A collection of handmade, rare kimono, some dating from the 1920s and ’30s, has been exhibited in Merseyside, the Liverpool Echo reported on 4 February.

The showcase at West Kirby Library, entitled “Aspects of Japan”, was assembled by local woman Franki Aston. The highlight was a selection of uchikake (a trailing robe worn over a kimono), which are traditionally worn by a bride during the wedding ceremony.

Modern kimono were also on display, along with jackets and belts, with some items available for purchase and costing more than £300.

Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is to introduce a system to help chefs overseas improve the quality of the Japanese cuisine they offer, The Telegraph reported on 24 January.

The voluntary scheme will provide training in Japan to remedy common mistakes regarding handling of raw fish, use of cooking implements, and presentation. Chefs will then be issued gold, silver or bronze status.

Eriko Sekiya, department chief at the ministry, said that, in addition to learning correct cooking methods, “hospitality towards your customers is another really important aspect of washoku [Japanese cuisine]”.

Princess Mako of Akishino has received a Master of Arts in Art Museum and Gallery Studies from the University of Leicester, The Independent reported on 23 January.

She accepted her certificate in person, alongside her peers, at the graduation ceremony in January. Her name was called omitting the royal title.

She said her time at the university had been “a wonderful experience”, while Professor Paul Boyle CBE, president and vice-chancellor, said the university “will be proud to count her among our alumni”.

British whisky enthusiasts have expressed disappointment that less than 200 of the 2,000 bottles of Suntory’s award-winning whisky bound for Europe are to arrive in the UK, The Independent reported on 3 February.

The Yamazaki Single Malt Sherry Cask 2016 will be available in London’s top bars but, due to popular demand, many retailers have already sold their allocation via existing clients.

The 2013 version of the whisky became famous when it was awarded the prestigious title World Whisky of the Year by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2015.

Nikkei Business (22 February) features a special report on how the Ginza area has become a centre for duty-free shopping by foreign visitors.

Three basic types of duty-free shop exist: those found in airports that cater to outbound travellers exempt from consumption tax and duty on cigarettes, alcohol and so on (resulting in savings of about 20%); those that operate in the same way, but are outside airports; and those in urban centres, where customers are exempt solely from consumption tax. Previously, only Okinawa Prefecture was permitted to operate shops in hotels or commercial areas according to the airport-shop model.

With a change in the law, airport-type duty-free shops are coming to Tokyo’s Chuo Ward.

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The Weekly Toyo Keizai (6 February) issued its annual ratings of Japan’s best hotels, with The Ritz-Carlton, Osaka, and the Imperial Hotel Tokyo receiving top marks.

As a basis for international comparison, travel journalist Yasuhiro Obara reviewed three world-famous hotels that offer particularly special experiences. These are The Hay-Adams in Washington D.C. (“Japanese guests are specially provided with yukata”); the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris (“the hotel is an art museum in itself”) and The Savoy Hotel in London (“the place that gave birth to the concept of a hotel being not merely a place to stay overnight, but also one for social exchanges”).

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Thanks to the upsurge in foreign visitors, as well as a tight supply and demand situation for budget accommodation utilised by domestic business travellers and foreigners on a shoestring budget, cities nationwide are experiencing an unprecedented boom in hotel construction.

The Weekly Toyo Keizai (6 February) reports that Okinawa Prefecture has been rapidly emerging as a popular destination, with the number of visitors from Taiwan, South Korea and other nearby Asian countries having soared over the past decade to total 1.5mn in 2015. The main and an outlying island each will see the opening of a new hotel this year, with a total of 400 rooms. At least seven more hotels are reportedly on the drawing board for 2017–2020.

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A Scottish maker of small wind turbines has sold its first appliances in Japan after establishing a subsidiary in the country, The National reported on 18 January.

Gaia-Wind Limited, based in Glasgow, has sold two turbines for use in Japan, with a further eight under contract. Some 100 are to be exported within the next year.

The GW133 moderate wind speed turbines are suited for working farms, businesses, rural properties and community projects.

Seven British chefs have gone on a tour of Japan to master the cooking techniques of the country’s award-winning chefs as part of a culinary competition, Incentive Travel & Corporate Meetings reported on 20 January.

Hosted by All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. and the British Hospitality Association, the Seven Samurai Chef competition aims to encourage more chefs in the UK to incorporate new techniques and Japanese ingredients in their menus.

The seven finalists will experience production methods of local delicacies, visit celebrated food markets, as well as eat in renowned restaurants in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto.

Artist Saya Kubota has installed a special post office in London that accepts letters addressed to anyone or anything, The Japan Times reported on 20 January.

