by yk_service | Sep 2, 2020 | Tokyo
In Japan, there have long been societal standards governing the onset of middle-age: a youthful preoccupation with looks must cease, and to give up (akirame) is simply the right thing to do. These cultural expectations have seen the middle-aged forced to accept...
by yk_service | Jul 14, 2020 | Shanghai
In the West, social media influencers are on the wane. Industry surveys show decreasing levels of consumer faith in influencers in both the US and UK. Brands are once more taking centre-stage, and are speaking to these newly-cynical consumers directly, rather than via...
by yk_service | Jul 14, 2020 | Tokyo
A couple of years ago, I sat behind the ‘magic mirror’ of a Japanese focus group as they went through a conventional round of concept testing. A confectionary company was assuaging consumers’ guilt at indulging in sweets by emphasising that they used only free range...
by yk_service | Jun 5, 2020 | Volume 1
For us, the yuzu is everything we love about Japan. Tangy yet mellow, the yuzu’s subtlety and nuance are a revelation: when you first taste it, it is both oddly familiar and yet an unforgettable surprise. No wonder this hardy citrus fruit, a prominent part of washoku...
by yk_service | May 13, 2020 | Berlin
The US company Crayola’s product range essentially consists of tools designed to help creativity: crayons, chalk and artists’ supplies. Perhaps that is why its former CEO Rich Gurin hit the mark with his claim that “business needs what the arts...
