- The market for automobile AV equipment, a marriage between navigation and theater, is expected to grow with the arrival of the digital network era.
- The number of subscribers to handsets with NTT DoCoMo's Internet access service "i-mode" topped ten million only 18 months after the service was launched in February 1999. Users can send e-mail and access information on the Internet, and it has proved especially popular among younger people.
- To make up for the shortage of software professionals in Japan, a total of 10,000 Indian software engineers are expected to be hired by Japanese companies over the next five years.
- In an attempt to successfully compete against \100 shops, Cecile, well-known for its underwear mail-order business, announced it would offer 20 lines of clothing and sundries, including camisoles, undershirts, boxers, socks and ties, at \99 each. The company said it also plans to offer polo shirts at \490.
- Kunimitsu announced plans to increase its franchises of "\1,900 clothing shops" from the present 223 to 1,000 in three years. The textile products wholesaler hopes to place outlets at such venues as Japanese inns and hospitals.
- Per-gram Market (Nakameguro, Tokyo) now operates 15 outlets in the country where they sell second-hand clothes at \8 per gram. The average per-customer sale is 400g (\3,000+, equivalent to the weight of 2 shirts and 2-3 scarves).
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