| Course Outline |
Though long regarded as traditional or evenbackward by outsiders, Japanese retailing has demonstrated a remarkable abilityto adapt to changes in competition, consumer behavior and internationalizationduring the so-called “lost decades”. This course will introduce you tothe many facets of Japanese retailing, from opulent department stores to“combinis” to tiny mom-and-pop operations. We will concentrate onchanges in the structure of the retail sector through lectures, readings, casestudy discussions on Uniqlo and 7-11, and group fieldwork. A final groupproject on the future role of technology in Japanese retailing will allow youthe opportunity to apply creatively what you have learned to an aspect ofJapanese retailing of particular interest to you. |
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| Course Schedule |
| 1: |
| Introduction/Orientation | Tuesday, June 25, 1-2:30 PM Students and professor introduce themselves and review the syllabus. Divide into groups and introduce the final project. Each group will submit a list of their embers’ names, email addresses, and mobile numbers. Each group should comprise at least two nationalities. Groups are responsible for scheduling meetings outside of regular class hours to work on the presentations. Lecture on the history of the Japanese retailing sector.
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| 2: |
| Introduction/Orientation | Tuesday, June 25, 2:45-4:15 PM Lecture on more recent experience of the retail sector Discussion: What interests you about Japanese retail sector? Reading for next class: Takei, Kudo, Miyata, and Ito, “AdaptiveStrategies for Japan’s Retail Industry Facing a Turning Point”. Nomura ResearchInstitute: NRI Papers, No. 110 (October2006.) Dawson and Larke, “Japanese Retailing Throughthe 1990’s: Retailer Performance in aDecade of Slow Growth”. British Journal of Management, Vol. 15,pp. 73-94 (2004). Selections from Seidensticker, Low City,High City: From Edo to Showa,(Knopf: 1970) Assignment: As a group, take a walk along theroutes described below and make notes on the types of retail businesses youobserve. What sorts of establishmentsseem to be most common? How large do they seem to be (in terms of number ofemployees)? What strikes you assurprising or unusual about this retail landscape that may be different fromyour home country or from what you imagined Japan might look like? What questions does your experience raise foryou? 1-2 page double-spaced essay due Tuesday, July 3, at the beginning of class. Group 1: Walk along Waseda-dori from Waseda to Takadanobaba. Group 2: Walk along Waseda-dori from Waseda to Kakurazaka Station. Group 3: Walk along Omotesando-dori from Harajuku Station to Ometesdando Station Group 4: Take the Tozai Line to Nakano, exit via the North Exit and visit NakanoBroadway.
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| 3: |
| Field Trip to Yanaka | Thursday, June 27 We will travel as a group to Yanaka to experience Tokyo as it was in pre-war days. Meet in the lobby at 12:45 PM and travel as a group to Nippori Stationvia Otemachi. Please bring 400 yen for round trip train fare. The trip takes about 25 minutes. Reading for next class: Fahy and Taguchi, “Reassessing the Japanese Distribution System.” MIT Sloan Management Review, Winter 1995. Salsberg, “The New Japanese Consumer”. McKinsey Quarterly, 2010. Salsberg, “Japan’s Luxury Customers Move on”,McKinsey Quarterly, August 2009.
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| 4: |
| Field Trip to Yanaka | Thursday, June 27 We will travel as a group to Yanaka to experience Tokyo as it was in pre-war days. Meet in the lobby at 12:45 PM and travel as a group to Nippori Stationvia Otemachi. Please bring 400 yen for round trip train fare. The trip takes about 25 minutes. Reading for next class: Fahy and Taguchi, “Reassessing the Japanese Distribution System.” MIT Sloan Management Review, Winter 1995. Salsberg, “The New Japanese Consumer”. McKinsey Quarterly, 2010. Salsberg, “Japan’s Luxury Customers Move on”,McKinsey Quarterly, August 2009.
