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Questionnaire Survey on Jeans for 300 Japanese females and males between 20’s – 50’s

Hello Global — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 04:13:31 +0000

Questionnaire Survey on Jeans for 300 Japanese females and males between 20’s – 50’s

Project name: Questionnaire Survey on Jeans
Subject (Respondents): Japanese males and females of age 20 – 59, who has at least one pair of jeans (N=300)
Distribution of respondents:

Research conducted on: September 12 – 30, 2005

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Research Results
How many pair of jeans do you own? (SA)

【 No. of jeans owned (N=300)】
【Overall】
When asked how many jeans they own, the highest percentage turned out to be “3 pairs of jeans” with 22%, followed by “5 pairs” with 18.3％ and “2 pairs” with 16.3％. The overall average was “3.82 pairs of jeans” per person.

【By Gender】
When analyzed by gender, females tend to own more pairs of jeans than males. The average number of jeans for male is “3.29 pairs of jeans”, while females have average of “4.35 pairs of jeans”.

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How frequently do you purchase a pair of jeans? (SA)

【Frequency of purchasing jeans (N=300)】
【Overall】
When asked how frequently they purchase a pair of jeans, the highest percentage turned out to be “(One pair of jeans) every 6 months” with 29.3％, followed by “(One pair of jeans) every year” with 27.3％ and “(One pair of jeans) every 2 – 3 years” with 21%.

【By Gender】
When analyzed by gender, females tend to purchase a pair of jeans with higher frequency than males. When looking at the number of respondents with relatively high frequency of purchase such as “(One pair of jeans) every 2 – 3 months”, it represents only 10% of overall males, while for women it is a little less than 20% of overall female responses, making almost 10% difference between males and females.

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Approximately how much (money) do you usually spend on a pair of jeans? (SA)

【Price of Jeans (N=300)】
【Overall】
When asked how much (money) they usually spend on a pair of jeans, the average purchasing price was JPN 8,061 yen.

【By Gender】
When analyzed by gender, the data showed the females spend slightly more than males, by little less than JPN 200 yen.

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Where do you purchase your jeans? (MA)

【Location to purchase jeans (N=300)】
【Overall】
When asked where they purchase their jeans, the response with highest percentage was “Casual shops” with 52.3％, followed by “Specialty shops” with 36.7％, and “Department stores” with 25％.

【By Gender】
When analyzed by gender, most males tend to purchase their jeans at either “Casual shops” or “Specialty stores”, while females shop at variety of locations. For males, the percentage for “Department stores” and “Shopping centers” are less than the Overall percentage by 5% or more, and for females, the percentage are more than the Overall percentage by 5% or more.

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When purchasing a pair of jeans, do you usually try them on before purchasing? (SA)

【Jeans Fitting when purchasing (N=300)】
【Overall】
When asked if they usually try on a pair of jeans before purchasing, the majority responded “Always try them on” with 79.7％. Adding “Always try them on” and “Usually try them on”, they represent 97％ of the overall responses.

【By Gender】
When analyzed by gender, females responded “Always try then on” relatively higher than males. Also, when adding the responses for “Always try them on” and “Usually try them on”, females shows higher tendency to try them on, compared to males.

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Are you particular about the jeans brand you wear/purchase? (SA)

【Particularity for jeans brand (N=300)】
【Overall】
When asked if they are particular about the jeans brand they wear/purchase, the responses were varied as shown in the graph. There was not one certain response that stands out from the rest. “Either or” turned out to the response with the highest percentage.
『Overall average score』　-0.2

【By Gender】
When analyzed by gender, females showed higher tendency than males to be “particular about the jeans brands”, and at same time, males shows higher tendency than females of being “Not particular about the jeans brands”.

『Males average score』　+0.6
『Females average score』　-1.1
※Average score was calculated by assigning +10 for “Very particular (about the jeans brand)”, +5 for “Particular”, +-0 for “Either or”, -5 for “Not particular”, -10 for “Not at all particular”.

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Please list your favorite jeans brands (by specific brand names). (FA)

★Favorite Jeans Brand: Best 5

【Reason for favorite jeans brand (N=300)】
■Levis　N=96
・Silhouette and design is excellent. They come up with good new products every time, so I always check their new product releases. (Male, 22, University student)
・I am used to wearing them for long time. Cool. (Male, 38, Self-employed)
・To me, they are the standard for the jeans brand. (45, Other)
・Comfortable to wear. The more you wear it, the better it looks. It lets me wear it with variety of styles of clothing. (Female, 22, University student)
・ Simple and well designed. (Female, 33, Sales)
・Very established brand. It is also slimming. (Female, 43, housewife)

■Edwin N=53
・This is how the jeans should be. This brand knows about the jeans. (Male, 21, University student)
・I think this brand suits well with Japanese. (Male, 30, Technical)
・Well-built and comfortable. (Male, 41, Other)
・Variety of design. The silhouette does not get altered even after they are hemmed. (Female, 23, Part-time worker)

■Lee N=18
・The brand has the “top brand” image. It is just my own self-satisfaction to wear this brand. (Male, 29, Self-employed)
・This was my first jeans brand, when I first got interested in jeans. (Male, 38, Technical)
・Because everyone knows the brand. (Female, 29, Management)

■Something N=11
・The jeans from this brand fit me the best. I like the silhouette also. (Female, 24, housewife)
・Venus jeans fit my body shape, and I feel very comfortable wearing them. The price is not too high. I like the silhouette. (Female, 34, housewife)

■UNIQLO N=8
・Not pricy. Their products are available in many sizes. (Male, 53, Self-employed)
・Hemming service is free. I can try them on before purchasing. (Female, 37, housewife)

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Goods and Bads of Jeans (FA)
【Goods (N=300)】
■Males
・The more worn, the better they look. There are no two jeans to look exactly alike. (22, University student)
・Well-built. I get to enjoy the color fading by how you wear them. (27, Sales)
・All-season item! (30, part time worker)
・You do not worry about wrinkles or press-lines disappearing. (37, Technical)
・They look good on anyone regardless of age or gender. (46, Sales)
・Well-built. It does not show even if it gets a little bit of dirt or stain. Perfect everyday-wear. (55, Self-employed)
■Females
・It does not get too girly, and they do not limit your movement. They go well with many different styles of clothing. (20, Student)
・They go well with anything! They change their look, depending on what tops you wear them with. (26, Other)
・They can look casual and/or feminine. Very useful piece of clothing item. (30, housewife)
・I have young children, so I like the fact I do not have to worry about getting dirty in them. I feel comfortable to move around in them also. (36, housewife)
・They do not limit your movement. “Light and sporty” image. Easy to coordinate them with other clothing. Casual. (40, Part time worker)

【Bads (N=300)】
■Males
・It gets sweaty and damp inside, in a hot day. Breathability is not so good. (21, University student)
・If I were to wear them when meeting someone elder or superior than me, some of them do not like how I am dressed so much… (27, Other)
・When I sweat, them stick around my legs, especially during summer. (33, Administrative)
・Everyone wears them, so it is difficult to individualize. (36, Technical)
・They can be worn to only limited places/occasions. (41, Other)
・They look my leg shorter. Usually the inseam is too long for me. (52, Sales)
■Females
・If you gain weight, it is difficult to fit into the same size (they do not stretch). (22, University student)
・It takes a lot to find the one pair that fits you perfectly (size and silhouette). (29, housewife)
・The color fades if washed in washing machine, so I have to wash them separately. Not good economically. (37, Sales)
・Sometimes, you feel like people are thinking you are dressed inappropriately, in certain places or by certain people. (43, housewife)
・The fabric is very thick, so sometimes it is difficult to bend knees or squat. (54, not employed)

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Source: MARSH Co.,Ltd.

Questionnaire Survey on the Use of Convenience Stores

Hello Global — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:05:27 +0000

Questionnaire Survey on the Use of Convenience stores for 50 Japanese females and males between 20-49

Project name: Questionnaire Survey on the Use of Convenience Stores
Subject (Respondents): Japanese males and females of age 20-49, who use convenience stores more than twice per month and have recently registered with “D STYLE WEB”
Distribution of respondents:

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Research Results

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Please provide all the names of convenience stores you usually use.(MA)

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Please name the most favorite convenience store (the convenience store you want to use) among the convenience stores you usually use and reason(SA-FA)

■The reason for choosing the 1st rank (7-Eleven)

・ The original products, such as rice balls are delicious and there is a sense of security in all the items sold. (Male, 20’s)
・ Items (especially lunchboxes, prepared food or ingredients in Oden) are substantial. (Male, 30’s)
・ Can feel most secure by the level of cleanliness and service as well as the assortment of items (Male, 40’s)
・ Located everywhere, with the feeling of easy access, the assortment of items. (Female, 20’s)
・ Located nearby. Easy to use. Always have a sense of cleanliness (The floors are shiny). (Female, 30’s)
・ There is diversity in their food items. Delicious and not boring with new products. (Female, 40’s)

・ The original products, such as rice balls are delicious and there is a sense of security in all the items sold. (Male, 20’s)
・ Items (especially lunchboxes, prepared food or ingredients in Oden) are substantial. (Male, 30’s)
・ Can feel most secure by the level of cleanliness and service as well as the assortment of items (Male, 40’s)
・ Located here and there, with the atmosphere of easy access, the assortment of items. (Female, 20’s)
・ Located nearby. Easy to use. Always have a sense of cleanliness (The floors are shiny). (Female, 30’s)
・ There is a wide range of food items. Delicious and not boring with new products. (Female, 40’s)

【7-Eleven is by far the most popular】
The most favorite convenience store (the respondents want to use) is “7-Eleven (46.3%)”, whose share is nearly the half of the total share.
The research results show that many respondents think 7-Eleven convenience stores “offer delicious and satisfactory food items, such as lunchboxes”, “have a good store image” and “are located everywhere/nearby, which are easy to visit”.
Following 7-Eleven, the respondents regard “Lawson (17.0%)” as “offering delicious food items, such as lunchboxes”, “original” and “rich in the services available”, placing it as the 2nd ranked store.

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Please name the least favorite convenience store (the convenience store you don’t want to use) among the convenience stores you usually use and its reason (SA→FA)

■The reason for choosing the 1st rank (Don’t have least favorite convenience store)

・ Have not particularly felt why I dislike it. (Male, 20’s)
・ There is not so much difference in any convenience store. (Male, 30’s)
・ Convenience stores are basically convenient, so I like them. (Male, 40’s)
・ There is no convenience store that I particularly dislike. (Female, 20’s)
・ There is no convenience store that I particularly dislike. (Female,30’s)
・ All the convenience stores offer similar services, without much difference. (Female,40’s)

【The largest number of the respondents don’t have any convenience stores they dislike. The name most frequently mentioned is Daily YAMAZAKI】
The result shows that the least favorite convenience stores (the respondents don’t want to use) are “none (39.7%)”, which counts most. Nearly half of the opinions are: “Any convenience store is the same” or “Have never had a bad experience”.
Followed by “Daily YAMAZAKI (17.0%)” , with such opinions as “Less assortment of items”, “Bad attitude of store clerks” or “The overall atmosphere of the stores is gloomy” , placing it as the 2nd rank.

★ The background behind the feeling of “dislike/ don’t want to use”, at convenience stores reflects that some kind of factors exist, such as “Response of store clerks”, is a key factor.

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Please provide all the items you often purchase when you use convenience stores. (MA)

Items purchased are Food, which are in higher ranking. Services used at convenience stores are Bank’s ATM, Payments and Copier】
The highest ratio of purchase when visiting a convenience store is “Bread (72.0%)”
Followed by “Lunchboxes (69.7%)” and “Confectionery (63.3%)”. The top three are all food items.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-Please provide all the services you use at the convenience stores when you visit them.

Items purchased are Food, which are in higher ranking. Services used at convenience stores are Bank’s ATM, Payments and Copier】
Among the services used when visiting a convenience store, the highest ratio is “Bank’s ATM (54.3%)”. Followed by “Miscellaneous payments (50.3%” and “Copier (46.3%”.

