What products and services are likely to emerge as the top hits in 2016? One, predicts the January issue of DIME, will be the Sakura Sevens, Japan’s national women’s rugby team.

Following the huge popularity of the men’s team at the Rugby World Cup 2015, hopes are high that the team of seven will shine at the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in August.

DIME is also predicting boom-town status for the scenic port city of Hakodate, in the south of Hokkaido Prefecture. This is expected once the Hokkaido Shinkansen, linking the city with Aomori Prefecture on Honshu, commences service on 26 March. Other stations on the new line, such as Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto, are likely to be developed as tourist destinations for winter sports and hot springs.

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“Convenience stores nab customers from restaurants”, read the headline in the Nikkei Marketing Journal (11 December). Seicomart Co. Ltd., the largest convenience store chain in Hokkaido, with 1,075 outlets (compared to 7-Eleven’s 931 and Lawson’s 625), announced that the firm plans to introduce outlets with a new design that offer customers triple the amount of space on the premises for consuming boxed meals and other food on sale there. About 70% of Seicomart shops are owned by the firm, while some 30% are franchises.

The firm plans to have a Hot Chef facility in 900 of its outlets within the next five years. Seicomart’s strategy, according to Chairman Akihiko Akao, is not to compete with rival 7-Eleven, but to challenge ailing fast-food giant McDonald’s.

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With the expectation that firms will start to hire prospective March 2017 graduates in June this year, human resources managers at a variety of companies shared their thoughts with Nikkei Business (7 December) on the criteria they apply to screen job applicants.

Efficiency is of the essence at Unicharm Corporation, a Tokyo-based manufacturer of feminine care, baby, childcare and adult healthcare products. The firm received 30,000 applications for 50 job vacancies, making the hiring ratio one of every 600 applicants.

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Japan national rugby team Fullback Ayumu Goromaru, quoted in Nikkei Business

“Rugby’s popularity has flagged to date not because the sport lacks appeal but, rather, because the Japan team didn’t have any [favourable] results.

“In these times, it’s not enough to perform well only in one’s own country; athletes must excel worldwide. [Japan] hasn’t won a match in a major international rugby competition for 24 years.

“Thanks to our having achieved victories in the rugby world cup [in 2015], lots of children have taken an interest. So I feel that the current boom in rugby won’t be temporary”.

BCCJ ACUMEN has been featured in the January 2016 issue of the NHK G-Media Ozumo Journal.

The publication gave an overview of the October issue’s exclusive interview with professional sumo wrestler, Goeido, which was written by BCCJ Global Sporting Events Assistant Nina Oiki.

She arranged for the article to be featured in the popular journal about sumo.

Speaking about the BCCJ ACUMEN article, Goeido told the NHK journal: “I am hoping that [through the article] people around the world will know, even a little, about sumo”.

Former Arbroath councillor Jim Millar, who has been awarded for his work to promote the relationship between Scotland and Japan, has launched the world’s first Scottish–Japanese whisky, The Courier reported on 27 October.

Designed to celebrate Thomas Glover, a 19th century Scots industrialist and the founder of Mitsubishi, The Glover blends Longmorn, Glen Garioch, and whisky from one of the few remaining casks of the renowned Hanyu Distillery.

Speaking of the creation, Millar said, “This encompasses trade, culture and, increasingly, education”, adding that “Those who have tasted it, tell us we achieved our goals”.

British adventurer Sarah Outen MBE has completed her London2London: Via the World journey, and become the first person to row from Japan to Alaska, The Daily Mail reported on 3 November.

Since her departure from London in April 2011, Outen has cycled, kayaked and rowed 25,000 miles across Europe, Asia and North America, aiming to raise £100,000 for charity.

Hit by 80mph winds during a three-day tropical storm in 2012 while solo rowing across the Pacific, Outen was rescued by Japanese coastguards and restarted her trip after nine months of recovery.

A new musical from the Japanese theatre company 30-DELUX is to make its UK debut at Stratford Circus Arts Centre in London, the Newham Recorder reported on 14 November.

Kuli-Kala: Revenge of the Samurai is an action-packed production with music created by one of Japan’s top composers, Toshihiko Sahashi.

Lynne Hobday, the only British cast member, was hired to write the English lyrics and then became the storyteller. She said Sahashi has long dreamed of taking an original Japanese musical to London and presenting it to the UK—and the world.

Scottish Development International and The National Subsea Research Initiative (NSRI) have collaborated in a subsea trade mission to Japan, The Scotsman reported on 11 November.

The NSRI will research Japanese initiatives to identify and harvest methane hydrates. The mission will also expose British businesses to market insights and partnership opportunities with leading Japanese firms.

According to Gordon Drummond, NSRI project director, “UK firms could play a major role in helping Japan meet its energy targets, exporting the wealth of skills, innovation and experience honed in the North Sea”.

Head of the UK’s Defence and Security Organisation, Stephen Phipson, has visited Japan to encourage industrial cooperation in defence and security, according to a press release issued on 6 November.

British firms are seeking industry-led partnerships with Japanese counterparts in submarine optronics masts, sensors, flying training technologies, air and maritime engine technology and cyber security.

