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MARCO WERMAN: I’m Marco Werman and this is The World. Voters in the US usually have it pretty easy. They generally have to choose between two, or occasionally three or four, political parties. Compare that with Japan. Voters this weekend will elect the members of Japan’s upper house and they’ll find a dozen parties on the ballot. Only two parties are likely to get significant numbers of votes. They are the ruling Democratic Party and the Liberal Democrats, or LDP.  But Akiko Fujita reports from Tokyo that some of those small parties are making a lot of noise.

AKIKO FUJITA:  Election season in Japan can feel a little overwhelming. There’s the megaphones on campaign vans that candidates use to blare their message across town. The supporters who follow those vans, while passing out fliers on the streets. And this year, there’s also a dizzying number of political parties.

JAPANESE SPEAKING

FUJITA:  Voter Yoshimi Tsuzuki says so many small parties have emerged, because everyone’s lost faith in the Liberal Democrats and ruling Democratic Party of Japan. It’s a sad state of Japanese politics. It’s not just the number of parties that’s made a splash in this election. It’s also their names. There’s the Stand Up Japan Party, the New Renaissance Party, the Spirit of Japan Party, and the most popular Your party. Political Science Professor Yasunori Sone says the parties are using catchy names to draw in supporters, though their policies aren’t that different from those of the main parties.

YASUNORI SONE: Attractive name is important, particularly for the non-partisan voters. Attractive means very difficult to define.

FUJITA: The new parties this year are all made up of former LDP members. Sone says members of the opposition often chose to start their own party to gain more influence. And that’s not difficult in Japan. It only takes five parliamentary members to become an official party, and each new party automatically gets public funding. Critics say these parties only exist to rake in political funds. Former Finance Minister Kaoru Yosano denies that. He’s the founder of the Stand Up Japan Party. He concedes that each lawmaker from his party will receive nearly half a million dollars this year, but he says money isn’t driving his group. Yosano says he left the LDP because that party refused to challenge the ruling party on its handling of the massive public debt.

KAORU YOSANO: We have come to the edge of the cliff, so we can’t deceive ourselves, we can’t deceive our people anymore.

FUJITA: That message hasn’t caught on with voters. Polls suggest less than 10 percent of the public support these alternative parties. And history shows, these parties tend to disband after 3 to 4 years.

JAPANESE SPEAKING

FUJITA: Voter Hiroshi Gunji tells me he doesn’t think many of these small parties will last. He says they’ll eventually team up with the bigger parties or just band together to form one large party. This is just the beginning of larger party realignment. Yosano of the Stand Up Japan Party doesn’t deny that. In fact, he says one of his goals is to shake up the current system. He insists his party is in it for the long haul, but adds he wouldn’t rule out forming a coalition with the ruling party, if it came calling. For The World, I’m Akiko Fujita in Tokyo.

Copyright ©2009 PRI’s THE WORLD. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to PRI’s THE WORLD. This transcript may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without prior written permission. For further information, please email The World’s Permissions Coordinator at theworld@pri.org.

• Jason Margolis on soccer fever in Liberia
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This text below is a phonetic transcript of a radio story broadcast by PRI’s THE WORLD. It has been created on deadline by a contractor for PRI. The transcript is included here to facilitate internet searches for audio content. Please report any transcribing errors to theworld@pri.org. This transcript may not be in its final form, and it may be updated. Please be aware that the authoritative record of material distributed by PRI’s THE WORLD is the program audio.

MARCO WERMAN:  North Korea is back in the World Cup for the first time in 44 years and the players will have a little fan club rooting them on.  That’s because nearly 600,000 ethnic Koreans live in Japan.  Some of them attend Korean language schools and pledge allegiance to North Korea’s dear leader Kim Jong Il.  And some of them will be cheering for the North Koreans Sunday when they take on five time world champion Brazil.  Akiko Fujita sent us this report from Tokyo.

AKIKO FUJITA:  The last time North Korean players stepped onto the world stage, they surprised everybody.  The underdogs beat heavy favorite Italy by one goal and they advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals.  Former North Korean player Jong Song Kim was just two years old at the time, but he remembers seeing what he calls “the miracle on film” as a child and he’s hoping for another miracle against Brazil.