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http://hello-global.com/japan-quick-info-2/ and type in your question! You can even call us via Skype phone through our website. We are live online during business hours, Monday through Friday from 9AM to 6PM, Japan Time.

Questionnaire Survey on Beer and Low-malt Beer for 50 Japanese females and males between 20 – 49

Hello Global — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 16:00:26 +0000

Questionnaire Survey on Beer and Low-malt Beer for 50 Japanese females and males between 20 – 49

Project name: Questionnaire Survey on Beer and Low-malt Beer
Subject (Respondents): Respondents: Japanese males and females of age 20 – 49, who has drunk beer and/or low-malt beer in or out of home and newly registered on “D STYLE WEB” in 6 months. (N=50)
Distribution of respondents:
50 samples for each male and female in 20’s – 40’s
Research conducted on: May 1 – 20, 2005

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Research Results
Which do you often drink, beer or low-malt beer?

【No. of beers and low-malt beers drunk (N＝300)】

【Overall】
“Drink beer in combination with low-malt beer “ accounted for more than 76 % as majority.

【By Beverage 】
Males in 40’s who drink beers show higher rates than whole percentage

Females in 40’s who drink low-malt beers shows higher rates than whole percentage

【By Gender】
Regardless the age, while the differences between beer and low-malt beer males mainly drunk have been larger, those differences for female smaller.

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The Most Preferable 3 Bland Beers

【No. of beers chosen (N＝174)】

■Reasons why did you choose ASAHI SUPER DRY

・Nice and smooth, dry and pleasant aftertaste (Male in 20’s / Engineer ) 　
・Rich tastes and sharp tastes (Male in 30’s / Engineer)
・Not too much bitter and punchy (Male in 40’s / Sale)
・Good tastes! Can’t resist after taking a bath, nice package (Female in 20’s / Student)
・Dry but easy to drink and flinty aftertaste (Female in 30’s / Full-time housewife)
・Always store in a refrigerator (Female in 40’s / Full-time housewife)　

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【No. of low-malt beers chosen (N＝122)】

■Reasons why did you choose KIRIN TANREI?

・Well balance between taste and sharp (Male in 20’s / Sales)
・Well balance between taste, flavor and smoothly swallow (Male in 30’s / Family-operated business)　
・Smooth and refreshing taste (Male in 40’s / Engineer)
・Not too much bitter to drink, good for me (Female in 20’s / Student)
・Plain aftertaste and refreshing (Female in 30’s, Full-time housewife)
・Good for every dinner, not interfere with any dishes (Female in 40’s / Engineer)　

【For beer, “ASAHI SUPER DRY” and for low-malt beer, “KIRIN TANREI” are popular】

The rates of preferable refreshment; beer and low-malt beer is 6 : 4 (Beer : Low-malt beer) by new monitors in “D STYLE WEB”
For the first prize in beer “ASHAHI SUPER DRY”, main reasons to choose are “Nice and smooth swallow” and “Moderate dry”. For the first prize in low-malt beer “KIRIN TANREI”, “Sharp” and “Plain taste” are main reasons.

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The Least Favorite 3 Brand Beer

【No. of beers　chosen (N＝92)】

■Reasons why did you choose SUNTORY MALT’S

・Unbalanced taste, bad aftertaste (Male in 20’s / Engineer)
・Watery and cheap beer (Male in 30’s / Clerical work)
・Too plain (Male in 40’s / Family-operated business)
・Washy as strong bitter taste (Female in 20’s / Clerical work)
・Unique taste (Female in 30’s / Full-time housewife)
・Unique flavor and taste interfere, I don’t like it (Female in 40’s / Sales)

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【No. of low-malt beer　chosen (N＝138)】

■Reasons why did you choose SAPPORO BRAU

・Not good aftertaste (Male in 20’s / Sales)
・Only cheap beer , no refreshing after drink (Male in 30’s / Family-operated business)
・Too sweet for beer (Male in 40’s / Sales)
・Difficult to drink, worse than what I always drink (Female in 20’s / Full-time housewife)
・Blunt (Female in 30’s / Unemployed)　
・Odd aftertaste (Female in 40’s / Full-time housewife)

【For beer “SUNTORY MOLT’S” and for low-malt beer “SAPPORO BRAU” are unpopular】

The rates of preferable refreshment; beer and low-malt beer is 4 : 6 (Beer : Low-malt beer) by new monitors in “D STYLE WEB”
Worst 1 in beer, ”SUNTORY MALT’S” is evaluated badly with mainly ”Unique taste” and “Bad aftertaste

Worst 1 in low-malt beer, ”SAPPORO BRAU”　has bad opinions mainly “No refreshing” and “Something is missing”

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Source: MARSH Co., Ltd.

Questionnaire Survey on ‘Usage of Coffee Shops’ for 50 Japanese between 20’s – 40’s

Hello Global — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 19:07:15 +0000

Questionnaire Survey on ‘100 Yen Shop (“Dollar Store”)’ for 200 Japanese females and males between 20’s ? 50’s

Project name: A Survey on the Usage of Coffee Shops (Cafes)
Subject (Respondents): Japanese Males and females residing in Japan of age 20 – 49, who visit coffee shops twice or above per month and have just joined “D STYLE WEB” as new members.(N=50)
Distribution of respondents:50 samples of males and females in their 20’s to 40’s
Research conducted on: September 15 – 30, 2004

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Research Results
Recognition rate of Coffee Shops (cafes)

【Starbucks, Doutor are the majority】
【Overall】“Starbucks Coffee”（99.0％）
“Doutor Coffee”（98.0％）
turned out to have the highest recognition rates as the majority.

This was followed by
“Tully’s Coffee” (72.7%)
“Saintmarc Café”（62.0％）
“Pronto”（61.7％）
with recognition rate over 60%.

【By Gender】When analyzed by gender, females tend to have higher recognition than males.

【By Age】When analyzed by age, overall along with the increase of age, the recognition rate decreases, while the following 3 shops demonstrate little changes among recognition rates of respondents of different age groups.
“Doutor Coffee” (0% deviation between age groups)
“Café Veloce” (1% deviation between age groups)
“Starbucks Coffee” (2% deviation between age groups)

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【Reason, Favorite Coffee Shops (Cafés)】

[N＝139]
[1st place] Starbucks Coffee: 46.3％

■”Some of the popular comments on reasons for liking Starbucks Coffee”

●Coffee and side menus are delicious and of good quality: 40,3％
・Their coffee is delicious above all. (20’s male: part-time worker)
・The entire menu will not let you down. All items are delicious. (20’s female: sales field)

● Great atmosphere (comfortable, stylish): 31,7％
・Stylish and it seems like you feel better…(30’s male: self-employed)
・It feels close and stylish, and the atmosphere makes you feel easy going to the shop. (20’s female: student)

●Coffee and side menus are delicious and of good quality: 40,3％
・There are different items for selection upon different feelings. (20’s male: Sales field)
・There are a lot of sweet drinks for selection. (30’s female: housewife)

■”Some of the popular comments on favorite coffee”

・Caramel Macchiato: 13,7％
・Café Mocha: 8,6％
・Caramel Frappuccino: 6,5％
・Mocha Frappuccino: 3,6％
・Starbucks Latte: 3,6％

※ Open answer, only taking correct answers (correct product names)

[N＝92]
[2nd place] Doutor Coffee: 30.7％

■”Major comments on reasons for liking Doutor Coffee”

●Coffee and side menus are delicious and of good quality: 35.9％
・The attractiveness lies in the concentrated taste of the coffee. (20’s male: Sales field)
・The coffee matches my preferences well and is delicious. (40’s female: professional position in the technology field)

● Satisfied with prices (cheap): 33.0％
・Cheap prices while being delicious（40’s male: office worker）
・Cheap and delicious. Milano Sandwich is also delicious. (20’s female: office worker)

● Feels easy to enter the shop: 17.4％
・It feels like a place for the common class and is comfortable. (40’s male: sales field)
・Feels easy to enter with no pressure. It takes little time to wait, so when you are in a hurry, it makes your day. (40’s female: self-employed)

■”Major comments on favorite coffee”

・Blend Coffee: 13.0％
・Iced Coffee: 12.0％
・Café Latte: 9.8％
・American Coffee: 5.4％
・Iced Café Latte: 5.4％

※Open answer, only taking correct answers (correct product names)

[N＝20]
[3rd place] Tully’s Coffee: 6.7％

■”Major comments on reasons for liking Tully’s Coffee”

●Coffee and side menus are delicious and of good quality: 40.0％
・It matches my taste buds most after tasting different coffees. (20’s male: office worker)
・Delicious. I like the aroma and concentration. (40’s female: housewife)

● Great atmosphere of shops: 25.0％
・It gives a stylish feeling (30’s male: housewife)
・Coffee is delicious here and the shop’s interior creates a relaxed atmosphere. (40’s female: self-employed)

● Proper separation of non-smoking and smoking area: 25.0％
・There are non-smoking booths and smoking booths (30’s female: others)
・Complete separation is achieved between non-smoking and smoking area (40’s female: part-time worker)

■”Major comments on favorite coffee”

・Soy Swirkle: 10.0％
・Espresso: 5.0％
・Cappuccino: 5.0％

※ Open answer, only taking correct answers (correct product names)

[※Favorite Coffee Shop (Café) 4th to 10th place]

[4th place] Café Veloce（4.7％）
[5th place] Excelsior Caffe（3.0％）
[5th place] Saintmarc Cafe（3.0％）
[7th place] Pronto（1.7％）
[8th place] New Yorker’s Cafe（1.3％）
[9th place] Segafredo ZANETTI（1.0％）
[10th place] Café de Crie（0.7％）

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【Service expected from Coffee Shops (Cafés)】

■”Major comments”

1st place : More variations in side menus like snacks 12.0％
2nd place : Comfortable space (individual rooms, sofa, wide space) 5.3％
3rd place : Environment enabling computer and internet usage (including wireless) 5.0％
4th place : Magazines and newspapers for borrowing in shops 4.3％
5th place : Free refill for coffee 4.0％

■Detailed comments for 1st place “Sufficient side menus like snacks”

・Food menu of bigger volume. （20’s male: student）
・More variation is wanted for snack. (30’s male: professional position in technology field)
・It would be great if rice food items are provided in the menu. (40’s male: sales field)
・Set menu of coffee and light refreshment. (20’s female: student)
・Provide lunch set menu. (30’s female: office work)
・If there is something light like Pilaf, it would be nice! (40’s female: housewife)

[Major comments for light side dishes in addition to coffee]

[Overall]
The most popular comment was “more variations in side menu such as light refreshment” (12.0%) in addition to coffee, followed by
“relaxed and comfortable space” (5.3%) and “environment enabling computer and internet usage” (5.0%).

[Comments following the Top 5]

[5th place] Point card system to provide special offers and discounts (3.3%), [6th place] A total ban on smoking （3.0％）, [6th place] More variations in tea and other drinks (3.0%),[8th place] Charging service for mobile phones (2.7%),
[8th place] Kids’ menu and playgrounds etc. (2.7%), [10th place] Relaxing service such as massage (1.7%)
[10th place] Jukebox etc. to provide more variation on music and background music (1.7%)

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【Concerning whether Smoking should be allowed in Coffee Shops (Cafés)】

Total N=300
Smokers N=94
Non-smokers N=206

Total ban on smoking should be practised
There should be complete seperation on non-smoking and smoking areas
Smoking should be allowed in all areas

[Over half of the respondents hope for complete separation of smoking and non-smoking area]
[Overall]
In Coffee Shops (Cafés), the highest percentage turned out to be separation on smoking and non-smoking areas (65.7%).
[Smokers]
Only considering the smokers, instead of being able to smoke in all areas, the overwhelmingly highest percentage turned out to be separation on smoking and non-smoking areas (88.3%).
[Non-smokers]
Only considering the non-smokers, the highest percentage turned out to be separation on smoking and non-smoking areas (55.3%), followed by a total ban on smoking (42.7%).