Phipson said: “[British and Japanese] companies have many complementary technologies and I believe there are significant opportunities for us to explore joint UK and Japanese exports to third countries”.

Japan is seeking the UK’s help to secure Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games sites—and Tokyo’s transport network—from chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attacks, The Independent reported on 13 November.

An Olympics security seminar was held at the British Embassy Tokyo, and 20 UK firms attended a three-day trade show in Japan showcasing counterterrorist equipment.

Security Minister John Hayes said the UK was sharing best practice and is interested in selling its expertise.

In a new report that measures the total wealth amassed by individuals, Japan has been ranked the third-richest country in the world, with the UK in fifth place, City A.M. reported on 3 November.

The US took first place, China second and Germany fourth. In terms of average wealth per person, the UK was ranked fourth with £97,904 in owned assets per individual, surpassing Japan’s £79,796.

Between 2000 and 2015, Indonesia has had the most wealth growth among the top 20 countries, with a 362% increase, followed by China (341%) and Russia (253%).

The UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has dropped its two-year case against Olympus Corporation following the Court of Appeal’s ruling that misleading auditors is not a criminal offence under English Law, Japan Today reported on 11 November.

Former Chief Executive Michael Woodford MBE blew the whistle on unexplained payments, resulting in a £1.1bn accounting scandal that was reportedly part of a plan to cover-up investment losses.

The Court of Appeal’s decision is a blow to the SFO, which had been keen to test the law.

Horticulture Professor Dr Katzuhiro Matsumoto has carried out research on the Bramley apple in North England, the Nottingham Post reported on 14 November.

He studied the science of the apple and its cultural value to the British people, as well as methods of caring for the orchards. In Japan, he said, apples are considered just food, not a cultural product.

As part of his fact-finding visit, Matsumoto opened the Bramley Festival and Food Fair in Southwell, hosted by fruit farmer Suzannah Starkey and her family.

By Mark Schreiber

Major Internet retailers in Japan are proving to be no laggards in the race to deliver goods ever more quickly. The Shukan Economist (10 November) reported that logistics service providers are teaming up to expedite shipments over the so-called last one mile, speeding up the process from already prompt next-day deliveries to even quicker same-day deliveries.

While the latter promise to be a boon to the major logistics firms, other types of business can also be expected to tap into the field and reap benefits.

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By Mark Schreiber

Japan’s National Institute of Population and Social Security Research projects that, by 2025, the percentage of Japanese people aged 65 and over will have increased from 26.8% currently to 30.3%. The percentage is expected to hit 33.4% by 2035.

The Nikkei Marketing Journal (16 October) reports that more firms are embracing the employment of seniors in their workforce.

The Skylark family restaurant chain has adopted a re-employment system for regular staff who wish to remain on the job after age 65, providing for an extension up to age 70. This policy also covers part-time workers.

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By Mark Schreiber

Ranking each year’s hitto shohin (hit products) has been a fine science in Japan since the Nikkei Marketing Journal started its sumo-style banzuke listing in 1971. It was from around the early 1970s that Japan’s consumer preferences began to shift away from the stereotypical and diversify, requiring businesses to apply more innovative marketing efforts.

Originally, the rationale behind hit product rankings was to recognise goods and services that grasped new directions in the marketplace or succeeded in generating new demand.

Following the bursting of the economic bubble in the early 1990s, hits took on new importance by defying the prolonged business slump, achieving growth at a time when other competitors were struggling.

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The dictionary definition of teichaku means to “take hold” or “become established”. This year, it has been pronounced, is when Halloween in Japan finally achieved that status.

For instance, in Tokyo’s southern neighbour Kawasaki City, on 25 October an estimated 120,000 spectators lined the streets to watch a procession of costumed zombies and ghouls.

And, anticipating an avalanche of litter by partygoers on 31 October, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government distributed 500,000 orange plastic bags to help keep the city clean.

The Nihon Kinenbi Kyokai (Japan Anniversary Association) has estimated total economic activity generated by Halloween in 2015 to be ¥122bn, double that of four years ago, and surpassing the gift-giving outlays for Valentine’s Day. This puts Halloween second only to Christmas—which, bringing in ¥650bn, is still far and away the biggest annual event—in terms of expenditure.

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It has been argued that too much food is wasted. Indeed, in the past, Japan has been tagged with the dubious distinction of being the world’s No. 1 squanderer of food on a per capita basis.

One of the causes of this, some suggest, has been rigid adherence to so-called shomikikan (literally a flavour period) that the law requires be stamped on most domestic and imported food packaging to indicate the best before period.

These indications, however, may vary considerably from products’ true expiration date, which depends on a number of factors including packaging and use of preservatives.

Needless to say, such attitudes are a legitimate concern to trading firms and wholesalers of imported food items that take more time to be transported to Japan.

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The UK’s largest Japanese garden, located at National Trust property Kingston Lacy in Dorset, is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its restoration, media reported in October.

Created following the Japan–British Exhibition of 1910 in London—at the time the largest international exhibition in which the Empire of Japan had ever participated—the space had fallen into disuse but was brought back to life.