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| 5: |
| Lecture on the Japanese Distribution System | Tuesday, July 2, 1-2:30 PM
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| 6: |
| Lecture on the Japanese Consumer | Tuesday, July 2, 2:45-4:15 PM
Group Discussion of Field Observations Reading for next class: Nobuyuki Iwama, “The Change in Department Stores’ Cultural Facilities During One Hundred Years.” Ibaraki Christian University, Department of Cross-Cultural Studies, January 2009. Assignment for next class: Department Store Visit. Each group will visit a different department store. On your visit, be sure to look around each floor. Make notes about what you see. What is on offer, how is it displayed, who shops there, who works there? What other functions does the department store seem serve in the Japanese community besides selling merchandise? Any surprises? What is your strongest impression? 1-2 page paper due at the beginning of the next class. Group 1: Isetan, Shinjuku Group 2: Takashimaya, Ginza Group 3: Mitsokoshi, Group 4: Tobu, Ikebukuro WORK ON GROUP PRESENTATIONS!
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| 7: |
| The Phenomenon of the Japanese Department Store | Thursday, July 4, 1-2:30 PM Lecture on Japanese department stores
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| 8: |
| The Phenomenon of the Japanese Department Store | Thursday, July 4, 2:45-4:15 PM Discussion: Groups report on their field observations. What does each group have in common with the others, what is unique? How can “mom and pop stores” co-exist with these retail behemoths? Assignment for next class: Visit one of the up and coming apparel stores. Make notes on what you see. What is the target market? What is unique about the store environment or products on offer? What is the role of technology, if any? Why do you think the store has been successful, and is that success sustainable? 1-2 page paper due at the beginning of the next class. Group 1: Zara Group 2: Uniqlo Group 3: H&M Group 4: Shibuya 109 Reading for next class: Hirotaka Takeuchi, “Fast Retailing Group.” Harvard Business School Case 9-711-496.
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| 9: |
| Uniqlo, Zara, and H&M: Three Different Models for Fashion Retailing. | Tuesday, July 9, 1-2:30 PM Lecture on different models of fashion retailing.
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| 10: |
| Uniqlo, Zara, and H&M: Three Different Models for Fashion Retailing. | Tuesday, July 9, 2:45-4:15 PM Guest Speaker: Zara from the inside Discussion of retail experiences. In what ways does culture manifest itself in Japanese retailing?
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| 11: |
| Lecture on the phenomenon of the combini and the rise of 7-11 | Thursday, July 11, 1-2:30 PM
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| 12: |
| Free time for working on group presentations. | Thursday, July 11, 2:45-4:15PM
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| 13: |
| Group Presentations | | Tuesday, July 16, 1-2:30 PM How will technology shape the future of Japanese retailing? Make five predictions and explain your reasoning. Presentations should be no more than 15 minutes in length.
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| 14: |
| Group Presentations | | Tuesday, July 16 2:45-4:15PM How will technology shape the future of Japanese retailing? Make five predictions and explain your reasoning. Presentations should be no more than 15 minutes in length.
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| 15: |
| Wrapup and course evaluation. | Thursday, July 18, 10:40-12:10 (NOTE THE TIME CHANGE)
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| Note / URL |
Appendix: Some Guidance on Ethnographic Research Many of your assignments will ask you to take field notes on your observations in a particular situation or location. Below is some guidance in how to select and interpret your observations for your field journal. Note that this is not an exhaustive list, but merely some suggestions to get you started. Individual assignments will have some specific prompts as well as these general ones below. 1. Find a location where you can observe activity without being particularly conspicuous. Attempt to stay in one spot for some time, but feel free to move around the space if your behavior seems unnatural for the setting. 2. Describe as much as you can about the situation or location. Consider some of the following questions: · What behaviors and interaction patterns are prominent in this location? What behaviors did you notice first? Describe the major activities that occur in this space. Be as specific as possible. · Who uses the space and how? · What seem to be the rules of interaction? What are the formal or informal rules about dress, nonverbal behavior etc.? · What communication patterns are present? Who talks to whom? What common or characteristic phrases are used? If you detect repeated verbal phrases, write several of them down. · What nonverbal behaviors are displayed and by whom? More specifically, how is eye contact used? What are the implicit rules about physical distance and/or proximity? How (if relevant) is touch used? What body gestures/motions are used? What tone of voice is used? How do the nonverbal behaviors match verbal behaviors? · Are patterns associated with authority or status relevant to this space? If so, how? What implicit rules about gender and/or age are associated with this setting? · How does the organization of this space facilitate or impede interaction or the goals associated with the space? · What do the specific behaviors seem to mean?What values or assumptions seem to be associated with communication patterns? · In order to further enhance your understanding of this space, it may be useful to draw a diagram of the space and the interactions that occur in it. |
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