Japanese retailers target new big spenders - tourists

“Until now, we’ve been rather passive with ‘inbounds,’” said Hideyuki Murakami, executive officer of department store operator Isetan Mitsukoshi Ltd.

"inbounds", they call them "inbounds". I'm surprised he didn't say "gaijin".

>“Somehow they’ve figured out that that’s when the shipments come in,” he said.

He has no idea how they've managed to gain such magnificent insight to his company's inventory. Patronising much?

There was a student/teacher group in Okinawa and Tokyo last week from Lapland! Santa Claus will have some special goodies this Xmas.

"inbounds" is short for "inbound tourists"and a common term used worldwide in the travel industry.

Sony should start including foreign languages menus on their products sold in Japan, other than in the duty-free shops. All the other major electronic goods manufacturers do this.

Tourists are not "new" big spenders. Japan is just waking up to the fact that tourists spend money and are helping to prop up their economy. Tourists have always spent money in Japan. Many Japanese before now have refused see any benefit to the gaijin wandering around in their cities. The tourists spend money and the expats living and working in Japan pay taxes, support local businesses and services and help keep the economy from falling from third in the world to tenth.

They should also include universal adapter for every electronics (or at least they should be compatible from 100-240Volts range as most of the Chinese stuffs)

sad thing is many of the electronic goods that Japan makes is actually cheaper to buy online from overseas online retailers (yes genuine items not fakes) most of these are from the US as the US actually buys more than Japanese retailers and they discount much deeper than Japanese retailers also. Japanese retailers still have a way to go before they really understand what competition really is.

I've been coming to Japan as a tourist every year since 2006 and I regularly see western faces wandering around the shops, packs on their backs and wearing silly long shorts (I couldn't bring myself to wear shorts), so I hardly think we are something new. I don't just come for the shopping though, I have friends and loved ones here, so for my two or three weeks I spend money and enjoy myself.

Just wish people would stop assuming I'm an American.

Good for them.

I have been an inbounder for 2decades now haha how about the rest of ya LOL!!

I do my part whether I'm living in Japan or just visiting Japan. Then again, being chotto otaku sure makes Japan a nice place to shop! ;)

Maybe someday they discover also foreigners living in japan spend money, pay tax and contribute to the pension system.

World's top Exporting Country Japan is now reduced to RETAIL Business.

Good news for Japan but this increase in tourists won't offset their imports of fossil fuels. They are going to have to restart and drastically improve their manufacturing capability in order to become an export positive economy again in their non-nuclear power generation state.

Can the title of this article state "Chinese tourists" instead of tourists because we all know who is doing the shopping here and it isn't the backpacking crew.

“Everyone loves the food in Tokyo, including French cuisine.”

Well that's "original" ! Come to Tokyo to eat French cuisine !

singe-lens reflex camera

Could that be "single-lens" ? I'd hate to be burnt by a camera !

Can the title of this article state "Chinese tourists" instead of tourists because we all know who is doing the shopping here and it isn't the backpacking crew.

I think that calling them all "foreign tourists" is just a face-saving way for Japan to come to terms with its appeal as a travel destination/shopping mecca for Chinese. Ever noticed how happy they are when they go to Kyoto and see all the German/Swiss tour groups or lone Canadian backpackers, and how annoyed they get when they go shopping downtown and are overtaken by swarms of Chinese tourists? Yet, which demographic spends the most money?

Having said that, I've noticed a lot of tourists around not only from PRC but from Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and of course Singapore and Malaysia. Anyway, I'm hoping the influx of SEAsian tourists (and their cash) will lead to a change in attitude from disgruntled locals. Japan is just like anywhere else in the world in one respect: money talks.

Tessa, I 100% agree! Don't want to admit that it is the Chinese that is saving the day when it comes to tourists shopping and traveling.

In Kyoto yesterday, saw (heard) Americans,Chinese ,Thais and Malaysians and more and the stereotypical backpackers walking around and around the food courts searching for something cheap.

It's good that businesses recognized this avenue. Good luck!