INTERPRETER:  I’ve wanted to experience 1966 again.  I wanted to feel the excitement again.  There are so many emotions this year’s World Cup has brought back.

FUJITA: Kim was born in Japan and has lived here most of his life, but he has North Korean citizenship.  His parents were among thousands of Korean natives who were forced to become Japanese citizens during Japan’s colonial rule over Korea.  Kim’s parents lost that citizenship after Japan’s defeat in World War II, but they stayed in Japan and sent Kim to North Korean schools here.  He attended soccer clinics in North Korea as a high school student and in 1989 Pyongyang recruited him to play for the national team.

INTERPRETER:  All my teammates had grown up playing together so it was hard for me to fit in at first.  But we spoke the same language and had the same goal.  That bond was enough.

FUJITA: Kim’s team never qualified for the World Cup, but three Zainichi, or Japanese natives, will play for the North Korean team this year.  The three players are familiar faces in Japan’s professional J League, and North Korea’s World Cup bid has rallied the tight knit Korean community here.  Last month students at the North Korean school in Tokyo held a rally for the players and more than four dozen North Korea fans have made the trip from Japan to South Africa to see their team in action.  Jae-Nam Sin helped organize the tour.  He’s with Japan’s North Korean football association.

INTERPRETER:  As a person raised in Japan, I want team Japan to do well.  But North Korea is my home country.  I want them to win more than anything.

FUJITA: Sin also hopes the players help the world see beyond North Korea’s political regime.  He’s created t-shirts that say 1966 again, and sold team scarves online.  And he’ll be wearing the shirt and scarf at the stadium.  Former player Jong Song Kim will be decked in team colors too, but he’ll be watching at home alone.  He says he’s too nervous to watch with a crowd, but every second, every minute will be thrilling.  For The World, I’m Akiko Fujita in Tokyo.

Copyright ©2009 PRI’s THE WORLD. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to PRI’s THE WORLD. This transcript may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without prior written permission. For further information, please email The World’s Permissions Coordinator at theworld@pri.org.

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MARCO WERMAN:  The U.S. and Japan may be close to resolving a dispute over a U.S. military base.  The countries has agreed to move the Futenma Air Base to a remote part of Okinawa.  But Japan’s Prime Minister put that on hold.  Today, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton played down their differences.  Akiko Fujita reports from Tokyo.

AKIKO FUJITA:  News of a possible decision on Marine Corps Air Station Futenma came just hours before Secretary of State Hillary Clinton touched down in Tokyo.  Japanese newspapers are reporting that Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama plans to announce next week that he’ll go along with Washington’s wishes and stick to the original agreement.  Neither Hatoyama nor Clinton would confirm those reports, but the Secretary did say Washington would help the Japanese government meet its self-imposed May deadline to resolve the base issue.

SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON:  I am confident we will resolve this matter in a way that reflects the very best of our alliance.  We have committed to redoubling our efforts to meet the deadline that has been announced by the Japanese government.

FUJITA: The future of Futenma has plagued Mr. Hatoyama since he took office in a historic election last fall.  His party won in part by promising to reduce the U.S. military presence in Okinawa.  There are 10 military bases in Japan’s southern island, but Futenma has been the most contentious because it’s surrounded by homes and businesses.  Hatoyama promised to move Futenma off the island.  But the U.S. has been pressing Japan to stick to the agreement it signed in 2006.  It calls for the base to be moved to a remote part of Okinawa, but remain on the island.  With all signs suggesting Hatoyama now plans to uphold that agreement, Okinawans have vowed to fight the government’s decision.  When Hatoyama visited Okinawa earlier this month, protestors greeted him in the streets.  Angry Okinawans packed a town hall meeting to confront the Prime Minister.  This man said his family is suffering.  He said our entire house shakes when the military conducts exercises.  It doesn’t matter if we cover our ears.  It’s loud and we’re scared.   Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hitoshi Tanaka, helped negotiate the framework for the 2006 agreement.  He says Hatoyama needs to do a better job of explaining why the base must stay on the island.

HITOSHI TANAKA:  If U.S. military is to operate under a very hostile atmosphere, how would it affect the very basis of the alliance?  That is very questionable.

