By Rebecca Milner -- Digital shopping technology makes models out of consumers -- Thanks to a jumpstart from web 2.0 innovations, online shopping is going from a solitary, static, and ultimately convenient alternative, to an instantly gratifying social experience that aims to bring in as much from the terrestrial shopping experience as possible. Welcome to the new era of digital shopping lifestyle, starring YOU.

Philip Greenan By Peter Harris -- J@pan Inc talks to the Vice President of the Ireland Japan Chamber of Commerce. -- The Irish corporate landscape is very much shaped by the global economy. A lot of multinational companies choose to have their European headquarters in Ireland, and as a result, many Irish-Japanese connections have occurred naturally in the course of economic globalization. Ireland has also proactively sought to cultivate Irish people with Japanese language and business skills.

By Ken Worsley -- Hard industry facts -- Mobile Telephony-- Corporate Bankruptcies -- Real Estate -- Food and Supermarkets

By Sarah Noorbakhsh -- Automated check-in -- While the words ‘business hotel’ in Japan are often synonymous with the image of dark and smoky rooms that would make even a seasoned salary man shudder, Super Hotel has been working since 2000 to change that image into one that feels welcoming not only to business men, but women and families as well. Touting the motto “Japan’s Best Budget Hotel,” this chain offers a number of innovative features that have boosted it into the spotlight. Says President Ryousuke Yamamoto, “We want to be both evolutionary and revolutionary in the budget hotel industry, offering lower prices than possible before while still maintaining high customer satisfaction.”

Hiroyuki Miyagawa By Joseph Greenberg -- How Medical Hi-Net is bringing the medical mall to Japan -- The future of healthcare in Japan looks to be one of improvement and innovation. Dissatisfaction with the level of medical service and the government’s funding woes has provided an opportunity, and arguably a need, for high quality healthcare services to set up in Japan. An example of this new trend is the Osaki ‘DOKTORS’ medical center, opened in November of last year.

Fabrizio Lavezzari By Peter Harris -- Fabrizio Lavezzari, Representative Director, Presidio Japan KK -- Please can you tell us about the Armani Exchange (AX) brand? -- The basic concept of the brand is young, urban and sexy—there is a strong association with music and the club scene. Not only do we produce CDs mixed by popular Djs from New York or London, we also put on clubby events inside stores. While there is a healthy overlap between the Armani brands, we have to be careful to avoid brand cannibalization and make sure that our coverage is broad and seamlessly segmented.

By Hugh Ashton -- Retail Banking in Japan -- How do you shout loudly enough to attract the attention of 120 million customers, with 130 competitors lined up doing the same thing? Especially when some of those 130 are the largest of their type in the world?

By Peter Harris -- A look at the changing fortunes of Schindler Japan -- Global elevator and escalator manufacturing giant, Schindler, came to Japan in the late 1980s, entering the market via the acquisition of Nippon Elevator Industry Co Ltd. Its business here expanded and by the millennium, the company had made real inroads into the market—launching the Japan market specific Schindler 300J in 1997 and winning the elevator system contract for the Millennium Tower in 2000.

By Gordon Jones -- Japan-Arabia commercial relations uncovered -- Most descriptions of Arabia these days command superlatives: The world’s tallest tower; the world’s first 7-star hotel; the world’s three largest man-made islands, shaped as palm trees. The list goes on and makes the eyes boggle, and prospective suppliers salivate. According to the Middle East Economic Digest, the current level of Gulf projects planned or underway is a staggering US$2 trillion.

By Anna Kitanaka -- J@pan Inc’s column concerning business conditions in an emerging market -- As the opposition to British rule in India mounted at the turn of the 20th century, the populace (second-largest in the world) began to push for self-rule and total independence. The outcome was a closely guarded society, eager to administer the deathblow to colonialism by cutting off inroads for foreign investment in the country. Nevertheless, following WWII, India pursued capitalist economic policies, flanked by some of the oldest financial institutions in Asia, such as the Bombay Stock Exchange, founded in 1875. Becoming one of the hotspots for foreign soul-seeking tourists during the hippy era, India remained firmly on the map as a cheap tourist destination.