You can even call us via Skype phone through our website. We are live online during business hours, Monday through Friday from 9AM to 6PM, Japan Time.

Source: MARSH Co., Ltd.

Japanese Valentine’s Day – 3 ways to celebrate on February 14th (2010.2.11) C

Hello Global — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:17:36 +0000

Basic Industry Report available for US$50

Industry report available for US$50 upon request. If interested, please contact us at info@hello-global.com for more details.

Latest Fashion Trend Reports

Fashion Trend Survey was conducted on Japanese women in 10’s, 20’s, 30’s, this summer in 2009.

10’s — Click here
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For details, contact us at info@hello-global.com

(February 11th, 2010)

Japanese Valentine’s Day – 3 ways to celebrate on February 14th (2010/2/11) C

The Valentine’s day season is here. Although the general recession mood is prolonged nationwide and worldwide, some department stores and chocolate manufacturers are said to be making more sales for this Valentine’s season this year than last year. How? The answer is “to promote Friendship”.

In Japan’s recent Valentine’s day chocolate, there are 3 types of chocolates that you can buy; “love choco”, “just-to-be-nice choco”, and the most recent, “girls’ friendship choco”.

1. “Honmei Choco (or, LOVE choco for boys)”
– “Traditional” type of chocolate
– From a girl to her husband, boyfriend, or boyfriend-to-be.
– Budget: approx. 3,000 ~ 5,000 yen (approx. US$30 to $50)
– Sold at (luxurious) department stores

2. “Giri Choco (or “just-to-be-nice Choco)”
– Typically from girls to coworkers and male-friends
– Budget: less than 2,000 yen
– Sold at convenience stores, supermarket, chocolate stores, etc.
– Market shrinking due to Japanese company culture becoming more toward “strictly business” atmosphere

3. “Tomo Choco” (or, “girlfriend choco”)
– Recent popular trend among females between 10’s and 30’s.
– From a girlfriend to a girlfriend
– Budget: approx. 3,000 ~ 5,000 yen (approx. US$30 to $50)
– Sold at (luxurious) department stores

Unlike “traditional” western way, in Japan, girls give chocolate gifts to boys. However, a new trend is to give chocolate from girlfriends to girlfriends.

Valentine’s day chocolate giving culture has always been popular among the younger generation (10’s and 20’s). With Japanese birthrates dropping and general population shrinking, the overall market size naturally is on the decreasing in recent years. By promoting “Friendship chocolate”, the industry of chocolate manufacturers and gift shops are trying to create a new market, to increase the sales of chocolate.

C
2010/2/11

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Expanding the ever growing Manga Market Overseas (2010/2/1) JA

Hello Global — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 10:39:45 +0000

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(February 1st, 2010)

Expanding the ever growing Manga Market Overseas (2010/2/1) JA

As the market for Japanese comics or “manga” grows, both inside and out of Japan, many publishers are constantly looking for new ideas to catch the attention of readers. Most readers are becoming tired of the unoriginal plot lines, mundane characters, or the bland artwork. As the population who can create manga is very limited, possibly as low as only a mere several hundred as opposed to the millions of readers, it may be an extremely challenging task to do, but a must if a company plans to succeed in this esoteric field.

When asked what the most popular titles are, people often name titles of comics published by major publishers. (Bleach, Naruto, Inuyasha, etc.) This trend can be observed almost anywhere manga is sold. Often people who are not fanatics or extreme enthusiasts of manga do not know that there are literally hundreds of manga magazines all containing over 10 titles a piece. Many readers are unaware of the vast genre, which leaves a large opportunity for publishers in foreign countries to expand their readers.

It is said that the Japanese comic market is somewhat of a pyramid according to each genre. As an example let us take a look at the magazines which targets a male audience. At the peak there are three major magazines: Jump, Magajin, and Sunday.

Jump: http://shonenjump.com/j/index.html
Magajin: http://kc.kodansha.co.jp/magazine/index.php/02065
Sunday http://www.websunday.net/

These are known as Shonen comic magazines meaning they all are generally for children to young adults. Under these there are the less popular but famous nonetheless( Champion, Evening, Young Jump, etc.) Finally at the bottom numerous numbers of magazines targeting a much more particular target. So how do the Magazines at the bottom of the pyramid stay alive, one may ask. Many minor magazines have become famous thanks to one or two big titles. (such as Dengeki Daioh with hit seller “Yotsubato”)

Dengeki Daioh: http://daioh.dengeki.com/index.html

This goes to show that even though the magazine may harbor many titles which are difficult for a large population to enjoy, but there is always several that can catch the country by storm.

Popular titles will always be the easiest way. By introducing new titles, publishers can find that one title to get noticed. Readers all across the globe want new sensations. Is it not the job of publishers to give it to them?

JA
2010/2/1

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Japanese Gothic Lolita fashion: a living example of Tokyo underground fashion street style (2010/1/27) VF

Hello Global — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 02:54:53 +0000

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(January 27th, 2010)

Japanese Gothic Lolita fashion: a living example of Tokyo underground fashion street style

In Harajuku streets, Yoyogi Park, and even in Shinjuku on the great avenue leading to department stores such as Isetan or Marui, it often occurs that tourists, salary men and other onlookers cross their path with strange creatures, heavily made-up and dressed up in clothes that could be taken first for cosplay. But the Lolita look as it is commonly called is indeed a fashion, far from cosplay. And even in the country where the most incredible delusions seem possible, this fashion continues to intrigue even Japanese people.

Subculture inspired by the manga and anime Versailles no Bara (the Rose of Versailles) and more recently by Kuroshitsuji, the Lolita fashion first appeared in the very beginning of 80’s with the select shop Atelier Pierrot (one of the oldest shop in Laforet department store) and brands like Angelic Pretty. Lolita style makes in the lace, ribbons and frills, and Japanese girls love that! They are divided into many and different categories and subcategories, such as Sweet Lolita, Classic Lolita and Punk Lolita for the most famous, are between age 15 and 25, and walk out the streets and parks, often on week-ends. But it is numerous and sumptuously dressed up they go to visual kei (*1) concerts and gothic parties like Tokyo Decadance or Tokyo Dark Catle. They are crazy about cute pastries and cakes, and collect pastel accessories for Sweet Lolitas or Gothic crosses for Elegant ones. They love spots as sumptuous as their outfits like the Christon Café and Alice Restaurant in Shinjuku or the Vampire Café in Ginza.

(Pictures by Valerie Fujita)

The Lolita fashion is represented by brands dating back as far as 20 years ago borrowing heavily from French and European cultures, making a new modern concept of all its own. This fashion is also inspired by European gothics and punks who have redefined the two genres with the mixture of lace and frills. Fumiko Kawamura, Chantilly’s designer, explains: “When I was in Aix-en-Provence, dazzled by everything I was discovering, people were telling me that it was the first time they were seeing Rococo (*2) (an art style started in France in 18th Century)… It left me speechless, because, for me, France was the country of Rococo! I thought a lot about it, and after all, even if the origins are indisputably European, the Lolita fashion has become, over time, something culturally Japanese.”

Although Lolita style is a subculture, this fashion and its admirers know how to raise voices and they show up through magazines such as Kera(*3) and Gothic and Lolita Bible(*4), two magazines dedicated to Harajuku street fashion and making the apology of Lolita style.

(Pictures by Valerie Fujita)

Japanese fashion shoppers known as brands shoppers repeat the brand schema in Lolita fashion also. The Lolita fashioners are attached to one brand although they might add some accessories of another; they know what they are looking for and each brand is known for its own image and specialty. Therefore, the customer looks like her favorite brand and it is then quite easy when you know the market to guess which brand this or that lolita shops. For example, Alice Auaa offers a classic and fetish wardrobe, when Angelic Pretty assumes an aggressive pink styling, like to shout “Did you see how much we are kawaii(*5), ISN’T IT?” says Ayako Shirata, Stigmata’s designer.

Japanese Lolita fashion has now crossed the oceans and is developing outside of Japan. In Europe, French Lolita market is becoming very active, counting a bit more than 600 customers, and having some specialized shops in Paris (Boddywood, Kawaiko and even Baby, the Stars Shine Bright itself). United States is also becoming a market for Gothic Lolita fashion, La Carmina, a gothic blogger and author of 3 books, is helping to popularize the genre.

(*1) Visual Kei: particular genre of Japanese rock emerged in the 80’s, where aesthetic and look are as important as the music. Each band has a particular identity, influenced by punk, Japanese street wear, gothic, glam rock, anime and even Japanese traditional clothes.

(*2) Rococo: the style (also know in French as Rocaille) appeared at 18th century and influenced French art and interior design. It is also linked to Baroque style. Rococo describes shell-like curves and focus on decorative art, in a frivolous and opulent way.

(*3) Kera: magazine of Tokyo alternative fashion and street style, Kera introduces each month the new street trends to follow. The magazine is one of the actors in the promotion of Gothic and Lolita fashion. Its photographers are known for having published Fruits, a series of books, worldwide distributed, combining snapshots taken in the streets of Harajuku, and that made Kera famous. Kera has also twenty stores across Japan and acts as a select shop for distributing brands that don’t have their own distribution network, such as Super Lovers or Rituals.

(*4) Gothic and Lolita Bible: quarterly magazine, which belongs to Index Communications, that also distributes Kera magazine. This magazine contributed to make the Lolita fashion famous throughout Japan, Europe and United States. The first English version of the magazine has been published in February 2008.

(*5) Kawaii: Japanese adjective meaning cute, adorable. It can be used to describe things, animals and even people. If used with exacerbation it can sometimes seem incongruous, demonstrating a lack of seriousness, or even frivolity.

VF
2010/1/27

(Pictures by Valerie Fujita)

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Keeping Warm in Japan— And What it Means to Market Entry (2010/1/22) CM

Hello Global — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 13:56:35 +0000

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(January 22th, 2010)

Keeping Warm in Japan— And What it Means to Market Entry (2010/1/22) CM

寒い! (samuii – It’s cold!) Common greetings in Japan will almost always include a statement about the weather. And for its size, Japan is a country with a surprising variety of temperatures and climates. On the islands of Okinawa, the weather is similar to that of semi-tropical Florida, while in the northern areas of Hokkaido there is snow for half of the year. In the central areas like Tokyo, the weather is similar to that of Washington D.C. This being said, most Japanese homes are constructed to be comfortable during hot weather, while most Western homes are built to endure the cold months of the year.

The Japanese have a keen appreciation for the passing of the seasons and harmonizing with nature and their environment. With that, a long history of gadgets and practices to stay warm, have developed to carry them through (and enjoy) the winter months.

Yutampo: Quite similar to a western-style hot water bottle, yutampo were traditionally made of molded-metal and oval in shape. Tucked into a cloth bag, they were inserted in beds to warm them. Recently, yutampo can be found in plastic and covered in textiles that suit trendier home décor. They can also be found in popular character toys for children and the young at heart.

Haramaki: A woven cloth band that is worn around the stomach, sometimes with a pouch to insert a hokkairo. Popular with the elderly, school children and the large parts of the population that commute to work or school. With the advent of clothing-wear giant, UNIQLO’s, “HeatTech” innerwear, many Japanese consumers are turning to the ‘fast fashion’ leader’s solutions to outfit them during the winter.

Hokkairo: A hand-held warming device. Hokkairos are small pouches (generally disposable) that gradually heat up through a chemical reaction inside the pouch. In the interest of creating less waste, Sanyo has created a modern Hokkairo that does double duty as a hand-warmer and battery charger.

Kotatsu & heated carpets: Japanese homes are much smaller than their Western counterparts. Often, there is one main room that families gather in to eat, relax and spend time together. A kotatsu is a low table that has a blanket and heater mounted on the underside, it heats anyone seated on the floor, at the table. In more modern homes, a heated carpet replaces the kotatsu.

