by carterjmrn | Nov 1, 2010 | Uncategorized
I’ve always chuckled at the way Japan seems to think it is the only place in the world that actually has “4 seasons,” and the news reporting about the ups and downs of sales related to the seasons always awakens my inner marketing cynic. On the other hand, this past...
by carterjmrn | Sep 27, 2010 | Uncategorized
Not dissimilar to the dramatic redrawing of retail distribution in the 90s, during which time we saw the advent of outlet malls and 100-yen shops, and the proliferation of convenience stores, the retail landscape is again undergoing another seismic shift....
by carterjmrn | Sep 27, 2010 | Uncategorized
In a 1988 work entitled Postmodernism and Japan,[i] the authors make the interesting hypothesis that what is “postmodern” in the West has existed in Japan in a number of manifestations extending back to what European and American historians term the ‘early...
by carterjmrn | Aug 23, 2010 | Uncategorized
One of the hottest product categories this year is that of e-readers, including the explosion of resulting business in the form of the “e-books” and other published materials. Looking at the electronic book market alone, the industry in Japan experienced annual...
by carterjmrn | Jul 19, 2010 | Uncategorized
Several recently-reported successes from both U.S. and Japanese companies illustrate how rapidly Japanese consumers are adapting to the digital world. These market successes range from digital devices to social networking to online sales to electronic money; taken...
by carterjmrn | Jun 14, 2010 | Uncategorized
The anniversary of my arrival in Japan 25 years ago approaches, auspiciously this year on June 25th, and I can’t help but reflect on some of the key changes since 1985. It has been fascinating to observe Japan and Japanese consumers since the champagne-infused “bubble...
by carterjmrn | Jun 1, 2010 | Uncategorized
The arena is Tokyo, Japan, the style-savvy information capital of the world. In this media-driven society, the hot topic of the morning news can quickly become the hot gossip of the entire country. This being so, stars may have it rougher than it seems as they try to...
by carterjmrn | May 10, 2010 | Uncategorized
After years of being billed as “the world’s 2nd largest economy,” it appears that 2010 may be the year in which Japan’s economy will officially be surpassed by China’s. Since GDP comparisons are made in dollar terms, foreign exchange movements may impact the exact...
by carterjmrn | Apr 13, 2010 | Uncategorized
Walking up and down the streets of Shibuya on a Saturday afternoon, Yuuji Morimoto was surprised at what he saw. Things seemed quite different to the way they were 5 years ago when he left Japan to attend university in the United States. Everywhere he looked, there...
