Japan tourist boom not enough to boost Takashimaya, Isetan

Tokyo

THE record throngs of international tourists visiting Japan have failed to jolt the country's department stores out of a slump.

Sales at outlets including Takashimaya Co and Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd nationwide fell 6 per cent in August, the biggest drop since March 2015, the Japan Department Store Association said on Wednesday. In the same month, arrivals of tourists from outside the country surged 13 per cent, according to Japan National Tourism Organization data.