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EGG-VERTISING
First Ovular Ad Promotes Chicken Noodles (March 27, 2007)

Eggs are being used as the latest innovative advertising medium. In February 2007 Japan got its first egg-based advertisement, with Nissin Food Products, the company that invented instant noodles, becoming the country's first "ovular advertiser."

MASKED BEAUTY
Beauty Masks Become Hit Through Novel Advertising (March 6, 2007)

A beauty sheet mask sold by Lovelabo under the brand name Bihada Ichizoku (meaning Beautiful Skin Family) is now a regular sight in the cosmetics sections of major drugstores and convenience stores. The mask has been recording unprecedented sales since its launch in November 2005.

PAYING PREMIUM
(February 27, 2007)

Premium beer is selling well in Japan. When producing this beer, extra attention is paid to the malt used and the brewing process, and the resulting beers are generally priced about 10% to 20% higher than ordinary beers.

WASTE NOT, WANT NOT
(February 5, 2007)

Fruits and vegetables that are rejected for sale because they are irregularly shaped or bruised are often thrown away. Now, however, these otherwise perfectly good foods are being used in purée form under the brand name Nepurée.

AN AUTHENTIC TASTE OF JAPAN
(January 30, 2007)

In the midst of the worldwide boom in Japanese cuisine, the government is planning to establish a certification system for Japanese restaurants overseas, in the hope of properly acquainting people with the delights of traditional Japanese foods.

FREE PHOTOCOPYING SERVICE TAKES OFF
(January 26, 2007)

Free photocopying facilities funded by corporate advertising printed on the back of the paper are proving a big hit at universities in the Tokyo area. Known as tadakopi ("free copying"), the scheme was set up by Oceanize, a student start-up venture.

TRY BEFORE YOU BUY
(January 23, 2007)

A new kind of business in which trial products are distributed to consumers is booming. Rather than just handing them out indiscriminately, though, the aim is to target specific consumers and get feedback from them about the products.

READING ON THE MOVE
(December 8, 2006)

A growing number of people are reading novels and other books on their mobile phones and computers. Easy to access and a cinch to carry around, these electronic books are convenient and, thanks to plans offering unlimited data transmissions at a fixed rate, reasonably priced as well.

BARCODE ART
(November 10, 2006)

Up to now, barcodes have been nothing more than a dull collection of black and white stripes of differing thickness, but that is all about to change. A Japanese company making these codes that are printed on almost every product sold in stores nowadays into fun, innovative advertisements.

HARNESSING THE RISING SUN
(October 6, 2006)

In a time of high oil prices and growing concern over environmental problems, the number of Japanese homes equipped with solar power systems is on the rise.

NEXT-GENERATION BATHROOMS
(August 28, 2006)

Toilet manufacturers are battling to provide consumers with toilets that are more comfortable and easy to use. Recent developments in this market include environmentally friendly units that use less water and electricity than other models.

COINLESS LOCKERS
(August 15, 2006)

New types of coin lockers are appearing in train stations around the country. Some can be paid for by a swipe of an electronic money card or cellular phone, and others have enough space to store big suitcases.

LISTEN AND LEARN
(June 26, 2006)

Foreign-language dictionaries, whether paper or electronic, have long been seen and not heard. But that is changing quickly with the growing popularity of a slew of advanced "talking" electronic dictionaries.

BREWING UP BUSINESS
(May 23, 2006)

Now is a great time to be a sake exporter. Interest in Japanese food overseas is one of the factors fueling sake's popularity, and in the United States - the largest export market - sake can now be ordered not just in Japanese restaurants but also in establishments serving French cuisine.

BOOKS AS BILLBOARDS
(May 8, 2006)

One of the hottest trends in Japan right now is book jackets. Made of high-quality paper and sporting elaborate and colorful designs, many of them bear corporate logos and brand images.

WIND POWER TAKES OFF
(March 29, 2006)

Communities and industries in Japan are increasingly looking to wind power to help out with their energy needs. Several cities and towns in Japan have been building "citizens' windmills."

A HAVEN OF SNOW AND HOT SPRINGS
(March 16, 2006)

The number of overseas travelers who visit Hokkaido during the winter months, particularly from Australia and Asia, has begun to soar. These visitors are drawn to Japan's northernmost island by two main attractions: snow and hot springs.

EVER MORE CONVENIENT
(February 21, 2006)

Convenience stores no longer just sell food and everyday items but offer an amazing variety of goods and services. Many chains have recently launched specialist outlets targeted at specific groups of customers in an effort to stay ahead of the pack.

FOSTERING THE WILL TO WORK
(February 1, 2006)

Major publishing companies have released a succession of titles aimed at teaching children about the meaning and value of employment.

