Highlighting JAPAN

COVER STORY At Your Service  ( HTML : English / Japanese )

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Japanese companies and individuals offering superior levels of customer service are making inroads overseas. In this month's Cover Story we introduce a few examples, beginning with a wedding coordinator whose aim to "go beyond expectations" seems to sum up the approach of many involved in the Japanese service industry.

"Time Machine Business" in Asia and Beyond  ( HTML : English / Japanese )

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Hironobu Kitagawa, director of the Service Industry Support Division at JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization), shares his thoughts on why Japanese businesses in the service sector have begun to expand overseas and explains JETRO's role in fostering this expansion.

A Freshly Baked Taste of Japan in Korea  ( HTML : English / Japanese )

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A Japanese-run bakery in Seoul is bringing Japanese- style bread-and customer service- to a growing clientele in the South Korean capital.

Just a Trim...  ( HTML : English / Japanese )

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"10 minutes, 1,000 yen, just a haircut." QB House is cutting out a niche for itself in markets across Asia.

Earning Trust Overseas  ( HTML : English / Japanese )

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Yamato Transport, Japan's largest provider of parcel delivery services, began expanding overseas in 2010, and currently has operations in Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

Waiting with Distinction  ( HTML : English / Japanese )

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Tetsuya Yamashita is the lone foreigner among the famous garçon of Café de Flore in Paris.

Super Bowl  ( HTML : English / Japanese )

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Beef bowl restaurant chain Yoshinoya has adapted its offering in subtle ways to win fans far beyond Japan's shores.

Fostering Innovation through Value Co-Creation  ( HTML : English / Japanese )

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Dr. Yoshinori Fujikawa, an expert in corporate strategy, outlines the features of the changing, global service industry.