Practices to stay warm: Ofuro— The ofuro is the ‘honorable bath’ and a tradition the Japanese take seriously. Even the hard-working, time-pressed ‘salaryman’ is known to adhere to this nightly ritual or taking a leisurely bath. In the winter, the ofuro heats one up and increasingly, companies are creating products to complement this practice. Bath salts and products that make the bath a daily ‘spa experience’ are popular.

Many products on the market are traditional ‘green’ ideas that correspond with the Japanese aesthetic of harmonizing with nature, while appealing to the people’s love of ‘making something better’. When considering market entry into Japan, companies that recognize and respect that entry into Japan isn’t necessarily ‘reinventing the wheel’ but finding better ways to adopt the old and refining them, are positioned to do well.

CM
2010/1/22

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Shall we eat out at home? – Growing market for “eating-in” 2010/1/13 SM

Hello Global — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 08:22:18 +0000

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(January 13th, 2010)

Shall we eat out at home? – Growing market for “eating-in” (2010/1/13) SM

‘Kodawari wo tanoshimu otona muke no pasta premium.’ It is the name of a new pasta sauce and means literally ‘The premium pasta sauce only for adults who know the taste’, developed by Heinz. It is an example of the odd marketing approach of Japanese food companies trying to grab a growing trend amongst the Japanese consumer to enjoy eating at home. Not only the name, but also expensive ingredients like lobster and porcini are sure to evoke an appetite of “the adults who know the taste.” Another market player, S&B Foods Inc. knows how even to top the copy of Heinz with the name for their pasta sauce: “Yoyaku de Ippai no Mise no pasta sauce”, or ‘Pasta sauce from fully booked restaurants’.

The severe recession is giving a huge blow to the food industry because people don’t eat out as often as before. The eating out sector (Gai-Shoku) such as restaurants, cafes, and fast food chains is suffering from a steep decline in sales. According to the Japan Foodservice Association, the turnover of all restaurants has decreased in 2009 from 0.6 to 2 % compared to last year.

The family restaurants that were enjoyed huge traffic because of their value for money offers are hurt by the change in consumer behavior. Signs show that Skylark, the big family restaurant operator that opened its first restaurant back in 1970 and grew from there to 729 at its peak, had to close down its last restaurant in October.

Fast food restaurants are also facing difficult times. This business has its own ‘Skylark’ and it is called Wendy’s. This American based fast food chain decided this year to withdraw from Japan. All their seventy-one restaurants will be closed down by December 31st, 2009.

However, there is one sector in the food industry where this bad environment can be converted to a better situation: Nai-shoku. Nai-shoku can roughly be translated as ‘eating at home’. But dishes simply prepared at home do not exactly fit the idea. Nai-shoku involves that special experience of eating out while one is eating in. It’s all about image and added value.

One of the major Japanese food companies, Q.P. Corporation (famous for its mayonnaise) created in 2006 ‘Italiante’ series of microwavable food. Italiante was introduced and its assortment contained several pasta sauces. Later on a sauce for risotto and gnocchi was added to the series. It seems that the company initially positioned Italiante as a premium microwavable food as the slogan said “Enjoy authentic Italian taste at home.” However Q.P realized that consumers tend to eat at home more often than before, and because of this the company slightly shifted the intention of the Italiante expansion, from a merely premium sauce to the sauce for a course menu.

At this moment, Italiante has a variety for three different menus: two sauces for the starter, antipasto, seven pasta sauces for primo piatto (the meal between starter and main dish), and three gravy sauces for second piatto, the main dish. To enhance the authentic Italian dish image, some sauces have names like “Saltimbocca”, “Cacciatora” or “Acquapazza”, which you may hear only at an original Italian pizzeria or ristorante. Q.P. has set up an Italiante-dedicated website and introduced a cookbook called “Autentica ricetta originale”. Also it started a blog where bloggers can introduce their own recipes and course menus with those sauces.

Nowadays consumers have to keep a tight hold on their purse strings, but at the same time their urge for image and a surprising experience in their daily life is unchanged. Some food companies seem to have found a solution to fulfill the conflicting consumer demands.

SM
2009/12/25

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Japan’s Mobile Phone Industry—Market Sensitivity at it’s Best – CM 2010.1.4

Hello Global — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 11:10:33 +0000

Consumer Tendency Report

Questionnaire Survey on Jeans for 300 Japanese females and males between 20’s – 50’s.
Jeans (300 Japanese between 20’s–50’s)
Tennis Shoes (a.k.a.”Sneaker”) (260 Japanese between 20-30’s)
Outlet Malls (300 Japanese between 20’s–40’s)

Latest Fashion Trend Reports

Fashion Trend Survey was conducted on Japanese women in 10’s, 20’s, 30’s, this summer in 2009.

10’s fashion
20’s fashion
30’s fashion
Cross Analysis (10’s, 20’s & 30’s)

(January 4th, 2010)

Japan’s Mobile Phone Industry—Market Sensitivity at it’s Best

Japan has long been recognized as the industry leader in mobile phone technology. Responding to the unique demands of the Japanese market, the mobile phone industry is constantly updating and refining their offerings and through this legacy have created a multitude of services unlike any other in the world.

Recently, the telecommunications giant, Softbank created a delivery service that allows Softbank users to send packages with the use of their mobile email account to other Softbank mobile phone users. Softbank users simply fill-out an online form that notifies the receiver of an impending delivery and the receiver decides whether or not to accept the delivery through a corresponding email. This innovative offering may not seem applicable to mobile phone markets overseas, but inside of Japan it responds soundly to the Japanese and their custom of sending gifts to friends, colleagues and business contacts throughout the year and especially during important ‘gift-giving’ times— making this custom even more convenient.

Many of the services designed by the mobile phone industry are meant to compliment Japanese lifestyles and some offerings have even been so successful as to redefine how Japan works and plays. In Japan, there is a mobile phone that corresponds to each demographic: large keypads for the elderly, phones for school children that send a message to parents when the child has arrived at school and even phones that are a combination credit card and train pass for commuters on the go.

The Japanese use their mobile phones to make and receive calls, but most often you will see people utilizing other functions. Within the densely packed cities where finding the location of a store, business or restaurant is quite a challenge, many Japanese rely on the GPS systems in their mobile phones to map a route to their intended destination. As well as having a traditional URL that can be keyed into a browser, advertisements will include a special barcode that with a mobile phone camera can be scanned into the phone, linking the user to the company’s website and often, map. Commonly, companies will maintain websites that can be browsed by mobile phone, making long train commutes yet another opportunity to reach the consumer public.

To learn more about the Japanese mobile phone industry and how your organization can better service the Japanese consumer, please contact us at info@hello-global.com or visit the JQI page and type in your question.

CM
2010/1/4

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Questionnaire Survey on Sports for 400 Japanese between 20’s – 50’s

Hello Global — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 09:21:58 +0000

Questionnaire Survey on Sports for 400 Japanese females and males between 20’s – 50’s
Project name: Questionnaire Survey on Sports
Subject (Respondents): Japanese males and females of age 20 – 59, who has at least one pair of jeans (N=400)
Distribution of respondents:

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Research Results
What are the sports you have played within the past one year. Please choose all of the sports you have played within a year, if there is more than one. (MA)

■Sports I have played within the past one year. (N=400)
When asked about the sports they have played within the past one year, the highest percentage for the overall respondents turned out to be ’Walking’ with 26.3％, followed by ‘Jogging’ with 21.3％ and ‘Swimming’ with 15.5％. ‘Walking’ and ‘Jogging’ are ranked at the top for all groups, regardless of gender or age.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
What are the sports that you used to play but not so much anymore at the moment. Please choose all of the sports, if there is more than one. (MA)

■Sports that I used to play but not so much anymore (N=400)
When asked about the sports they used to play but not so much anymore at the moment, the highest percentage for the overall respondents turned out to be ‘Skii’ with 29.0％, followed by ‘Tennis’ with 22.5％ and ‘Swimming’ with 19.0％. For males, ‘Baseball’ was ranked at the top.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
What are the sports that you would like to (try to) play in future if you have an opportunity to do so. Please choose all of the sports, if there is more than one. (MA)

■Sports that I would like to (try to) play in future (N=400)
When asked about the sports that they would like to (try to) play in future if they have an opportunity to do so, the highest percentage for the overall respondents turned out to be ‘Scuba diving’ with 21.0％, followed by ‘Golf (on golf course)’ with 12.5％ and ‘Fitness’ with 10.8％. For the age group of 40’s (for both males and females), the number one on the list was ‘None of above’.

You can even call us via Skype phone through our website. We are live online during business hours, Monday through Friday from 9AM to 6PM, Japan Time.

Source: MARSH Co., Ltd.

Questionnaire Survey on ‘100 Yen Shop (“Dollar Store”)’ for 200 Japanese between 20’s – 50’s

Hello Global — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 08:28:20 +0000

Questionnaire Survey on ‘100 Yen Shop (“Dollar Store”)’ for 200 Japanese females and males between 20’s ? 50’s

Project name: Questionnaire Survey on ‘100 Yen Shop ‘”Dollar Store”’
Subject (Respondents): Japanese males and females of age 20 ? 59 (N=200)
Distribution of respondents:

Research conducted on: October 20 – 25, 2005

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Research Results
Do you know (Have you heard) about ‘100 Yen Shop’?（SA）

【Recognizability of ‘100 Yen Shop’ (N=200)】
【Overall】
When asked if they know or have heard about ’100 Yen Shop’, 89% answered ‘Yes, I know about the shop’. The results indicate very high recognizability rate of the shop.

【By Gender】
When analyzed by Gender, females show higher recognizability than males by 2% or so.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Have you ever used (made purchase at) ‘100 Yen Shop’?（SA）

【Utilization of ‘100 Yen Shop’ (N=200)】
【Overall】
When asked if they have ever used (made purchase at) ‘100 Yen Shop’, the results show almost all of the respondents who know about the shop have made purchase at ‘100 Yen Shop’.

【By Gender】
When analyzed by gender, females show higher utilization rate than males by 6% or so.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
【For respondents who have used ‘100 Yen Shop’ before】
How frequently do you use (make purchase at) ‘100 Yen Shop’? （SA）

【Frequency of use of ‘100 Yen Shop’ (N=192)】
【Overall】
When asked about the frequency of use of ‘100 Yen Shop’, the highest percentage turned out to be ‘Once per week’ with 28,1％, followed by ‘Once (or so) per month’. Number of respondents who use ‘100 Yen shop’ for at least once a week (=‘Once per week’ and more) turned out to be just less than a half of respondents, with 44.8%.

【By Gender】
When analyzed by gender, almost half (49.5%) of the males use ‘100 Yen Shop’ for more than once a week, while only 40.4% of females use more than once a week, which is almost 10% difference. Thus for the frequency of use, males show higher tendency of use of the 100 Yen Shop than females.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
What is the name of the 100 Yen Shop you use the most? （FA）

【Name of the 100 Yen Shop that I use the most (N=192)】
【Overall】
When asked for the name of 100 Yen Shop that they use the most (as Free Answer question), more than half, 70.3%, answered “Daiso-sangyo (http://www.daiso-sangyo.co.jp/english/index.html)”.

