IIM Nagpur had the privilege of hosting Prof Koji Matsushita, professor at the Chuo Graduate School of Strategic Management, Tokyo, Japan to deliver a lecture on Japanese Consumer Behavior. The lecture gave us insights about the consumer behavioral trends in Japan and the difference when compared with Indian Consumer Behavior and the rest of the world.
He illustrated several examples to illustrate the same. For instance, he spoke about Food Vending Machines which is a norm in Japan, unlike India. He also informed the audience about a Japanese start-up that uses self-driving vehicles to deliver and pick-up goods from different places within the city limits. The professor also illustrated an example about the restaurant menus used in Japan, which use visuals to depict the items in the menu in contrast with the restaurant menus in India which use only text. He also talked about a peculiar practice in Japanese shops, that use a tray at the cash counter to collect and give money, rather than handing it over. It is considered inappropriate to exchange money through hands in Japan and hence the tradition.
The students had the pleasure of understanding the trends and rituals in Japanese consumer behavior and helped them take cues from the session and apply them efficiently to the Indian market.
Prof Matsushita also met with the IIMN Director and faculty members for exploring avenues for collaboration and fostering a relationship between the institutions.