FUJITA: Tanaka says the U.S. and Japan must strengthen their alliance to counter China’s growing military power and North Korea’s potential nuclear threat.  And Okinawa’s proximity to both countries makes it an important part of that alliance.  Secretary Clinton underlined that today, nothing the recent attack on a South Korean warship.

CLINTON:  It is good to be reminded, as we recently were with the unprovoked attack on the Korean vessel, that there are still dangers and challenges that confront us together.

FUJITA: Hatoyama will take that message with him when he visits Okinawa on Sunday for the second time this month.  The U.S. and Japan could release a statement on their decision later next week, just days before Hatoyama’s self-imposed deadline.  But that decision could put Hatoyama’s political future at risk.  His approval rating has plummeted in recent months and elections for Japan’s upper house of Parliament are scheduled for July.  If his party does poorly in those elections, the calls for Hatoyama to step down could grow too loud for him to ignore.  For The World, I’m Akiko Fujita in Tokyo.

Copyright ©2009 PRI’s THE WORLD. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to PRI’s THE WORLD. This transcript may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without prior written permission. For further information, please email The World’s Permissions Coordinator at theworld@pri.org.

In Tokyo — you can see this traditional style of singing and dancing at the famous Kabuki-za theater. We’d like you to name the district in Tokyo where a kabuki theatre has stood since 1889. Here’s a clue from a local:

“Kabuki-za theatre is just one stop away from Tokyo Station where the bullet train stops, so it’s very easy access for those who are travelling with the Bullet train throughout Japan so if you wanted to go shop around and wanted to go to the theatre it’s very convenient.”

We’re “shopping” for the name of this plush neighborhood. That looks a bit like 5th Avenue in New York. Where long lines of tourists are anxious to get into the Kabuki-za before a wrecking ball takes it down in a matter of days.

Kabuki-za Theater (Photo: Akiko Fujita)

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This text below is a phonetic transcript of a radio story broadcast by PRI’s THE WORLD. It has been created on deadline by a contractor for PRI. The transcript is included here to facilitate internet searches for audio content. Please report any transcribing errors to theworld@pri.org. This transcript may not be in its final form, and it may be updated. Please be aware that the authoritative record of material distributed by PRI’s THE WORLD is the program audio.

MARCO WERMAN: January auto sales numbers came out today in the U.S.  Most car makers saw in increase from a year ago, but not Toyota.  It suffered a 16% decline in sales last month.  Toyota stopped selling several popular models in the U.S. last week as it struggles to deal with safety concerns over faulty gas pedals.  The company hasn’t stopped selling cars in Japan, but it’s problems here in the U.S. and also in Europe continue to cause alarm back home.  Akiko Fujita reports from Tokyo.

AKIKO FUJITA: Few companies are as revered as Toyota in Japan.  Wasura University Professor Kenneth Grossman says Toyota’s reputation for high quality and it’s attention to detail embodies Japan’s identity as a nation full of craftsmen. He says that identity has helped carry Japan long after its economic boom in the 1980′s.

KENNETH GROSSMAN:  And then after the bubble burst it was one thing they could hold onto because they still manufactured quality merchandise in optics, consumer electronics and automobiles of course.

AKIKO FUJITA: So when Toyota announced last week it would stop selling and building eight of its car models in the U.S. the news raised concerns in Japan.  One newspaper questioned whether this recall would destroy the world’s trust in Japanese manufacturing.  Another said Toyota’s reputation for safety was in tatters.  The country’s top business paper even noted signs of rising anti-Japanese sentiment in the U.S.  In Tokyo’s business district, Hiroshi Kawasaki says that while Toyota is a company that grabs a lot of attention, this kind of headline makes him wonder if Toyota has lost its way.  Toyota’s success story has long been a source of National pride in Japan.  Founder Kiichi Toyoda started the company in the early 1930′s after studying Ford’s plants in Michigan.  But the company’s real success came after World War II when it developed something called the Toyota production system.  The system focused on continuous improvements, or kaizen, instead of overnight success.  It called for flexibility on assembly lines and it mandated problems be fixed as soon as they were discovered so mistakes wouldn’t be repeated.  Toyota’s system was hailed as key to the car’s quality and the company’s success.  Ken Grossman says it gave the Japanese an identity they could build on.

