoo Japan...valued at about $US 7.2 billion”

Source: Yahoo chief buys time with Alibaba spin-off, The Wall Street Journal, The Australian Newspaper, Thursday January 29th, 2015 page 26.



5

● …“Japan’s Inpex Corporation..AUS $42 billion Ichthys LNG project in northern Australia…gas will be transported through a 889-kilometre ipeline to Darwin to be processed … 8.4 million tonnes a year LNG plant at Blaydin Point also…1.6 million tonnes a year of LPG and 100,000 barrels a day of condensates, making it one of Australia’s biggest liquids producers”

Source: Inpex stands by LNG economics of Ichthys, By Angela MacDonald- Smith, The Australian Financial Review Newspaper, Thursday 29th January, 2015, p19.



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