export-japan.com's newsletter 25th April 2005 edition

Contents

Reviving Japanese Business with Design
Nissan, Mageki

Both in the Japanese public and private sector, management is putting more emphasis on design, seeing it as the determining factor to enable their products to survive a Japanese market that is no longer satisfied with just highly functional and low cost goods.

The monetary benefits that can be gained from investing in a good design development team are the most evident in Nissan’s recovery in the auto industry. One of the key elements that allowed the company’s come back was the action taken at the management level to bring together the right designers and technologies to come up with the most efficient car design. The added value that Nissan gained from shifting to a more design conscious company can be measured with the success of the Nissan Cube 5-passenger wagon both in the media and market.

Hidasangyo Co., Ltd, a furniture manufacturer specializing in Japanese cedar based in Hida Takayama in the central part of Japan, also went through a similar shift where a refocus on their furniture design was the necessary step to revive the company’s traditions of Mageki, a uniquely Japanese style of bentwood furniture. By reidentifying the artistic and business potential of Japanese cedar bentwood furniture with the assistance of a well renowned designer, the company was able to introduce a new Hidasangyo Co., Ltd to a much wider audience such as the media and visitors last week at Milano Salone, the worlds largest furniture design event.

Featured Product: Black Cotton Swabs by Heiwa Medic
Heiwa Medic

You have probably never encountered black cotton swabs at your local grocery or drug store. However, recently in Japan black cotton swabs by Heiwa Medic Co., Ltd. are being sold everywhere and have been a huge hit.

What attracted longtime average white cotton swab buyers to switch to this unusual product was the enhanced feeling of cleanliness that came from simply being able to see clearly the amount of extracted ear wax on the black cotton tips as opposed to on the white counterparts. Also, variations such as spiral tips make it even easier to clean out ear wax. The dye used to make the cotton swabs is nontoxic making them as safe to use (*Use only as directed) as white swabs.

For further information regarding Heiwa Medic's black cotton swabs, please send an inquiry via the newsletter contact form.

*Improper use can cause injury. Do not probe into the ear canal itself when using cotton swabs in ears. Use gently to remove visible dirt and wax around the outer surface of the ear. This product is not a toy. Keep out of reach of infants and young children.

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Current Trends: New Generation Office Solutions
Office Solutions

Along with the changes in how Japanese businesses are run, the average office setup is varying from the old standard with the secluded ornate CEO office and desk setup by seniority to a more project oriented setting. Instead of employees working at fixed desks, these project oriented offices allow more flexible cost effective office usage with portable desks, chairs, and other movable furniture and partitions to instantly create space for large meetings, small group collaborations, or individual work spaces. Kokuyo is one of many leading companies providing these popular new generation office solutions.

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