Will Japan s consumers ever embrace used phones? Industry group strives to boost trust
January 18, 2021 (Mainichi Japan)
Detailed product information cards accompany used smartphones at a branch of used goods retailer Bookoff in Tokyo s Shinjuku Ward, on Nov. 30, 2020. (Mainichi/Atsuko Motohashi) TOKYO As the Japanese government continues to pressure mobile phone carriers to lower their service fees, consumers are turning their focus to the sometimes eye-popping prices of the phones themselves. This in turn promises to boost the market for used handsets. However, antipathy for used goods has deep roots in Japan, so what is the key to opening this potential market?