Ethnographic Studies

You’ve probably heard about Japan’s drive to ensure that you, me and everyone else in the country live long, prosper and become happy...

The Japanese are known for their love to travel, and there is one up-and-coming market segment to watch: young Japanese women outtravel their...

So after Kim Kardashian’s recent ill-starred attempt to culturally seize kimono (the word, not the garment) for her own, this seems like a fitting...

As a consummate Japan watcher for nearly 35 years, I’ve often commented on the changing psyche of the Japanese consumer.

Did you celebrate September 16, Respect for the Aged Day? If you’re selling products or services in Japan, you should!

The Japanese are continuously obsessed with food–turn on the TV at any time of the day and it’s a safe bet the show...

Japan’s entertainment scene was shaken last month when Yoshimoto Kogyo Co. said it terminated its management contract with 49-year-old Hiroyuki Miyasako.

Why does the Japanese market seem so hit and miss when it comes to western brands being able to make a ‘go’ of...

Psychologists have been telling us for years now that personal investment made in experiences, rather than material goods, is the happiest cash you...

Tokyo has always been a food Mecca. Today, Tokyo has more Michelin star restaurants than any other city in the world.

In Japan, a drink or three temporarily flattens hierarchies and loosens tongues and inhibitions in all sorts of social environments, from companies to...

In 2007, JMRN pointed out that young Japanese dads were starting to take a much more proactive role in parenting, and young moms were becoming...