Society

Shopify scores biggest growth in Japan, with 'room to grow'

Dec 10 (Nikkei) - Canadian e-commerce company Shopify rang up $5.1 billion in global transactions during the crucial Black Friday-Cyber Monday period last month for a 76% increase on the year, and Japan led major markets with a jump of around 350%.

In addition to a boost in demand from people nesting at home, vendors on the Shopify platform doubled down on sales promotions.

The number of customers worldwide who purchased from vendors on Shopify's platform grew 50% on the year to 44 million during the Nov. 27-30 sales event, which coincides with the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, the company said. Japanese consumers also were the biggest spenders, shelling out 11,090 yen ($106) on the average purchase.

"We still have a lot of room to grow in the Japanese market," Mark Wang, Shopify's country manager for Japan, told reporters regarding direct-to-consumer transactions, where individuals and companies sell straight to buyers.

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

Bear sightings across Japan have already climbed to nearly twice the level recorded during the same period last year, prompting entry bans in mountain areas behind Kyoto’s Ninna-ji Temple and the cancellation of hiking events in Kansai, while new research suggests that the key to reducing encounters may lie in understanding what bears eat in each region.

Copper Thieves Target Japanese Shrines

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.

1200-Year-Old Temple on Miyajima Reduced to Ashes

Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.

From Bento Boxes to Garbage Bags, Rising Costs Hitting Daily Life Across Japan

Uncertainty surrounding the situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect daily life in Japan, as concerns over crude oil supplies spread to restaurants, cleaning services and even household garbage disposal systems across the Kansai region.

Tochigi Robbery-Murder Suspect’s Wife Posted Dance Videos on Social Media

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

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