The “Missing Post Office” is based on the original facility—which has received 10,000 pieces of correspondence to people whose whereabouts are unknown or who have died—on the island of Awashima in the Seto Inland Sea.

Kubota, who refurbished the Awashima office and will curate the letters received in London, said: “People are connected beyond cultures. I am looking forward to reading a variety of letters”.

A British sake expert is helping to increase sake appreciation among Tokyo’s foreign residents and visitors using translations and detailed descriptions of their flavours and background, The Japan Times reported on 15 January.

Chris Hughes, who is employed by Liquor Innovation K.K., delivered the information at Kurand Sake Market in Asakusa, Taito Ward, where guests sampled over 100 varieties.

According to Hughes, the event is “like a workshop and an international party where people can learn more about sake and each other at the same time”.

“Cinema fixed-price system collapsing” read a headline in the Nikkei Marketing Journal (23 December). Partially obscured, perhaps, by the hype over the latest Star Wars spectacular, a new pricing trend in cinema tickets has been spotted by the media.

The standard cost of admission at nine major cinemas in the Tokyo area has long been set at ¥1,800. When James Cameron’s Titanic was released in 1997, many theatres charged higher admission, but that was to cover the drop in revenue resulting from fewer showings due to the film’s 195-minute length.

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“Head-to-head: convenience stores versus e-commerce” was the title of the cover story in Nikkei Trendy’s February issue. Activities by six major online brands—Amazon Japan, Rakuten 24, Lohaco, Yodobashi Camera, Omni7 and Lawson Fresh—were introduced, with examples of how convenience stores are partnering with suppliers and manufacturers to revolutionise retailing and distribution in ways that were unimaginable a few years ago.

Most impressive is the faster delivery times that firms offer. Amazon Pantry, set up by Amazon Japan in September 2015, can deliver items from an inventory of 18,000 within one hour of receiving an order. Orders are accepted only from smartphones.

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In early 2015, the Nihon Shokuryo Shimbun, a trade newspaper covering the food industry, cited data from the Japan Snack Cereal Foods Association (JASCA) showing that, in 2014, the breakfast cereal market had shipped 50,000 tonnes of the product valued at ¥40bn. Furthermore, that figure was reportedly on a trajectory to reach ¥50bn by 2018. But that total was exceeded in calendar 2015.

The article noted that, over the past several years, consumer demand has been particularly strong for Granola-type cereals, sales of which, in 2014, grew 69.1% in terms of volume shipped and 68% in value.

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Years after its initial release in Japan, an English version of Steins;Gate has been launched in the UK for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita, News Shopper reported on 20 January.

The visual novel game, which has a science fiction theme, includes an encyclopaedia of terms for players who are unfamiliar with Japanese culture.

It allows players to step into the main character’s shoes to make decisions, thereby offering a variety of endings, and promises a new level of player immersion.

Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima has signed for Dundee United Football Club, the Daily Record reported on 29 December.

With 72 caps for his county, including two World Cup appearances, the 32-year-old will stay with the Scottish Premiership side until the end of the season, subject to international clearance.

In a press release by the club, Kawashima said, “I’m delighted to join this club”, adding that he hoped to be able to contribute something different to the squad, as well as his experiences.

Falling prices and a weaker yen have resulted in a 20% increase in the number of UK visitors to Japan, according to the Worldwide Holiday Costs Barometer 2015, The Telegraph reported on 15 January.

Japan was placed 17th in the Post Office survey, which monitors the price of eight items commonly purchased by tourists, including dinner for two, drinks and sun-cream, in 46 destinations globally.

Andrew Brown of Post Office Travel Money said: “For those travelling further afield, Cape Town, Bali and Tokyo look good bets for the bargain-hunter”.

Japan-bound visitors from the UK reached a record high of 258,500 in 2015—a 17.5% increase on the 2014 figure—according to a press release issued on 21 January.

The rise can be attributed to the rapid increase in options for budget accommodation across the country, which is making Japan a more affordable destination.

Budget hotels and hostels are among the offerings that have sprung up in recent years, as have individuals providing accommodation on the online platform Airbnb.

In the next two decades, the UK is expected to eclipse both Japan and Germany to become the fourth-largest economy in the world according to a recent study, the International Business Times reported on 26 December.

The findings were part of a report by the Centre for Economic and Business Research on the projected economic positions of countries in the future.

The change is predicted because of Japan’s weak economy—at present—and ageing population, as well as solid growth expected in the UK economy over the next 20 years.

More than 60 people gathered at Manchester City’s Ethiad Stadium to promote trade between the city and Japan, the Manchester Evening News reported on 2 December.

Under the banner “Play Like a Champion: Networking event for Japanese and UK Businesses”, organisers sought to leverage the existing bonds between Japan and the city, which is home to 60 Japanese firms.

