Japan

It was in May 2022 that Apple announced it was discontinuing its iPod brand. Apple’s iPod is an iconic device, changing the face of music over the last two decades. With the advertising copy “1,000 songs in your pocket”, the first model debuted in…

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is the harshest global crisis since World War II, and will have a long-lasting impact on economies around the world. Countries are entering historic recessions, public debt will skyrocket and labour markets will…

In the review period, pre-paid cards showed progression to online (mobile, smart watch, etc...) payment, especially within transportation pre-paid cards such as Suica and PASMO cards. More people opted to use smartphone app versions of pre-paid cards…

Value sales of premium and luxury cars went down by 2% to total JPY1.5 trillion in 2023. A significant increase in sales was seen in 2022, as a rebound was seen as the pandemic eased, and this exceptional level of growth was unable to be sustained in…

Premium beauty and personal care continued to grow in current value terms in Japan in 2023, partly due to increased opportunities for going out, and a return to department stores. Particularly strong growth was seen by premium lip products, premium…

Processed fruit and vegetables in Japan is set to see a notable decline in retail volume terms in 2023, while retail current value sales are set to maintain solid growth due to rising unit prices. The decline in volume terms is mainly due to a…

Total processed fruit and vegetables packaging saw a notable decline in 2023. Although actual declines were seen across all pack types, some performed better than others. For instance, despite the fact that it already dominated processed fruit and…

In 2023, total processed meat and seafood packaging volumes in Japan saw a second year of decline. Despite seeing a decline in actual volumes, flexible plastic packaging continued to dominate. This reflects the consumer preference for convenience,…