3WAVES BLOG

Wednesday February 2nd, 2011 | Posted in Food & Beverage | Comments Off

Walking out of a sea-side sushi restaurant just recently I came across this eye-catching display at the counter offering none other than Kit-Kats laced with WASABI! For those who do not know Wasabi or haven’t experienced the excruciating pain of a Wasabi hot rush coursing through your sinuses, Wasabi is a hot green paste one lightly has with sushi to spice up the experience and purportedly kill any bacteria within the raw fish. Despite having already consumed one’s recommended daily dose of Wasabi, I was curious enough to buy a pack and see if the product was in fact a gimmick to attract unsuspecting foreigners or somehow this product had passed all the consumer  taste tests and Nestle were for real in launching this product. The first taste that I was presented with was a sweet white chocolate taste followed quickly by a light spicy sensation coming from the inner flakes …. actually not too bad …. certainly not the extreme burning sensation one normally feels when the sushi chef has accidentally miscalculated (I have my doubts) the optimal amount of Wasabi to dollop under your raw tuna.  Although I wasn’t completely sold on the taste it certainly added an intriguing dimension to the regular Kit-Kat taste. Try everything once I suppose ….

Sunday December 12th, 2010 | Posted in Socio-cultural Insights | Comments Off

It’s a well-known fact that Facebook, with over 500,000,000 users, is the world’s largest and most universal social networking site (SNS).  But in net-savvy Japan, where social networking is also popular, Facebook is known to only a few and used by even fewer.  With only 1.3 million registered users, Facebook is outshone by several other, more local social networking sites that are successful simply because they understand the content needs relevant to Japanese culture.  In terms of total users, GREE is currently at the top (21.25 million) and is a relative newcomer largely unknown outside of Japan.  GREE combines online and mobile gaming with social networking to great success with its site valued at $3 billion USD.  It is followed very closely by mixi (21.02 million users), Japan’s best known social networking site which specializes in “community entertainment” that connects people through online forums and common interests.  Mobage Town follows very closely as well (20.48 million users) with a social networking/gaming platform that is 99% mobile phone-based.
 
All of these SNS’s share common characteristics that make them more successful locally than the global standard Facebook.  The overwhelming reason is that social networking and socializing in general is so inherently different than in the West and other cultures.  Facebook focuses on calling attention to the individual, where one person can display their every personal detail to any number of friends.  But Japanese SNSs understand that culture here centers not on the individual but the group and community.  All of these sites seek to create online communities that allow individuals to either remain anonymous or seek friendship with those who share common interests through forums or gaming experiences.  In online communities where individual identity is often not revealed, Japanese feel more free to express true opinions anonymously.  Most Japanese SNSs also have stronger blogging/online forum functions than Facebook or even Twitter for that matter.  Japanese are such avid bloggers that these functions are integral to any SNS worth its weight here.  Facebook’s global network of friends stands in stark contrast to Japan’s relative lack of international social interaction.  This makes for some fascinating adaptations for social networking that are completely new, innovative and not seen anywhere else in the world.

Wednesday December 1st, 2010 | Posted in Health & Beauty | Comments Off

Japan is well known for bringing out innovative products and this one is certainly up there for being new and innovative. I came across this product at my local convenience store placed at the counter and quite popular among local salarymen for providing an energy boost and helping to ‘take the edge off’. The product (Suiso), translated into English, is called ‘Power Hydrogen” and is H2O infused with extra oxygen. Each packet contains 6 capsules for consumption throughout the day or all at once depending on your condition and costs on average JPY600. While oxygen capsule beauty clinics have been around for a few years now in Tokyo and proving quite popular, this is the first concentrated oxygen product offered as a drink. It will be interesting to see how long the ‘Power Hydrogen’ stays on convenience store counters, but for now at least it is getting the attention of many a salaryman keen to try out new and interesting products purporting  to alleviate the mid-week hangover.      

