Japan Marketing News

Tower Records Japan introduces new store format

This past Tuesday, November 11, Tower Records Japan launched the first in what is expected to be an extensive chain of smaller format shops in Japan. Operating under the name "Tower Mini," the new stores are going to be about one-tenth the size of standard locations and carry about 20% of the product, mainly focusing on new releases and the existing catalogs of popular Japanese and western artists. Location-wise, the company is targeting spots in or around train stations and will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, allowing the shops to cater more easily to students and workers both on their way to and from school or the office. On week-ends, store hours will run from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Tower already has 78 locations in major commercial areas around Japan. The smaller stores are expected to allow the company to expand more easily, filling in gaps not served in otherwise saturated areas.

The first shop is located in the Keio underground mall area of Shinjuku Station in Tokyo.

Japanese can now enjoy "Soy sauce" soda

Cheerio, a Japanese soft drink brand known for its fruity flavors, has just released an orange-flavored soda that's been packaged to resemble a bottle of soy sauce. Walking through one of the convenience stores in our Harajuku neighborhood, I did a double-take after seeing the product in one of the refrigerated display cases, sitting next to usual array of carbonated drinks, bottled waters and teas.

It's obviously a gimmick, obviously targeting kids, who can enjoy shocking their parents and friends when they take a big gulp out of what looks to be a soy sauce bottle—something that would likely induce immediate retching if done for real. The display case at the convenience store was plastered with warnings such as: "This is not soy sauce. Do not drink attempt to drink real soy sauce."

More experimentation at Uniqlo website

You can always find something new and interesting on the website of Uniqlo, Japan's leading specialty apparel  retailer. One of the latest things is this page, which features video clips of consumer responses to survey questions about their likes as well as how they feel about Uniqlo and its products. By themselves, the clips might only be interesting to marketers and other retailers, but make them part of an ever-shifting flow of geometric patterns on the website and you have something that might engage some consumers too.

Effective Japanese TV advertising: Suntory Dakara

Dakara is a soft drink from Japanese beverage giant Suntory. It belongs to a class of functional drinks meant to appeal to consumers with health and/or beauty concerns. Dakara has been around for several years, but this recent TV ad is noteworthy because of the clever way it leverages viewers' awareness of a common Japanese customer to create an opening to communicate the product's main selling point.

NY trains turning Japanese?

It looks like NY's Metropolitan Train Authority has (finally) awoken to the revenue opportunities afforded by implementing Japanese-style advertising on trains and in train stations.

Last month, MTA partnered with the Discovery Channel and fully "wrapped" three train cars, inside and out, with visuals related to the network's "Cities of the Underworld" program. Additionally, some station fixtures like stairwells and turnstiles were similarly outfitted. 

MTA is calling this "innovative," and it probably feels that way to some New Yorkers. Yawn.

In Japan, they call this train jacking, and it's been done for years—and not with just three train cars—but with entire trains, often on multiple lines, in multiple cities. 

For details of a particularly innovative Japanese train jacking, check out this article we posted earlier in the year.

Cool Japanese Websites: Panasonic

Just ran across this little website that shows highlights of Panasonic product history. Might be interesting for those curious about retro Japanese mass-market product design (Japanese only).

Xmas season well under way for some Japanese retailers

Two weeks before Halloween, some department stores in Japan had already installed their Christmas displays. LaForet Harajuku, perhaps Japan's top trend-leading retailer, broke out the Christmas lights a couple of days ago. With consumer confidence at rock bottom, some Japanese merchants are going all out to spur end-of-year sales

8 days. . .

Construction of H&M's Harajuku store in Tokyo is nearly complete. I have lived and worked within spitting distance of this location for over 15 years. As a resident, I'm dreading the mob scene that will accompany the opening eight days from now. As a marketing pro, I'm looking forward to it.

The mega-posters are advertising the H&M / Commes des Garçons collaboration products that will apparently be available when the shop opens.

Kirin revives original lager recipes

Beer lovers, history lovers, food fetishists, take note.

In December, Kirin will be bringing to market two limited edition lagers that are recreations of brews the company sold in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Expected to be available throughout Japan, the revival beverages are being released to celebrate Kirin's 120th anniversary.

In 2006, the company sold similar products for a short time. While today's Kirin contains ingredients like rice and starch in addition to hops and barley, early incarnations did without starch or contained hops and barley only.

Great Japanese train advertising: National (Panasonic) NA-FR70S1

 The Panasonic NA-FR10S1 combination-washer/dryer uses special eco-friendly technology. This poster, which appeared in trains around Japan, very effectively conveys the point that the machine uses 25 fewer liters of water to complete each load of wash.