xFruits - japan -en- - 2 new items
Cosmetics Firms In Japan Focus On Anti-aging Creams
Maki - Business
Japanese cosmetics have long ago been considered as some of the best in the world. After all, the Japanese are well known for having pearly white skin, just like their Korean and Chinese cousins. Their secrets are well-kept and much sought after. Now, commercial firms are aiming to capitalize on these ancient secrets.
Shiseido Co Ltd, Kao Corp, and Kose Corp – do these names sound familiar? At the very least, you probably recognize Shiseido, as it is a brand that is sold all over the world. These are the three biggest cosmetics company in Japan, and they are banking on really really expensive face creams to boost their businesses. Last year (or this year rather), they all launched their own versions of a face cream that is supposed to battle the effects of aging.
Guess how much it costs? How about 120,000 yen ($1,316)? Yup, women have to shell out that much money for each bottle of this cream; women who are 40 years old and above, that is. And this is what the companies are banking on. Their products, they say, are a hit with a certain age range, regardless of the social standing. True enough, their face creams are selling quite well despite the economic problems that the country is facing. They are also targeting women of the same age range from neighboring countries – and it seems to be working well for them.
How about you, would you spend that much on a bottle of anti-aging cream?
Highs and lows of love in 2009
Ken Y-N - Polls
I’ll round out the roundup of the year through rankings with a look by goo Ranking at the highs and lows in love for 2009.
Demographics
On the 19th of November 2009 1,166 members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 59.9% of the sample were female, 13.4% in their teens, 20.6% in their twenties, 28.2% in their thirties, 23.2% in their forties, 8.3% in their fifties, and 6.3% aged sixty or older. Given the subject matter of the survey, I presume only unmarried members of the sample completed it.
I’m married, so I’m not allowed to have any highs or lows!
Ranking results
Q1: What were the happy events in love this year? (Sample size=1,166)
Rank Score 1 Had a year of a trouble-free relationship 100 2 Could go on a date with someone I like 67.6 3 Got into a relationship 63.2 4 Got into a relationship after being single for a long time 60.3 5 Was proposed to 36.8 6 Got a contact email address, telephone number for someone I live 33.8 7 A number of people made moves on me 30.9 8 Was introduced to my partner’s parents 27.9 9 Became an email friend of someone I like 25.0 10 Didn’t have any periods of being single 23.5 Q1: What were the unhappy events in love this year? (Sample size=1,166)
Rank Score 1 Didn’t get a boyfriend/girlfriend 100 2 Didn’t feel a spark with anyone 83.3 3 There were many days when I didn’t get any email 52.4 4 Got dumped 44.0 5 Kept getting asked out by people I didn’t like 29.8 6 Grew distant from my partner 23.8 7= Went on dates, but just ended up spending money 21.4 7= Got into a relationship, but it was just unrequited love 21.4 9 I passed the date by which I’d hoped to be married by 20.2 10 Partner continued to be cool about marriage 10.7
