1. Between January and October 1995,3, 156 tons of Christmas goods such as Christmas trees, decorations, crackers and Christmas stockings/socks worth 2,542,000,000 yen were imported compared with the corresponding period of the previous year, import volume increased by 62.7% and import expenditure by 61.5%.
   
   
2. 528 tons of Christmas tree lighting fixtures (an increase of 51.7%) were imported between January and October 1995, amounting to 603,000,000 yen (an increase of 40.7%).
   
   
3. Christmas goods are largely produced by manual labour. In Japan, where wage level are relatively high, the cost is too high to warrant production. As a result, imports are more feasible.
   
   
4. In Japan, Christmas is becoming a regular festival as opposed to a religious holiday. Thus, the demand for Christmas articles has been increasing annually.
   
   
5. In some cases, overseas products don't meet Japanese tastes, so Japanese design and overseas manufacture has become increasily popular. As Christmas goods are visual products, originality is essential. In this case, minimum quantities pose a problem. The Japanese market is still small compared with the Western Market. Sears in USA usually purchase about 40 containers of 40-feet of Christmas goods, but Japanese supermarkets couldn't purchase as much as Sears even if all Japanese supermarkets purchased together. Japanese companies are increasingly going to Asia, including China, to buy Christmas goods with Western designs.
   
   
6. Christmas goods are seasonal. Generally, importation begins around September, peaking in October, and winding up in November. The volume of imports in October corresponds to approximately 40% of annual imports.
   
   
7. In 1988, Taiwan led in the export of Christmas goods to Japan, with a 84% share of import volume and 82% of expenditure. In 1992, however, China replaced Taiwan, with 55% of import volume and 41% of import expenditure. Between January and October, 1995, imports from China increased remarkably to 2,542 tons and 1.9 billion yen (an increased of 97.6%). China's share of Japan's imports was 80% of total import volume and 73% of expenditure.
   
   
8. As for lighting fixture exports to Japan, in 1988, Taiwan led with 98% of total import volume and expenditure. In 1993, China overtook Taiwan as largest exporter in this fiels, with 49% of import volume and 48% of import expenditure. Between January and October 1995, China exported 256 tons (an increase of 36.4% compared with the correspopnding period of the preceding year) and 290 million yen (an increase of 25.5%) worth of lighting fixtures. On the other hand, Taiwan exported 246 tons (an increase of 70.7% compared with the corresponding period of preceding year), and 290 million yen (an increase of 59.4%). Both countries emulate for the first place.
   
   
9. As mentioned above, between January and October 1995, China and Taiwan shared 94% of Christmas goods exports and 97% of lighting fixture exports to Japan. Imports from Korea, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia are extremely small in both quantity and amount.
   
   
10. Christmas trees are usually used inddors, however, young people are now tending to display them outdoors as well.
    
    
11. Generally, Christmas goods have been purchased largely by young people to date. Although, as Japanese society is rapidly aging, it will be necessary to target these products at elder generations.
    
    
12. Few Japanese manufacturers have overseas factories. Usually, they buy overseas products suited to the Japanese market, or request overseas manufacturers to make the products on an Original Equipment Manufacturing basis.
    
    
13. Some Japanese makers buy parts from overseas and complete the products in Japan.
    
    
14. Christmas articles are sold at various places such as department stores, speciality stores, toy shops and mail-order houses.

* All the above figures have been taken from Osaka Custom-House Statistics