Louis Vuitton Japan remained in fiscal 2001 the biggest earner of declared income among Japanese units of famous overseas fashion brands, Teikoku Databank Ltd. said Friday.
Louis Vuitton Japan declared an income of 32.4 billion yen, up 26.3 percent from the year before. It has held the top position since the private credit-research agency began compiling data nine years ago.
Hermes Japan Co. came in second, with a declared income of 8.89 billion yen, followed by Rolex Japan Ltd., with 7.95 billion yen.
Incomes declared by the top 42 companies jumped 40.1 percent to 103.55 billion yen, reflecting strong consumer demand in Japan for famous overseas brands despite the stagnant economy, Teikoku Databank said.
Louis Vuitton Japan's declared income was comparable with those of such leading Japanese companies as Sharp Corp. and Ajinomoto Co.
A declared income of more than 40 million yen is made public by tax offices. Teikoku Databank used this data to rank the Japanese units of foreign fashion brands.