Representatives from the Manchester Investment Development Agency Service and UK Trade & Investment also attended the event.

Iconic tea firm Keith Spicer, which started operations in 1934 in a Dorset kitchen, has partnered with retailer Seijo Ishii to bring a selection of its products to Tokyo, the Bournemouth Echo reported on 8 December.

Dorset Tea Gold Blend and a variety of fruit infusions, as well as the chai variation Tea India, will be among the teas available.

Lisa Worthington, head of marketing for the firm, said: “International trade is alive and thriving in the south west, and we are thrilled to be contributing to the wider economy and increasing awareness of Dorset as a county—across the other side of the world”.

Orkney’s European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) is to use its experience in developing test berths in Scottish waters to help Nagasaki Prefecture develop similar sites, The Scotsman reported on 10 December.

The work builds on a 2012 memorandum of understanding, and EMEC’s joining, in 2015, the Nagasaki Marine Industry Cluster Promotion Association (NaMICPA) to support the use of marine renewable energy in Japan.

EMEC will provide advice on submarine cables, grid connections, and operational procedures, as well as health and safety issues.

While domestic sales for Cath Kidson declined in 2015, international sales are reported to have increased by 20.2% to £55.3mn, with Japan having played a key role as the retailer’s biggest market outside the UK, the Retail Gazette reported on 8 December.

Chief executive Kenny Wilson said part of the firm’s success in Asia can be attributed to the “Britishness” of the brand, adding that they had been injecting significant funds in Asia since 2011.

“[Our] investment … will start to benefit us in the next three or four years”, he said, adding that the firm aims to become a global brand.

An Oxfordshire civil engineering firm has used new UK reservoir risk assessment methodology for two dams in Japan. The analysis has enabled the organisation to assess the potential impact of the dams’ failure on nearby communities, according to a press release issued on 25 November.

HR Wallingford worked with Japan’s largest utility company, J-Power, to carry out the project, which represents one of the first applications of the approach in an international context.

The assessment covers breach development, flood modelling and emergency planning, with a view to informing future incident responses.

Toshiba Corporation is conducting talks with financial institutions to gain support for its £8bn nuclear programme in the UK, The Guardian reported on 10 December.

The firm is a 60% shareholder in the NuGen project to build a nuclear plant near Sellafield in Cumbria, where spent fuel is processed.

The move is thought to be the result of a fine, equivalent to £40mn, handed to the firm by Japan’s financial regulator for having overstated its profits.

The foreign ministers of France, the US and UK are to pay their first visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park while in Japan for the forthcoming G7 meeting, The Japan Times reported on 26 November.

The ministers accepted a Japanese government invitation, extended to diplomats of nations that have nuclear weapons. The government hopes, thereby, to teach their guests some of the consequences of using nuclear arms.

Together with Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Fumio Kishida, the group is expected to lay flowers and hear stories about the events following the atomic bombing of 1945.

While KitKat—launched 80 years ago by Yorkshire-based firm Rowntree—has seen a decline in UK sales over the past two years, business in Japan has been rising steadily since 2011, The Telegraph reported on 12 December.

The success has been attributed to the similarity of the name and the Japanese phrase kitto katsu (meaning will surely win). This has resulted in a surge in sales of the biscuit as a good luck present.

Since 1973, when KitKat was first sold in Japan, more than 300 flavours have been created. These include green tea, fruit parfait, cappuccino and red bean sandwich.

A report published by the Nomura Research Institute in collaboration with the University of Oxford claims that, within the next 10–20 years, it will be possible to fill up to 49% of all jobs in Japan using robots, Motherboard reported on 3 December.

Meanwhile, previous research shows that only 35% of jobs in the UK could be automated. This is because many data-inputting jobs are already done by machines, unlike in Japan.

The workers most likely to be replaced by robots are taxi drivers, clerical staff, security guards and receptionists.

The Scottish Rugby Union has announced that their national side, The Bravehearts, are to tour Japan this year for a two-test series with the Brave Blossoms, the Express & Star reported on 7 December.

The trip, which will include matches in June, will be Scotland’s first to Japan for an official test.

Vern Cotter, coach of the Scottish side, said: “We’re pleased to confirm our 2016 summer tour will take us to Japan, where our players will enjoy a stern assessment from one of the most improved teams in the world”.

Shima Seiki, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of industrial flat knitting machines, has celebrated the 30th anniversary of its European subsidiary in Derbyshire, www.fibre2fibrefashion.com reported on 3 December.

It hosted a private exhibition featuring demonstrations of a system that integrates knit production, from planning and design to machine programming, production and sales promotion.

The system also allows for simulation capability and virtual sampling, and supports design in various industries, including weaving and printing.