Japan's consumers and workers struggle to adjust on first day of consumption tax hike
Under a system intended to lighten the burden on low income households, tax rates for foods vary depending on where items are consumed, causing confusion for many.
Japan firms fight the frugal retail psyche with AI-driven pricing and other tricks
After years of soggy inflation and a long reign by Japan's tightfisted shoppers, businesses are adopting new methods to lift prices, from artificial intelligence to simple packaging tweaks. Despite many rounds of stimulus, policymakers have failed to jolt households out of the deflationary mindset that ...
Japanese firms in Hong Kong concerned protests may escalate as ministry issues warning
The Foreign Ministry’s Level 1 travel warning is its weakest, but Japanese financial institutions operating in the international financial hub are growing wary of conducting business there.
Japanese fast-food chain Yoshinoya ditches rice for veg with new take on gyūdon beef bowl
Fast-food restaurant operator Yoshinoya Holdings Co. started selling on Thursday a bowl of beef on vegetables, instead of the usual steamed rice, responding to requests from health-conscious people. The restaurant chain said Wednesday its first-ever beef bowl without rice had been made in collaboration with ...
Yoshinoya reveals first annual net loss in six years, citing cost of new tablet device order system
Yoshinoya Holdings Co. incurred an annual net loss for the first time in six years for the year ended in February, the fast-food restaurant group said Thursday. The red ink came as the company, known for its mainstay gyūdon beef-on-rice bowls, booked an impairment loss ...
Yoshinoya's first outlet, located in Tsukiji market, to close after 59 years
The first Yoshinoya gyūdon (beef on rice) restaurant, located within Tokyo's Tsukiji wholesale market, will close on Oct. 6, ending a 59-year history, due to the relocation of the market. The Tsukiji outlet is known for how it served gyūdon between 2004 and 2006, when ...
What will we eat when all the food runs out?
Last week, the Yukan Fuji (June 20) reported that 20 outlets in the Kappa Sushi conveyor belt sushi chain in east and west Japan are promoting an all-you-can-eat special, with patrons from middle-school age to 64 years charged ¥1,706 (boys and men) or ¥1,490 ...
Are bargain burgers quickening Japan's deflationary tailspin?
Fast-food lunches in Japan are starting to get cheaper as consumers look to trim their dining expenses, a worrying sign for the central bank as it tries to bring about inflation. Japan's fast-food chains have lowered menu prices over the past six months, with McDonald's ...
Start your morning with a serving of tradition at these breakfast joints
The Japanese breakfast provides a healthy start to the day. It's rich in vegetables — from both land and sea — often includes fermented foods such as miso soup and pickles, and is rounded out with rice and grilled seafood. Though, it hasn't always ...
Yoshinoya says study proves 'gyudon' is healthy
Affordable and ubiquitous, gyudon beef-on-rice bowls are a go-to dish for many broke college students and busy businessmen. Those who hesitate are those who think the brown slivers of beef look unhealthy. Gyudon chain giant Yoshinoya Holdings Co. is trying to allay concerns about the ...
No sacred cows in Japan's beef bowl war
Who will triumph in the “gyudon (beef bowl) war” and what started in all? Read all about it in this week's FYI.
Yoshinoya Holdings Co., a major "gyudon" (beef-on-rice dish) chain, plans to double its U.S. restaurants to about 200 and triple its China outlets to 1,200, President Yasutaka Kawamura said. The company aims to hit its China target — which would give the country roughly the ...
