product design

The decline of physical bookstores is a common problem worldwide, but is especially severe in Japan due to a rapid aging population. As an avid reader, who always dashes to the nearby bookstore wherever I visit to check out content people care about, I am keen to learn any new business solutions in this area. In this post, let’s take a look at some of the innovative things Japanese booksellers are doing in this headwind....

My professional interest is in applying recommenders to travel planning and reservation. So it is natural that I’ll keep up with books on both technical implementation and those that dissect the cultural influences of recommendation systems. After finishing the book Computing Taste, which charted the change of recommendation systems in the music/movie industry, I want to extend what was discussed in the book to changes in software development paradigm, as well as societal views on mistakes or criteria for finished products....

Ask any traveler to Japan and they will tell you mouthwatering tales of what they found in convenience stores (called konbini in Japan) no matter where they go. In fact, tons of posts have been written about konbini food selections and how different they are from convenient stores elsewhere. These konbinis have, huge variety of products, from over 20 flavors of rice balls, sushi, noodles, salad, bento, sandwiches, mixed drinks, fried food, chips and cup noodles to fancy desserts, to daily essentials such as soap, shampoo, toothbrush, magazines, to emergency needs such as underwear and umbrella (I have bought so many transparent umbrellas over the years)....

Try envisioning design as water. Water is indispensable to human life, connecting us to our environments in visible and invisible ways. It can cause disasters like tsunamis (and so can design when it is uncalled for or when it tries to add nonexistent value), but it can also materialize as a rainbow, radiant in the light of the sun. Just as water makes every phenomenon possible, design is an essential component of every human endeavor....

The hospitality industry is making a strong rebound after the pandemic, and many hotel chains are now creating new sub-brands targeting a very diverse band of travelers. Recently I came across a new hotel brand B4T owned by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). In addition to the highly efficient train system they operate, JR East also runs shopping malls and hotels at train stations. Utilizing contactless self-checkin and checkout machine becomes a norm in Japanese business hotels these days, but what strikes me the most is how much farther the B4T chain goes by introducing cloud reception....