Society

Uniqlo dangles $8.8m salaries to draw talent in Big Tech showdown

Jan 16 (Nikkei) - The operator of the Uniqlo chain of casual apparel stores will pay midcareer hires up to 1 billion yen ($8.8 million) a year as competition heats up with Big Tech companies such as Amazon.com, Nikkei has learned.

Fast Retailing will increase the salary cap this year, said CEO Tadashi Yanai. More than Yanai's own pay of 400 million yen, the maximum amount will be among the highest in the nation.

Until now, the company did not have any clear compensation standards for midcareer hires. It hopes to attract talent well-versed in digitization, e-commerce and supply chains to change how it earns profits in the apparel business to better compete with tech titans.

"We are looking for people who can create new value and think about businesses from scratch, not consultants and those who worked at big corporations," Yanai said. "Geniuses who are more capable than me. If the pool is bountiful, we'll take 100 or even 200."

Fast Retailing had roughly 56,000 workers groupwide as of Aug. 31. Excluding staff at stores such as Uniqlo, its headquarters had about 1,600 employees, mostly midcareer hires. The average pay is about 9.6 million yen.

Zao’s Snow Monsters Face Extinction

Zao’s iconic snow monsters, the frost-covered trees known as 'juhyo,' face an existential threat. These towering, snow-laden trees have long been a winter highlight in the region, famously resembling monstrous figures covered in snow. However, their survival is now under severe threat.

Japan Ranks 92nd in English Proficiency, Lowest in History

EF Education First, a global education organization, published this year’s English Proficiency Index on Wednesday, ranking nations worldwide. Japan’s ranking stood at 92nd among 116 countries and regions, continuing a 14-year trend of record lows.

Famed Hot Spring Struggles to Handle Visitor Surge

Ginzan Hot Springs in Yamagata, known for its Taisho-era charm, is now at peak season for autumn foliage. While this secluded onsen town is a well-known destination in the Tohoku region, an influx of foreign tourists has led local officials to implement restrictions on day visitors starting next month.

Convenience Stores to Start Selling Over-the-Counter Drugs

Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has announced plans to allow the sale of over-the-counter drugs at convenience stores without on-site pharmacists.

Japan Looks to Limit Continuous Work

Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's advisory panel has outlined a proposal for amending the law to prohibit working more than 14 consecutive days. Under the current system, workers can technically work up to 48 days in a row through a system known as 'four-day-off-per-four-weeks,' while labor agreements also allow for holiday work, meaning there are no effective restrictions on consecutive workdays.

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