Japan's markets change with lightening speed. New fashions and trends appear (and disappear!) overnight and it's often hard to keep track of the country's famously idiosyncratic consumers.

In this section we provide a regular review of recent events in Japan, providing a lighthearted window on the latest social trends.

	June 25, 2008:		Crime in Japan
	Mar 26, 2008:		Run for your life!
	Dec 18, 2007:		Japan's young, female trendsetters
	Sep 28, 2007:		Mottainai! or recycling in Japan
	June 28, 2007:		Japanese beauty: evolving shapes and attitudes
	Mar 19, 2007:		A return to the bubble era? ...not quite!
	Dec 13, 2006:		A Christmas Carol... Japanese style
	Dec 13, 2006:		Paris syndrome: How some Japanese are driven mad by the romantic city
	Sep 21, 2006:		Nintendo apologizes (...but isn't really sorry!)
	Sep 21, 2006:		Paying to Breathe
	June 29, 2006:		Vending Machines: Everything at the press of a button
	June 29, 2006:		A slice of life ... in Japan
	Mar 28, 2006:		It’s a dog’s life: Japanese go mad over their pets
	Mar 28, 2006:		Japan’s shifting demographics
	Dec 5, 2005:		Japanese Gift-Giving Offers a Glimpse of a Changing Society
	Sep 10, 2005:		Polarization of social class
	May 16, 2005:		Expo 2005: Why all the fuss?
	Jan 15, 2005:		Welcome to 2005... Japanese style
	Jan 1, 2005:		"Made in Japan, but not Japanese"
	Dec 11, 2004:		Marketing in Japan: Characters Count
	Sep 1, 2004:		Girl power: The world’s trendiest teens
	Jun 16, 2004:		Hot In Japan: Latest consumer hits in the land of the rising sun
	Mar 3, 2004:		Japan' Silver Generation
	Dec 10, 2003:		Christmas time in Japan
	Aug 21, 2003:		Cash and Banking Practices in Tokyo: Men cling to cash; women embrace credit
	Apr 24, 2003:		High tech gadgets: what's new in Japan
	Dec 19, 2002:		Spotting western stars in Japanese TV ads
	Sep 30, 2002:		Luxury goods frenzy, sex with Becks, sample scrimping, lusty longings for half priced cheeseburgers, and a 'drip' who became a super-star