Tag - consumers

 
 

CONSUMERS

Japan Times
JAPAN
May 19, 2015
Consumer rights group hits Rizap fitness chain over 'exaggerated' ad
A Kobe-based consumer rights group demands that the fast-growing Rizap fitness training chain remove the '30-day money-back guarantee' from its ads, saying the fine print states that refunds are made only when the company 'approves them.'
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 4, 2015
Chinese desire for fancy toilet seats spurs 1,400% rally in Laox shares
Thousand-dollar rice cookers and toilet seats that know when you enter the room.
JAPAN
Feb 17, 2015
Bad manners are rising, as more people admit posting nasty comments online
One in four smartphone and tablet users admits having posted 'malicious' comments online, according to a recent survey.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 19, 2015
December consumer confidence up for first time in five months
Consumer confidence improved for the first time in five months in December, the government said on Monday, suggesting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's decision to postpone the second stage of the consumption tax hike has eased fears about Japan's economic outlook.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 13, 2015
Tax hike may have lowered private spending by ¥1 trillion
Last April's consumption tax hike is estimated to have pushed down private spending by nearly ¥1 trillion for the six months through September, the Cabinet Office said in an annual economic report released Tuesday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Nov 10, 2014
Complaints over online toy purchases on the rise, NCAC warns
With the Christmas shopping season quickly approaching, the National Consumer Affairs Center is warning people to be careful when buying toys online in order to avoid being defrauded.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 10, 2014
Japanese to study unions at U.N. body
A 34-year-old Japanese woman has been tasked with studying cooperative unions' medical care and welfare businesses in Asian countries, through a position at the International Labor Organization.
EDITORIALS
Apr 17, 2014
Tread carefully on corporate tax cut
As the Abe administration considers cuts to corporate taxes as part of its growth strategy, it must ensure that it doesn't end up plugging the revenue hole by adding tax burdens to the household sector, already bearing the brunt of the April 1 consumption tax hike and rising prices.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 1, 2014
Shoppers start coping with higher sales tax
Tuesday's hike of the consumption tax to 8 percent saw mixed reactions in Tokyo and Osaka. While consumers in both cities seemed resigned to the increase, there was concern about the additional transportation and food costs.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 28, 2014
Hidden tax hike surprises await unwary consumers
Tuesday's consumption tax hike will in principle affect all domestic purchases of goods or services, but there are still gray areas where consumers may get surprised by unexpected levies, government officials warn.
Japan Times
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Mar 24, 2014
Selective consumption tax breaks inch closer
The consumption tax is going up to 8 percent next Tuesday, but consumers also have to brace for a another hike in October 2015, when the Abe administration plans to raise it all the way to 10 percent — double what it has been since 1997.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 8, 2014
Farmers not waiting for politicians
When it comes to trade policy, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe faces a choice between the fears of an aging farm lobby and the hopes of suburban families.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 18, 2014
Snow-clogged roads trigger food shortages, send vegetable prices surging
The heavy snowfall that hit the Kanto and other regions the last two weekends sends vegetable prices skyrocketing and causes shortages of some food types.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 6, 2014
Arrival of 'bad inflation' trend bodes ill for Japan's rebound
Price increases are prompting Japanese shoppers to buy less mayonnaise, showing the fragility of any economic rebound unless wages keep up with living costs.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Oct 7, 2013
Results elude new consumer accident panel
After its inception roughly a year ago, the Consumer Safety Investigation Commission came up with a goal of handling 100 consumer product accident cases per year but ended up taking up just six, with none ending in a conclusive report.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 1, 2013
'Abenomics' fallout: Food prices rise on weak yen but wages stay flat
Bitten by the yen's decline, Japanese food suppliers hike prices on wide range of items, dealing a blow to consumers waiting for their paychecks to rise under 'Abenomics.'
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 12, 2013
Prices outpace incomes as yen softens
Prices are rising before incomes are and thus consumers are feeling the pain of the yen's depreciation driven by 'Abenomics.'

Longform

Historically, kabuki was considered the entertainment of the merchant and peasant classes, a far cry from how it is regarded today.
For Japan's oldest kabuki theater, the show must go on