What: The “buy Japan” moment is tarnished with a very rare strike movement, highly unusual in Japan

Why it is important: Even in the most traditional companies in the most traditional countries, employees are not afraid anymore to break rules and conventions to save their jobs or express angst.

Department store staff at Tokyo's Seibu are going on strike for the first time in over 60 years, protesting against the planned sale of the company to US investment group Fortress. The strike will involve around 900 workers and will shut down the Seibu Sogo flagship store for a day. Strikes have become increasingly rare in Japan over the years, with only 33 recorded in 2022. The decline in strikes despite challenging working conditions and stagnant wages indicates a reluctance among Japanese workers to take collective action. The Seibu strike highlights the growing concern about the direction Japan's labour market is taking and the impact of foreign investment on traditional Japanese industries.

France knows very well as its image was tarnished too before the summer, without consequences on tourism however.

Is the highly unusual strike at Seibu going to tarnish Japan’s image of retail excellence?