【By Gender】
When analyzed by gender, the order of the ranking is the same, but females show higher percentage rate for “Daiso”, while males show higher percentage rate for “CanDo (http://www.cando-web.co.jp/)” and “SHOP 99 (http://www.99plus.co.jp/shop99/index.html)”.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
How much, on average, do you spend at ‘100 Yen Shop’?（FA）

【Positioning of ‘100 Yen Shop’ (N=192)】

■Male 20’s (N=24)

・More than a convenience store, less than a supermarket (20, University student)
・The store I go to when I have many things to buy. (21, University student)
・When I have some small thing that I need to buy but do not want to spend much for. (28, Sales/Service)

■Male 30’s (N=22)

・ When I want to buy something for less than ‘standard price’ (30, Technical/Specialist)
・ Before I try convenience store to see if they have the similar items for less. (32, Technical/Specialist)
・ To save money. (34, Part-time)

■Male 40’s (N=24)

・ The place I can buy small little things for cheaper. (40, Technical/Specialist)
・ The place I always stop by, almost as a habit, during my shopping (46, Technical/Specialist)
・ When I buy goods and commodities that do not need to be of brand names and that I can get by with lesser quality. (49, Self-employed)

■Male, 50’s (N=23)

・ Very convenient place when I need something quickly and by large volume. (50, Other)
・ This is that type of the store I stop by because it is on the way to somewhere else; not because I need to buy something from the store. (51, Self-employed）
・ When I need to buy small goods, this is the first store I head to. (54, Public employee)

■Female, 20’s (N=24)

・It is a “must” type of store in my life, in order to live wisely. (22, University student)
・It is a store I can go “care-free”. (23, Other)
・I can visit the store carefree. The store carries so many varieties of goods. (27, House-wife)

■Female, 30’s (N=25)

・Some things are available in many varieties at lower cost than other stores. The store is “average person’s best friend” type of store. (32, Office admin)
・When I need someone, I would go to 100-yen store first before I visit any other store.(33, House-wife)
・For anything that is sold at 100-yen store, I would get it there. If they do not have it, then I go look for them at other stores. (34, Office admin)

■Females, 40’s (N=25)

・The store is very accessible in a way that I know I get to try things that I am interested in, without worrying about the price. (40, Office admin)
・It supports my daily life, and at the same time it is a social place for me to feel unstressed and joyful. (43, Housewife)
・Fun place. I go there even when I do not have anything particular to buy. Good place for stress relief. (44, Part-time)

■Female, 50’s (N=25)

・Good place to kill time. One-price-for-all is easy for shopping. (50, Part-time)
・When I need something, I always go there first to see if they have it. (51, Housewife)
・I always go there to check out to see if they have something new or fun to buy. (56, Self-employed)

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Do you plan to use‘100 Yen Shop’ in future?（FA）

Would you like (to continue) to use 100-yen shop in future?（SA）

【Intention to use 100-yen shop in future (N=200)】
【Overall】
When asked if they intend to use 100-yen shop in future, 81% answered “Yes, I would like to”. When including the answer “I think I would like to”, it turns out that 93.5％ of survey participants have an intention to use 100-yen shop in future.

【By Gender】
When analyzed by gender, females show higher intention than males by 10% or so.

【Opinions of participants by intention of 100-yen shop use (N=200)】

■”Yes, I would like to (use 100-yen shop in future) (N=162)
・All-in-one-price is easy to calculate when shopping. (Male, 21, University student)
・Because things are inexpensive, even when I end up with “bad shopping”, I do not feel too bad. (Male, 40, Technical)
・If I can buy things at cheaper price and if I am satisfied with its function/quality, then I see nothing wrong with it. (57, Self-employed)
・I use the stores now, and I am satisfied with its quality for price I pay (100-yen). (Female, 27, Sales)
・I feel secured knowing that everything is for 100-yen. These days I get surprised to find so many things at the 100-yen shops that I never expected to find there, and I cannot take my eyes off of 100-yen shops! (Female, 33, Part-time)
・It is fun to browse around. During the browsing-around, if I get sudden urge to buy things, but I feel carefree knowing everything is 100-yen. (Female, 41, Housewife)

■”I think I want to (use 100-yen shop in future) (N=25)
・ I cannot find a reason not to go there. (Male, 29, Sales)
・ Because they have all the low-price essential daily goods readily available. (Male, 30, Unemployed)
・I hear that they sell practical things, so I would like to go there once. (Male, 57, Sales)
・ If the quality is good enough, I would like to buy things that I can “dispose”. (Female, 26, Housewife)
・I always buy things that I do not need because I cannot resist the cheap price, so I think visiting the stores only once in a while is enough for me. (Female, 51, Housewife)
・Because there is no reason not to use it if you want to live wisely. (Female, 52, Part-time)

■”I cannot say one or the other” (N=9)
・I do not have anything particular I need from the store, but sometimes I feel like stopping by to see if they have something unusual. (Male, 31, Self-employed)
・Because they do not have anything I want. (Male, 31, Technical)
・They do not have anything I want, so I would go there on the way to somewhere else. (Male, 51, Self-employed)
・I would go if necessary, but not frequent. (Male, 57, Office admin)
・It looks cheap with its low-quality, (which I could understand.) (Female, 26, Other)
・100-yen shop is 100-yen shop, nothing more, nothing less. (Female, 51, Housewife)

■”I do not want to use 100-yen shop, if I do not have to. (N=1)
・There is nothing I want to buy from them. (Male, 56, Technical)

■”I do not want to use 100-yen shop” (N=3)
・Not interested. (Male, 28, Attorny/Accountant)

You can even call us via Skype phone through our website. We are live online during business hours, Monday through Friday from 9AM to 6PM, Japan Time.

Source: MARSH Co., Ltd.

Questionnaire Survey on Wallet (men’s and women’s) for 240 Japanese of age 20 and up

Hello Global — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 08:27:05 +0000

Questionnaire Survey on Wallet (men’s and women’s) for 240 Japanese females and males of age 20 and up, who owns wallet

Project name: Questionnaire Survey on Wallet (men’s and women’s)
Subject (Respondents): Japanese males and females of age 20 and up, who owns wallet/purse. (N=240)
Distribution of respondents:

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Research Results
How many wallets do you normally use on daily basis? （SA）

【Number of wallets used on daily basis (N=240)】
【Overall】
When asked how many wallets they normally use on daily basis, almost 95% answered either ‘One’ or ‘Two’.
【By Gender】
When analyzed by gender, for males in 40’s and for females in 30’s, more than 40% answered they use ‘Two’ wallets.
The main use of the two wallets are ‘For Bill money (paper) and For Coins’, and ‘For family use and For personal use’, etc.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Which type of the wallet do you use on daily basis? (SA)

【The type of wallet I normally use on daily basis (N=240)】
【Overall】
When asked about the type of wallet they normally use, the highest percentage turned out to be ‘Folded wallet’ with 67.1％, followed by ‘Long wallet’ with 21.3％.

【By Gender】
When analyzed by gender, males tend to use ‘Folded wallet,’ while females tend to use ‘Long wallet.’

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
What is your satisfaction level for the wallet you currently use? ( SA）

【Satisfaction level for the wallet I currently use (N=240)】
【Overall】
When asked about the satisfaction level for the wallet they currently use on daily basis, 88.4% answered either ‘Satisfied’ or ‘Somewhat satisfied’. On the other hand, the percentage of respondents who is using the wallet they are not satisfied with is only for 5.4％.
【By Gender】
When analyzed by gender, males show somewhat higher satisfaction rate than females, with more than 90% of males answering ‘Satisfied’ in all age groups of males.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
How often do you change your wallet (by purchasing a new one)? (SA)

【Frequency of wallet purchase (N=240)】
【Overall】
When asked how often they change their wallet by purchasing a new wallet, the highest percentage turned out to be ‘3 to 4 years’ with 41.3％, followed by ‘1 to 2 years’ and ‘3 to 6 years’ both with at around 20％.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
What do you carry in your wallet that you use on daily basis? Please answer all of the items you have in your wallet, if there is more than one. (MA)

“Pink” Color – Higher by more than 10%
“Blue” Color – Lower by more than 10%

【Items I carry in my wallet on daily basis (N=240)】
【Overall】
When asked what they carry in their wallet on daily basis, besides ‘Money’, the items ranked at the top turned out to be ‘Bank cashing card (debit card)’, ‘Credit card’, ‘Members card for rental video store’, etc.

【By Gender】
When analyzed by gender, males tend not to carry any items in the wallet other than Money and/or Cards, but females tend to carry ‘(Shopping) Receipts’ and ‘Gift card(s)’, ‘Notes’ in their wallet on daily basis.

You can even call us via Skype phone through our website. We are live online during business hours, Monday through Friday from 9AM to 6PM, Japan Time.

Source: MARSH Co.,Ltd.

Questionnaire Survey on Tennis Shoes (a.k.a.”Sneaker”) for 260 Japanese between 20-30

Hello Global — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 05:44:56 +0000

Questionnaire Survey on Questionnaire Survey on Tennis Shoes (a.k.a.”Sneaker” in Japan) for 260 Japanese females and males between 20-30

Project name: Questionnaire Survey on Tennis Shoes (a.k.a.”Sneaker” in Japan)
Subject (Respondents): Japanese males and females of age 20 – 30, who has at least one pair of tennis shoes (N=260)
Distribution of respondents:

Research conducted on: November 15 – 30, 2006

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Research Results
How frequently do you purchase a pair of tennis shoes (including jogging shoes, walking shoes, etc.)? (SA)

【Frequency of purchasing tennis shoes】
【Overall】
When asked how frequently they purchase a pair of tennis shoes, the highest percentage turned out to be “(One pair of tennis shoes) every year” with 38.8％, followed by “(One pair of tennis shoes) every 6 months” with 30.4％ and “(One pair of tennis shoes) every 2 – 3 years” with 18.1%. Overall, 70% answered they purchase a pair of tennis shoes “every 6 months to one year.”
【By Gender】
When analyzed by gender, females tend to purchase a pair of tennis shoes with higher frequency than males.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Where do you purchase your tennis shoes (jogging shoes, walking shoes, etc.)? (MA)

【Location to purchase tennis shoes】
【Overall】When asked to list all the locations where they usually purchase their tennis shoes, the response with highest percentage was by far “Specialty chain store(ABC store, etc.)” with 73.1％, followed by “Sports store” with 31.9％, and “Shopping Mall” with 28.1％.
“Internet (On-line)” and “Mail Order”, where customers cannot try them on beforehand, are both low with 4.6％.
【By Gender】
When analyzed by gender, females responded more than 10 percent higher for “ショッピングモール” and “Department stores百貨店”, than males.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
What are the important factors for you when purchasing a pair of tennis shoes (jogging shoes, walking shoes, etc.)?（MA）

【Important factors when purchasing tennis shoes】
【Overall】
When asked what the important factors are when purchasing a pair of tennis shoes, the response with highest percentage was “Design” with 75.8％, followed by “Comfort” with 71.9％, and “Price” with 65.8％.
Reasons/factors such as “Newly released product” or “Limited edition” “recommended by shop staff” are all very low with 2.3％.

【By Gender】
When analyzed by gender, females tend to show higher response rate for all of the categories than males. Especially for “Brand (name value)”, “Comfortable to walk in” are both 20 percent higher than males.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Please choose one tennis shoes brand you like the most. (by specific brand names). If you do not have any, please answer “non particular”. (FA)

【Most favorite tennis shoes brand (N=249) excluding “non particular”】
【Overall】
When asked the most favorite tennis shoes brand (in free answer format), “NIKE” was no.1 with 20.1％, followed by “Adidas” with 16.5％ and “new balance” with 12.4％.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
What is the reason for choosing the brand as your favorite tennis shoes brand (for question Q6)? (FA)

【Reasons for top 3 favorite tennis shoes brand (N=249)】
■No. 1: NIKE (N=50)
・Overall quality is very high, such as Design and Foot comfort, so I can wear them for a long time. (Male, 21)
・It is a famous manufacturer, and I am used to wearing them for awhile, so I trust the brand. (Male, 26)
・This is the icon for American-Casual. Specially the old Nike are simple, and many of them are rare “limited editions”, so I used to wear them all the time. (Male, 30)
・Comfortable and they have good models. (Male, 37)
・Good Design. (Female, 22)
・My feet do not get tired after a long walk. Their design appeals to me. (Female, 25)
・Their color choices match my taste. I can get shoes with my kind of color and design for reasonable price. (Female, 34)
・I like the design, and they are comfortable to wear. (Female, 37)

■No. 2: Adidas (N=41)
・They go well with casual fashion. They are light weighted, and I am comfortable with their price range. (Male, 22)
・They are good and simple. You do not see their design where their logo is written all over the shoes, and I like them about that. (Male, 28)
・Simple and cool. (Male, 34)
・Cool design. Very simple. (Male 37)
・They are comfortable. I like “Stan Smith” model. (Female, 24)
・Design is cute, and they are very comfortable. (Female, 26)
・I like design and logo. (Female, 33)
・I like their design. (Female, 38)

■No. 3: new balance (N=31)
・I like their classic silhouette, and their long-lasting comfort and high durability. (Male, 20)
・Comfort and design. (Male, 29)
・I like the design. Compared to all the other brands that match my taste, this is the least expensive. Comfortable. (Male, 36)
・They fit well on my shoes, and their design also allows grown-ups to wear them. (Male, 37)
・Very well-built and comfortable. Design is cute. (Female, 24)
・Design and price range match my style the best. (Female, 25)
・I do not like the tennis shoes with too masculine design (big and blocky), so I like their design. They have colors that are kind of girly, and their shoes are also comfortable and do not make my feet get tired too much. (Female, 32)
・I like the design and the logo “NB”. (Female, 36)

You can even call us via Skype phone through our website. We are live online during business hours, Monday through Friday from 9AM to 6PM, Japan Time.

