While consumers may take ownership of certain products for granted, there's something reaffirming about acquiring a product that's been designated a hit, and my experiences over the years tell me Japanese aren't especially different from other nationalities in this regard.
The origin of Japan's own hit products, however, can be attributed to a specific publication that began ranking them 48 years ago. In 1971, the Nikkei Ryutsu Shimbun, a newly launched thrice-weekly trade publication covering the retail sector and distribution, was looking for a promotional gimmick. Why not, someone suggested, recognize the year's hit items and rank them using the same type of stylized, hierarchical banzuke (formal list) used in sumo?
The publication changed its name to the Nikkei Marketing Journal in 2001, but the familiar banzuke — which this year appeared on the front page of the Dec. 4 issue — has become an institution. Challengers have come and gone, but the Nikkei Marketing Journal's list still stands out as the mother of all rankings.