51³Ô¹ÏÍø

Tag - shopping

 
Menu
Search
 
July 24, 2026
 

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

SHOPPING

A rise in tourists on the hunt for on-the-ground deals as well as foreign-facing resellers seeking to turn a profit has Japan's secondhand fashion industry facing a crunch.
LIFE / Style & Design
Jul 12, 2026
Global demand is reshaping secondhand fashion in Japan
Shop owners in Japan are seeing a deluge of overseas customers, and buyers outside Japan say the costs to stock their stores have doubled or even tripled.
A customer checks eyeglasses in a section featuring limited-edition eyeglasses available only at the Jins Shinjuku store in April.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 9, 2026
Shoppers splurge on specs in Japan as deflation-era mindset fades away
As inflation reshapes behavior, Japanese eyeglass company Jins is working to prove higher prices are justified by delivering better materials, sharper designs and improved quality.
The debate over AI agents running checkout functions is far from resolved, as some retailers balk at giving up control.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 2, 2026
An English furniture maker faces AI era of bots buying sofas
Consumers are using chatbots to research products now, but agentic AI could one day see bots acting as their personal shopper.
Higher crude oil and naphtha prices have pushed up the costs of packaging and raw materials, leading to price increases mainly for processed foods, including instant noodles, and bread products.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 30, 2026
Japan to see price hikes for 2,566 food items in July
Higher crude oil and naphtha prices have pushed up the costs of packaging and raw materials, leading to price increases mainly for processed foods like instant noodles.
The Yodobashi-Ikebukuro commercial complex at the east exit of Ikebukuro Station in Tokyo
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 30, 2026
Yodobashi-Ikebukuro commercial complex opens after full renovation
The building, which previously housed Sogo & Seibu¡¯s flagship Seibu Ikebukuro department store, also houses sporting and variety goods stores and restaurants.
Yamada Holdings Chairman Noboru Yamada (left) and Edion Chairman Masataka Kubo at a news conference in Tokyo on Friday
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Jun 8, 2026
Yamada-Edion integration aimed at expansion beyond electronics
The merger will create an even bigger group far ahead of competitors, including second-biggest Nojima.
A tasting corner in the gift center at the Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi department store in Tokyo's Chuo Ward on Wednesday
BUSINESS
Jun 3, 2026
Japan¡¯s department stores gear up for summer gift season
Some have rolled out merchandise tailored to the 2026 World Cup, which is set to kick off on June 11.
Japan bought about 1 million metric tons of bananas last year, making the fruit one of the country¡¯s most important grocery staples.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 2, 2026
Japan faces banana shortage as impact from Middle East conflict spreads
The country ships in the tropical fruit while it¡¯s still green, then ripens it in rooms filled with ethylene, but supplies of the naphtha-derived gas are running low.
The Galeries Lafayette mall, with posters advertising new season collections, in Beijing on Tuesday, a day before it closes
BUSINESS
May 28, 2026
Frugal and more online: Smarter spenders rewrite luxury¡¯s China dream
Foreign luxury brands might not be retaining the pull ¡ª and the cashflow ¡ª in China that they counted on in the world¡¯s second-largest economy in the 2010s.
Hands, a beloved DIY and lifestyle store, has announced that it will close its Shibuya location in November.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 26, 2026
DIY and lifestyle store Hands exits Shibuya after 48 years
Beloved for its selection of stationery and crafts, as well as woodworking and gardening supplies, retailer Hands announced it will close its Shibuya location after 48 years.
Tokyo Central staff offer handroll sushi at its Emeryville outlet in California.
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
May 25, 2026
Even at home, American shoppers are flocking to Japanese supermarkets
Aisles lined with signs written in kanji and hiragana transport shoppers doing their regular grocery shopping to Japan.
A customer at a supermarket in Yokohama. Under a planned food-labeling revision, consumers will be able to scan QR codes on processed food packages to access detailed product information.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / FOCUS
May 17, 2026
Japan to introduce QR code food labels to improve readability
The adoption of digital technology for food labeling is part of a broader international trend.
Ryo Hanamori speaks about his experience of suffering from compulsive buying disorder.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society / Regional Voices: Fukushima
Apr 27, 2026
Confronting addiction: ¡®I knew I had to stop buying things¡¯
Ryo Hanamori fought his disorder for years. Now that he¡¯s stable, he hopes to help others.
Japan¡¯s iconic department stores, once central to urban culture, are rapidly declining due to e-commerce growth, tourism-driven sales and changing consumer behavior.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 17, 2026
Has the death of the department store reached Japan?
Many thought Seibu would be one of the few landmarks to survive. Yet the owners were unable to renew terms with the Shibuya landowners, and it will close after nearly 60 years.
Seria President Eiji Kawai says customers are shifting from competitors to the company¡¯s more than 2,000 stores offering snacks, stationery and household goods.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 16, 2026
Japan ?100 retailer Seria doubles down while rivals raise prices
While competitors test higher price tiers, Seria is betting it can attract cost-conscious consumers and reinforce its brand as prices rise across the economy.
Islamic Yokocho in Shin-Okubo is home to a plethora of grocery stores specializing in halal food and fresh produce, among other goods and services.
COMMUNITY / How-tos
Apr 6, 2026
Please your palate with Tokyo¡¯s international grocery stores
The capital has a surfeit of specialty supermarkets with ingredients from all over the world ¡ª if you know where to look.
The Mitsukoshi department store in Tokyo. Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings saw duty-free sales rise 5.4% in March, in line with a 5.5% increase in overall sales.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 1, 2026
Japan¡¯s department store duty-free sales rebound as China-driven slump eases
The gains mark a shift for the stores, which had endured consecutive months of declining duty-free sales amid lingering tensions with China.
An outlet of Aeon supermarket in Futaba, Fukushima Prefecture, sells a variety of goods, including over-the-counter drugs and local specialties, as well as fresh and prepared foods.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Mar 12, 2026
Supermarkets key to evacuees¡¯ return to Fukushima communities
Creating an environment in which people can easily buy fresh foods and daily necessities is essential for attracting new residents, too.
Inside a Uniqlo store in Mumbai. Uniqlo plans to accelerate store openings in India, particularly in the south, targeting affluent shoppers to boost growth and market share.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 6, 2026
Uniqlo aims to grow tenfold in India with summer-centric clothes
Uniqlo, which has a larger presence in northern India, is working to expand its supply chain in the country¡¯s warmer southern states.
Sales for 2025 at convenience stores in Japan grew in June in particular, driven by strong demand for ice cream and beverages during scorching summer heat.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 21, 2026
Convenience store sales hit record high in 2025
Sales grew in June in particular, driven by strong demand for ice cream and beverages during scorching summer heat.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE 51³Ô¹ÏÍø

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER