From time to time it's fun to take a look at some of the unusual products you can find in Japan. For instance, it is fairly common to run into unusual ice cream flavors.
The photo above shows three rare varieties: Beef Tongue, Short-neck Clams, and Eel.
Poking around the Internet, I also managed to find the following flavors from Japan: Octopus, Horse Sashimi, Miso, Cactus, Tofu, Shrimp, Wasabi, Crab, Eggplant, Tomato, and several others.
There's one thing to be said about grocery shopping in Japan—you never know what you might come across.
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Click on the image and take a close look at the package to get a sense of what Japanese beverage manufacturer Dydo is aiming for with this new café au lait product which was released this past autumn.
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Last week the Japan Department Store Association released national sales figures for Japan's department stores, both for December 2006 and the entire year.
Revenues in December were off 2.3% versus last year for the 277 stores that responded to the survey.
Additionally, sales for all of 2006 dropped by 0.7%.
Below are some numbers summarizing sales performance across various categories for 2006.
According to a national online survey conducted by J.D. Power Asia Pacific in October, Japanese domestic travelers rated the Ritz Carlton tops amongst hotels charging ¥30,000 or more per night.
For accomodations costing between ¥15,000 and ¥29,999, the Rhiga Royal Hotels were awarded first place.
Finally, amongst lodgings with nightly charges less than ¥15,000, Roynet Hotels took top honors.
The Power research examined eight factors to determine overall guest satisfaction: the room, costs and fees, the staff, hotel facilities, food and beverage, hotel services, reservations and check-in/check-out.
One of the most important findings of the study was that while costs and fees are a critical factor for hotel guests, a lower room rate does not necessarily lead to higher guest satisfaction. According to a Powers executive, “to be successful in the competitive (Japanese) hotel market, it is more important that hotels provide guests with an excellent overall experience than to compete with low prices.”
Interestingly, facilities offering luxury accommodations have been the subject of much interest in Japan for the past few years. Since 2003, Tokyo has seen the opening of a number of top-notch facilities, including the Grand Hyatt Tokyo, the Strings Hotel, the Villa Fontaine and the Mandarin Oriental. The Ritz Carlton Tokyo is slated to open at the end of March.
For many years Japanese hotels such as the Okura and the Imperial were considered Japan's best accommodations, particularly amongst the Japanese. However, discriminating foreign travels, whose tastes have differed from the Japanese, often gravitated toward other Tokyo properties like the Seiyo Ginza or the Park Hyatt.*
In the coming years, it will be interesting to see how Japanese tastes are influenced as more and more consumers have the chance to check out the newly broadened choices in high end facilities.
* The Grand Hyatt, Mandarin Oriental and Park Hyatt were included in the study, but were not ranked due to small sample sizes
Here's a pleasantly effective TV commercial for the NissanMarch.
It's worth noting for several reasons.
- The manner in which Nissan blurs the line between lifestyle and autos. Both the car and the ad are targeting young women who desire good design and ease of use. The copy reads "Every day is more fun—using just one finger. It's just like magic. With one touch, I can do as I like, in a way that's like me. Nissan is shifting fashion." Note the specific shots of things that appeal to young Japanese women: beauty, food, feminine fashion, interior design, creativity (photography, music and writing). The greater emphasis on lifestyle is a common theme in Japanese marketing of late.
- The seamless integration of technology into the product and selling message: this car unlocks with fingerprint recognition and comes equipped with GPS navigation.
- The repeated use of a gesture, which is common in advertising in Japan (here, the pointing of the index finger).
- The colorful art direction, which brands in a manner that's tasteful and effective, without being intrusive.
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In previous articles I've casually mentioned QR (Quick Response) codes. Now it's time to provide some details to those of you who aren't familiar with this groundbreaking technology that's adding a new dimension to marketing in Japan.
The image you see above is an example of a QR code. Essentially, QR codes are a new type of bar code that can hold hundreds of times more information than in the past, including alphanumeric characters and Japanese text. Most Japanese cell phones now come equipped with QR code readers that quickly scan using the phone's camera lens.
Why is this important?
Because brands are using them in all kinds of new ways to reach consumers.
For instance, QR codes are widely seen on posters and billboards, providing anyone with a cell phone immediate access to everything from information on consumer prize campaigns to addresses and maps for retail outlets.
For example, in the below TV ad, NTT DoCoMo explains to viewers how QR codes work. The commercial employs the example of a QR code printed on a poster to provide consumers with information on a special retail sale.
QR codes are also handy for various branding purposes. They can be used to direct mobile phone users to special websites to download brand ads, ringtones, character logos, viral videos, branded flash games and more. Similarly, movie studios make it easy to view coming attractions by printing QR codes on posters that are hung all over Japan. Scan the code and voilà—you're watching previews of films right on your phone.
That's not all. Fast food brands are now printing these codes on sandwich wrappers. One quick scan and you're instantaneously provided with nutritional and/or ingredient information. As you'd expect, QR codes increasingly appear on packaged goods too.
The uses for QR codes are almost limitless. Retailers print them on receipts. Event producers employ them to provide exhibit information. Doctor's offices and beauty salons use them to let people make appointments over their mobile phones. Companies print them on business cards so clients and suppliers can suck contact info right into their cell phones and PDAs. I've even seen TV shows where QR codes appear on the corner of the screen to provide product information.
In other words, they're a great tool for marketers!
So, if QR codes or something similar are not yet available where you are, start thinking ahead. Cell phones are only becoming more ubiquitous. The day will soon come when you're going to need to add the use of phone scanning technology to your toolbox of marketing approaches.
p.s. If you're wondering what data is incorporated in the QR code at the top of this page, it's the web address of this blog: www.japanmarketingnews.com.
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Last week the Japan Department Store Association released national sales figures for Japan's department stores, both for December 2006 and the entire year.
According to a national 
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