Business In this blog post, Prof. Dr. Haghirian, a Professor of International Management at Sophia University in Japan, will explain different consumer groups in today’s Japanese market.
Business You may have heard of “NFT”s by now. In this article, we will explain what the NFT market is like in Japan.
Culture November and December are considered the biggest holidays across the world and in the retail calendar. We will examine how people spend these holidays and shop during this biggest shopping season in Japan.
Industries In this article, Samuel Arnold-Parra discusses the Japan’s sake market. He gives an overview of the sector’s consumer trends while highlighting some key advice on how to export sake from Japan.
Events Let’s face it. Despite gearing up to be a high-tech display of Japanese culture and values, the Tokyo 2020 Games had plenty of obstacles standing in the way of greater success. Before it had even begun, the event was more of a political debate than sporting spectacle. Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic played a huge part in that. It’s fair to say that no-one could have predicted that chaos.
But even before the pandemic hit, there was significant resistance from the Japanese public around holding these Games (as of June 2020, 80% of Japanese wanted it cancelled). In addition to concerns about COVID-19, many felt the increasing cost would outweigh the economic benefit.
Here, we analyse various aspects of how the Games played out, and what this means for Japan’s future.
Industries In this article, Samuel Arnold-Parra discusses Japan’s preserved foods market, particularly canned options. He gives an overview of the sector’s history and trends while highlighting some of the key areas foreign brands can consider when thinking about expanding into Japan.
Guest Articles When it comes to Japanese products, they are known all over the world for their quality, precision, and reliability. Quality in products, quality in service. From medieval katana making to modern car manufacturing, there is something very special about how the Japanese excel in quality and subconsciously seek quality in anything, more than other nations.
Business Despite the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Japanese startups managed to raise a cumulative total of ¥461.1 billion JPY ($4.3 billion USD) in 2020, seeing just a 10% decline compared with 2019. In this article, we give an overview of 5 Japanese startups to watch in 2021. Which of them will see continued success, and which were mostly riding on a temporary wave of interest?
Industries Japan boasts a dynamic and expanding fintech industry. In 2019, Japan’s fintech market size was estimated at $3.2 billion USD and it was forecasted that this could increase to over $10 billion USD by 2022. Regarding fintech sub-segments, Japan’s cryptocurrency, digital payments and crowdfunding segments particularly merit discussion given their growth and activity in recent years. Here, we look at those particular segments within Japan’s fintech sector and highlight obstacles and opportunities for foreign companies looking to collaborate or invest.
Industries Virtual personalities in Japan have been taking off as we’re seeing the likes of so-called ‘CGI Influencers’ such as Imma and Liam Nikuro raking in significant profits for the companies that created them. Notable digital agencies outside of Japan include Brud (creator of LA-based robot Lil Miquela and Blawko) and Virtual Influencer Agency (VIA). This is especially the case during the COVID-19 pandemic as it completely erases the need for models to be physically present at a given location.