KENNETH GROSSMAN:  It came simultaneously with the boom and the golden age where the Japanese came to pride themselves on producing good things.

AKIKO FUJITA: But Grossman says that pride and quality and efficiency may have also contributed to Toyota’s recent problems.  He says the company’s tunnel vision blinded it from its own mistakes.  News of Toyota’s problems in the U.S. and Europe come amid a growing number of complaints, accidents and recalls for all Japanese manufacturers.  The spike in complaints is partly the result of a new law that requires Japanese companies to report serious product related accidents.  Government reports also indicate the number of domestic car recalls doubled between 2004 and 2008 compared with the previous five years.  Despite those numbers, some insist Toyota’s problems wouldn’t have happened if the cars were assembled here.  This man didn’t want to give his name but said Toyota hasn’t caused any of those problems in Japan.  Toyota is still a very respected company here.  Sayoko Teraoka says I think Toyota relied too heavily on workers in the U.S.  The company should fix the problem and work hard to restore its image regardless of whose fault it is.  Toyota is working to restore that image.  In the U.S. it’s published full page ads to explain why the company halted the production of some of its models.  Toyota has announced it would begin shipping parts to dealers so it could fix a problem that caused the accelerator pedal to stick.  Next week the company plans to resume production in the U.S.  But Executive Vice President Shinichi Sasaki warned Toyota’s problems won’t end there.  In Nagoya Tuesday, Sasaki said the recalls were taking a toll on overall car sales.  He added the sales forecast is something we’re extremely worried about.  For The World, I’m Akiko Fujita in Tokyo.

Copyright ©2009 PRI’s THE WORLD. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to PRI’s THE WORLD. This transcript may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without prior written permission. For further information, please email The World’s Permissions Coordinator at theworld@pri.org.

• Koreans in Japan

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MARCO WERMAN: I’m Marco Werman and this is The World.  Japan is considering giving permanent foreign residents the right to vote.  These are non-citizens who, for the most part, have lived in Japan for years.  It’s a sensitive issue in what’s still a largely homogenous country.  As Akiko Fujita reports from Tokyo, the proposed legislation is sparking fierce debate.

AKIKO FUJITA: Japanese nationalist groups rallied in one of Tokyo’s popular shopping districts over the weekend. Protestors stood outside some department stores waving Japanese flags.  A few miles away demonstrators surrounded a gathering for the ruling political party demanding an end to what they called Japan’s sympathy towards foreigners.

HARUKI MURATA: [Speaking Japanese]

FUJITA: Protest organizer Haruki Murata said Japanese policies must be decided by the Japanese alone.  Murata’s anger is directed at a proposed bill that would extend voting rights in local elections to permanent foreign residents. Nearly a million people have permanent resident status here, most are of Korean descent. Many were born in Japan and have lived here their whole lives. But they aren’t citizens.

KONI YOH: [Speaking Japanese]

FUJITA: Koni Yoh calls voting a basic human right given to any resident of a community. He’s the President of The Korean Residents Union in Japan, the group that’s leading the drive for voting rights.  Korean nationals like Yoh’s family were forced to become Japanese citizens during Japan’s Colonial rule over Korea a century ago. They lost that citizenship after Japan’s defeat in World War II, but many Koreans stayed in Japan to raise their families. And most opted to keep their Korean citizenship.

YOH: [Speaking Japanese]

FUJITA: Yoh says the Koreans that live here today were born here.  They drink the same water as the Japanese, breathe the same air, and pay taxes. They just have parents with different roots. They want to value that.  Taiwanese residents here share those feelings too. Taiwan was a Japanese colony for half a century. Many of those who stayed in Japan opted not to get Japanese citizenship. to stay loyal to their roots. While there are many more Koreans than Taiwanese born in Japan, the government has grouped them together as special residents, nearly half a million in that special class do not have Japanese citizenship.  Their decision to maintain that status has angered the country’s right wing groups. Haruki Murata says voting should be reserved for Japanese only.  If residents want to vote, they should be required to pass a citizenship test.

