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June 30, 2026
 

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SHOPPING

Yamada Holdings Chairman Noboru Yamada (left) and Edion Chairman Masataka Kubo at a news conference in Tokyo on Friday
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
Jun 8, 2026
Yamada-Edion integration aimed at expansion beyond electronics
The merger will create an even bigger group far ahead of competitors, including second-biggest Nojima.
A tasting corner in the gift center at the Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi department store in Tokyo's Chuo Ward on Wednesday
BUSINESS
Jun 3, 2026
Japan’s department stores gear up for summer gift season
Some have rolled out merchandise tailored to the 2026 World Cup, which is set to kick off on June 11.
Japan bought about 1 million metric tons of bananas last year, making the fruit one of the country’s most important grocery staples.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 2, 2026
Japan faces banana shortage as impact from Middle East conflict spreads
The country ships in the tropical fruit while it’s still green, then ripens it in rooms filled with ethylene, but supplies of the naphtha-derived gas are running low.
The Galeries Lafayette mall, with posters advertising new season collections, in Beijing on Tuesday, a day before it closes
BUSINESS
May 28, 2026
Frugal and more online: Smarter spenders rewrite luxury’s China dream
Foreign luxury brands might not be retaining the pull — and the cashflow — in China that they counted on in the world’s second-largest economy in the 2010s.
Hands, a beloved DIY and lifestyle store, has announced that it will close its Shibuya location in November.
BUSINESS / Companies
May 26, 2026
DIY and lifestyle store Hands exits Shibuya after 48 years
Beloved for its selection of stationery and crafts, as well as woodworking and gardening supplies, retailer Hands announced it will close its Shibuya location after 48 years.
Tokyo Central staff offer handroll sushi at its Emeryville outlet in California.
BUSINESS / Companies / FOCUS
May 25, 2026
Even at home, American shoppers are flocking to Japanese supermarkets
Aisles lined with signs written in kanji and hiragana transport shoppers doing their regular grocery shopping to Japan.
A customer at a supermarket in Yokohama. Under a planned food-labeling revision, consumers will be able to scan QR codes on processed food packages to access detailed product information.
JAPAN / FOCUS
May 17, 2026
Japan to introduce QR code food labels to improve readability
The adoption of digital technology for food labeling is part of a broader international trend.
Ryo Hanamori speaks about his experience of suffering from compulsive buying disorder.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Fukushima
Apr 27, 2026
Confronting addiction: ‘I knew I had to stop buying things’
Ryo Hanamori fought his disorder for years. Now that he’s stable, he hopes to help others.
Japan’s iconic department stores, once central to urban culture, are rapidly declining due to e-commerce growth, tourism-driven sales and changing consumer behavior.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Apr 17, 2026
Has the death of the department store reached Japan?
Many thought Seibu would be one of the few landmarks to survive. Yet the owners were unable to renew terms with the Shibuya landowners, and it will close after nearly 60 years.
Seria President Eiji Kawai says customers are shifting from competitors to the company’s more than 2,000 stores offering snacks, stationery and household goods.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 16, 2026
Japan ¥100 retailer Seria doubles down while rivals raise prices
While competitors test higher price tiers, Seria is betting it can attract cost-conscious consumers and reinforce its brand as prices rise across the economy.
Islamic Yokocho in Shin-Okubo is home to a plethora of grocery stores specializing in halal food and fresh produce, among other goods and services.
COMMUNITY / How-tos
Apr 6, 2026
Please your palate with Tokyo’s international grocery stores
The capital has a surfeit of specialty supermarkets with ingredients from all over the world — if you know where to look.
The Mitsukoshi department store in Tokyo. Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings saw duty-free sales rise 5.4% in March, in line with a 5.5% increase in overall sales.
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 1, 2026
Japan’s department store duty-free sales rebound as China-driven slump eases
The gains mark a shift for the stores, which had endured consecutive months of declining duty-free sales amid lingering tensions with China.
An outlet of Aeon supermarket in Futaba, Fukushima Prefecture, sells a variety of goods, including over-the-counter drugs and local specialties, as well as fresh and prepared foods.
JAPAN
Mar 12, 2026
Supermarkets key to evacuees’ return to Fukushima communities
