Measure for measure

Japan, Inc., July, 2008 by Ken Worsley

Mobile Telephony

* Approximate number of mobile phone subscribers in Japan: 103 million

* Approximate number of new mobile handsets sold each year: 50 million

* Number of new SoftBank Mobile subscribers in May 2008: 173,700

* Number of new AU and DoCoMo subscribers in the same period, respectively: 72,400 and 60,900

* Total numeber of DoCoMo users at the end of May 2008: 53.54 million

* Number of AU subscribers: 30.29 million

* Number of SoftBank subscribers: 18.95 million

* Number of new handsets released by DoCoMo in May 2008:19

* Estimated development costs per new mobile: [yen] 10 billion

Corporate Bankruptcies

* Number of corporate bankruptcies in May 2008 at firms with liabilities of [yen]10 million or more: 994

* Number in April 2008: 1,013

* Number in April May 2007: 1,016

* Industry posting the greatest number of bankruptcies in May 2008: Construction (271)

* Total liabilities left by firms going bankrupt in May 2008: [yen]481.07 billion

* Number of bankruptcies with [yen]1 billion or more in liabilities: 74

* Total number of firms that filed for bankruptoy protection in fiscal 2007: 11,333

* Increase from fiscal 2006: 18.4%

* Number of self-employed people who filed for bankruptey in fiscal 2007: 1,819

* Increase against fiscal 2006: 36%

Real Estate

* Vacancy rate at new office buildings in the five central wards of Tokto in September 2007: 4.74%

* Vacancy rate at new office buildings in the five central wards of Tokyo in March 2008: 6.97%

* Average rent per square meter in the five central wards of Tokyo in March 2008: [yen]6,841

* Increase from the previous year: 12.51%

* Increase form the previous month: 0.38%

* Number of new condominium units sold in the Tokyo area in fiscal 2007: 58,156

* Decline from fiscal 2006: 17.9%

* Average price rise of a new condo unit in the Tokyo area in fiscal 2007: 9.3%

* Number of new units remaining unsold at the end of fiscal 2007: 10,837

* Last year in which the number of unsold units stood above 10,000: 1992

* Average sale price of a condo in the Tokyo area in March 2008: [yen]49.98 million

* Number of consecutive months in which the average price of a new condo unit has risen: 16

Food and Supermarkets

* Percentage of Kikkoman's operating profit derived from North American sales: 48.6%

* Kikkoman's ranking amongst Japanese firms for percentage of operating profit generated in North America:1st

* Percentage of Kikkoman's sales that are dependent on the US market: 23.5%

* Tons of fin whale meat imported from Iceland in May 2008: 80

* Last year in which whale meat was imported into Japan: 1990

* Amount spent on food by the average household in April 2008: [yen]66,374

* Decline form the previous year: 3.1%

* Decline in supermarket sales in Japan in April 2008: 0.8%

* Increase in food sales in Japan at supermarkets in April 2008: 1.3%

* Fall in clothing sales at supermarkets in April 2008: 6.9%

Sources: DoCoMo, KDDI/AU, Softbank, Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Teikoku Databank, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Miki Shoji, Nikkei Veritas, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Japan Real Estate Institute, Japan Chain Stores Association, Statistics Bureau

J@pan Inc's hard information on selected economic sectors and industries Compiled by Ken Worsley of JapanEconomyNews.com