The economic slump offers unprecedented opportunities for new firms looking to carve out a niche in Japan, according to Kumi Sato, president of Cosmo Public Relations Corp., a Tokyo-based marketing consulting firm.
"When the economy is down, people are put on hold," Sato said. "They have more time on their hands to read and fetch information. At the same time, there's this extraordinary craving to know what's safe, what's different, which products are going to give them their money's worth."
People are becoming much more willing to spend more money on a product that they believe has extra value, she said. This need has boosted Sato's own business.