Natsume targets Non-Japanese consumers

9.7

Rating

Natsume is a brand that we have been following since its inception. Founded by 4 MBAs from Tokyo,Natsume is developing a unique 100% made in Japan collection.

McKinsey keeps on telling that 10 exceptional luxury brands will emerge from Asia and we have no doubt that Natsume is one of them. 

The Asia Career Times believes that this company can go very far has they could meet current luxury requirements:

• Quality (using Japan high requirements)
• Authentic (100% of the design, materials (including Japanese laquer and silk) and handcraft is made in Japan) 
• Focus (they do not target massive sales and jump on China, they are very focused on their Niche)
• Slow Growth (Luxury Marketing is really different from other products and going too fast can make your product appear like a very common item)

For those reasons we believe that people interested in a career in Luxury should always keep an eye on Natsume.

Nastume can be visited at http://natsume-japon.com

GREE and DeNA fighting to hire best students

Japanese IT companies are fiercely competing to employ talented college graduates by giving preference to student job seekers versed in software development.

Leading social game firm Gree decided to set a new quota for college students graduating in the spring of 2014 to secure workers specializing in application development for smart phones.

The company says those whose original applications are considered outstanding will be exempt from document screening and the initial interview.

Another social game firm, DeNA, also says it will start a new system in 2014 to give an advantage to students who have business experience, such as setting up a venture.

The company says the annual salary for workers recruited in this category will start at a minimum 73,000 dollars with no ceiling set. The regular salary is 61,000 dollars.

A DeNA official says the company needs young and talented employees as the IT industry is changing rapidly and faces fierce international competition.

Uniqlo aims at promoting the Next Generation of Business and Fashion Leaders between U.S. and Japan

UNIQLO today announces that it will establish the TOMODACHI-UNIQLO Fellowship in cooperation with the TOMODACHI Initiative, a public-private partnership led by the U.S. Government and the U.S.-Japan Council, to support the education of Japan’s next generation of business and fashion leaders.

Immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of March 11, 2011, UNIQLO and other Fast Retailing Group companies started to distribute clothing with the aid of employee volunteers and donate funds in disaster-affected areas of the Tohoku Region. In March 2012 the Group initiated the UNIQLO Recovery Assistance Project, a mid-to-long-term aid program whereby UNIQLO began working with NGOs and opening stores in the hardest-hit communities of the region.

Fast Retailing Chairman, President and CEO Tadashi Yanai commented on today’s announcement and said, “I would like to take this opportunity to thank the American people and the U.S. Government for their strong support toward Japan, including Japan’s economic recovery and growth, over the many years that our countries have been friends. Your kindness and friendship were especially felt last March, when we experienced such a tragic event in Tohoku.”

Yanai added, “The TOMODACHI-UNIQLO Fellowship is a new element of Fast Retailing’s ongoing commitment to contribute to society. Our role in the Fellowship is to open the eyes of, and indeed encourage, young talented Japanese people to become leaders in the areas of business and fashion by studying at top internationally-known U.S. schools.”

The TOMODACHI-UNIQLO Fellowship

UNIQLO joined the TOMODACHI Initiative, an initiative that was created by the U.S. Government and the U.S.-Japan Council with the support of the Japanese Government, after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami to primarily assist education in areas affected by the disaster. UNIQLO will start the TOMODACHI-UNIQLO Fellowship from September 2013.

The aim of the Fellowship is to send 10 promising Japanese citizens who wish to become business managers and fashion designers on the global stage to study for two years at universities and fashion design schools in the U.S., beginning in or after September 2013. A total of U.S. $1.6 million will be awarded to the Fellowship to provide for the scholarships.

Strangled by ageing Japan, Recruit extends its activities to Online Retail and Vietnam

The Media Japanese giant company Recruit has not so many years ahead to quickly change its business model.

Under the same Strategy called Recruit Global Family, the company is extending its activities both in terms of geographies and industries.

In 2 days it announced an investment in Vietnam but also a project to launch an online mall

The online mall will target companies such as Rakuten and Amazon.

In Vietnam Recruit is participate in the capital of  Mytour.vn is a domestic hotel booking website operated by Mytour Vietnam company limited. Through Recruit Global Incubation Partners Co.,Ltd., its investment subsidiary, Recruit joined with Vietnam Price Joint Stock Company to capitalize Mytour Vietnam. Vietnam Price Joint Stock Company, which operates Vietnam’s largest e-commerce site, and Recruit, which operates booking websites in a number of countries, will seek to make Mytour.vn the country’s largest hotel booking website and generate synergy in generating bookings as well as in operational terms.

However this Strategy still needs to demonstrate its sustainability. The fact that recruit is spreading its activities round too many different industries is questionable and a focused strategy might be ore effective. Also it is not sure if the company known for its low salaries can bring the technical and global talents needed in such an expansion.

De Beers tackles the Chinese wealthy customers with new stores

De Beers Diamond Jewellers, the definitive diamond jewellery destination, opened its Tianjin store at The Friendship Mall. Following the opening of its first store in Beijing in May, the Tianjin store is De Beers Esecond store in mainland China and represents De Beers Eexpansion into the fast growing Chinese market. This expansion recognises the demand for exquisite designs and diamonds of superlative quality by Chinese consumers.

“I’m delighted to once again wear pieces from the Wildflowers Collection – it brings me back to my wedding day! E
Famed for creating the “A diamond is forever Eslogan, De Beers brings over 120 years of peerless diamond expertise and passion to China. The 75 square metre store features some of De Beers Emost beautiful and important collections, including stunning solitaires, timeless classics and one-of-a-kind High Jewellery creations.

