Time for 'air con,' yukata and beer: Summer sales battle heats up in Japan as rainy season ends
The summer sales battle is intensifying as the year's rainy period officially ended Wednesday after bringing a record-breaking lack of sunshine. The Meteorological Agency on Wednesday announced the end of the rainy season in the Tohoku region, declaring the end of the rainy period throughout ...
First on-campus Muji store to open at university in Tokyo
The first on-campus Muji store will open on Thursday at the Musashino Art University in Tokyo, featuring a selection of the brand's regular daily merchandise, a cafe and a workshop. Masaaki Kanai, chairman of Ryohin Keikaku Co., gives a speech at a new Muji store ...
Uniqlo operator to switch from plastic to paper bags worldwide from September
Fast Retailing Co., operator of the Uniqlo casual clothing chain, said Wednesday it will switch from plastic to paper shopping bags from September, joining worldwide efforts to tackle what many believe is one of the most pressing environmental issues. Under the plan, the company aims ...
Yahoo Japan is under fire for its China-like rating system
Some users of Yahoo Japan Corp. are rising up against Japan's biggest web portal after the rollout of a new rating system that's being compared with a social-scoring initiative in China. The 48 million people with a Yahoo! Japan ID will have to opt out ...
NEC shows how facial recognition could speed up boarding at Japan's Narita airport hub
NEC Corp. demonstrates its facial recognition system that it says will help passengers board planes faster without having to present passports or boarding passes.
Amazon Japan and Life supermarket tie up to sell fresh foods online, starting in Tokyo
Amazon.com Inc.'s Japanese unit and Life Corp., one of the country's major supermarket chains, said Thursday they will join forces to sell fresh foods online starting later this year, aiming to attract elderly and busy customers. In Amazon's first tie-up with a Japanese supermarket operator, ...
Internet shopping provides benefits to both sellers and consumers, and should be regarded as the main player in the third revolution in the distribution of goods.
Drop while they shop: Osaka firm offers room to weary dads in no mood for Golden Week shopping
In Osaka's busy Minami downtown district, a rental office company offered a special service targeted at fathers and children just for Golden Week — a special room for rent where they could rest while other family members shopped. The firm, Naniwa Midosuji Hall, offered space ...
Lawson to install self-checkout service in all stores across Japan amid labor crunch
Lawson Inc. will introduce self-checkout systems in all 14,000 of its convenience stores by October to cope with Japan's chronic labor shortage and ease the burden on existing employees, company sources said Monday. Customers across the nation will process their purchases by scanning barcodes themselves ...
Culture meets convenience as Japan's konbini stores bet that books go down well with a bento
With increased competition from online stores and digital alternatives, bookstores in Japan are belatedly following their overseas brethren out of business, so convenience store chains are stepping in to cater to readers who like to peruse a page or two before they buy. Of the ...
Lunar New Year holiday to be litmus test of Chinese shoppers' resilience
China's consumers have cut back on purchases of everything from Apple Inc.'s iPhones to Swiss watches as the trade war with the U.S. hits the economy. Landing just days after hundreds of local companies issued profit warnings and multinationals sounded the alarm about softening demand, ...
Where to buy ski and snowboard gear in Tokyo
Need winter sports equipment? The Kanda-Ogawamachi district to the east of Jinbocho Station is far and away the best place to purchase ski and snowboard gear in the capital.