Creating an environment in which people can easily buy fresh foods and daily necessities is essential for attracting new residents, too.
Inside a Uniqlo store in Mumbai. Uniqlo plans to accelerate store openings in India, particularly in the south, targeting affluent shoppers to boost growth and market share.
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 6, 2026
Uniqlo aims to grow tenfold in India with summer-centric clothes
Uniqlo, which has a larger presence in northern India, is working to expand its supply chain in the country’s warmer southern states.
Sales for 2025 at convenience stores in Japan grew in June in particular, driven by strong demand for ice cream and beverages during scorching summer heat.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 21, 2026
Convenience store sales hit record high in 2025
Sales grew in June in particular, driven by strong demand for ice cream and beverages during scorching summer heat.
Amazon is using an experimental artificial intelligence tool to duplicate independent sellers' product listings, sometimes without their knowledge, then make purchases on behalf of Amazon customers.
BUSINESS
Jan 7, 2026
Amazon AI tool blindsides merchants by offering products without their knowledge
While Amazon’s strategy could generate sales an independent seller might not otherwise get, it raises questions about who bears responsibility when something goes awry.
The Mitsukoshi department store in the Nihonbashi district of Tokyo. Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings said duty-free sales across its domestic stores fell 14% in December.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 6, 2026
China travel curbs hit Japan duty-free sales in December
Prolonged geopolitical tensions with Beijing are now weighing on Japan’s retail sector.
The lively Coach Ginza store on Jan. 6. The brand has refreshed its image in recent years, attracting younger shoppers through customization, influencer collaborations, and eco-friendly initiatives.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 6, 2026
Bag charms, coffee and fun: Coach’s Gen Z playbook in Japan
In the face of a global luxury market slowdown, the American fashion house’s success with the younger generation has positioned it as something of an outlier in the industry.
Kazuma Naoi at Yaesu Ishikawa Terrace in Tokyo on Dec. 17
JAPAN / Society
Jan 5, 2026
Specialty shop in Tokyo aids reconstruction after Noto quake
The shop faced cancellations from businesses after its March 2024 opening, as they had to deal with the aftermath of the quake, but the situation has been improving.
Yu Ishikawa, Mercari’s head of cross-border business development, says the platform has an unmatched lineup of unique Japanese items.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jan 2, 2026
Mercari goes global with anime and manga leading the way
It wants to be the go-to marketplace for international customers seeking high-quality Japanese entertainment products.
Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit
Uruguay's Jose Maria Gimenez reacts after the team's loss against Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
India’s gig workers pay the price for exposure to New Delhi’s hazardous air
Rohit Kushwaha waits for a customer as he delivers his last parcel of the day, in New Delhi in January. His work as a delivery driver has helped pay the family’s bills, but has had a significant impact on his health.
Chinese and Russian bombers and fighter jets stage joint patrol near Japan
A Chinese Air Force H-6 bomber is seen during a joint patrol with Russian military aircraft on Saturday.
U.S. missile moves in Japan send China clear message: A new era has arrived
Soldiers conduct the first Typhon midrange capability live-fire exercise outside of the continental United States, firing an SM-6 missile in July last year in Australia's Northern Territory during Exercise Talisman Sabre.
Japan’s fertility system offers few safe paths for same-sex couples
A Tokyo Pride parade participant holds a sign that says "we want to be a married couple, not a couple."
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
A French ship with close ties to Japan combines arts and sciences on the high seas
Romain Troublé, the executive director of Tara Ocean Foundation, speaks to visitors aboard the Tara during a rare port call in Tokyo in April.
In Kyushu’s far south, Senti.U sparks a culinary destination
Chef Yasuhiko Uchida was born in Saga Prefecture but has made his home in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, since 2012.
‘The colors speak for themselves’: How Japan’s chroma bible went global
“A Dictionary of Color Combinations” is meant to function as a quick-reference guide for artists, designers and anyone with a passing interest in aesthetics as a quantifiable pursuit.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

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