02, July 2009
Audi Japan has announced it will launch a pilot car sharing service in Japan later this month. The service, the first of its kind offered by an imported car brand in the Japanese market, will first be offered on a limited basis to those who live or work the Izumi Garden business and residential complex in central Tokyo.
28, March 2009
The Mille Migla began in northern Italy in 1927 as a 1000 mile long open road endurance race. The historic race is still loved by fans, and various related Mille Migla races and events such as the Rally Mille Miglia are still held every year.
26, March 2009
The beef used in the famously high-priced 175 USD hamburgers served in New York last year was not American ? It was Japanese. The luxury burgers featured Japanese Kobe beef - to complement Matsudake mushrooms, foie gras and Gruyere cheese. Japanese Kobe beef is well known as the highest quality beef in the world. In addition to carefully managed breeding practices, Kobe beef producers also massage their livestock and have even been known to play music for the animals to keep stress levels low - all in the effort to produce the world's best tastes meat.
05, February 2009
January 15, 2009
Volvo Japan has announced the opening of three new showrooms - Osaka, Hyogo, and Kanagawa.
December 11, 2008
On November 26, Daimler announced plans to open exclusive showrooms for the AMG versions of Mercedes Benz automobiles. More than 175 of the new AMG showrooms are planned for 15 countries, including Japan. AMG is the luxury, high-performance extension of Mercedes Benz, and the new AMG "Performance Centers" will specialize in the sales and maintenance of AMG vehicles. With luxury as a central theme, the performance centers will aim to offer customers the highest level of service possible for their exclusive vehicles.
November 20, 2008
Japanese luxury department store brand Daimaru, French luxury brand Hermes and the European automaker Smart have announced the introduction of a new limed edition car for the Japanese market. The "Hermes Version" of the Smart Car will be available in Japan from November 14, 2008.
November 20, 2008
On November 18, Mercedes Benz Japan and Swiss luxury watch maker IWC unveiled plans for their collaboration on a new limited edition SL 63 AMG sports car. 200 of these limited IWC edition sports cars will be made, with 10 planned for sale in the Japanese market. All of the cars are to be designed for left-side driving. The price for the limited edition vehicle has not been announced, but the price of the stock version of the SL 63 AMG is approximately 243,000 USD.
September 03, 2008
Toyota's Luxury brand, Lexus, celebrated its third anniversary in the Japanese market this August. Launched as a separate brand in the US market in 1989, Lexus is now the top selling luxury vehicle brand in the US and is sold in 60 countries and territories worldwide. Despite its successes abroad however, the Lexus nameplate was made directly available to Japanese consumers only in 2005, and has struggled to gain market share locally against stiff competition from more firmly established European rivals since its introduction.
July 08, 2008
Jaguar-Land Rover Japan announced the high end sports coup, the XKR Portfolio Limited Edition will be available in Japan from July. Availability is limited to just 10 of the premium vehicles. The XKR Portfolio Limited Edition has upgraded features compared to the standard XKR, including a greatly enhanced braking system and special aluminum components. The base price for the stock model begins at ¥1,500,000 and goes up to ¥15,000,000 and beyond.
July 02, 2008
BMW Japan has begun taking orders for the latest model of their luxury class 4-wheel drive sports car to be introduced to the Japanese market, the X6. At a press conference in downtown Tokyo BMW President Jesus Cordoba explained about how with this model they are introducing a new category of vehicle to the domestic market, and emphasized it is for customers who are interested in owning a new type of automobile. The new style luxury vehicles are purported to have high fuel efficiency and lowered CO2 output with their 3000cc and 4000cc engines. For the two engine sizes the price will be ¥8,510,000 and ¥10,700,000.
July 02, 2008
Cornes & Company Limited have announced that Maserati's newly styled coup, the Gran Turismo S which was on display in March at the Geneva Motor Show, will soon be made available to the luxury high-end market in Japan. Cornes is the only importer and distributor in Japan for Ferrari and Maserati. Compared to the Gran Turismo, the S-model has more advanced and improved features including the engine, transmission, and the breaking system which were developed with the intention of selling to drivers who want a more proficient automobile for sports driving. The vehicle will retail for ¥17,500,000, and is expected to be available in fall, 2008. By the end of fiscal 2008 it is anticipated that 90 vehicles in total will be brought into Japan.
July 02, 2008
The Hermes designed very high-end Bugatti car will be sold in Japan by Nicole Racing Japan, a company which specializes in importing and selling premium vehicles in Japan. In early May the model was on display at a dealer in downtown Tokyo, with a price of ¥278,000,000. Each car is built to order with high grade technical specifications and premium design inside and out.
June 02, 2008
Honda president Takeo Fukui sat down for a brief interview with the Sankei Newspaper recently to discuss current developments for Honda in Japan. The discussion included talk of developments on the newly styled NSX sports car for 2010, and of the plans for the domestic expansion of their luxury Acura brand. The NSX sports car will be released based on technology similar to that developed for Formula One, while the intention with the Acura brand is to position it in the market by promoting it as a luxury brand.
May 14, 2008
According to the Japan Association of Vehicle Importers, 2814 Mercedes-Benz vehicles were imported into Japan in April of this year, an 18% increase over the same month last year.
April 4, 2008
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.
1. Daikokuya Launches Online Luxury Handbag Rental Services
3. Korean Cosmetic Brand Opens New Salon Hanbang Ginza 10/19/08 Grand Opening
4. Online shopping for luxury goods in Japan
5. Gucci Café's Tart Heart Special Menu
6. Shiseido and Kanebo compete with premium cosmetics brands
7. Luxury brand Cartier decides to begin their online sales in the Japanese market
8. Chrome Hearts Tokyo - New Sales Approach
9. Kyoto stores compete for luxury brand market and customer attention
