Industries In this post, in light of the upcoming major sports events taking place in Japan (Rugby World Cup 2019 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games), we provide our insights on sportswear in Japan, and present where opportunities for foreign brands.
Read more “Sportswear in Japan — Cool Trends You Should Know”
Industries Coffee is one of those universal staples that keeps us feeling alert and ready to face the day. But how do Japanese consumers relate to coffee and how has the popular beverage become a core part of their everyday lives? Here, we explore the Japanese coffee market, related innovations, major players, and where there are opportunities to tap into the market.
Read more “A Look at the Lucrative Japanese Coffee Market”
Industries 
Here, we take a look at how smart cities in Japan are building a better economical, ecological, and social future, and which companies are behind the production of these smart cities.
Read more “Smart Cities in Japan: Practical Innovations for Conscious Future Living”
Industries After the second world war, Japan needed to boost its economy and did so by manufacturing vehicles. Now, the nation is world-leading in the automotive industry and is widely known for its cutting-edge technology and invigorating ideas. Here, we look at how Japan has catered to the domestic and global market through its peculiar characteristics, response to globalized supply chains, shift to green technology, and how the worldwide pandemic has affected the Japanese automotive market.
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Read more “The Japanese Automotive Market: Driving Strong Demand in 2021 and Beyond”
Industries 
There is a longstanding history of vegetarianism and veganism in Japan, stemming from Buddhist traditions that began to take root in the 6th Century AD. Among a recent wave of change, including vows by high-profile politicians to remove the “shackles” on the vegan food industry by establishing clear labelling guidelines, we look at the current landscape of vegetarian and vegan cuisine in Japan, and how a weak yen and a huge gap in the market means that foreign vegan products should be in Japan now.
Read more “Vegetarianism and Veganism in Japan – Why Vegan Products Should Be in Japan Now”
Consumer Insights 
Kindled by the power of the internet and social media, the beauty industry has grown exponentially on a global level, driving trends like that of “personalised beauty” in Japan. Nowadays, it is easy for anyone to view and purchase beauty products from abroad. Japanese cosmetics companies are often considered some of the top beauty manufacturers, popular amongst both domestic and international consumers.
Read more “Growing Trends of Personalised Beauty in Japan 2022”
Industries 
Japanese animation, or anime, is loved worldwide. With Ghibli films, and anime series such as Naruto, Attack on Titan and many others making international headlines, Japan is renowned for its animation industry. As anime increases in popularity worldwide, it continues to lead the way for Japan to export its culture to the world, and continues to bear a large presence in Japanese advertising.
As more and more people continue to watch and enjoy anime, many companies have realised the commercial opportunities that anime characters hold for them. With this revelation, there are increasing numbers of commercials featuring anime characters in Japan today. However, it is not only in Japanese advertising that we see anime-based commercials – foreign companies are beginning to catch on as well.
Last year, internationally renowned Italian fashion brand Gucci came out with an advertisement for its “Flora” perfume, starring an animated version of Miley Cyrus in a style similar to that of Japanese anime. Japanese animator Terumi Nishii (the chief animation director and character designer for ‘JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable’) designed this anime-version of Miley Cyrus, and it gained a lot of traction and admiration for its cuteness and novelty, proving a highly effective marketing strategy. Gucci has even collaborated with Doraemon – a popular Japanese children’s anime character – to feature on their products. Anime has clearly proven its place as an important marketing tool in Japanese advertising, and international companies are picking up on this.
Read more “Anime in Japanese Advertising – 4 Impactful Examples”
Industries As the name implies, ‘agritech’ is the intersection of agriculture and technology. Agritech, sometimes referred to also as agrotech, refers to the application of technology of all kinds to make farming easier and more efficient. Agritech encompasses a vast range of different technologies, ranging from advances in hydroponics and drone technology to the use of AI and data analytics for monitoring crops. Globally, the agritech market is set to grow in both size and importance as societies increasingly seek sustainable and effective methods of cultivation in the face of issues like climate change.
Read more “Growth and Innovation: Overview and Opportunities of Agritech in Japan 2022”
Agritech 
The 14th of May was World Fair Trade Day. World Fair Trade Day, organised by the World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO), is a day dedicated to thinking about and raising awareness of “alternative solutions to the planet’s economic and ecological challenges”.
Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, are an increasingly important set of goals for our planet to achieve sustainability, peace and prosperity. In the United Nations’ 2030 agenda, the following 17 SDGs were put forth, with aims to achieve them 2030.
Currency 
A recent NHK World-Japan report discussed how the Japanese yen briefly fell to ¥120 to the dollar, the lowest level it’s been over six years. Traders are selling yen in anticipation that US interest rates could rise more quickly than previously expected, after the US Central Bank suggested they might raise rates by twice as much. The yen, in turn, lost its ground after the Bank of Japan announced its plans to maintain its massive monetary easing program for the time being.
The Japanese yen (JPY) is the third-most traded currency in the foreign exchange (forex) market after the US dollar and the euro, as well as being an important reserve currency. The yen is strong due to Japan’s strong economy, as the country exports more goods than it imports. When inflow is larger than outflow, a country has a huge investment resource — which is why Japan is a large creditor nation.
With the pandemic, however, the Japanese government’s stimulus package has weakened the JPY exchange rate. And although a weaker yen has long been seen to boost the Japanese export economy, its status as an anemic currency has recently become unfavorable with the surge of importation. In this article, we’ll explore the power of JPY over the Japanese market.
Read more “The Power of Yen: Understanding How Foreign Exchange Influences The Japanese Market”