The seven-acre garden features bamboo plants, granite lanterns and an authentic Japanese teahouse. Cherry blossoms can be seen in spring and red maple leaves in the autumn.

Authors Naomi Moriyama and William Doyle have encouraged British parents to adopt Japan’s diet and focus on physical activity, The Scotsman reported on 9 October.

In addition to eating a healthy diet, Japanese children are served food on smaller plates, given snacks in the right amount and frequency and are not taught to demonise unhealthy food. Most children walk to school and have the backing of a culture that supports healthy choices.

Japan has the longest life expectancy and lowest rate of childhood obesity in the world (2.9%), while the UK is ranked 23rd, with childhood obesity at 7.7%.

Burger King has launched its black burger in the UK—as a special Halloween Whopper—following its popularity in Japan, The Daily Mail reported on 30 September.

The bun is stained with a natural colorant to make it black. Otherwise, unlike the Japanese version, which featured bamboo-charcoal cheese and a squid-ink sauce, the British burger has the chain’s original toppings.

According to Matthew Breshahan of Burger King, “The introduction of the black burger in Japan created a lot of excitement for Burger King fans, with many people in the UK interested in trying [it]”.

Master silversmith Yusuke Yamamoto has said the vibrancy of Scotland’s silversmithing industry enables specialist craftsmen to sustain an enterprise in a way that is not possible in Japan, The Herald reported on 4 October.

Yamamoto, who moved from Tokyo to Renfrewshire three years ago, said his move was due to the revival of the industry in the UK.

Having studied under Japan’s most celebrated silversmith, Hiroshi Suzuki, he now lectures at the Glasgow School of Art, and exhibits his work at The Scottish Gallery in Edinburgh.

A delegation of three top gymnasts has been awarded medals at the 2015 International Junior Gymnastics Competition in Yokohama, the Birmingham Mail reported on 21 October.

In the apparatus finals, Giarnni Regini-Moran won gold on the floor and vault, and took bronze on the parallel bars. Meanwhile, in the all round competition, Joe Fraser finished fourth overall.

According to City of Birmingham and Great Britain coach Lee Woolls, “Standing shoulder to shoulder with the best gymnasts from Japan, China, the US and Russia—to name a few—gives us a great insight as to where out gymnasts are in terms of ability and competition readiness at this level”.

Experts are examining the privatisation of Royal Mail ahead of the £7.5bn flotation of Japan Post, The Financial Times reported on 2 October.

Officials and advisors will try to learn lessons from the UK’s practices and avoid mistakes that were made.

The Japanese government hopes to use the initial public offering to create a new generation of shareholders and divert the country’s savings pool to investment. The move has been more than 10 years in the making, and is Japan’s biggest share flotation since the 1980s.

Leading global contract and research organisation (CRO) Chiltern and Partners hosted an industry seminar in October at the British Embassy Tokyo, to explore options for local and global outsourcing in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, media reported in October.

The event, which was hosted with CRO Veras Research and LSK Global Pharma Services, focused on development insights for oncology trials, key therapeutic areas, medical devices and service provision.

Chiltern’s Stuart McGuire said, “By working with Veras and LSK, we strengthen Chiltern’s already extensive footprint in Japan”.

A London engineering and project management firm is to help Japan’s Nuclear Damage Compensation and Decommissioning Facilitation Corporation develop a long-term strategy at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, Energy Live News reported on 12 October.

Amec Foster Wheeler will design case studies on the best practical environmental option for managing radioactive waste, and provide training.

The specialist team will draw on expertise gleaned from delivering similar services to the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority at Sellafield, Cumbria, and other sites in Europe and the US.

Representatives of award-winning fish ’n’ chip shops Frankie’s in Shetland and The Bay in Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, have been warmly received at Hankyu Department Store’s British Fair in Osaka, The Press and Journal reported on 15 October (see pages 16, 46).

On 7–13 October, their pop-up shop attracted queues of about 100 people, while more than 1,200 portions of fish and chips were sold.

Special boxes in which to serve the meals were made for the event and Frankie’s distributed thousands of bilingual business cards with explanations about their shop in Shetland.

A British firm has received an award from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism for creating the best toilet in Japan, The Telegraph reported on 23 October.

Klein-Dytham architecture, in collaboration with Toto Ltd., constructed the lavatory on an internal bridge that links two of Narita International Airport’s terminals.

Images, including abstract art, are projected on the facility’s exterior wall made from luminous fabric lit from behind by LED lights, resembling shoji screens.

The term DINK, the acronym for double income, no kids, was imported by Japan’s marketers in the late 1980s. In an article on 28 October, the Nikkei Marketing Journal estimates that such households have increased 1.7-fold since then, to total an estimated 3.62mn in 2012.

Over the past 30 years, the image of DINK couples—as free spenders who love to go out or take trips together—has undergone considerable change, thereby warranting a change to the term New DINKs. Now, according to the Nikkei Marketing Journal’s most recent survey, New DINKs effectively comprise “two singles living under the same roof” with separately managed incomes, and separate likes and dislikes. So, while they constitute a significant proportion of the population that marketers cannot ignore, finding new ways to appeal to them poses some daunting challenges.

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