Japan news and archive

Japan’s GU to open first US store

Japanese retailer GU has announced it will be opening its first store in the US, set to launch autumn 2022. The pop-up store will be located in Soho, New York, and will mark the brand’s first Western launch outside of Asia, coming as part of its further business expansion. Featured in the store will be a lineup of “on-trend” clothing and...

5 Aug 2022

Fashion

Yohji Yamamoto launches new conceptual brand and project

Japanese design house Yohji Yamamoto has revealed a new conceptual project which will span collaborative collection launches and art initiatives, as well as a store opening. ‘Wildside Yohji Yamamoto’ will cover different genres, including fashion, art and interior design, and will see the label collaborate with other Japanese brands, such as...

22 Jul 2022

Business

L’Oréal makes minority investment in Japanese start-up, Sparty

Cosmetics giant L’Oréal has announced its corporate venture capital fund, Business Opportunities for L’Oréal Development (BOLD), has made a minority investment in Japanese beauty start-up Sparty. The investment in the Tokyo-based company marks L’Oréal’s first venture capital in Japan. “Japan is one of the most sophisticated and influential...

23 May 2022

Business

Itochu acquires rights to distribute Reebok in Japan

Itochu Corporation has announced that it has acquired the rights to distribute, market and licence Reebok in Japan from the brand’s owner, Authentic Brands Group (ABG). Itochu will work together with ABG and Locondo, a Japanese shopping mall company, as well as other partners, to develop the brand through retail and e-commerce, with the goal of...

19 May 2022

Fashion |Interview Featured

MetaTokyo brings Japanese culture to Metaverse Fashion Week with digital collection and exhibition

As the highly anticipated Metaverse Fashion Week (MVFW) launches today, from March 24 to 27, brands from all over the world are preparing to take part in the industry’s first large-scale digital fashion event. While many big names, like Tommy Hilfiger and Etro, have revealed to be part of the line up, its international reach and accessibility...

24 Mar 2022

Business

Valuence becomes first Japanese resale business to join Ellen MacArthur Foundation

Valuence Holdings has announced it has joined the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Network, to demonstrate the group’s commitment to the strengthening of the circular economy. The Japan-based firm, which operates in a multitude of business categories including retail, real estate and technology services, has adopted ‘resue’ as one of its core...

14 Jan 2022

Business

Fashion Friday: Can Japan become a diversity-welcome society?

The opening ceremony of the Olympics Games Tokyo 2020 finally took place on July 23rd 2021. Although diversity is one of the core values of the Olympics, Japan has lagged far behind other countries in terms of diversity including gender equality. According to Euromonitor International’s Economies and Consumers data, the income gap between male...

13 Aug 2021

Podcast

Can Japan become a diversity-welcome society? Challenges and opportunities in the Olympic/Paralympic year

This month’s Fashion Friday podcast by Euromonitor International discusses the diversification trend that is finally starting to emerge in Japan. Image: Pexels

13 Aug 2021

business

Next JIAM OSAKA to be held in 2022

The Japan Sewing Machinery Manufacturers Association (JASMA) has announced new event dates for JIAM OSAKA – the Japan International Apparel Machinery & Textile Industry Trade Show. The next event will be held from 30 November – 3 December 2022 at the usual venue – INTEX OSAKA. The 2020 edition of JIAM OSAKA, which was originally scheduled in...

28 May 2020

Retail |OPINION Featured

How Japan mastered the art of experiential retailing

Experiential retailing, a marketer's term for brick-and mortar-companies creating in-store buzzes to attract shoppers, is part of an ongoing conversation about technology-enhanced, omni-channel, immersive retailing. It is also a subject of intense research, with some 'experts' offering formulas to create out-of-the-box retail experiences that...

28 May 2019