SHARING IN THE SPOILS
(January 5, 2006)

Japan's stock markets are recording heavy trading. One of the factors behind this increased activity is the emergence of individual investors who actively trade stocks, many of whom have gained inspiration from celebrity traders famed for their stock-trading success.

SOMETHING FOR NOTHING
(December 27, 2005)

Fapree newspers and magazines have rapidly evolved into one of the most exciting subsectors of the publishing industry, with the annual circulation of free publications currently standing at more than 200 million.

A MAP FOR PUBLISHING SUCCESS
(December 1, 2005)

Informative maps focusing on themes like world affairs, history, and even earthquakes and other disasters have become popular among Japanese readers. These thematic, informative maps are the product of a new strategy publishing firms have adopted amid adverse market conditions.

ULTRA-LUXURY HOTELS
(November 24, 2005)

Foreign-owned "ultra-luxury hotels," with rates 20%–50% higher than most of their Japanese competitors, continue to open in downtown Tokyo.

THE FINAL FRONTIER
(November 8, 2005)

The business of space travel and technology has long been in the hands of a small number of large corporations. Yet in recent years, a growing number of small and medium-sized companies have entered the industry.

FAST-FOOD EXPORTS
(October 13, 2005)

Yoshinoya, a Japanese chain of fast-food restaurants, is quickly becoming a household name in China's capital city. As of the end of August 2005, the company had 67 restaurants in Beijing. Yoshinoya is one of several Japanese restaurant chains making serious inroads throughout Asia.

PAYBACK TIME
(October 12, 2005)

Now that Japan's economy is on the upswing, the nation's major banks are speeding up their repayments of the funds the government provided them to sort out the bad-loan crisis of the 1990s.

KEIRETSU COMEBACK
(September 5, 2005)

Keiretsu (corporate conglomerates) have been condemned by European and American auto makers for their opaque business practices and high costs, but today keiretsu are being reevaluated as a way to achieve business success.

GEEK SPENDING POWER
(August 30, 2005)

Now that the postwar generation of "baby boomers" is about to hit retirement age, a slew of products and services have emerged to cater to this relatively affluent and leisure-loving group of consumers.

TIME TO RETIRE
(August 12, 2005)

The Asahiyama Zoo is located in a fairly rural area in the far north of Japan, but that has not stopped huge numbers of people from all over the country from visiting. What is the secret behind zoo's staggering popularity? The answer lies in its presentation of the exhibits. The cages and aquariums are designed to show off the peculiar and fascinating behavior of the zoo's animals.

THE ECO-FRIENDLY BANK
(June 10, 2005)

A nonprofit bank launched two years ago by three stars of Japan's pop-music industry is garnering attention for the contribution it is making to tackling environmental problems.

HEALTHY HOLIDAYS
(May 19, 2005)

In a further reflection of consumers' growing inclination to choose products that are good for their health, travel packages that combine medical checkups or treatment with fun and relaxing activities are enjoying a steady growth in popularity.

JAPAN'S NEWEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
(March 25, 2005)

Air travel to and from Japan became a lot more convenient on February 17. This day marked the opening of Central Japan International Airport not far from the major city of Nagoya.

SAVERS DIVERSIFY THEIR ASSETS
(March 23, 2005)

More and more households are diversifying their funds into instruments like Japanese government bonds, investment trusts, and foreign-currency deposits.

THE CHANGING FACE OF THE JAPANESE OFFICE
(March 22, 2005)

More and more businesses, particularly in the information technology sector, have been transforming their offices by eliminating fixed seating arrangements and allowing their employees to work from outside the company.

MANUFACTURING SUCCESS
(February 28, 2005)

The lean economic times of the 1990s caused many of Japan's biggest manufacturers to downsize and move their production bases overseas. Yet now that the gloom has lifted, it is clear that many Japanese manufacturers have not only survived the lean years but have emerged stronger and more profitable than ever.

ALL PART OF THE SERVICE
(February 17, 2005)

A growing number of taxi operators in provincial areas of Japan have introduced innovative services to attract passengers.

HANEDA AIRPORT GETS A NEW TERMINAL
(February 7, 2005)

Haneda Airport's new Terminal 2, which opened on December 1, 2004, was built to ease congestion at Japan's busiest airport.

ON LOCATION
(January 20, 2005)

A new breed of tourist is beginning to attract the attention of tour operators and of localities where movies have been filmed. The main objective of these visitors is not to see famous landmarks or to go shopping but to visit the settings of popular movies and TV series.

IN WITH THE NEW
(January 17, 2005)

Some of the long-running models that Japanese automakers first introduced in the 1950s and 1960s have reached the end of the road, and carmakers are replacing them with new models.

PLASTIC FROM PLANTS
(January 7, 2005)

Plastics made using the resin of corn and other plants are seeing a rapid increase in demand.

