And that reason is money.
[GIF via AEON]
Like Australia, Japan doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving, and Christmas stuff starts going up as soon as Halloween finishes, which, I guess, now also happens in the US. Japan isn’t the only country to recently latch on the American sales bonanza Black Friday, but in 2016, the day was more noticeable than ever before.
Yup. Black Friday sale signs all over this Aeon shopping mall. First time I’ve really noticed them here in Japan.
— HyveMynd (@HyveMynd) November 25, 2016
See? People are noticing!
＼11/25～27 AEON BLACK FRIDAY SALE／
全米熱狂の大セールがついに日本上陸！
衝撃価格と超目玉商品があなたを待っています！！
※本州、四国のイオン、イオンスタイルのみ#ブラックフライデー pic.twitter.com/MafFvct6Rz— イオン (@AEON_JAPAN) November 24, 2016
Aeon released an ad that explains that Black Friday “major sales” started in the US. The shopping centre chain’s Black Friday sales are three days long and stretch into Cyber Monday.
ブラックフライデー商戦が過熱。週末も各社でセールが開催されている https://t.co/6UfvsiZgOg #ブラックフライデー #BlackFriday pic.twitter.com/oleKxN2Mlc
— Fashionsnap.com (@fashionsnap) November 26, 2016
Aeon Mall, Japan largest shopping centre chain, kicked off Black Friday sales across the country.
ところで「ブラックフライデー」って何？(･_･?)
米の「ブラックフライデー」日本でも⇒イオン２５日から３日間、ＧＡＰ先着１００人にセーターを１００円
⇒ https://t.co/l9MwcZCEpV#ブラックフライデー #イオン #GAP #クリスマス商戦 #ニュース— 人生はRPG (@ni4ki51) November 25, 2016
As did other stores, such as Toys “R” Us.
【史上最強SALE】
人気商品がたったの25円～！
いよいよ本日11/25(金)より3日間 #ブラックフライデー SALE開催！！
詳しくは⇒ https://t.co/0xpLhs69yy pic.twitter.com/KLp7jCwc1K— トイザらス公式 (@TOYSRUS_JP) November 24, 2016
The deals and crowds don’t reach the fever pitch that they do in the States. Yet.
⚠️Black Friday⚠️
本日25日(金)〜27日(日)の3日間限定‼️
人気のあのアイテムが特別価格にて販売いたします?✨ツバ広ハットが¥500(税込)などなど他にも多数ご用意しております???#WEGOイオンモール鹿児島 #ブラックフライデー pic.twitter.com/6yPexqGd0K
— WEGO イオンモール鹿児島店 (@WEGO_kagoshima) November 25, 2016
【#BlackFriday 】ブラック・フライデーに合わせ本日から11/27まで①厳選商品20%オフ！ ②1000円(税抜)・1300円(税抜)の輸入盤が1点から960円(税込)に！➂DVD3点で2,856円(＋税)キャンペーン商品が1点から960円(税込)に！ 超お買い得です！ pic.twitter.com/xLNlUiCyIP
— HMVイオンモール扶桑 (@HMV_Fuso) November 25, 2016
#ブラックフライデー 開催中です?
あまり聞き慣れないイベントですが日本に浸透する日も近いのかもしれませんね。名前の由来は当日は買い物客の人だかりで道が混み真っ黒に見えることから『真っ暗な金曜日』と言われ始めたらしいです。ちょっとホラーですね(笑)#衝撃の３日間 #今年知った pic.twitter.com/5PMv31P4D9— スカルぺ21イオン御経塚店@非公認 (@scarpe21m_t) November 25, 2016
【イオンモール沖縄ライカム】
?ブラックフライデー?
本日25日(金)〜27日(日)の3日間限定❗️❗️❗️
ツバ広ハット¥500(税込)・メンズアイテム¥1,590+税〜・レディースアイテム¥890+税〜など、お買い得アイテム盛りだくさん?
ぜひこの機会をお見逃しなく? pic.twitter.com/6ctz6hscKJ
— WEGO 沖縄エリア (@WEGO_okinawa) November 25, 2016
Many people in Japan, however, seemed unsure what exactly “Black Friday” meant.
