Valentine s Day chocolate sales could turn sour in Japan as people work from home
February 8, 2021 (Mainichi Japan)
Expensive chocolates are seen in a special sales area of Iwataya department store s main store in the city of Fukuoka s Chuo Ward on Jan. 27, 2021. (Mainichi/Hiroshi Hisano) FUKUOKA The chocolate industry and department stores in Japan face an uphill battle as the custom of giving sweets to people at workplaces and elsewhere on Valentine s Day is on the brink of being lost while more people work from home amid the coronavirus pandemic. Giri choco chocolate gifts handed out in the workplace out of courtesy had already been dying out in recent years before the coronavirus wreaked havoc, but stores in Japan are eagerly attempting to spur demand ahead of Feb. 14.
Popular chain Ichiran targets stay at homers in Japan with instant cup ramen
February 8, 2021 (Mainichi Japan)
This photo shows the instant cup ramen that Ichiran will launch. (Mainichi/Hiroshi Hisano) FUKUOKA Popular ramen chain Ichiran, based in this southwestern Japan city, has announced that it would launch its first instant noodles on Feb. 15. Amid the decline in the number of customers at its restaurants due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the company is aiming to cover the revenue drop by selling instant cup ramen, which people can enjoy at home. Ichiran has conducted research on instant noodles with a food company and others for more than 20 years, and decided to release the product as the flavor of the noodles and soup have reached its high standards. The ramen company has been fussy about the tenderness and smoothness of non-fried noodles, and has recreated a rich and creamy soup like that served at its restaurants by mixing powder and liquid s
Can sales of ehomaki sushi rolls bring good fortune to Japan s eatery industry?
February 1, 2021 (Mainichi Japan)
This photo shows, from left, 1,800-yen, 5,000-yen, and 10,000-yen ehomaki rolls available for pre-order at Hotel New Otani Hakata. (Photo courtesy of Hotel New Otani Hakata) FUKUOKA In the lead up to the Setsubun festival on Feb. 2, the ehomaki sushi roll business in the restaurant and hotel industry in this southwestern Japan city is heating up like never before. Manufacturers are hoping to make up for a drop in sales caused by self-restraint in eating out due to the spread of the coronavirus. In the midst of the pandemic, can ehomaki bring good fortune to the restaurant industry and to consumers?
Kyushu Shinkansen bullet train to be decorated with lights to commemorate 10th anniv.
January 31, 2021 (Mainichi Japan)
This image shows the concept for the Shooting Star Shinkansen to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Kyushu Shinkansen Line s full-scale opening. (Courtesy of JR Kyushu) FUKUOKA Kyushu Railway Co. (JR Kyushu) announced on Jan. 27 that it would operate one special bullet train decorated with lights on the night of March 14 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Kyushu Shinkansen Line s full-scale opening on this southwestern Japan island. The special 800 series shinkansen train will run from Kagoshima-Chuo Station in Kagoshima Prefecture to Hakata Station in Fukuoka Prefecture on the night of March 14 but with no passengers. The decorations on both outside and inside the Nagareboshi Shinkansen or Shooting Star Shinkansen will include people s wishes.
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Why are luxury watches, paintings enjoying healthy sales amid pandemic in Japan? The Mainichi
FUKUOKA Luxury goods such as jewelry watches and paintings are enjoying brisk sales at department stores and other retailers in Japan. Despite concerns of a shrink in consumer spending amid the pandemic-triggered recession, sales of watches priced over 10 million yen (about $96,000) are on the up at some stores. But how are consumer habits changing in the pandemic? We have more customers buying luxury watches than before, said Masakazu Yukizaki, president of jewelry watch retailer Gem Castle Yukizaki, based in the west Japan city of Fukuoka. At the height of the late December 2020 Christmas shopping season when the Mainichi Shimbun visited its Fukuoka store, one of 16 outlets, groups of customers could be seen sizing up the watches on display.