Asian tourists heading to Japan for luxury brand goods and big spending
April 25, 2008
According to Japanese government official reports, the main reason for tourists from other Asian countries to come to Japan is for the shopping. While there are of course luxury brand goods which are found only in the Japan market that are in demand, it is among the most affluent social groups where you will find those who specifically choose Japan for their luxury shopping holidays. It is estimated that tourist spending in Japan is soon to reach ¥2.4 trillion.
As part of their series on the worldfs top luxury brands, Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer Fuyuki Hiraishi interviewed Frederic Cumenal, president and CEO of Moet & Chandon.
Well known for being an internationally recognized vacation spot, particularly among foreign skiers on holiday, Niseko, Japan will be the sight of a luxury resort scheduled for completion in 2010. Annupuri Land L.P. and Capella Hotels and Resorts have confirmed they are to develop the Capella Niseko, a luxury hotel and condominium resort on 32 acres area near Annupuri-Niseko Mountain in Hokkaido, the most northern major island in Japan.
Nara, the historical and cultural center of Japan, will be the site of an internationally focused hotel aimed at the higher end of the tourist market along with visiting dignitaries and other affluent travelers. A group of 30 representatives from 20 real estate development organizations attended an information and proposal bidding session at the prefectural meeting hall this month to hear from the government the purpose of such a venture. The plan to develop the hotel is part of a business and enterprise development plan similar to that which was enacted in Tokyo's Minato Ward.
With an extravagant interior evoking images of a luxury salon blended with business class comforts, the new tour busses from high-end Japanese department store Mitsukoshi are set to provide travelers with superior quality and relaxation throughout their journey. 
In the old-town area of Takayama City in the Japanese Alps, one after another new hotels are being built while existing hotels are going through a large scale renovation trend. As the roads open up for the summer traffic rush, the competition for customers is sharply increasing as hotels make marked progress in their marketing for high-end affluent customers, with business and young couple consumer s also in their focus. 
The Japanese Ministry of Education, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) this week released their survey results on high school students spending in Japan, America, China, and Korea. The survey revealed Japanese high school students to be quite savvy in regards to high end brands and fashion and compared to the other countries, Japanese parents had a strong tendency not to interfere with their children's spending habits.
According to a recent survey by the Japanese online research company MyVoiceCom the most commonly owned high end brand in Japan is Burberry.14,452 registered members of the managing company My Voice responded to the survey. 
HSBC Holdings PLC has announced they are expanding their high end banking services with the opening of two new HSBC Premier Center's in Tokyo and Yokohama. These Premier Center's target customers with financial assets greater than 10 million yen (US$93,000) and offer domestic personal and global wealth management services.
Luca di Montezemolo, chairman of Ferrari S.p.A, recently spoke with Yomiuri Shimbun Rome Correspondent Kazuki Matsuura about his brand's image, developing new and existing markets, and his experiences with selling high end cars in Japan.
The administrative merger of department store giants Mitsukoshi and Isetan has given way to the inauguration of Mitsukoshi-Isetan Holdings. With this merger they are expected to overtake Takashiyama Department Store and J-Front Retailing in sales to become the number one retailer in Japan.