Sunday September 26th, 2010 | Posted in Travel & Tourism | Comments Off

Travel agencies and airlines around Tokyo are in a tailspin these days as Japan’s airline industry has been forced into monumental changes.  Airlines have quite literally experienced a great deal of turbulence trying to figure out how to market their services to thrifty travelers that have long been unsatisfied with the options available to them.  Japanese have always had an insatiable desire to travel overseas but like many, they no longer have the spending power for those 1-month getaways to Paris and Rome.  Major shakeups (including the bankruptcy of Japan’s flagship  carrier JAL) have led airlines to offer more options and competition for today’s budget-savvy traveler.  In just the last year and a half the skies have begun to open up around Tokyo for international carriers.  

It used to be that the only real option for getting in and out of Tokyo was by means of Narita International Airport – which is nearly an hour from central Tokyo and very inconvenient for the frequent flyer.  For those far away from Narita, this often means deciding not to travel at all.  But recently new airports, terminals, discount carriers and travel agencies are coming to the rescue.  Ibaraki Airport, recently constructed in Tokyo’s north suburbs, was originally blasted for wasteful spending and little prospect for offering value to wary travelers.  But it has now just begun to woo people with real discounts.  China Airlines has begun offering US$40 tickets to Shanghai one way and the lines are starting to grow.  Haneda Airport, by far the most convenient inside Tokyo, is set to open a new international terminal this year and with the recent failures of Japan’s biggest airlines (JAL and ANA), the government has been forced to open up the runways to overseas carriers.  American Airlines, Cathay Pacific and many others have begun to take advantage of the opportunities with increased international flight offerings and better deals.  In the past, Japanese have generally felt limited by choices and stayed in the comfort zone of JAL and ANA.  But the next task for international competitors will be to figure out where Japanese consumers really want to go, the services they expect and how much they’re willing to pay.

Monday August 23rd, 2010 | Posted in Food & Beverage | Comments Off

For many of those who have visited Japan you would have no doubt noticed the extraordinaory number of vending machines lining the streets - they can be found on every street corner, in every building, and even on top of the much venerated Mt Fuji. It actually has been estimated that it requires one nuclear power plant to power each and every vending machine across Japan.   

Well the Japanese fascination with vending machines continues and for the very latest in vending machine technology one only has to walk through the famous Shinagawa station here in Tokyo. The new hi-tech vending machines have gone digital and rather than using the traditional push button system, it uses touch screen technology on a 47 inch touch panel. The machine can even recognise age and sex to a degree and can flash up advertisements in a more targeted way according to the manufacturer. Drinks can be easily purchased by using many of the instant payment systems such as Suica or Edi and also with cash.

Monday August 23rd, 2010 | Posted in Food & Beverage | 56 Comments

 

Competition amongst the large Izakaya chains (Japanese style bar / restaurants) has always been intense, however, things have really been heating up recently. Just a few years ago the first JPY300 Izakayas started appearing where all items on the menu were JPY300 (approx USD3). Now as competition intensifies some Izakaya chains have started dropping their prices to JPY270 per menu item – this in stark contrast to 5 years ago where average Izakaya prices were around the JPY500 mark.

These price wars are of course not limited to the Izakaya industry. Many of the fast food chains have also followed suit with the famous Gyudon (beef on rice) chains also fighting it out. Just this summer the popular Gyudon chain Yoshinoya ran a campaign offering JPY250 lunch-sets down from their usual price of around JPY400-500. Their main competitor Matsuya quickly followed suit offering similar prices. McDonalds, meanwhile, not one to be beaten out of the lunch market, dropped Big Mac prices to JPY200 down from around JPY300 just months ago, while burger chain Wendy’s dropped completely out of the race exiting Japan at the start of the year.    

These price wars are all tied into the decline of family income where most Japanese families have seen a decrease of around 8% since the year 2000 (according to the Shukan post). However, in the same period the pocket money or ‘kozukai’ of Japanese salarymen has declined rather more siginificantly.  According to the Shukan post, since a peak of around JPY76,000 in 1990, the average salaryman’s ’kozukai’ has declined to JPY40,000 a month in 2010 – down JPY5,000 from just 12 months ago.  Compare this to the average American male’s discretionary income of JPY80,000 a month!

