Japan news and archive

EssilorLuxottica acquires Washin to expand its presence in Japan

Eyewear maker EssilorLuxottica has completed its acquisition of Washin Optical Co., a Japanese optical retailer with around 70 direct stores in the country. The acquisition is part of the eyewear group’s investment in ‘Made in Japan’ manufacturing and will allow it to strengthen its optical retail presence in Japan. Francesco Milleri, chairman...

Fashion

900 luxury watches 'go missing' in Japan

Tokyo - Around 900 luxury watches worth almost $13 million are missing in Japan after a site renting them out folded and its owner fled to Dubai, local media reported. The owners of the Rolexes and other pricey timepieces earned monthly deposit fees by loaning them to Osaka-based Toke Match, which would then rent them to customers. Neo Reverse,...

Business

Joor: Popularity of Japanese brands spikes as distribution broadens

A new report by wholesale platform Joor has seen a spike in popularity for Japanese brands over 2023, with the country’s fashion sector being particularly led by the strength of its men’s and unisex categories. According to Joor’s data, the number of retailers who placed orders with Japanese brands on its platform had increased 8 percent in 2023...

Retail

Second-hand clothes finally take off in Japan

A second-hand pop-up store in Tokyo by casual clothing giant Uniqlo was a first for the Japanese firm, but also a sign that a local aversion to used garments may finally be fading. Uniqlo is a major player in an industry blamed for immense carbon emissions and other pollutants like microplastics. It has ridden a wave of consumers buying, and...

Retail |In Pictures

Ganni opens first pop-up store in Japan

Danish luxury brand Ganni has opened its first pop-up store in Japan. To be precise, the pop-up store is located in Tokyo and thus expands its global network, Ganni reported in a press release. The temporary store is inspired by the childhood home of Ganni founders Ditte and Nicolaj Reffstrup and brings the feeling of Copenhagen to Japan, the...

Business

Japan Airlines launches clothing rental trial for travellers

Japan Airlines (JAL), together with Sumitomo Corporation, has announced the launch of a new clothing share service trial for foreign tourists and business travellers to Japan, through which it is looking to measure environmental value. By introducing the trial, which runs from now up until August 31, 2024, JAL is hoping to address the increase...

Retail

Uniqlo to open new, innovative prototype store at Maebashi, Gunma

Japanese apparel retailer Uniqlo is opening a new store at Maebashi in Japan’s Prefecture Gunma this week, which will act as a prototype for other stores globally. Men’s, women’s, kids’ and babies’ wear will be available on a sales floor of approximately 2,500 square metres. A new concept with innovative design features, that are a first for the...

Fashion

Fast Retailing and UNHCR celebrate 10th anniversary of ‘Power of Clothing Project’

Japanese retail holding company Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. celebrates the 10th anniversary of its ‘Power of Clothing Project’ in collaboration with UNHCR, which encourages students to collect discarded children’s clothing in order to give them to refugee children in need. The project first launched in 2013, with a total of about 380,000 students...

Fashion Featured

Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo returns with an emphasis on local brands and craftsmanship

Since Japan began easing its Covid restrictions a year ago, the country has been in a continued state of recovery, attempting to breathe new life into its internal fashion industry. This was the central task of the AW23 edition of Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo (FWT), which returned to almost full capacity for the first time since the pandemic hit....

Podcast

Podcast: How brands can court luxury shoppers in Japan

The Asian fashion market has several countries with a strong penchant for luxury fashion, including Japan. The Japanese luxury consumer has specific needs that Christine Edman, executive officer of Japanese e-commerce platform Zozo, explains in this episode of The Business of Fashion podcast. Brands must have the patience to conquer the Japanese...

Fashion |IN IMAGES Featured

Marni unveils a colour-popping wardrobe in Tokyo’s Olympic stadium

On Wednesday, the luxury brand Marni flew to Japan to unveil its autumn 2023 collection for men and women. A travelling show based on the Resort model, in which the brand's emblematic codes - polka dots, bright colours and geometric lines - were exhibited, accompanied by a string orchestra. Marni’s autumn 2023 collection The event took place in...

Business

VF Corporation opens regional office in Tokyo alongside design collective

Fashion conglomerate VF Corporation has launched the new Tokyo Design Collective (TDC) alongside the opening of a regional office in the Japanese city’s Harajuku district. The office will be the new home of VF brands Dickies, Timberland and Vans in the region, as well as the TDC team. The mission of TDC is to merge Japanese product design and...