Japanese Market News

Within these past few years not only has there been an increase in number of tourists coming to Japan but there has been an increase in interest in the general Japanese public to market towards these tourists. Many newspapers and magazines articles have been written on how travel agencies, accommodations, restaurants, theme parks, tourist destinations, shops of all ranges in Japan are working together and hard to understand their new market, meet their needs, and find more potential.

Japanese locals in the more rural parts of Japan were less enthusiastic about opening up to foreign customers in the past, are now actively seeking consultation on how best to accommodate these new foreign customers coming from all over the globe.

New tours, services, products, signs, job positions have been created due to these changes in the industry and more is yet to come.

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Increase in oil prices has had a detrimental effect on Japanese businesses such as well known Italian restaurant chain Saizeriya. Famous for their low prices such as their 299 yen pasta, this family restaurant among others are rethinking their business strategies and planning on closing a few stores in selected suburban areas and instead reopening in shopping centers.

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Beginning with the growing popularity of the Himitsu no Kenmin Show, a Japanese television show featuring celebrities representing various prefectures in Japan to discuss local curiosities such as dialect, customs, and foods, there has been an increase in interest among the Japanese population to learn more about these previously overlooked regions. The focus has always been on Tokyo but now there has been a slight shift in thought and even among the younger population, hidden treasures are thought to be hiding beyond the metropolises. Various books featuring prefecture specific facts and trivia have been published and have been selling well. Local cuisine has been an especially hot topic, now with annual events such as the B-1 Grand Prix where local restaurants compete with their regional cuisines. Though these various regional differences which are finally being exposed to the general public, new product ideas and business opportunities are being found.

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Donuts have not been a highlight of the Japanese diet until these past few years when donut stores from abroad began to popup all over in the streets of Tokyo. With the introduction of gourmet donut shops, the local donut shops which were already popular now needed to compete fiercely with the newcomers against their new “premium” style of donuts and services. More stores with stylish interior and higher quality donuts began to popup in response. As a result a whole market has evolved with a new range of customers that were never before considered to be part of the target market which consisted of more children and teenagers. Similar trends have been occurring in every sector of the Japanese market with products from soft drinks, desserts, to running wear, premium products have been developed to include unlikely targets for previously unrelated products.

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