Source: MARSH Co.,Ltd.

Questionnaire Survey on Outlet Malls for 300 Japanese between 20’s – 40’s

Hello Global — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 05:19:43 +0000

Questionnaire Survey on Outlet Malls for 300 Japanese females and males between 20’s – 40’s

Project name: Questionnaire Survey on Outlet Malls
Subject (Respondents): Japanese males and females of age 20 ? 49 who reside in Tokyo metropolitan areas, who have visited Outlet Mall within the past one year (N=300).
Research outlines:
*Frequency of visiting Outlet malls
*Accompanying person when visiting Outlet malls
*Reason for visiting Outlet malls
*Outlet malls, in Tokyo metropolitan areas, that they know about, that they visit and that they want to visit again.
*Purposes of visiting Outlet malls

Distribution of respondents:

Research conducted on: April 7-17, 2009

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Research Results
How frequently do you go/visit Outlet Malls? (SA)

■Frequency of visiting Outlet malls (N=300)
When asked how frequently they visit Outlet malls to the respondents who have visited Outlet malls within past one year, the highest percentage turned out to be “once in 6 months” with 29.7%, followed by “once in 2-3 months” with 28.0% and “once per month” with 14.3％.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
■When visiting Outlet malls, who do you go with the most? (SA)

■Accompanying person when visiting Outlet malls (N=300)
When asked who they go to the Outlet malls with the most, the response with the highest percentage was “Family” with 63.0％, followed by “Friends” with 14.7％ and “Boyfriend/Girlfriend” with 11.3％. It turns out that the majority of visitors go to Outlet malls with their family members.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
■What is the reason for visiting Outlet malls? If you do not have specific reason, please state “Non-particular” as your answer. (FA)

■Reasons of visits (N=300)
【Males】
-　There are varieties of stores located in one convenient place with Food court and Fashion sections, so I can spend an entire day at Outlet malls. (Male, 20’s)
-　I enjoy shopping during my cruising-around-town driving. (Male, 20’s)
-　I go there to get what I need or want when I have extra money (like bonus payment) or during the bargain sale seasons. (Male, 30’s)
-　They are less-crowded than the bargain day at regular stores, but their goods are priced like a bargain day elsewhere. (Male, 30’s)
-　There are varieties of stores with different products. Less expensive than Department stores. (Male, 40’s)
-　I live close to one, so I go there for regular/casual shopping. I go to the ones at further distance when I have a lot of time to kill or when I want to do some shopping. (Male, 40’s)

【Females】
-　To enjoy window-shopping for fashion items, as well as to do some research on whether some goods are on sale or not. (Female, 207s)
-　I go there when I want to drive to somewhere and to walk around. It is fun to think I may unexpectedly encounter some excellent bargain item(s). (Female, 20’s)
-　Because they have excellent bargain items. Some items are only sold and available in Outlet malls. Just walking around doing window-shopping is always fun. (Female, 30’s)
-　All in all, I can purchase things at low cost. Also, usually they are located near the Amusement or entertainment facilities and there are many places to eat, so that it is convenient to stop by on the way to a travel destination (or on the way home) during vacation time. (Female, 30’s)
-　When I want to spend much time to enjoy shopping in roomier place. (Female, 40’s)
-　It is fun to walk around and see things. A lot of times, I get to find an excellent bargain item. I go visit many places. (Female, 40’s)

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
■From the following list of Outlet malls, please provide names of Outlet malls for each category of the questions: 1) Outlet mall that you know about, 2) Outlet mall that you have visited in the past, 3) Outlet mall that you want to visit again. You can choose more than one for each category. (MA)

■Outlet malls, in Tokyo metropolitan areas, that they know about, that they visit and that they want to visit again. (N=300)

When asked about the outlet malls that they 1) know about, 2) visit and 3) want to visit again, “Gotenba Premium Outlet” is ranked at No.1 in all of three categories. The second place was “Karuizawa Prince Shopping Plaza”.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
■What are the purposes for you to visit Outlet malls? You can provide more than one answer. (MA)

■Purposes of visiting Outlet malls (N=300)
When asked the purposes of Outlet mall visits, the response with highest percentage was “To purchase the on-sale items” with 72.0%, followed by “As part of Leisure activities” with 47.0% and “To enjoy window-shopping” with 46.0％.
This reveals at least there are some visitors who go to Outlet malls for non-shopping purpose.

You can even call us via Skype phone through our website. We are live online during business hours, Monday through Friday from 9AM to 6PM, Japan Time.

Source: MARSH Co.,Ltd.

Fashion Trend Cross Analysis report on Japanese females in their 10’s, 20’s and 30’s

Hello Global — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 07:13:44 +0000

Vol.4 Fashion Trend Reports of Tokyo Women In Their 10’s, 20’s and 30’s

Having analyzed the apparel fashion trends individually for Tokyo women in their teens, twenties and thirties, Hello-Global.com has now released the cross analysis report comparing the tendencies across these age groups. The 300 respondents were surveyed in the Tokyo metropolitan area to determine primarily what, where and how much they spend on their fashion.

Tokyo has recently undergone a dramatic change recently as the relatively inexpensive H & M, Forever21 and Uniqlo are now in as much demand as the expensive luxury brands. The analysis seems to highlight this change in shopping habits..

Some intriguing facts showed that teens and twentysomethings both preferred to shop in department stores (most notably Lumine, Marui and Parco) whilst thirtysomethings preferred online shopping (Rakuten). Across the board they all agreed that the No.1 resource for fashion trend information was fashion magazines, followed by television. The number one fashion brand in all three groups was Nolley’s (Japanese fashion store). Although the women in twenties and thirties were similar in taste for overseas brands (Louis Vuitton and Coach), Forever21 topped the teen’s list. One thing they all agreed on was their most recent favorite purchase which was the one-piece dress.

The key decision factor for making a purchase was design, price and then brand loyalty in all groups, with quality being not as important as these key factors. The most influential person on their purchase for teens and twentysomethings was friends and family but interestingly for thirtysomethings not only family but also TV stars made a difference for them.

For the complete market report, feel free to contact us directly. Sections of this report are also available for free to Hello-Global.com subscribers.

- Total 20 pages -

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Research Overview and Target Segment Demography
3. Fashion Survey Digest of 10’s, 20’s and 30’s
4. General overview of Japanese females in 10’s, 20’s and 30’s in Japan
(1) Financials: Their income level and money senses
(2) Shopping Sites: Where do they shop?
(1) CROSS ANALYSIS – Demographic summary of “Department shopper” vs. “Online shopper”
(3) Fashion Brands: Who do they like and why?
(1) CROSS ANALYSIS – Demographic summary by “favorite brand”
(4) Spending habits and behavior: What influences their purchase decision on fashion items?
Survey questionnaires include …
・How much do you spend on fashion items per month?
・What is your resource for fashion trend information?
・Who is the most influential person on your purchase decision for fashion items (incl. clothes, bag, shoes, small items)?
・What is your favorite fashion brand? Why?
・What is your favorite Non-Japanese fashion brand? Why?
・What is your favorite (Hand) bag brand? Why?
・What is your favorite shoe brand? Why?
・Where do you shop your apparel fashion items (incl. clothes, bag, shoes, small items) most frequently?
・At which one of the previously mentioned places do you shop (your apparel fashion items) the most?
・What is the brand name of the previously mentioned clothing item?
・What was the decision factor for the purchase of the previously mentioned item?
・What was the price range of the purchase of the previously mentioned item?
(Reference) Japan’s Demographic information (as of October 2008)

FULL Report $500.00

Sections of the last report,
Vol.1 Fashion trend report of the women in their thirties in Japan
Vol.2 Fashion trend report of the women of High School Girls in Japan
Vol.3 Fashion Trend Reports of Tokyo Women In Their Twenties
For further information contact us

From December 1, 2009 to January 10, 2010 – Famous Illumination is back in Omotesando, Tokyo for the first time in 11 years (2009/12/20) KN

Hello Global — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 03:37:07 +0000

Basic Industry Report available for US$50

Industry report available for US$50 upon request. If interested, please contact us at info@hello-global.com for more details.

Latest Fashion Trend Reports

Fashion Trend Survey was conducted on Japanese women in 10’s, 20’s, 30’s, this summer in 2009.

Cross Analysis (10’s, 20’s & 30’s) — Click here
10’s — Click here
20’s — Click here
30’s — Click here

For details, contact us at info@hello-global.com

(December 20th, 2009)

From December 1, 2009 to January 10, 2010 – Famous Illumination is back in Omotesando, Tokyo for the first time in 11 years (2009/12/20) KN

If you ask anyone in Tokyo about ‘winter season illuminations’, many would say ‘Omotesando Street’. Sponsored by H.I.S., one of the largest travel agency in Japan, and organized by the local shopping-center promotion association, ‘Harajuku Omotesando Keyaki Organization’, the famous shopping strip of Omotesando is lit up for this winter holiday season in Tokyo, Japan. All 140 trees will be decorated with an amazing 630,000 LED lights along the shopping street every night between 17:00 – 22:00 from December 1, 2009 until January 10, 2010.

Omotesando is a sophisticated shopping area mainly for women in their 20’s and 30’s, who are always looking for ‘up-to-date’ styles without being too fashion-forward and edgy. It is the area that could be seen as a new-generation of ‘Ginza’ (similar to ‘N.Y. 5th Avenue’) in Tokyo, having all the high end brands like Louis Vuitton, Loewe, Gucci, etc. standing high along the main street, but behind the main street is where you really find the “real” fashion trends in Japan. Although Tokyo is not a large city in terms of square meters, however, its land can be segmented into so many “fashion” areas, each dedicated to a specific demography of consumers. Omotesando is for the young, single (or wealthy, married) females who have high ‘disposable income’ to spend on fashion, each and every other area has specific local demographic tendency. When doing business in Japan, especially the retail businesses, preparing thorough area marketing is extremely important to ensure your products or services would be available to target the right type of consumers, in the right price range, in the right area of the city.

Also included in this promotional event of the Omotesando illumination lighting is an entertainment space for ‘skating theater’, made with a new generation technology of “XTRAICE”, developed by Astro Corp., where people can skate on a plastic-made “ice” skate rink without being on the ice. This skating theater is eco friendly as it does not require any electricity or water to create the ice rink. It is set up in a recently-built, popular shopping mall, Omotesando Hills (http://www.omotesandohills.com/index.php), which has many select shops, such as KiwaSylphy, that are popular with many young women in their 20’s.

With the winter holiday season coming up, many young couples and families are seen on the street walking in couples, store-hopping for their holiday shopping and eating out in the restaurants along the Omotesando street under the illumination lightings.

KN
2009/12/20

For more information about Japan market entry or more market insights about Japanese market, please contact us at info@hello-global.com or visit JQI page and type in your question!

