Retail, e-commerce, convenience stores and department stores.
Behind Umitamago aquarium in Oita, a hose dispenses 120 liters of filtered seawater for 100 yen. Izakayas and home aquarists buy it, and one restaurant's remark kept the machine alive.
Uniqlo's owner hit 3.9633 trillion yen ($25.1 billion) and passed H&M. The weak yen inflated its growth, not its rank. The risks now: China, tariffs, wages, succession, and a Zara owner still 1.8 times bigger.
Japan's children hit a record low while its toy market hit a record. Toys R Us Japan, dubbed a "black ship" in 1991, filed for court rehabilitation owing about ¥13.2 billion; Don Quijote's parent is set to take over.
Seven in ten Japanese bookstore companies were profitable in fiscal 2025, but only 13.4% grew both sales and profit, on a 0.6% margin. What lifted the numbers, and why bookshops are multiplying in the US and Britain.
Japan lost about 1.9 million dogs in twelve years, yet its pet market grew to 12.7 billion dollars in fiscal 2025. Shipment tables show dog food going from 397 to 811 yen per kilogram.
Tourists are buying eyeglasses in Japan, where no prescription is required and an Osaka store says it can go from eye test to handover in 25 minutes. In the US, a replacement pair can take two weeks to a month.
After reports that Rakuten would help Helsing sell its HX-2 drone to Japan's Defense Ministry, three shops left Rakuten Ichiba. Strike drone or interceptor, and how far does a seller answer for the mall's other business?
From November 1, 2026, Japan drops instant tax exemption at the register. Visitors pay full price and get the 10% consumption tax back only after customs confirms the goods are leaving.
Good Smile Company's Gyaru Tomie x Hello Kitty figure ships from May 2027 at 18,800 yen. The all-gray sculpt with one red bow, the Junji Ito and Sanrio crossover behind it, and how to preorder from outside Japan.
Seven & i, the owner of 7-Eleven, entered talks over a multi-billion-dollar stake in Żabka, Poland's largest convenience chain, then walked away on July 25. A look at why Europe is the gap in 7-Eleven's map, how the Polish upstart's autonomous stores and fintech already outpace many Japanese konbini, and how the deal contrasts with Seven & i's fuel-heavy US business.
Studio Ghibli specialty chain Donguri Republic opens its first U.S. store as a pop-up near Los Angeles. Dates, hours, perks, and why the chain isn't actually new to overseas markets.