What: Seibu flagship staff in Tokyo goes on strike in protest against the sale to US investment fund.

Why it is important: This move is unusual in Japan and shows at the same time how the social climate has evolved and to what extent retail in Japan is changing

Staff at Tokyo's Seibu department store are set to go on strike for the first time since the 1950s. The strike, involving around 900 workers, is in protest against the planned sale of the Sogo & Seibu chain, which owns the department store, to US investment fund Fortress for an estimated $1.5 billion. The workers fear the sale could result in job losses as the Ikebukuro store is set to be combined with electronics retailer Yodobashi Camera. Department store workers in Japan rarely go on strike, but the labour shortage and changing dynamics in the country's labour market may lead to increased labour actions in the future.

Seibu workers to go on strike for the first time since 1950s