As consumer spending woes continue to weigh on Japan's sluggish economy, foreign apparel makers have expanded their business by taking a more direct approach.
Ranging from Hermes and Louis Vuitton -- status symbols for Japanese women -- to the more casual Benetton and the sports-minded Nike, these brands have increased the number of large, directly run shops in first-class shopping districts in Tokyo and other major cities.
An intensifying realignment of U.S. and European apparel makers has apparently prompted them to seek higher profitability in Japan, one of the world's major consumer markets for imported apparel. In addition, the continuing fall in land prices in Japan has made it easier for foreign fashion brands to expand their retailing into the country's top commercial areas.