In US English, of course, “Black Friday” refers to retail instantly making a profit — being in the black. In Japanese, there is a similar expression, “kuroji” (黒字). Not sure if that helps Black Friday’s chances in Japan, but there you go.
さあ、始まりますよーーーっ！ #ブラックフライデー pic.twitter.com/84YzhHvrS3
— Gap Japan (@Gap_JP) November 26, 2015
“@Gap_JP: #ブラックフライデー #100円 デニムイベント！原宿店に行列が出来始めました！まだ間に合います！温かくして並んで下さいね♪ pic.twitter.com/5ybc6p6mn0“
— 宇田川良夫 (@u96738663) November 30, 2015
Gap kicked off a huge Black Friday event last year, while Toys “R” Us Japan began Black Friday sales back in 2014.
デニム売り場はごった返しています！在庫は通常以上にご用意していますので焦らないで！そして早速のお買い上げ、ありがとうございました！ #ブラックフライデー #100円 pic.twitter.com/SJBnoJrS5s
— Gap Japan (@Gap_JP) November 26, 2015
This year’s Gap events drew lines, which people hoping to score a limited number of sweaters for 100 yen (around $1).
#GAPブラックフライデー 着々とスタート時間が迫ってきました！心斎橋店も100名様以上に行列いただいてます。皆さま、芯まで冷えた体に優しい温かいセーターゲットしてくださいね！ pic.twitter.com/Xed0Q7yag8
— Gap Japan (@Gap_JP) November 24, 2016
#GAPブラックフライデー 名古屋栄店は現在92名の行列です！お近くの方はぜひご参加を♪ただし寒さ対策はお忘れなく！ pic.twitter.com/Ych4ZBwF4W
— Gap Japan (@Gap_JP) November 24, 2016
Japan has bigger sales drawing much longer lines during the New Year’s holidays, which already has an established sales tradition with items like “lucky bags“. Retailers, it seems, no doubt hope that Black Friday will give a seasonal sales bump to their bottom line.
As previously mentioned, there is no Thanksgiving (Halloween, however, is celebrated), so Black Friday obviously doesn’t mark the official start of holiday shopping.
AEON department stores have organized a “Black Friday” sale this year. That’s one tradition Japan could do without.
— Chris Carlier (@Pubgoblin) November 24, 2016
Not that such matters much these days.
Further proof Japan doesn’t get Black Friday.
It’s Monday. I’m at the grocery store. pic.twitter.com/Vbfft8vU2W
— Brandon Pittman (@brandonpittman) November 28, 2016
Comments
8 responses to “Japan Now Has Black Friday, For Some Reason ”
It’s nice to see people from all around the world united in their common desire to give money to massive corporations for s**t they don’t need.
Preach it Tyler :p
I don’t even see how Black Friday is good for retailers. Seems like they go through a lot of effort, sometimes enduring damage to store shelves and stuff (from some of the videos I’ve seen), just to peddle their stuff at barely profitable prices.
I’ve found only one article about this that seems to agree with my estimation, but ends inconclusively.
If having low prices is so good for business, why not do it all the time?
Because you see, it is not actually a sale sometimes. It is more about clearing dead stock at cost/loss so that they can write it off and procure New stock. More precise it is stocktake sale. Murica doesnt have that.
There are usually a few hot items in limited quantity and at the same time old stock atblow Price. Just like our boxing Day sales is not actually a sale but major stock clearance.
Just like Australia right?
Exactly this. I spent the week leading up to it, telling fellow Aussies about it so they could take advantage of online shopping… and then we all got spammed by Australian retailers going on about Black Friday.
Unlike Halloween, which has been celebrated for at least the 38 years I’ve been alive, and likely much longer given its UK Origin, Black Friday has never been a thing over here until this year.
I wonder if they’ll keep the Boxing Day sales, since the US doesn’t have them?
Just a matter of time before we start doing Thanksgiving for some logic-defying reason
Everything I know about the reason for Thanksgiving I learnt from Terrence & Phillip and Addams Family Values (despite living over there a couple of years)