Record Exports for Scots Cloth Firms
Textile firms north of the border have secured record sales of £ 1.3mn in Japan over the past year , after adopting a new strategy to increase business in the Far East , the London Press Service reported on 2 April .
The partnership among Scottish Development International , the Scottish government , Scottish Enterprise , and the Highlands and Islands Enterprise focuses on working with key individuals with influence and retailers in Asia to increase opportunities for firms in Scotland .
The strategy has already proved successful . A Scottish fair at the Hankyu Hanshin Department Store , Inc . in November last year saw sales of £ 540,000 for the firms involved . Meanwhile , six firms — including Harris Tweed Hebrides — successfully showcased their products on a Japanese TV channel last December .
Sandwich Index ’ s Priciest Cities
Tokyo is the seventh most expensive city in the world while London is in eighth position , according to a survey for holidaymakers conducted by Hotels . com and released on 13 June .
The Club Sandwich Index , now in its second year , uses the most common item — the club sandwich — on hotel menus around the world as an affordability barometer for holidaymakers .
Geneva took the top spot as the most expensive city in the world in which to order the sandwich . The average price there
Fashion Brand ’ s 30th Anniversary
A designer is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the opening of her first shop in Japan , the Daily Telegraph reported on 7 June .
Today there are 94 Margaret Howell stores across Japan , nine having opened in the past year , and others scheduled to do so later in the year . In the UK , the brand has just four stores and one outlet .
The designer attributes the brand ’ s success here to a combination of consistently highquality design and fabrics .
Not only is Japan the third-most important market for the British fashion industry , but it is also often the starting point for the expansion of British brands in Asia .
LONDON PRESS SERVICE
is £ 19.96 . The leading provider of hotel accommodation found that the same item costs , on average , the equivalent of £ 13.57 in Tokyo and £ 13.53 in London . New Delhi remained the cheapest destination in which to buy the sandwich (£ 5.97 ).
The average price is calculated from actual prices paid by guests for the snack in 30 hotels — in five , four and three star categories — either in the capital or an important tourist city of the country being considered . In all , 840 hotels worldwide were surveyed .
Unusual Board to Be Displayed in Kent
Chiddingstone Castle in Kent is to exhibit a shogi board as part of its celebrations to mark the 400th anniversary of the establishment of British trade relations with Japan , Kent News reported on 6 June .
Sets for playing shogi — a Japanese game similar to chess — traditionally have had pieces and the board made of wood , while more luxurious sets had lacquered boards , decorated with gold .
However , the board to be exhibited in Kent — on loan from the Horniman Museum in London — is made of Japanese Kutani porcelain and is thought to date from the 19th century .
Football Team Sign Global Deal
Manchester City Football Club will join forces with carmaker Daihatsu Motor Co ., Ltd . to take advantage of the team ’ s growing popularity , Mancunian Matters reported on 12 June .
The deal will see the oldest car manufacturer in Japan become the English Premier team ’ s official automotive partner in Indonesia next season — the first football club to do so in Daihatsu ’ s 106-year history .
In summer , and as part of the club ’ s South-East Asian tour , City players will travel to Indonesia and film a TV advert for the motor firm .
TV Show Spotlights Popular Lake District
The Lake District is to be the focus of an episode of the Tabi Salad TV programme , broadcast to more than 9.6mn viewers in Japan , The Westmoorland Gazette reported on 14 June .
The visit reflects an increased interest in the area , which has long been a popular destination for Japanese tourists due to their interest in the Beatrix Potter books .
The area is the second-most popular destination in the UK for Japanese tourists .
Man Sues Travel Agency
A man from Sendai , Miyagi Prefecture , who believes he was abandoned by his tour guide at Heathrow Airport , is suing Hankyu Travel ( Osaka ), the Japan Daily Press reported on 7 June .
The man , who speaks very little English , is seeking ¥ 4mn from the travel agency for the pain and suffering he claims he endured after being left alone in a strange place .
There is a strict luggage screening policy at the airport and , it seems , the tourist missed his flight following his random selection to have his luggage inspected . Unable to find his tour guide he missed boarding his flight , and was left behind .
The man ’ s lawyers believe the tour guide should have remained in the airport to help the passenger .
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