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 The Emphasis placed on training employees helps maintain Japan’s high standard customer service. The staff’s shouts of welcome and thanks given every time a customer walks in and out of an establishment have been well-practiced. In shops , hair salon, gasoline stations and other service-related businesses, people will round off their morning meeting with choral repetition of phrases, Irasshaimase, Arigato gozaimashita , and Mata dozo (Welcome, Thank You and please come again). This service, which is practiced and implemented daily, is a sign of sheer professionalism. Most stores open at around 10:00 AM, the time close varies according to the type of store. Convenience stores like 7eleven, Lawson, Seeyou operates 24 hour round a clock, supermarkets and Departments stores usually close at 6:30 Pm but some stores stay open until 11:00 PM like Jusco, while the neighborhood stores close at around 8:00 PM. The second hand store or recycle store close at around 7:00 PM. |
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Japanese Fireworks - "Hanabi" - Japanese Culture
If you visit Japan during summer it is the "season of fireworks" or "Hanabi", in various places of Nihon will be colorful during night in the sky
especially late July to August
of each year. Hanabi literally is "flower of fire" from the two connected Japanese
words (hana = flower + bi = fire). This flower image comes from beautiful spherical
shaped blossoms such as the peony or the chrysanthemum, well known as Japan's
Royal Family'.
Chrysanthemums and Peonies (Warimono, Han-warimono and
Poka-mono) are typical "traditional Japanese fireworks", blooms perfectly round
circle in the sky. The "new trend type" or "novel type" are fish, star, saturn
or UFO, butterfly shape, smiley face, heart and clubs, fluttering fan, crock,
straw hut, snail and dandelion. Waterborn starmine and 2.5 km Niagara fall line
effect are special feature during hanabi festival in Lake-Suwa. Hanabi originated
in the Edo period (1603-1867), and it started with the competitive exhibition
of fireworks between two fireworks factories, Tamaya and Kagiya.
Japanese Traditional Summer Fashion " Yukata"
Today, some of Japanese people and foriegner wear yukata (a casual Japanese
summer traditional costumes) to watch hanabi.
Recently the yukata has become
fashionable among young women. Yukata is an informal, unlined kimono made of
cotton and worn with a narrow sash (obi). It is usually worn to the bath or
in the summertime. Unlike ceremonial kimono, yukata is casual and comfortable
to wear. It can be worn next to the skin. Wooden clogs (geta) are usually worn
without Japanese socks (tabi) when wearing yukata. Since it is casual it can't
be worn during formal celebration. |
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Krispy Kreme Shop in Shinjuku
A doughnut from North America went to Japan for the first time at Shinjuko
Southern Terrace, which is directly across the street from the south exit of
Shinjuku JR Station . Their first shop in Japan "Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and
Coffee" opened on friday December 15, 2006.
"Krispy Kreme" is a new trend of fashion now in Japan. People in Tokyo drawing
long line for 2 -3 hrs. waiting and just to get for donuts. The line-ups had
been going everyday, all day and from morning till night ever since from December.
The original glaze sells for 150 Japanese yen. In the first three days the store
saw more than 10,000 customers. It is opened 7:30 in the morning. Krispy Kreme
has created doughnuts for the Japanese market, such as cherry-filling for blossom-viewing
season and heart-shaped frosting for that popular cute look, but has kept the
basic recipes unchanged.
 
"First marketing strategy", the first person in line for the donuts
tomorrow morning will get a dozen free donuts a week for a year and the first
100 will get free T-shirts. Since from the first month of operation till this
summer 2007 Japanese are still crave and craze to line up and to get donuts.
This news was reported on major TVs with a scene of customers getting in line.
Lotte Co., Ltd. and Revamp Corporation established Krispy Kreme Doughnuts (KKD)
Japan and they are planning to open more outlets.
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