MURATA: [Speaking Japanese]

FUJITA: Foreigners will directly influence our politicians if this bill passes, Murata says.  Regional elections can directly influence national policy as well.  Hidenori Sakanaka calls that a scare tactic. He runs the Japan Immigration Policy Institute, and says permanent residents would only make up one percent of the electorate. He argues that Japan needs to open its doors to foreigners, as the country’s population declines and ages. He adds the public is beginning to accept that.

HIDENORI SAKANAKA: [Speaking Japanese]

FUJITA: Sakanaka says most young people accept immigration as a critical part of our society. They view foreigners on the same level as the Japanese.  Supporters of voting rights for permanent residents, have been pushing for this bill for more than a decade. But it was only when the ruling Democratic Party of Japan won a historic election last fall that the idea gained some political traction.  Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and other DPJ leaders have already promised South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak that Japan’s Legislature will take up the voting bill this session.  But passing it may not be so easy. The ruling party is debating the country’s largest budget in history, and the party leadership is mired in a political corruption scandal.  So extending voting rights to non-Japanese citizens won’t be a priority.   For The World, I’m Akiko Fujita in Tokyo.

Copyright ©2009 PRI’s THE WORLD. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to PRI’s THE WORLD. This transcript may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without prior written permission. For further information, please email The World’s Permissions Coordinator at theworld@pri.org.

• BBC profile of Guam

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JEB SHARP: The US is sending in the Marines to the Pacific island of Guam.  Thousands of Marines are being transferred from Okinawa to the US territory.  The move could bring an economic boom to Guam, but Akiko Fujita reports that the influx also threatens Guam’s roads and port.

AKIKO FUJITA: Pristine beaches dominate the landscape in Guam.  The sunny weather and clear blue waters attract Asian tourists to the island.  Now the US territory is getting ready to welcome a different kind of visitor: 8,000 US Marines from the Japanese island of Okinawa.  The US and Japan agreed to the transfer three years ago to reduce US troop presence in Okinawa.  The Marines are expected to move here in four years and Joe Arnett with the Guam Chamber of Commerce says that move will transform the island.

JOE ARNETT: This investment into Guam is unprecedented.  Guam has never seen this level of investment into the island ever before.

AKIKO: Arnett expects the military buildup to create 30,000 new jobs on the island.  Many will be temporary construction jobs filled by foreign workers.  But Arnett says high paying permanent jobs will stay in the community.  It sounds like a good opportunity for an island struggling with eight percent unemployment.  But Senator Judy Guthertz says Guam isn’t ready to shoulder the load.

JUDY GUTHERTZ: We’re not going to be ready unless resources are made available to the civilian community.

AKIKO: Guthertz oversees the legislative committee for the military build-up.  She supports the Marine transfer but she says the American government isn’t doing enough to support Guam.  While the US and Japan have pledged ten billion dollars for the build-up itself, they haven’t guaranteed large investments in the civilian community.  Guthertz says that’s a concern in light of a recent environmental impact statement.  It said the build-up would attract tens of thousands to the island.  Perhaps as much as a 50 percent jump in a few years.  Guthertz says the US government isn’t playing fair because Guam is only a US territory.

GUTHERTZ: We don’t vote for President, we don’t have voting representatives in the Senate; we have a non-voting delegate to the US Congress.  So our political rights are frankly quite limited.

AKIKO: Guam’s problems boil down to infrastructure.  The wastewater treatment plant can’t handle a large population.  The roads aren’t wide enough to handle many cars.  There’s just one port and the shipments there are expected to jump from 100,000 containers to 600,000 in just a few years.  At Guam Memorial Hospital the island’s only civilian hospital, Chief Planner William Kando says he’s already near capacity.

WILLIAM KANDO: We know that we’re not big enough right now to not only handle the population for normal operations, but what if a major disaster happens?

AKIKO: The military already owns a third of the island and the Marines aren’t the only unit expanding.  The Army is building a missile defense system; the Air Force is adding more drones.  The Navy’s expanding its port to house more aircraft carriers.  Victoria-Lola Leon Guerrero teaches at the University of Guam.  She says the buildup threatens a native Chamarro culture that dates back 4,000 years.  She’s rallying the community to oppose the military’s plans.

VICTORIA-LOLA LEON GUERRERO: A lot of Chamarro families will be losing their land.  There will be 2300 acres of land taken for this military buildup if their plans go accordingly.

