＜prologue＞
I started a blog called “The Baby Boomer Generation’s Miscellaneous Blog”（Dankai-sedai no garakutatyou:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳） in July 2018, about a year before I fully retired. More than six years have passed since then, and the number of articles has increased considerably.
So, in order to make them accessible to people who don’t understand Japanese, I decided to translate my past articles into English and publish them.
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I would like to make this my life’s work.
It should be noted that haiku and waka （Japanese short fixed form poems） are quite difficult to translate into English, so some parts are written in Japanese.
If you are interested in haiku or waka and would like to know more, please read introductory or specialized books on haiku or waka written in English.
I also write many articles about the Japanese language. I would be happy if these inspire more people to want to learn Japanese.
my blog’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳 | 団塊世代が雑学や面白い話を発信しています
my X’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多帳（@historia49) on X
Inbound tourism from China, which had been booming for a time in 2019, slowed down, and tourists from Europe and the United States began to become more visible in Osaka City. However, since April 2020, entry restrictions due to COVID-19 have meant that foreign visitors have become almost nonexistent.
Incidentally, due to the impact of the US-China trade war that began in 2018, some Japanese companies have recently begun withdrawing production from China and relocating their production bases to other Southeast Asian countries.
1. The Rise of Cross-Border E-Commerce
The term “cross-border e-commerce” has become increasingly common recently. This refers to international electronic commerce (EC) conducted through online mail-order sites.
Its basic purpose is to sell domestic products to overseas consumers.
In recent years, the use of online shopping has increased worldwide, making it possible to purchase overseas products while in Japan.
2. The Size of the Cross-Border E-Commerce Market
According to a survey by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, cross-border e-commerce purchases by Japanese consumers from American and Chinese businesses in fiscal year 2017 totaled 257 billion yen, a 7.3% increase from the previous year.
Meanwhile, cross-border e-commerce purchases by American consumers from Japanese and Chinese businesses totaled 1,207 billion yen, a 15.9% increase from the previous year.
Cross-border e-commerce purchases by Chinese consumers from Japanese and American businesses totaled 2,755.6 billion yen, a 26.8% increase from the previous year.
Cross-border e-commerce purchases by Chinese people from Japan (606.4 billion yen in 2014) now exceed purchases by inbound tourists (402 billion yen in 2014).
Due to the influence of “Japonism,” kimonos and other uniquely Japanese folk crafts are popular in Europe and the United States, while in China, home appliances and hygiene products, which were often purchased in bulk during the peak of inbound tourism, are popular.
Additionally, in countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, and Taiwan, there is growing demand for cross-border e-commerce, particularly in the “Cool Japan” subculture and high-quality Japanese products.
3. Reasons for the Expansion of Cross-Border E-Commerce
(1) The Spread of Smartphones
(2) Repeat Purchases by Foreign Visitors to Japan
(3) Cost Reduction
Since there is no need to open a store directly in a foreign country, there is no need for the hassle of applying for a store opening, paying rent, paying local staff, or conducting marketing research. This offers the advantage of significantly lower initial costs than having a physical store.
(4) Expanding Your Business Area
As such, cross-border e-commerce has many benefits and is expected to continue to expand in the future. However, it is important to note that shipping and handling fees are higher than domestic e-commerce, laws vary depending on the destination country, and there are many trade regulations regarding international shipping, such as customs duties.
Many Japanese companies have stores on China’s cross-border e-commerce sites, as follows:
– Tmall Global: Uniqlo, Muji, POLA
– JD.com Global: DHC, Omron, Sony, Kintetsu Department Store
– NetEase Kaola Shopping: Nitori, Calbee, Casio
– Vipshop International: Kao, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical, SK-II