Society

Cozy fit: Beanbag chair maker Yogibo bought by Japanese distributor

Jan 13 (Nikkei) - Yogibo, an American company known for its beanbag furniture, has been acquired by the company distributing its products in Japan, one of its biggest markets.

Web-Shark bought the New Hampshire-based company in late December in a deal believed to be valued at more than 10 billion yen ($87 million).

Yogibo, established in 2009, makes and sells chairs, sofa and other foam-bead-filled furniture that molds to the user's body. It had a presence in eight markets at the end of 2021, including the U.S., Japan and South Korea. The company does not publicly release sales data, according to Web-Shark's announcement.

Web-Shark became Yogibo's Japanese sales agent in 2014, and won fans with its own unique products and appealing store designs. The country now hosts nearly 70% of Yogibo's roughly 130 stores worldwide.

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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