AKIKO: The military says it’s sensitive to the community’s concerns.  Public Affairs Officer Captain Neil Ruggiero says the Defense Department’s consulted the governor, legislators and community leaders throughout the process.  He also says the government is securing funds to help improve the island’s infrastructure.  Senator Guthertz says Guam didn’t have a say in the decision to bring Marines here, but the community can speak out next month.  The military will host public hearings on their proposed plans before signing off on Guam’s future.

SENATOR: Once this report is approved and signed off on, it’s an open license for the United States military to do whatever they want to do on Guam.  So they only time we have to influence what will happen here and happen to us is now.

AKIKO: For The World I’m Akiko Fujita in Guam.

Copyright ©2009 PRI’s THE WORLD. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to PRI’s THE WORLD. This transcript may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without prior written permission. For further information, please email The World’s Permissions Coordinator at theworld@pri.org.

• Wikipedia: Fukubukuro
• New Year 2010 celebrations take place around the world

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This text below is a phonetic transcript of a radio story broadcast by PRI’s THE WORLD. It has been created on deadline by a contractor for PRI. The transcript is included here to facilitate internet searches for audio content. Please report any transcribing errors to theworld@pri.org. This transcript may not be in its final form, and it may be updated. Please be aware that the authoritative record of material distributed by PRI’s THE WORLD is the program audio.

JEB SHARP:  Japanese shoppers will be hitting the stores in the New Year.  New Year’s Day is the most revered holiday in Japan. In fact, the Japanese celebrated over a four day period.  It’s a generally quiet holiday, unless you’re taking advantage of an annual sale in Japanese department sales.  From Tokyo, reporter Akiko Fujita introduces us to a different kind of New Year’s tradition.

AKIKO FUJITA:  Think of it like Black Friday in the U.S., except this sale begins New Year’s Day.  Tens of thousands of shoppers line up at Japan’s largest retail stores to get their hands on a fukubukuro or luck bag.  It’s a surprise bag that stores only sell the first few days of the year and the limited time offer creates a frenzy.  Shoppers jostle their way into the store.  Store employees announce the price of the bags over megaphones.  Traditional taiko drums add to the excitement.  Shopper Erika Ozawa says you have to push through the crowd because each store puts out a limited number of fukubukuros.  The catch is shoppers can’t see what’s inside.  The bags are sealed after stores stuff them with merchandise and customers pay $50 to $100 a bag in hopes of landing a big score, just like a lottery ticket.  Business professor Roy Larke says the bags allow stores to get rid of unsold inventory.  They’re also key to drumming up sales in a traditionally slow shopping month.

ROY LARKE:  The fukubukuro rather being the opportunity to acquire something for less money than you actually pay for it, I think is something that’s a bit of a gamble and there’s an excitement value to it.

FUJITA:  The Matsuya department store came up with the luck bag a century ago to create buzz for the New Year. They sold 2,001 yen bags that first year and the tradition took off.  By the 1980’s, Larke says stores were selling bags for one million yen, about ten thousand dollars.  Some came with the promise of diamond rings, plane tickets, goods worth five to seven times the cost of the bag.

LARKE:  That kind of promotion now is very unlikely simply because people are unwilling to pay those huge prices for an item they’re not really sure what it is.

FUJITA:  So retailers are opening up the surprise bags.  A few years ago, stores began selling fukubukuros through catalogs so customers could pick and choose what they wanted.  Kiyome Nagai is a spokesman for Takashimaya, one of Japan’s largest department stores.  She says Takashimaya decided to open up the bags because of the economy.  People aren’t willing to pay for something they don’t like.  We guarantee the bags contain three times the value customers pay for.  Takashimaya has also started something called experience bags that include mini-getaways.  For example, the fresh vegetable bag includes a trip to an organic farm and a personal meal cooked with vegetables picked by customers. The makeover bag for men comes with a personal stylist, clothes and makeup.  Nagai says the packages are sold by lottery for less than one hundred dollars and the promotions seem to be working.  Nagai says fukubukuro sales have increased consistently over the last few years, while overall sales have slumped 10%.  This woman says she prefers to buy fukubukuros at bakeries.  For thirty dollars, you get bread, fruitcake and jam.  It’s worth the price because you can eat everything.  Not every shopper is sold on the concept.  Yuka Shimoji says she just can’t deal with the lines.  “I’d rather go to a regular, post-holiday sale.”  Still, those like Shimoji may be outnumbered come New Year’s Day.  Kiyome Nagai says Takashimaya is stocking additional bags this year and it’s expecting a crowd of 20,000 outside its largest store.  For The World, I’m Akiko Fujita, in Tokyo.