Further information

Coming soon

Further information

Would you like to learn more about Japanese market? Contact us for details at info@hello-global.com

Hello Global interviewed Dylan Robertson, yoga instructor, long-time Tokyo resident and creator of Hello Yoga (12.5.09) CM

Hello Global — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 05:24:25 +0000

Basic Industry Report available for US$50

Industry report available for US$50 upon request. If interested, please contact us at info@hello-global.com for more details.

Latest Fashion Trend Reports

Fashion Trend Survey was conducted on Japanese women in 10’s, 20’s, 30’s, this summer in 2009.

Cross Analysis (10’s, 20’s & 30’s) — Click here
10’s — Click here
20’s — Click here
30’s — Click here

For details, contact us at info@hello-global.com

(December 5th, 2009)

Hello Global interviewed Dylan Robertson, yoga instructor, long-time Tokyo resident and creator of Hello Yoga (12.5.09) CM

Hello Global interviewed Dylan Robertson, yoga instructor, long-time Tokyo resident and creator of Hello Yoga, an online portal for Tokyo’s English-speaking yoga community, for an insider’s view on the Japanese yoga industry and what he sees in the future for yoga in Japan.

Hello Global: How has Japan’s yoga industry developed over the last several years?

Dylan: Interest in yoga grew rapidly from around 2002 and peaked around 2005. In Tokyo, neighborhood studios popped-up and most of the big fitness clubs started offering yoga classes—“Hot Yoga” was an especially popular offering. Many Japanese joined classes to find out more about yoga, but few of them become regular practitioners. Since 2005, the hype has died down and the yoga market has stabilized. It’s not that yoga has died and gone away. Yoga is going strong and is here to stay. Nowadays it’s become an established item within Japan’s vast health and wellness menu.

A large portion of yoga students will go to a yoga class once or twice a month, in the same way that they would go to a beauty salon or get their nails done. They just want to relax and feel like they are treating themselves to something special. A smaller percentage of yoga students have made yoga into a weekly practice in a studio as well as at home. An even smaller, but not insignificant group of students are training diligently with the possibility of going on to become instructors.

Hello Global: What are some of the common characteristics of your students?

Dylan: Most of my students are women in their thirties. I don’t see many students under 25 or over 45, although they are most welcome, of course. There are a few men but not as many as you’d see in a yoga class overseas and most are foreign men. I think that Japanese men will gradually come to try yoga when they see more Japanese male professional athletes and celebrities making it a part of their routine.

My yoga classes and online community targets people interested in yoga taught in English in Tokyo. Around 80% of my students have been Japanese, but the mixture depends on the venue I teach. The studio I teach in at Hiroo, a residential area popular with foreign expatriates, attracts more foreigners. But at the studio in Nihonbashi where I teach workshops occasionally, I’ve had 99% Japanese students. Many of them have lived or traveled abroad, speak English or want to practice their English skills while studying yoga.

Hello Global: Where do people in Japan get their information about yoga?

Dylan: There are popular magazines such as Yogini and Yoga Journal Japan. There are also online portals such as YogaRoom and Yoga Gene. Many students buy their yoga wear and accessories from department stores, sporting goods stores or through popular online shopping sites such as Amazon or Rakuten. When searching for a yoga studio, many students will often search via Yahoo using keywords such as their neighborhood’s name and “yoga studio” or “yoga classes”. From this, they might find the website of an individual yoga studio nearby.

I created Hello Yoga to fill the gap in the market for an online resource targeting people specifically interested in yoga taught in English in Tokyo. Around that, I am building a community with articles, yoga teacher interviews and channels via social media such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Mixi (Japan’s largest online social networking service).

Hello Global: What kind of emerging trends do you see?

Dylan: Yoga classes that are more ‘holistic’ and have a spiritual component are gaining interest, as well as specialized workshops that refine the student’s technique. Students prefer products that are ‘eco-friendly’ and can also be seen following the “My Bottle” trend. There is also a growing trend in yoga goods for use in the home or as they say in Japan, “Taku yoga” products. With commuting times and busy schedules, videos for home use are popular. Many Japanese would like to make yoga part of their holidays and are interested in taking yoga retreats in both Japan and abroad if there is a Japanese interpreter available.

Hello Global: What advice would you give to companies or individuals wanting to enter the Japanese yoga market?

Dylan: I’d say traditional market research is important but I’d also advise actually visiting Japan and spending some time here. Go to some yoga classes and talk to people who are already in the industry to get a sense of the market for what you’re offering. My portal is a good starting point, but remember that the English-speaking market is only the tip of the iceberg.

Hello Global: What’s in store for the Hello Yoga website and your plans for the future?

Dylan: We hope to continue growing and serving as communications hub for Tokyo’s English-speaking yoga community. Items on the ‘to do’ list include improving the quality and quantity of content we offer, making it easier for people to navigate our website to find what they want, making all content on the site available in Japanese, improved integration with our various social media channels, and getting more studios that provide English instruction to allow us to feature their offerings on our site.

We don’t charge fees of any kind for community membership or for yoga teachers or studios to feature their offerings on our site. Since the many items on our ‘to do’ list will require financial resources and manpower, we are looking for a corporate sponsor who is interested in marketing to the demographics of our community. This must, however, be done in the right way and serve the interests of our community. The trust of our members is the lifeblood of our community.

CM
2009/12/5

For more information about Japan market entry or more market insights about Japanese market, please contact us at info@hello-global.com or visit JQI page and type in your question!

Further information

Coming soon

Further information

Would you like to learn more about Japanese market? Contact us for details at info@hello-global.com

“Top 30 best-selling products of 2009”in Japan – KN 12.4.2009

Hello Global — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 05:23:22 +0000

Basic Industry Report available for US$50

Industry report available for US$50 upon request. If interested, please contact us at info@hello-global.com for more details.

Latest Fashion Trend Reports

Fashion Trend Survey was conducted on Japanese women in 10’s, 20’s, 30’s, this summer in 2009.

Cross Analysis (10’s, 20’s & 30’s) — Click here
10’s — Click here
20’s — Click here
30’s — Click here

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(December 4th, 2009)

“Top 30 best-selling products of 2009”in Japan

Last Wednesday December 2, 2009, one of the most popular monthly business magazines in Japan, “Nikkei Trendy”, announced the “Top 30 best-selling products of 2009” in Japan. The ranking is as follows.

1. Prius (Toyota) & Insight (Honda) – Automobile
2. Kirin Free (Kirin) – Alcohol free beer
3. Dragon Quest IX – Video game
4. Anti-influenza products – health related goods
5. National Treasure ASURA Exhibition – Art
6. “Dotted” notebook (Kokuyo) – Stationary product
7. UNO Fog Bar (Shiseido) – Men’s beauty product
8. Digital memo POMERA (King Jim) – Small electronics/Stationary
9. “Steam-free” Rice Cooker (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation) – Home Electronics products
10. “990 yen (approx. US$9)” Jeans (Fast Retailing group) – Apparel
11. Fit’s (Lotte) – Food
12. Lekue (Microwave steam cooker) – Kitchen product
13. Lancôme Oscillation (Lancôme) – Cosmetics
14. iPhone 3GS (Appole) – Small Electronics
15. OLYMPUS PEN (Olympus) - Small Electronics
16. “Cho Jimaku” Seriese English Learning Software with DVD (SOURCENEXT Corporation) - Educational Software
17. Fashion magazine “sweet & Brand Mook” (Takarajima Inc.) – Fashion magazine
18. “Makiba no Sora” 100% Milk (Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd.) – Food and Beverage
19. “I LOHAS” Bottled Water (Coca-Cola (Japan) Company, Limited) – Food and Beverage
20. “Pianta FV200” Tiller (Honda) - Home and Garden Electronics
21. “Blaune” foaming hair coloring product (Kao) - Home Beauty Product
22. Books on President Obama’s speech - Books
23. “Fluffy” Bread (Yamazaki Baking Co., Ltd.) - Food and Beverage
24. “1000 yen (approx. US$10)” Highway Toll
25. “1Q84” by Haruki Murakami　-Books and novels
26. “Highball” whisky drinks (Suntory Holdings Limited, and more) - Food and Beverages
27. FOREVER 21 - Fashion and Apparel　
28. RiUP (Taisho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.) – Men’s beauty product
29. “Eco-point” TV (governmental incentives to promote consumption) – Home electronics
30. Trips to Korea (influenced by depreciated Korean won against JPN Yen) – Travel and entertainment

Services or products released to the general public between October 2008 and September 2009 were eligible for nomination. The ranking was determined by the overall evaluation of ‘Sales Amount’, ‘Innovation’, ‘New Market Creation’, and ‘Influence’.

KN (2009/12/4)

To see the full list in Nikkei Trendy (Japanese only) visit their website at:
http://trendy.nikkeibp.co.jp/article/pickup/20091030/1029925/

To see the full list for 2008, visit their website at:
http://trendy.nikkeibp.co.jp/article/pickup/20081104/1020602/

For more information about Japan market entry or more market insights about Japanese market, please contact us at info@hello-global.com or visit JQI page and type in your question!

Further information

Coming soon

Further information

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The Changing Face of Japanese Tourism – Volunteering in Southeast Asia to Luxury Hotel Packages for Career Women

Hello Global — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 07:04:25 +0000

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(November 27th, 2009)

The Changing Face of Japanese Tourism – Volunteering in Southeast Asia to Luxury Hotel Packages for Career Women

Long gone are the days of camera-wielding hoards of middle-aged Japanese tourists swarming the cultural monuments of Europe or the beaches of Honolulu. Today’s Japanese tourist is just as likely to be a college student or an unmarried professional woman than the package-tour-pensioner of a decade ago.

Travel for the masses and the luxury class have become individualized and niche-based as travelers become more independent and demanding. College students with long school breaks and expendable income from part-time jobs may head to Southeast Asia to volunteer at an orphanage combined with touring the region. Young professional women whom often live at home and are able to spend their income freely on designer goods, services and travel may opt for skiing in Hokkaido or scuba diving off the coast of Okinawa.

Globe Trotter T&E Inc., a Tokyo based company with branch offices in Osaka and Nagoya is one company that through their dynamic website is offering travel plans to young Japanese. The website includes information in categories such as: solo travel, school trips, overseas flight arrangement, and recently volunteer travel. The volunteer travel package for eight-days in Bali, Indonesia includes time spent at a local orphanage playing with children and teaching them some basic Japanese language and about Japanese culture, combined with touring local tourist sights and taking Indonesian language classes. Costs range from Y140,000-190,000 (roughly US$1,500-2,000) depending on the season and include plane fare, hotel and most meals.

Five-star hotels throughout Japan have also designed special packages to appeal to the highly-mobile and financially independent working woman. One package offered by The Manhattan Hotel offers women a multi-course facial and spa menu with choice of western or Japanese breakfast and extended check-in and check-out times that ensure stays of 24-hours. Rates run from Y23,000-34,000 (roughly US$250-350) for overnight packages that allow women to enjoy an evening alone or a night of pampering and fun with their girlfriends.

Japanese travelers are changing, and with this change travel options are become specialized and showing more individuality. Companies that can identify the values and lifestyle-choices of their targeted demographic are likely to grow and flourish as the Japanese tourist continues to become more than just another tourist following behind a tour leader’s flag.

CM
2009/11/27

If you’d like to learn more about how tourism trends are changing and how your organization can better serve the Japanese travel community, please contact us at info@hello-global.com or visit the JQI page and type in your question!

Japan’s National Holidays

Coming soon.

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Yoga Gets Specialized in Japan (11.20.09) CM

Hello Global — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:44:00 +0000

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SPECIAL INTERVIEW

Special interview with Dylan Robertson, creator of Hello Yoga.

(November 20th, 2009)

Yoga Gets Specialized in Japan (11.20.09) CM

The yoga community in Japan continues to blossom and with that growth it is becoming increasingly specialized and diverse in its offerings. As the yoga industry is relatively new to Japan and those involved in its growth (instructors, goods-suppliers, studio owners) are particularly passionate about wellness for the body, spirit and mind, the yoga industry hasn’t been subject to some of the typical hurdles associated with ‘setting up shop’ in Japan. In many ways, buoyed by the enthusiasm of individuals in the industry to share their love of yoga the industry has been able to grow organically through word-of-mouth, social groups and local community centers.