The opening was hosted by François Delage, CEO of De Beers Diamond Jewellers, Andrew Coxon, President of De Beers Institute of Diamonds and special guest and famed actress Karen Mok, whose elegant natural beauty was matched only by the exquisite De Beers Diamond Jewellery adorning her. In her first public appearance in China since her fairy tale wedding at the beginning of October, she looked stunning in the De Beers Wildflowers Collection large statement necklace, one line bracelet and statement ring.”I’m delighted to once again wear pieces from the Wildflowers Collection – it brings me back to my wedding day!” Karen completed her look with a black Fendi Ready-to-Wear dress.

“We are delighted to open our first store in Tianjin following the successful opening in Beijing in May. We are now able to fully share our exceptional passion and expertise in diamond selection, craftsmanship and design to one of the largest and most discerning markets in the world, Eexplains François Delage, CEO of De Beers Diamond Jewellers.

Andrew Coxon, president of De Beers Institute of Diamonds commenting on the Tianjin opening: “Every De Beers diamond is meticulously hand-selected to ensure that it has exceptional Fire, Life and Brilliance. We know that the highly discerning Chinese client will no doubt appreciate the superior sparkle and transparency that our specially selected diamonds exhibit. To help showcase this, each De Beers store is equipped with a De Beers Iris, a unique technology that helps customers clearly see the beauty of every diamond through the eyes of an expert. E

The second opening into the mainland Chinese market follows the De Beers success as a global destination for diamond jewellery lovers and connoisseurs. De Beers has a worldwide presence with stores located in the most sought after locations such as Fifth Avenue in New York, Printemps and Galeries Lafayette in Paris, Old Bond Street in London, The Landmark in Hong Kong, Shin Kong Place in Beijing and Ginza in Tokyo.

Chinese rate their job market better than Americans

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Majorities of Chinese and Americans in 2011 agree now is a bad time to find a job in the city or area where they live — but Americans are more negative. Seventy-two percent of Americans say it is a bad time to find a job, compared with 56% of Chinese.

Read More

Asian CEO gives its Bonus to Employees

Beijing – In a rare move Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanqing has decided to use a $3 million bonus he received for the company’s record-setting year to reward thousands of the company’s rank-and-file employees.

The 47-year-old gave around 10,000 employees worldwide bonus checks for their hard work, Lenovo spokesman Jeffrey Shafer said.

The computer company announced its fourth quarter earnings in May. According to a press release, net profit for the company rose 73 percent year over year. The brand’s global PC sales rose by 35 percent year over year.

The employees, who worked in different areas of the company  Efrom manufacturing to administration to other nonmanagement positions, each received around $300 as a part of Yuanqing’s generosity.

Read More

Facing huge adversity in China, Japanese automobile industry review their global human resources

China anger about the disputed islands was not for a few days, it is still hurting Japanese cars a lot.

Sales of Japanese passenger cars in China fell nearly 60 percent in October from a year earlier. The plunge is apparently due to tense diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers released data on Friday that shows sales of new vehicles in October increased 5.3 percent to 1.6 million units. It’s a sign that the Chinese auto market remains solid.

But sales of Japanese cars saw a decline of 59.4 percent amid increasing boycotts of Japanese products in China. This comes amid the ongoing territorial dispute over the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.

By contrast, German and South Korean carmakers enjoyed sales increases of 30 percent and 20 percent, respectively.

As a result, Japanese passenger car makers’ share of the Chinese market fell 12.3 points from a year earlier to just 7.6 percent.

To face this adversity which clearly goes against last year ambitious goals in China, Japanese companies have adopted new Global HR strategy.

First they will review the weight of other Asian countries and invest more in Thailand, Indonesia and India.

Secondly they will also develop joint-venture and express more solidarity between themselves. Mazda just announced that they would produce Toyota cars in their plant in Mexico.

Thirdly Chinese plants will produce less, this will be at a high cost as an plant costs if they produce only 80% of their capacity. Today the rate is closer to 60%.

Japanese companies have been hit by China and need urgently to review the way they produce and where.

L'Oreal hires 450 employees for its world largest factory

L’Oréal inaugurates its largest factory in the world in Indonesia to meet fast-rising demand in the South-East Asian beauty market

L’Oréal invests EUR 100 million in the first LEED certified factory in Indonesia

L’Oréal announced this week the opening of its largest factory in the world. The 66,000 m2 building is located at the Jababeka Industrial Estate, West Java, Indonesia, around 60 kilometers east of Jakarta. With a staged investment totalling EUR 100 million (approximately IDR 1.25 trillion), this new factory will serve as the production hub for the South-East Asian region.

Read More

After its failure in China Rakuten goes full steam in Indonesia

Rakuten, Inc., the world’s 3rd largest e-commerce marketplace, will participate in the Cool Japan Strategy Promotion Program run by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (hereinafter METI) to support Japanese retailers hoping to break into Indonesia’s burgeoning e-commerce market. On November 12, Rakuten will hold an exhibition at major shopping facility, Grand Indonesia, located in central Jakarta featuring products sold by 29 selected Japanese merchants. The products will also be promoted for sale at Rakuten’s online shopping mall in Indonesia, Rakuten Belanja Online. Through this initiative, Rakuten also aims to empower Indonesian users to enjoy unique Japanese products. Read More