Japan

In 2021, COVID-19 continued to impact Japan. In areas in which the number of COVID-19 cases was high, such Tokyo and Osaka, states of emergency were declared by the government for most of the year, and August 2021 recorded the highest number of…

In 2021, the number COVID-19 cases continued to surge, especially mid-year, recording the highest number of cases in August. Consumers continued to be secluded at home for most of the year, refraining from unnecessary outings. Furthermore, travel…

Jeans had already been struggling to achieve growth over the decade preceding the COVID-19 crisis, but was hit even harder in the first year of the pandemic, in 2020, seeing double-digit retail volume and current value declines due to the temporary…

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit hosiery extremely hard, as the occasions to wear such products declined dramatically. Working from home negatively impacted sales of sheer hosiery in particular, which is most often purchased by office workers. In…

Home seclusion was a trend both in 2020 and 2021. In 2020, people were forced to stay home due to COVID-19, especially in April and May, when the state of emergency, a soft lockdown with few legitimate punishments, was declared by the Japanese…

Home insecticides in Japan saw double-digit growth in 2020 in both volume and current value terms. In 2021, there was a small reverse movement, with sales turning to decline. Although the performance was negative in 2021, sales did not go back to…

Consumer foodservice in Japan showed mixed results in 2021, as formats such as bars/pubs struggled due to the continuing impact of COVID-19, whereas limited-service restaurants, and especially burger and chicken limited-service restaurants, thrived…

In 2020, luxury jewellery suffered a steep contraction in retail value sales due to the significant impact of store closures during the state of emergency in April and May. Long-term border closures also led to plummeting sales as the performance of…

Fresh food rebounded to growth in Japan in total volume terms in 2021, after seeing a significant decline in 2020. In 2020, fresh food experienced a strong decline amidst COVID-19, as foodservice and institutional sales largely collapsed at the…

After seeing a notable decline in 2020, total volume sales of eggs in Japan saw a continued fall in 2021, although at a much slower rate. In 2020, COVID-19 led to a significant decline as foodservice and institutional sales largely came to a halt at…

Facial tissues, comprising boxed facial tissues and pocket handkerchiefs, witnessed a significant drop in demand in 2020, due to home seclusion as a result of the pandemic. Usage of facial tissues was therefore limited, as the population was less…

Gel air fresheners saw significant double-digit current value growth in 2020. The spike was caused by COVID-19, and mainly by a single product, Cleverin. Cleverin is a brand from Taiko Pharmaceutical. It has several types of product, but the main one…

In 2021, the impacts of COVID-19 continued, with many consumers continuing to avoid unnecessary outings and remaining secluded at home for much of the time. Mainstream consumer foodservice foodservice players showed dynamic growth in the review…

There was a time when functions meant value in appliances. Microwaves were first released around 1960 in Japan, beginning with business use and expanding to consumer use. At the time these were considered super premium products and were not…

While vending retail value sales declined in 2021, vending machines gained attention in Japan in the review period, especially during COVID-19. Vending machines were considered a type of unmanned store, where consumers were able to purchase products…

With the continued impact of COVID-19, social contact remained suppressed in 2021, with consumers continuing to work and study from home and limit socialising. This continued to limit sales of womenswear in 2021, as opportunities to wear new clothes…

In 2020, the story of COVID-19 in Japan began with a cruise ship, Diamond Princess, which sailed from Yokohama to Hong Kong, and planned to sail back to Yokohama, calling at several cities on the journey. One of the passengers who got off at Hong…

In 2020, as people stayed at home due to COVID-19, and spent much longer inside the house compared with pre-pandemic, the home increased its presence in people’s lives. Changes that occurred with home seclusion included changes in lifestyle. Students…

There was evidence of some panic buying relating to tissue and hygiene products during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 due to false reports circulating in Japan that pulp-based products would quickly go out of stock. This,…

A long and never-ending topic in fridge-freezers is where to place the freezer unit and the fridge unit, which is usually called the “vegetable unit”, in Japan. Some brands think putting the freezer unit at the bottom is the best, because freezers…