The Japanese economy continues to be the world’s third largest in US$ terms, but has been growing at a sluggish pace. The economy is expected to perform better in 2017, but risks to growth come from its ageing and diminishing population, which could ...

As one of the most advanced economies globally, Japan has a well-developed digital landscape and a highly educated workforce. Nevertheless, its ageing and diminishing population is causing severe skills shortages that will persist in the long term. ...

Japan’s household market is increasingly dominated by single-person homes, as the population is ageing and Millennials delay marriage, amidst Japan’s weak economy and deteriorating job prospects. The country still witnesses a strong urbanisation ...

Air treatment products saw a return to volume growth in 2016 after two years of decline. The category’s expansion was largely attributable to the revival of cooling products, which saw sales bolstered by high temperatures, underpinned, according to ...

Built-in dishwashers is the largest category in Japan, representing 74% of total dishwashers volumes in 2016. These appliances target affluent consumers and are primarily found in houses and larger condominiums. At 17% of households, dishwasher ...

Food preparation saw volumes fall across all categories in 2016 except “other” food preparation appliances, which includes products such as smoothie makers, grinders, pasta makers, and electric mincers. Factors adversely affecting food preparation ...

Home laundry appliances recorded a 3% increase in volumes in 2016, reaching 4.6 million units. Like other major appliance markets in Japan, in 2015, home laundry appliances saw decline due to the early replacement of such items prior to the rise in ...

Irons volumes fell by 4% in 2016 to reach 1.4 million units sold. In Japan, so-called “wrinkle-free” shirts are commonly worn by businessmen to remove the need to iron shirts on a daily basis. Manufacturers offer steamers, which are smaller in size ...

Large cooking appliances is dominated by built-in products, which accounted for 98% of total category volumes in 2016. With built-in appliances typically installed in new buildings, the performance of large cooking appliances is heavily influenced by...

Having seen volumes rise in 2015, partly as a result of interest in new product developments targeting the growing consumer interest in steam cooking, microwaves volumes returned to decline in 2016. Nonetheless, the popularity of microwaves with ...

The Japanese consumer appliances market saw a return to volume growth in 2016, having seen sales suffer from the impact of the VAT increase implemented in April 2014. The significant rise in sales in 2013, as consumers rushed to purchase appliances ...

Japan saw a strong home spa trend towards the end of the review period. In part, this resulted from women looking to save money on expensive spa treatments. However, the trend is also benefiting from the increasing female participation in the ...

In common with the broader Japanese appliances market, refrigeration appliances experienced a setback after the VAT increase in April 2014, anticipation of which stimulated the early replacement of appliances. A recovery was finally seen in ...

Growth rates varied considerably across small cooking appliances categories in 2016, with mini ovens and “other” standard coffee machines each seeing volumes rise by 7%, while breadmakers volumes fell by 8% and electric grills registered 6% decline. ...

Vacuum cleaners saw volumes fall by 1% in 2016, with most categories experiencing decline. More than 96% of Japanese households owned a vacuum cleaner in 2016, according to Euromonitor International’s Consumers data, leaving little potential for ...

The subdued performance of the Japanese economy over 2011-2016 weighed on growth of per capita gross income and spending in the country during this period. The weak economic backdrop is also influencing the behaviour of Japanese consumers and driving...

Adult incontinence recorded 5% current value growth in 2016 to reach JPY196 billion. Japan is well known for its aging society. According to Euromonitor International’s Consumer data, people aged 65 years and over accounted for 27% of the total ...

AFH tissue and hygiene saw slightly stronger current value growth than retail tissue and hygiene in 2016 as its sales rose to JPY134 billion. The 2% current value growth seen in AFH tissue and hygiene was slightly ahead of the CAGR for the review ...

Nappies/diapers/pants stagnated in Japan at JPY226 billion in 2016, as the Chinese shopping spree in the category calmed down. Japanese manufacturers had benefited from a rather unexpected surge in demand from Chinese tourists, initially, and, ...

In 2016, Japan saw tissue and hygiene current value growth at below the level of the CAGR for the 2011-2016 review period as a whole. The decline of nappies/diapers/pants sales to Chinese consumers, resulting largely from increased production of ...