[END AUDIO]

Copyright ©2009 PRI’s THE WORLD. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to PRI’s THE WORLD. This transcript may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without prior written permission. For further information, please email The World’s Permissions Coordinator at theworld@pri.org.

• Japanese Kit Kat commercial
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KATY CLARK: You’ve only got another day to pick up your Halloween candy. A perennial favorite is Kit Kat bars. Those chocolate-covered wafers. They’re popular here in the US but candy consumers in Japan love them so much that Nestle Japan has come out with 200 flavors of Kit Kats. Akiko Fujita has the story.

[SOUNDS FROM CONVENIANT STORE]

AKIKO FUJITA: A trip to a Japanese convenient store can be overwhelming. There’s a drinks corner stocked with 30 different types of coffee drinks. Winter barbeque and tomato and garlic-flavored Pringles line the snack isle. Then there’s the chocolate section – specifically the Kit Kat section.

MISAKI OOKINO: [SPEAKING JAPANESE]

FUJITA: Misaki Ookino tells me she’s always looking to try a new Kit Kat flavor out of curiosity. And there’s no shortage of them. There’s the salty caramel Kit Kats; the green tea Kit Kat; the ginger ale flavored Kit Kat; and the Tokyo limited edition soy sauce Kit Kat.

SACHIKO FUKASU: [SPEAKING JAPANESE]

FUJITA: Sachiko Fukasu doesn’t bat an eye when I tell her about Nestlé’s latest creation – the vegetables galore Kit Kat. She says it’s probably a good choice for vegetarians. Nestle Japan says it’s released 200 Kit Kat flavors in the past decade. The company credits its success in Japan to a marketing campaign it launched five years ago. The ad targeted high school students. It played on the similarities between the words Kit Kat and Japanese words “Kitto Katsu” which means “you will surely win.” Students started using them as good luck charms and sales soared.

[MUSIC]

This ad release last year shows a high school student as she gets ready to take an entrance exam. She’s clutching a Kit Kat she personally decorated with rhinestones. Nestle claims its marketing campaign has worked so well a quarter of Japanese high school students now bring Kit Kats with them to exams. But advertising expert Mike Fiorella says Nestlé’s marketing strategy isn’t exactly unique here.

MIKE FIORELLA: The Japanese retailers are fighting tooth and nail with so many other retailers surrounding them there’s this incentive to constantly introduce new products on their store shelves.

FUJITA: Fiorella says companies want to keep spending habits up by introducing unusual flavors and giving consumers reasons to buy. Many of the snacks only sell for a limited time or in specific regions. That caters to Japan’s “omiage” or gift-giving culture where consumers are expected to bring back something unique for friends and colleagues when they travel. For example the cherry blossom flavored Kit Kat is only sold in the spring. The potato Kit Kat was only sold in the country’s northern Hokkaido region, an area known for spuds. A nestle spokesman says the limited edition flavors stay on store shelves for average of two months before they’re replaced with new ones. Fiorella says the marketing cycle in Japan is unlike anything in the US.

FIORELLA: If you go to any United States supermarket now the array of product on the shelves does not differ that significantly, okay, in terms of major brands to what it was when I left the United Stats in 1987. In Japan it’s changed over dozens and dozens and dozens of times.

FUJITA: Nestle is looking to build on its success and it’s constantly monitoring convenience store sales to tap into the needs and desires of consumers. Last year it introduced Kit Kat mail – a chocolate bar packaged in a box that comes with a mailing label so consumers can buy it, write an address, and mail it to a friend in need of a good luck charm. For The World I’m Akiko Fujita in Tokyo.

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• BBC profile of Miyuki Hatoyama

Akiko also sent along this short video:

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