Retail, e-commerce, convenience stores and department stores.
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.
From October 2026, Japan requires every employer to shield staff from abusive customers. Inside the 'customer is a god' myth, the front-line toll, and why most countries lack the word.
Bandai's new Shizuoka factory boosts production capacity by 35%, and discounted Gunpla is returning to store shelves. But restock-day chaos, customers running through aisles, grabbing boxes from carts, is pushing some retailers to drop Gunpla entirely. We cover Yahoo Auction's 3-month resale ban, overseas availability improvements, and what it all means for fans worldwide.
Seven & i Holdings postpones its North American 7-Eleven IPO to fiscal 2027 or later, citing market instability from Middle East tensions and sluggish US consumer spending. A look at the strategic calculus behind the delay and what it means for global convenience store competition.
Storm Labels, the music arm of STARTO ENTERTAINMENT, opened its first official online store on April 1, 2026, with international shipping and support for 5 languages. Over 700 titles from Arashi, SUPER EIGHT, Hey! Say! JUMP and others are available, a shift for overseas fans who previously relied on proxy services.
A pop-up convenience store in Tokyo where everything is free — if you can grab it without making a sound. The third edition of TOH, created by rapper TaiTan and partnered with Red Bull, fills a store with BMX bikes, skateboards, frozen ramen, and apparel. You have 60 seconds. One noise and you're out. Here's what happened at Japan's craziest experiential event.