Many local-Japanese and international yoga teachers are not associated with a particular ‘big chain’ yoga studio and instead are independent instructors. To gain exposure and better consolidate themselves, some independtructors are creating or joining specialized portal sites that focus on their particular client base and community. One specialized site targeting the English-speaking yoga community in Tokyo (with a strikingly similar name to our company, but no affiliation) is Hello Yoga. Started less than a year ago by an Australian yogi, Hello Yoga provides visitors with class schedules, teacher biographies and general information about the yoga industry in Tokyo. The site is the first of its kind in Tokyo and quickly becoming the go-to site for anyone interested “in yoga in English in Japan”.

Membership to the site has grown exponentially. With each new piece of yoga-related information published to the site, members are alerted through SNS’s (social networking sites) such as Twitter, Facebook and the Japanese behemoth, Mixi—which as of November has 25 million registered users and was Yahoo Japan’s most searched word in 2009.

Yoga will continue to grow and captivate the Japanese public. Opportunities are especially promising for companies that develop a multi-pronged approach that utilizes the ‘human network’ to enter the yoga market in Japan.

CM
2009/11/20

For more information about Japan market entry or more market insights about Japanese market, please contact us at info@hello-global.com or visit JQI page and type in your question!

Special interview with Dylan Robertson, creator of Hello Yoga.

SPECIAL INTERVIEW

Special interview with Dylan Robertson, creator of Hello Yoga.

Further information

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Jimmy Choo for H&M: Limited edition “Luxury Brand For Mass Market” collaboration – every fashionista’s dream (11/13/09) KN

Hello Global — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:45:47 +0000

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Latest Fashion Trend Reports

Fashion Trend Survey was conducted on Japanese women in 10’s, 20’s, 30’s, this summer in 2009.

10’s — Click here
20’s — Click here
30’s — Click here
Cross Analysis (10’s, 20’s & 30’s) — Click here

For details, contact us at info@hello-global.com

(November 13th, 2009)

November 14, 2009 – Jimmy Choo for H&M: Limited edition “Luxury Brand For Mass Market” collaboration – every fashionista’s dream

As an annual brand collaboration project at H&M, this year Jimmy Choo – the world famous “the shoe brand” has been selected. For a limited time only, Jimmy Choo for H&M products (http://www.hm.com/jp/#/jimmychoo/) will be available for sale tomorrow, November 14, 2009. This is a very attractive combination for consumers because they are able to purchase items of high-end brands which they admire, for much more affordable prices. For example, as far as shoes goes, Jimmy Choo for H&M is priced at 19,990 yen (approx. US$199), whereas the original Jimmy Choo brand would typically range from US$500 and US$1,000. (http://www.jimmychoo.com/)

Not only shoes and accessories for women, but also the clothing lines for both men and women are also being provided, which is unprecedented for Jimmy Choo. These limited edition products will be on the shelves of four H&M stores in Tokyo – Ginza, Harajuku, Shibuya, and the latest Shinjuku store, which will also be newly opening from tomorrow. “The day of customer rushing in should only last for a day or two since these products are limited editions, and once the products are sold out, we do not have any more coming in,” according to the PR representative of H&M. “There are already 5 customers lined up right now in front of the Shinjuku store, for tomorrow’s sale [as of 4:40PM of the day before the day of the product release].” The stores have prepared numbered tickets (wrist band style) to avoid the “shopping stampede” at these stores, tomorrow morning.

Last year’s collaboration was with COMME des GARCONS (Japanese famous apparel brand; http://www.doverstreetmarket.com/dsmpaper/09_autumn_winter/cdg.html), which also took place at the same time with the opening of the 2nd H&M store in Japan in Harajuku, Tokyo. Since it was just after a couple of months since H&M came to Japan market, the attention from the media and general public in Japan for the brand collaboration project as well as the Harajuku store itself was huge. Nearly 2,000 customers queued in order to buy themselves the limited edition collaboration products as well as other regular H&M brand products. According to the PR representative I spoke with, although the Shinjuku store will be opening tomorrow for the first time, the lines are not expected to be as long this year as there will be 3 other stores which will be carrying the Jimmy Choo for H&M products.

It will be very interesting to observe how Japanese consumers react to a brand that has been here for two years with this unique collaboration with Jimmy Choo. It is truly every fashionista woman`s dream to own at least one pair of these dream shoes in their life.

For many years, Japanese fashion shoppers were known as brand shoppers. Japanese females were renowned for making big purchases of high end brands both in Japan and outside of Japan (whilst on vacation). This is no longer the case today for consumers especially the younger generations. Due to the continuing recession, consumers are swaying to spend on more moderately priced merchandise instead of luxury products.

This Jimmy Choo for H&M brand collaboration could act as a potential breakthrough of high end brands entering the mass market in Japan, and could be the first of many to follow this trend in Japan. The key to success could be finding the right partner brand to collaborate with and more importantly finding the right consumer segments to target with your product. It is very critical to learn about the market in order to position your brand and products to determine where (and to whom) you may be able to sell whatever it is, you want to sell.

KN
2009/11/13

For more information about Japan market entry or more market insights about Japanese market, please contact us at info@hello-global.com or visit JQI page and type in your question!

Further information

Coming soon

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How YOGA came to Japan and has eclipsed the whole sport/exercising community in Japan (11/06/09) KN

Hello Global — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:41:33 +0000

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(November 6th, 2009)

How YOGA came to Japan and has eclipsed the whole sport/exercising community in Japan

According to the national survey that have been conducted and released by Japan’s National Statistics Center (http://www.e-stat.go.jp) in 2008, the number one popular sport in Japan for men is Golf, which also is ranked number one sport for the overall population surveyed (including both males and females). According to the survey, out of all the survey participants who responded that they practice some type of exercising or sports, 9.1% answered they play Golf. This means, almost 10% of all sports population practices golf.

On the other hand, the number one popular sport/exercise for women in Japan turned out to be Yoga, and is most popular for women of the age 25 to 34, followed by the women of the age 35 to 44. On average, out of all the women who practice some type of sports or exercises, 7.8% practices Yoga, and 7.6% plays golf.

Yoga population in Japan is said to be approx. 300 thousand (0.2% of population) in 2005 and to grow to 1 million by 2010 and 3.5 million by 2015. In USA, there believed to be more than 15 million people who currently practice Yoga.　

The interesting thing is that, Yoga was only been really popular in the past 5 years or so (approx. since 2004), while golf and other sports which came up on the list (such as Aerobics Dance, Karate, Surfing, Ice Skating, etc.) have been brought to Japan long before and has been here for awhile.

What this suggests is that Japanese populations are open for new ideas and always looking for something exciting and different, and I believe females show such tendency more often than males, as this survey also turns out to be and also from the survey results I have been reading about elsewhere. It could be the marketing method, or it could just be the timing, etc., but Japanese market is open for “foreign” things a lot more than it has been perceived by many overseas companies.

KN
2009/11/06

For more information about Japan market entry or more market insights about Japanese market, please contact us at info@hello-global.com or visit JQI page and type in your question!

Further information

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Vending Machines – Full of Technological and Marketing Potential (10.23.09) CM

Hello Global — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:04:31 +0000

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(October 19th, 2009)

Vending Machines – Full of Technological and Marketing Potential

One of the best-loved images of Japan is that of the vending machine. Dotted along the streets, shopping centers and buildings of every town and city in Japan and used to sell or market everything from bouquets of fresh flowers to batteries to rice in a PET plastic bottle, these “shops in a box” generated nearly 7 trillion yen (approx. USD$11 billion) in 2007, according to the Japan Vending Machine Manufacture’s Association (http://www.jvma.or.jp/index.html).

Japan has over 5.6 million vending machines and companies large and small use the vending machine as a way to reach customers from a variety of marketing standpoints. Vending machines in rural areas offer the consumer a 24-hour a day purchasing option where brick-and-mortar shops have closed or don’t exist. Companies also use the machines as an unconventional way to sell specialized products, introduce and test the popularity of new goods and even just to distribute free marketing literature. During June of 2008, visitors to the shopping and entertainment district of Shibuya, Tokyo were awed by Smart Car’s offering of a full-scale eco-Smart Car. Smart Car wasn’t selling cars, but it was distributing free literature and creating quite a buzz.

The vending machine industry meets biannually to showcase its most recent technological leaps at the “Vendex Japan” fair at Big Sight Convention Center in Tokyo. For insight into the rapid changes being applied to vending machine and other mechanical technology, one pioneering company to take a look at is OMRON Corporation (http://www.omron.com/), headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. Omron developed the
world’s first online ATM, meal ticket vending machines and Japan’s first
fully automated train station. Over fifty-years of R&D and the company continues to pursue the motto of “sensing and control” in what it refers to as “smart technologies”; those technologies which are “compact, lightweight, easy, efficient and provide fast and optimal solutions,” as espoused on their website. OMRON is working to advance machinery in a way that integrates “sensing functions” to provide the output of high-value information instead of existing purely to receive the manual input of data.

While almost half of all vending machines in Japan are used solely to distribute drinks, many vending machines are being conditioned and designed with new generation technology (such as touch screens) that enables them to relay back just-in-time supply and distribution information—cutting down on the costs associated with manually checking each machine and refreshing stock. Companies are attracted to vending machines for their low price (about USD$5,000) and ability to sell goods without the costs associated with a store or salespeople.

CM
2009/10/19

To learn more about vending machines and applications of new generation technology to businesses in Japan, drop us an email at info@hello-global.com or visit the JQI page and type in your question!

OMRON Corporation

Headquarter: Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto Japan
Established: May 10, 1933
Gross Net Sales: JPN 627.2 billion yen (approx. US$6.27 billion dollar) (as of March 31, 2009)

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Travel Patterns in Japan – from travel destinations to transportation methods (10.7.09) CM

Hello Global — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:10:43 +0000

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(October 7th, 2009)

Travel Patterns in Japan – from travel destinations to transportation methods

Traditionally, the Japanese travel three times a year: during the end of the year and New Year holidays, in early May for a string of national holidays called, “Golden Week” and in August for “O-bon”, a time of the year where families get together to honor their ancestors. These popular peak travel times see rates for plane, hotel and tours priced almost 50 percent higher than at other times of the year.

A holiday during the Christmas high season may look something like this:
- 3-nights/5-days in Maui, Hawaii
- Three to four-star hotel with spa
- Taxes and surcharges
- Cost— Y159,000 (roughly US $1,700)
A similar Hawaiian holiday during the fall may be priced from 49,800-97,800 JPN Yen (approx. US $500-1,000).

Due to the global recession and cuts to bonuses another kind of travel pattern has begun to gain strength—shorter, more price-sensitive travel often by bus or car. Many regular travelers put off their summer “O-bon” travel plans to take advantage of a 5-day holiday in September, when prices were slightly less than the other traditional travel times during the year. The Japan Association of Travel Agents (http://www.jata-net.or.jp/english/index.htm), which regularly surveys the travel industry, found that overseas package tours to short-haul destinations (such as Korea, Taiwan and Guam) increased with the lifting of the fuel surcharge.

One new travel pattern gaining popularity is travel by bus. These especially attractive bus packages whisk travelers from crowded Tokyo to the cultural city of Kyoto for an overnight at a hotel and their bus transportation. Prices are often half the price of a round trip ticket on the bullet train (US$125 compared to US$250 for train).

Some Japanese are finding it more economical to drive to their domestic holiday destination. Discounted highway tolls of 30 to 50 percent for the weekdays and 1,000 yen (approx. US$10) for the weekends until March of 2011 have made driving much less expensive than in past years.

CM
2009/10/7

Japan’s National Holidays

Coming soon.

Further information

Would you like to learn more about Japanese market? Contact us for details at info@hello-global.com