With income taxes set to rise from 5% to 10% over the next few years the price wars are sure to continue as will the necessity for a major shift in the Japanese economic paradigm.

Tuesday June 29th, 2010 | Posted in Market Watch | 21 Comments

 For many years Ginza has been famously known for its very upscale image with the streets lined with luxury brand name shops such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Tiffany’s, and Hermes to name just a few. Ginza was synonymous with luxury. Looking out a restaurant window in Ginza one could also observe some of Tokyo’s finest fashion strolling the streets - modelled by many of the beautifully dressed women or well groomed businessmen and dine in some of the finest restaurants Tokyo has to offer.

But times are changing. In recent years Ginza has witnessed a revolution of sorts with the emergence of many fast fashion brands within the area and consequently a slight shift in demographic. Fast fashion brands such as Uniqlo, Zara, Abercrombie and Fitch, and H&M have all made Ginza home, taking advantage of Ginza’s traditionally premium image while offering prices more in line with the economic realities of today. Where once only Tokyo’s elite could comfortably walk the streets of Ginza, now the area is teeming with a very broad ranging demographic including younger teens and 20 somethings all looking for the lastest fashion and enjoying prices they could only ever dream of in previous years.

Tuesday June 29th, 2010 | Posted in Entertainment | 54 Comments

Once again, 3Waves was out and about doing a little trendspotting when we came upon a massive kiosk in Tokyo’s bustling Shinagawa Station advertising SONY’s latest cool toy: 3D TV for it’s Bravia flat panel televisions.  Reviews so far are mixed but a lot of people are intrigued with the concept, especially those who love watching movies and sports at home.  We took a look at the screen utilizing Sony’s high-tech 3D glasses (a far cry from the ones found in cereal boxes back in the 80’s) and it certainly was an amazing sight to behold…just not sure how long one could stand to watch it.  We weren’t allowed to get photos but the above commercial featuring Brazil’s Kaka was shown.  If you have your 3D glasses on, give it a look! 

For the link to the Bravia site click here.

Thursday June 17th, 2010 | Posted in Fashion, Uncategorized | 4 Comments

3Waves Japan is very pleased to announce that it has been invited to present at the Global Fashion Industry Panel Discussion sponsored by the Harvard Club of Japan and Meiji University Graduate School of Global Business on Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010.

Jeffrey Brouse, Research Director at 3Waves will accompany Francesco Formiconi (COO of Giorgio Armani Japan) and Akiko Shinoda (Director of International Affairs, Japan Fashion Week Organization) in a presentation and Q&A about the global fashion industry and its influence on Japan.  3Waves plans to present on trends affecting the ever-changing landscape of youth fashion in Japan.

To view a link to the event please click here.

Sunday March 21st, 2010 | Posted in Fashion | 50 Comments

As winter has started to let up and spring is showing its first signs of life, we decided to head out to the Daikanyama area and see what’s happening in one of Tokyo’s trendiest neighborhoods.  By day, Daikanyama is the place to see Japan’s up-and-coming fashion boutiques and what young Japanese people are really thinking about for tomorrow’s newest look.  Arguably Tokyo’s hippest area, some of the country’s hottest domestic fashion designers call this little place home.  Foreign brands have also taken notice of the relevance that Daikanyama plays and labels like Tommy Hilfiger, Paul Smith and R. Newbold have popped up to make this one of the most eclectic shopping experiences around.  When the sun goes down, Daikanyama transforms itself into a buzzing center for nightlife as two of Tokyo’s biggest clubs, Air and Unit, are based here.  Tucked away in the sidestreets are a multitude of other lounges, bars and clubs that kick out some of the city’s hottest beats and rhythms.  Peaceful by day and pulsating at night, Daikanyama has become the crossroads for all things new on the Tokyo scene.