Inbound support! 3 ways to link koto consumption and goods consumption

Motenas Representative
Motenas Representative

Recently, we often hear the keywords “koto consumption and mono consumption” being used to describe what foreign visitors to Japan consume in Japan.

Do you all know what this means?

Can’t we please and appeal to foreigners visiting Japan through inbound travel?

If you are wondering “What is the difference between “koto” consumption and “mono” consumption,” you will have a better chance to bring your products to the market.

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What is CotoConsumption?

The age has shifted from goods consumption to services consumption.

The consumption trend that places value on the possession of products is called “mono-consumption,” while the consumption trend that places value on the experience gained from the purchase of products and services is called “koto-consumption.

So why is the shift from “goods consumption to “things consumption” occurring now?

Kotoconsumption is attracting attention not only in the domestic market, but also in the inbound market by foreigners visiting Japan.

Cotto consumption refers to customers’ consumption of “time” designed by attractive services, space design, etc.

For example, walking around the town and visiting outside bathhouses.

In other words, koto consumption refers to “spending because of the value one perceives in the experience gained from the product or service.

On the other hand, goods consumption can be said to be “the use of a product or service because one perceives value in its function.

The change from goods consumption to things consumption is said to target two customer segments.

The first is domestic consumption, and the second is inbound consumption by tourists visiting Japan.

So, against what background is the shift from goods consumption to things consumption taking place?

The background of cot consumption is

One of the reasons why tourists visiting Japan have come to enjoy things such as hot spring tours and kimono experiences, rather than goods such as home appliances and household goods, is the increase in the number of repeat visitors.

According to the Japan Tourism Agency’s “Survey of Foreign Visitor Spending Trends in Japan,” 38.4 of the tourists visiting Japan in the October-December period of 2016 said it was their first time coming to Japan %であり、2回以上来ているという人は61.6%.

Thus, repeat visitors account for half of all visitors to Japan, and some 14.3% have visited more than 10 times.

From this, it can be predicted that customers who have already purchased enough Japanese-made products are visiting Japan in search of value that is different from the products.

3 ways to connect things and goods consumption for VIPs and high net worth individuals

For example, when a foreign customer eats in Japan, if he or she only “eats,” it is a “thing” consumption, but if it is an “eating experience,” it will lead to “koto” consumption for the first time.

SNS is accelerating koto consumption.

In extreme cases, people do not go there for the “thing” of Japanese food, but rather for the “thing” of eating the popular Japanese food that looks good on SNS, or they simply want to have a satisfying experience by being the main transmitter of information.

Instead of sharing “things,” we are sharing “things” in the form of experiences.

In this age, “things” have become the medium for satisfying “things.

Another customer who sees the SNS will come to Japan and want to visit and experience the restaurant that was mentioned on the SNS.

Connecting Kotoconsumption and Monoconsumption

If you are interested in inbound services and events, please refer to this article.

For high net worth persons in charge! Inbound Services and Events

No.1 Purely experiential

It is to provide special experiences that can only be experienced there, such as lodging at resort hotels and hot spring inns, and activities such as skiing and snowboarding.

In recent years, “pilgrimages to sacred places” to visit locations where anime was filmed and “shukubo,” or lodging houses where visitors stay at temples and shrines to experience ascetic practices, have become increasingly popular.

We do things together when we stay at the inn that you can only experience in Japan.

No.2 Attraction facility type

This means creating specialized facilities and attractions in commercial facilities such as art galleries, museums, aquariums, movie theaters, and amusement parks to attract foreign visitors to Japan.

For example, it would be convenient to have a place in a commercial facility where customers who have done a lot of shopping can immediately apply for duty free.

After enjoying the attractions, visitors can enjoy shopping while they are there.

This thing and thing two or well consumed.

No.4 Event type

Seasonal events such as Valentine’s Day and Christmas are held at department stores and shopping malls (commercial facilities) to attract foreign tourists to Japan and encourage them to spend on goods.

If it is a seasonal event, more customers will be willing to go out of their way to go because it is only available at that time.

And some will buy things that are only available at that time of year.

You can tie it to traditional Japanese culture.

By tying it in with traditional Japanese culture, VIP guests will be even more delighted.

For example, strolling through an old Japanese town dressed in a traditional Japanese kimono.

The hot spring resort area, where ski resorts are densely located, is characterized by an atmosphere of good old-fashioned Japanese style.

Many foreign visitors to Japan find value in experiences that can only be had there, such as taking a leisurely stroll in a yukata while enjoying the cool of the evening, or touring around Asakusa, a popular tourist spot, in a kimono and on a jinrikisha (rickshaw).

Another unique Japanese experience is a visit to a sake brewery.

Japan’s world-class sake is one of the most attractive tourism resources for foreign visitors to Japan.

Recently, some places have added more value to sake brewery tours to attract foreign visitors to Japan.

At one sake brewery, visitors can compare sake made from Niigata rice for 500 yen for a single coin.

The restaurant is crowded with visitors to Japan every day, as they can actually compare drinks after observing the production process.

summary

The reason behind the shift from goods consumption to services consumption came from a change in values in both the domestic and inbound markets: “I already have everything I need and want to buy in my daily life, so I want invisible value.

This does not simply mean that goods are no longer selling, but rather that new value is being demanded of goods.

The inbound trend is shifting from goods consumption to kotoconsumption, and demand for kotoconsumption is growing rapidly.

However, the current system has not kept pace with changes in demand to enable foreign visitors to smoothly engage in kotoconsumption.

In order to respond to the shift from goods consumption to services consumption, it is necessary to take multilingual measures such as assigning multilingual staff and using tablet translation services, and to establish a system that allows overseas visitors to book Japanese activities on the Web.

Motenas Japan offers not only traditional Japanese performing arts, traditional culture, and martial arts events, but also a mix of them.

Reference video: https://youtu.be/b3LHaQxh1wk

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