au customer service

Japan's second biggest mobile phone carrier au is putting emphasis on the quality of customer service with these brochures explaining the company's goal of offering superior service and introducing smiling staff members.

Vodafone Ferrari

Vodafone has released its Ferrari Handset also in Japan. Whether this is the right strategy to correct the missteps in Japan pointed out in this article remains to be seen.

Moteri Man

Shu-Thang Grafix has finally released the Smart Moteri Man series - giving young salarymen tips on how to turn themselves "smart" with small changes in behavior and style - as a book. Smart Moteri Man appeared first in a weekly column in the free magazine R25. More details and some page views can be found here.

Michio Takai

Some images by the illustrator Michio Takai from the Love and Marriage site of MSN Japan. This kind of romantic style has become very popular in the past one to two years. It can often be found in package design, especially cosmetics.

48...47...46...

48 DVD offers a new solution to the question whether to buy, rent or download a movie with DVDs which auto-destroy after 48 hours. Sold for 600 Yen on the Internet or in convenience stores, they are priced clearly above DVD rentals (about 450 Yen for new releases). On the plus side, consumers do not have to wait until a copy is available for rent and can pick up the DVD while doing other shopping at the convenience store.

Yoga

The Octorber issue of the women's magazine Vingtaine is including a DVD on Yoga under the title "Beauty YOGA by Vingtaine". Other magazines have offered similar features in recent months, and it seems as if Yoga has become the latest trendsport, combining a slow-life approach with a positive effects on health and beauty.

Superstar Tokyo

Superstar Tokyo is a multiplayer real-world game combining purikura and cellphones and taking place in Tokyo from September 12 (in conjunction with Ubicomp 2005). Details can be found here.

Vinegar

Bull-Dog Sauce Co. is a manufacturer of Worcester sauce and other cooking sauces (established in 1902). The company has responded to the recent popularity of vinegar as a health food and added a new variety containing black vinegar to its rather conservative lineup.

Radiophone

NTT DoCoMo will soon introduce the Radiden, a mobile phone with an integrated radio receiver and a distinctly analog user surface. Details on the handset can be found at the manufacturer Sony Ericsson Japan's website.

Angel Heart

Angel Heart, a manga from the 1980s by Tsukasa Hojo of City Hunter fame is scheduled for release as a TV animation and advertised with billboards at major Tokyo stations.

Dean & Deluca

Although Dean&Deluca has only three stores in Tokyo, it is branching out and establishing itself as a brand for high-end food. Dean&Deluca ice cream has appeared exclusively at Family Mart convenience stores recently and at 280 Yen for a small cup has managed to push Haagen Dazs Japan away from the premium position.

Women only

An increasing number of train operators in Tokyo have introduced women-only cars. The free paper Metro Min has jumped on the bandwagon and come out with a special issue for women under the title "Tokyoite". Heavily sponsored by Shiseido, the magazine contains not only adverts but also ads masked as editorial content such as an article on which kind of make up is best for office situations such as presentations - or the date after work.

Panasonic goes Kyoto

Ayumi Hamasaki speaking Kyoto dialect in her new ad for Panasonic.

Starbucks@Conbini

As posted earlier, Starbucks will be coming to convenience stores with chilled coffee drinks. Two flavors, Seattle Latte and Milano Espresso will be released on September 27 in Tokyo and surrounding prefectures. The drinks are manufactured under license by Suntory.

Suntory

Suntory has released its Oolong Tea in a newly designed bottle. Dubbed Crystal Cut Bottle, it is quite different in shape and appearance from existing PET Bottles and has been entered for this years Good Design Award.

Finding happiness in Japan

Cartoon by Mimei Sakamoto from a Time Asia article. It might seem a bit cynical, but is definitely true.