LEISURELY LUNCHES
(December 7, 2004)

Neo Yatai Mura, or "villages of neo food stalls," consist of clusters of around a half dozen colorfully decorated food stalls parked in open spaces in office districts, where lunch-goers can relax in alfresco surroundings.

WALLET PHONES
(November 29, 2004)

Cell phones that allow users to pay for their shopping just by holding them over a reader at the cash register, aptly nicknamed o-saifu keitai (wallet cell phones), went on the market in July 2004.

OLYMPIC WINDFALL
(October 5, 2004)

Japanese athletes brought home a record haul of medals from the 2004 Athens Olympics, and thanks to their efforts the Japanese economy has also struck an unexpectedly large pot of gold.

BACK IN THE BLACK
(April 2, 2004)

As they work to quickly wipe away the longstanding problem of nonperforming loans, major banks in Japan appear set to rise again.

THROW YOUR VCR AWAY
(March 25, 2004)

Flat-panel TV sets, digital cameras, and DVD recorders are the three must-have items in Japan these days, and sales of these electronic devices are booming.

MOBILE MUSIC
(March 3, 2004)

Mobile phones, users can now be notified of incoming calls with songs performed by the musicians themselves. Called Chaku-uta - ring songs - the service is anticipated to create a new market for the music industry.

MADE FOR MEN
(February 12, 2004)

Male-oriented products, ranging from apparel to sports cars, have sold poorly in recent years but are now enjoying a resurgence. Those in the retail and distribution industries have come around to the view that, among individual consumers, products for men are back in style.

LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER
(February 10, 2004)

Nowadays it is quite common to see mothers and daughters shopping or traveling together like friends. The trend to have fewer children has led to closer relationships between mothers and daughters. Department stores and travel agencies have reacted quickly and are coming out with various products targeting the M&D (mother-and-daughter) market.

WEEKEND ENTREPRENEURS
(January 19, 2004)

Among the many new trends associated with recent advances in information technology is the proliferation of "weekend entrepreneurs." These are people with regular salaried jobs who manage to turn their hobbies or talents into profitable sidelines or even full-fledged businesses.

MOLDING THE FUTURE
(November 28, 2003)

Metal molds are indispensable in the manufacture of industrial products; the more complex the product, the more advanced the molds needed to produce it. Japanese molds have a global reputation for precision and durability.

TRAINS VERSUS PLANES
(November 20, 2003)

With the opening of a new station on the Tokaido Shinkansen (bullet train) line in Tokyo on October 1, the competition for passengers between rail and air services has intensified, with two major bullet-train routes, the Tokaido (Tokyo to Osaka) and Sanyo (Osaka to Fukuoka) lines, giving the airlines a serious run for their money.

GROWING CONVENIENCE
(October 24, 2003)

It has been nearly 30 years since the convenience store distribution model was introduced to Japan from the United States. In that time, Japanese konbini, as the stores are known colloquially, have developed a vast array of services and have become a cornerstone of Japan's retail sector.

COMPETITIVE EXPORTS
(October 22, 2003)
International interest in Japanese publications like manga (comic books), fashion magazines, and novels is rising sharply. This trend has spurred growth in the business of publishing translations of Japanese originals, not only within Japan but also in other countries.

HERE'S TO SHOCHU
(September 24, 2003)

While the overall consumption of alcoholic beverages in Japan has remained relatively flat over the past 10 years, the consumption of shochu has been rising steadily.

BENTO WARS
(September 17, 2003)

In recent years, the number of people buying takeout lunches is increasing. Especially popular are box lunches (known as bento), and convenience stores are making new efforts to increase their share of this market.

TURNING POINT
(August 7, 2003)

Despite a sustained bout of deflation in the wider economy, companies in key sectors of the manufacturing industry, such as electrical appliances, automobiles, and steel, have begun increasing their investment in plant and equipment.

BRIGHT FUTURE
(August 6, 2003)

Except for plasma displays, the most promising candidate to succeed LCDs as the next generation of display-panel technology is organic electroluminescence, which holds the promise of bendable screens and crystal-clear images, perhaps even enabling the creation of wearable display panels.

IT STARTED AS A PHONE
(July 17, 2003)

Cellphone companies are engaged in a fiercely fought race to add new advanced functions to their handsets. The first new battleground is the task of enhancing the built-in cameras many phones now feature from the previous 300,000-pixel level to the one-megapixel level.

QUENCHING A GLOBAL THIRST
(June 26, 2003)

Water shortages, which the world faces now and is predicted to face even more in the future, are a particularly acute problem, and Japanese universities and companies are making a variety of efforts to alleviate them.

DIGITAL CENTURY
(April 11, 2003)

Consumers are snapping up digital cameras in ever-increasing numbers as prices fall, picture quality improves, and new features like powerful zoom lenses and video are added.

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