• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.7-16
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• 2018

Purpose - This research addresses the question of how an international retailer like Costco can succeed in a foreign mature market and satisfy the local consumers. Our study aims to promote our understanding of how foreign retailers influence local consumers in a mature market with differentiated business models. Research design, data, and methodology - Our study uses company publications, secondary sources of information and the results of a questionnaire survey consisting of 106 participants. Consumer responses were solicited through a questionnaire survey conducted in the city of Kobe in December of 2013. Results - Product differentiation from local retailers in a mature market like Japan gave Costco a competitive edge. Compared with local supermarkets, Costco was preferred by Japanese consumers for its variety of goods that it carries, as well as in-store promotion large package of selling units, in-store amenities, and customer services. Conclusions - First, a theoretical framework is proposed in this study that can aid in developing localization strategies in a mature market such as Japan. Second, it reveals that an international retailer can succeed in a foreign market by stimulating local consumers to change their purchasing behavior, without having to alter the prevailing format of operation.

• The Journal of Fisheries Business Administration
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.27-39
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• 2012

The purpose of this study lies in analyzing the effects of Fukushima nuclear plant incident, due to the earthquake in the northeastern part of Japan, on South Korean consumers'responses to domestic marine products. Survey results show that the response to the event by all consumers is not significant, but not by individual consumer. Empirical results show that if consumers are relatively more interested in health issues, if they consume mollusca relatively more among marine products and if they are with children under the age of 14, they increased the consumption of domestic marine products while decreased that of Japanese seafood. On the contrary, if consumers take shellfish products relatively more among seafood, they reduced the consumption of domestic marine products as well as Japanese ones.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2009

최근 유전자 변형 기술에 의해 제조된 식품에 대한 소비자들의 관심과 주의가 높아지고 유전자 변형 식품 생산과 판매는 국내는 물론 국제통상과 식품산업에 막대한 영향을 끼치고 있다. 본 연구는 이런 산업내의 변화에 맞추어 유전자 변형 기술에 의해 제조된 빵에 대한 일본 소비자들의 지각과 행동적 특성을 제시하는데 있다. 차별화된 유전자 변형에의 창출된 이익에 대한 일본 소비자들의 반응과 선택을 conjoint 분석을 사용하여 실증적으로 분석하였다. 본 연구의 목적은 유전자 변형 기술에 의해 창출되는 다양한 종류의 이익으로 차별화 된 GM 식품의 상품화의 실행 가능성을 평가하는데 있다. 연구 결과에 의하면 일본 소비자들은 유전자 변형에 의해 영양적 요소가 강화된 상품에 큰 관심을 보였고, 유전자 변형 식품이 주는 소비자 이익에 생산자 이익보다 높은 프리미엄을 지불할 의사가 있는 것으로 나타났다.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.87-97
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• 2021

Purpose: Compared with the past when Japanese retailers used to hesitate to open their shops in the Korean market, because of anti-Japan sentiment, they show confidence in Korea in recent. This study, thus, aims at examining how socio-demographic factors have an impact on customer attitudes towards a Japanese retailer as a shopping destination. Research design, data, and methodology: After the literature review process, the authors have developed a variety of questions to verify the relationship amongst the variables like nationalism, consumer ethnocentrism, war animosity, store country-of-origin and anti-Japan sentiment. Furthermore, after collected questionnaires, the authors used confirmative factor analysis (CFA), T test and linear regression analysis to verify the 25 hypotheses developed. Results: Except for a household size element, it is found that gender, age, education and income levels are related to the degree of nationalism, ethnocentrism, war animosity, store country-of-origin and anti-Japan sentiment. In other words, socio-economic elements influenced Korean customer attitudes towards Japanese retailers. Conclusions: Korean customers tend to show different shopping attitudes towards the Japanese retailers, depending on the characteristics of socio-demographic elements. Furthermore, changing socio-demographic factors will provide positive business opportunities for Japanese retailers in the future.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.28 no.11
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• pp.1438-1447
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• 2004

The purpose of this study were to examine if the buyers of counterfeits tend to care less about ethical beliefs than non-buyers among Korean, Japanese, and Hong Kong consumers, and if they have more supportive attitudes toward counterfeit products. 573 female college students living in Seoul, Tokyo, and Hong Kong were surveyed. For data analysis, descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and t-test were used. As the results, 65.8% of respondents had experiences of purchasing fashion counterfeits. Handbags among fashion counterfeits were the most frequently purchased by the respondents. The buyers of counterfeits tended to purchase counterfeit goods as more alternative of genuine products than non-buyers, and did not feel guiltier toward purchasing of counterfeits than non-buyers. Also, the buyers of counterfeits tended to have more positive attitudes toward the legality of manufacturing, selling, and buying of counterfeits than non-buyers. In addition, they tended to consider much more purchasing of counterfeits as a way to fight against big-firms than non-buyers. Finally, the buyers of counterfeits tended to have lower consumer ethics than non-buyers. Based on these results, global marketing strategies for fashion goods were suggested.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.123-135
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• 2018

The purpose of this study is to compare the tourism characteristics, satisfaction and influential factors of the three main tourist countries of China, Japan and the US, And to explore differentiation areas. For this purpose, data from 5,160 national tourist consumers extracted from the survey data of foreign tourists in 2016 provided by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism were used for analysis. As a result, there were statistically significant differences in itemized satisfaction and overall satisfaction by country. Especially, the common itemized-satisfaction factors affecting overall satisfaction of Chines, Japanese and American tourism consumers were 'food' and 'shopping'. In addition, individual factors affecting the satisfaction of inbound tourism consumers were derived differently, and it is required to search tourism industry upbringing policies according to their characteristics and needs. The results of this study are expected to help establish strategies for attracting foreign tourists in the future.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.190-198
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• 2012

