Once a pioneering force in Japan’s convenience store sector, 7-Eleven is now facing a clear slowdown. Although the company introduced many groundbreaking services over the years—such as hot oden by the register and in-store ATMs—it has failed to produce a major hit in over a decade.
Meitetsu announced on March 24th its long-term redevelopment plan for the area in front of Nagoya Station, which includes the construction of two new skyscrapers matching the height of the iconic Spiral Towers in nearby Sasashima.
Starbucks is replacing its paper straws with biomass plastic straws, beginning a nationwide rollout on March 24th.
As the number of vacant houses across Japan continues to rise—now estimated at 9 million—a unique group in Kobe is tackling what many consider a lost cause: severely dilapidated homes, or 'haioku.'
Japan's household financial assets reached a record 2,230 trillion yen ($15 trillion) at the end of December last year, driven by growing use of the tax-free NISA investment accounts and rising stock prices.
JR Hokkaido announced on March 19th that the JR Sapporo Station redevelopment, linked to the Hokkaido Shinkansen extension, will be delayed by six years, with full operations now set for fiscal 2034.
Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism announced that as of January 1st, official land prices—a key real estate benchmark—rose 2.7% year-on-year, marking the fourth consecutive annual increase.
The gender pay gap in Japan has reached its smallest level on record, as the average monthly salary for full-time workers posted its highest growth in 33 years, according to a survey by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.