July 06, 2006
Consumerism Japanese style
You owe it to yourself to watch this video!I don't think most people in America are really aware of how strong consumer retail spending is in Japan. Everyone thinks the whole country's broke or something. Actually, it's quite the opposite. Japanese people (in my opinion) are crazy about shopping, and love to buy high quality brand name goods no matter what the price!
Don't believe me? Click through to see the opening day of Apple's first flagship store in Tokyo (in the Ginza area). It was the biggest opening Apple ever had anywhere in the world. If you want to understand how powerful the retail experience is in Japan, watch the entire video from start to finish. All it does is follows the peaceful line of customers waiting to get into the Apple store on its first day.
I have never seen anything like it in San Francisco or New York.
Click here to see the movie: http://homepage.mac.com/hsk/applejapan.html
(Alternate link just in case the main one above is down: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TyR3fyLO_I&search=ginza%20apple%20store)
# posted by globalgirl @ 2:50 PM 
Comments:
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Is a high level of consumerism a good thing in Japan? I can't speak for everyone of course, but I've seen tourists from Japan in both Ireland and the US who have actually brought their own tour busses with them, which is one indication of the kind of money that is being spent. In the American Media throughout the economic recession of the 80s and early 90s Japan was a cause for great concern due to those same high levels of spending; during a time of low american spending (they were all poor) everyone was terrified that japans economy would eventually just take over that of america.
But if the lines ever die down in the apple store, it's a brilliant spot for free internet access when you're out in town. :)
But if the lines ever die down in the apple store, it's a brilliant spot for free internet access when you're out in town. :)
Personally, I think rabid consumerism in its broadest sense is rarely a good thing.
Very similar to the point you make about American media pumping fears of Japanese overtaking America in the 1980s, I think they are now doing the same thing about China in the 2000s.
Those sorts of popular reactionist waves are usually proven wrong in the long run though.
Anyway, the lines at the Apple store in the Ginza (in Tokyo) have died down quite a bit so that it has about the same number of customers as its counterpart in New York, I imagine.
globalgirl
Very similar to the point you make about American media pumping fears of Japanese overtaking America in the 1980s, I think they are now doing the same thing about China in the 2000s.
Those sorts of popular reactionist waves are usually proven wrong in the long run though.
Anyway, the lines at the Apple store in the Ginza (in Tokyo) have died down quite a bit so that it has about the same number of customers as its counterpart in New York, I imagine.
globalgirl
I love this blog.
Sorry just had to say you have a very astute point as to America's fear of Asian economies (japan in the 80s, and very much China in the 2000s) cause I was reading this article and couldn't help but think of what you had said.
(and I honestly CAN'T SEE the letters on the damn word verification thing sometimes. No, it's not funny. Quit laughing. Is that a j or an i? bollocks...)
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Sorry just had to say you have a very astute point as to America's fear of Asian economies (japan in the 80s, and very much China in the 2000s) cause I was reading this article and couldn't help but think of what you had said.
(and I honestly CAN'T SEE the letters on the damn word verification thing sometimes. No, it's not funny. Quit laughing. Is that a j or an i? bollocks...)
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