This research evaluated and analyzed the level of acceptability of spinach according to blanching time by testing consumer taste of corresponding countries for the purpose of globalizing Korean food. General taste, appearance, flavor, and texture of spinach blanched for 20 seconds were highly evaluated by Koreans and Japanese ($p$<0.05), who are used to the method of slightly blanching, mixing, and eating spinach. On the other hand, general taste, appearance, flavor, and texture of spinach blanched for 5 minutes was highly evaluated by the French ($p$<0.05), who are used to eating boiled spinach. Concerning the result of JAR, there were clear differences in hardness and boiling level according to country among spinach samples, even though they were blanched for the same time and mixed with the same spices. Koreans and Japanese evaluated that hardness and boiling level of spinach blanched for 20 seconds were proper, whereas the French evaluated that spinach scalded for 20 seconds was too raw and crispy. Under the same context, French consumers evaluated that hardness and boiling level of spinach blanched for 5 minutes was proper, whereas Koreans and Japanese evaluated that spinach blanched for 5 minutes was boiled too much. These results show that familiarity level is an important driver of affecting the preference levels for three kinds of spinach according to country.

• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.11-24
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• 2021

This study investigates the buying behavior pertaining to Japanese brands according to the degree of patriotism of consumers in their 20s. A survey of 235 university students was conducted; the survey questioned the basic purchasing attitudes of consumers in their 20s regarding outerwear and underwear and then surveyed the purchasing attitudes regarding U brand's (representative Japanese brand) outerwear and underwear. To detect the correlation between patriotism and U brand purchases, this study asked questions about patriotism and investigated basic personal information. The research results were as follows. First, there was a significant difference in consumer's purchasing attitude toward outerwear and underwear. When of consumers who are in their 20s purchase outerwear, its design was the most important factor, whereas when purchasing underwear, functionality was the most crucial factor. Second, it was confirmed that consumer's attitudes toward U brand's outerwear and underwear differed. Although the evaluation of U brand's outerwear design was not positive, the consumer tended to be satisfied with the price. U brand's score concerning the functionality of underwear products received a slightly positive response. Third, a total of 235 respondents were divided into a high- and low-patriotism-group based on questions about patriotism. There were significant differences in their attitudes toward clothing and consumer's purchasing behavior at U brand. Highly patriotic consumers thought negatively about U brand outerwear products in terms of price and product quality than low patriotic consumers; however, there was no significant difference only regarding design evaluation. For underwear products, low patriotic consumers were more positive about the price, design, and functionality of U brand products than high patriotic consumers.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.40 no.12
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• pp.13-29
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• 2002

The scholastic consumer education program in Japan was adopted after world war Ⅱ. And so far, based on home economics class at school, the program has undergone seven times modification with “A course of study(learning coaching guide). Now the main objective with the consumer education program, initiated from ‘purchasing skill’ and ‘information offer’, has been shifted to the direction of stressing the ‘reasonable decision making’ and ‘invocation of consumer recognition’. The concrete operation of the scholastic consumer education program in Japan was managed and operated to the direction of urging the student to think independently and self-motivated and provoking the power of thinking, while utilizing daily works closely to routine life as educational materials and subjects. The investigations on Japanese scholastic consumer education program which have been developing and accumulating concrete instances and know-how's of scholastic consumer education program are considered to be still suggestive, and we may conclude it's necessary for both of Korea and Japan to interchange necessary experiences and ideas on this field with each other.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.454-463
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• 2014

This study compared the texture characteristics and consumer acceptance of cooked wheat noodles produced in four countries, which were Korea, Japan, China, and Italy. Noodle types were selected after FGI (focus group interview). Eleven noodles were studied, and they were categorized into four types: udon, fried udon, oriental noodles of various thickness, and pasta. Color was measured as L (lightness), a (redness), and b (yellowness) values using a colorimeter. Lightness decreased when noodles were cooked, whereas redness and yellowness of cooked noodles were unchanged. Texture properties of wheat noodles in terms of hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, and chewiness were measured using the Rheometer. Italian spaghetti (spgt_IL), Korean fried udon (yk_udng_KR) had highest values for hardness. Korean udon had the highest value for springiness, whereas Chinese medium noodle (mid_CN) had the lowest value (p<0.05). Chinese thick noodle (thick_CN) and fettuccine (fettc_IL) showed lower hardness but higher springiness. Cohesiveness was significantly higher for Japanese udon (udng_JP), Chinese medium noodle (mid_CN), and Chinese thick noodle (thick_CN), whereas values for Korean thin noodle (thin_KR) and Korean fried noodle (yk_udng_KR) were significantly low (p<0.05). Spaghetti (spgt_IL) showed significantly high values for chewiness (p<0.05). For overall acceptability, thick Korean noodle showed the highest score with a level of 'slightly like'. Taste and texture attributes were highest among all noodles, and its high scores for chewiness and smoothness might contribute to its overall acceptance. Korean thick noodle, Korean udon, and Japanese udon were not significantly different from Korean or Japanese thin noodles. Japanese fried noodle (yk_udng_JP) showed the lowest acceptance among noodles in terms of color, flavor, taste, and texture. Chinese thick and medium noodles showed lower scores for overall acceptability, whereas chewiness was not significantly different from other noodles. Spaghetti and fettuccine showed lower scores in terms of overall acceptability, taste, texture, springiness, and chewiness.