Not even Japan is safe from counterfeit luxury goods
Alongside snacking on sushi and snapping photos in front of temples and shrines, shopping for vintage designer goods has become a must-do for foreign visitors to Japan.
From resale giants like Book Off and Komehyo to smaller boutiques specializing in hard-to-find pieces from Hermes, Chanel and Louis Vuitton, Japan's secondhand market has turned into a luxury treasure hunt for tourists. Some travelers plan entire itineraries around finding well-preserved, authenticated designer pieces at prices far below retail.
'Aside from exploring, part of the itinerary is finding a really great deal on a Hermes Kelly,' says Sydney Wang, a Californian honeymooner shopping in Tokyo's Omotesando neighborhood with her husband in late February, of the designer bag that retails from about $10,000 (about ¥1.49 million). 'We're already here, so I wouldn't want to miss the opportunity to own my dream bag for a fraction of the cost.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
22 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Iranian students in Pune lament Iran-Israel conflict: We just want a normal life
Written by Kivi Lydia Vito As tensions between Iran and Israel continue to rise following recent airstrikes and retaliatory attacks, Iranian students studying in Pune are quietly grappling with fear, sadness, and a longing for peace. 'All of us are affected, not just me. Whether it is people back home or people here, it is impossible not to feel the impact of something like this,' said an Iranian student who did not want to be named. His companion expressed similar emotions, 'It is heartbreaking to see people in my country dying. Even though I am far away, I think about my family and friends back home every day. No one knows what might happen next,' she said. She continued, 'Innocent people are caught in a conflict they didn't choose, yet they are the ones suffering the consequences.' For many Iranian students across the city, the emotional weight of the conflict is hard to put into words. One student shared a more reflective view, shaped by his identity as a traveler. 'I do not belong to any political side. I am not defined by borders or religion but when people die, it is always tragic.' 'Whether it is the Air India plane crash or a bombing, any loss of human life is painful. All this destruction is deeply sad. I just want to live a normal life like anyone else,' he said. When asked about the possibility of peace, the students offered different perspectives but shared a common desire for an end to violence. 'I believe peace is possible, but only if the governments truly want it. Right now, war benefits political and economic agendas. That is why innocent people continue to suffer,' said a student. Another added, 'Yes, I believe there is a chance for peace, but only if the governments truly want it. Even now, with the ongoing nuclear talks, there is an opportunity to move toward peace. At the end of the day, borders are man-made. What truly matters is that we are all people with the same hopes, fears, and dreams, living in overlapping cultures.' Kivi Lydia Vito is an intern with the Indian Express
Reuters
22 minutes ago
- Reuters
Unglamorous world of 'data infrastructure' driving hot tech M&A market in AI race
June 13 (Reuters) - Weighed down by tariffs and geopolitical uncertainty, dealmaking has slowed to a crawl across most industries except one: the unglamorous world of data infrastructure. The companies that process the data used to build advanced AI models have become highly sought after targets for legacy tech companies like Meta, Salesforce, and ServiceNow in the scramble to stay competitive against the likes of OpenAI, Google and Anthropic. 'AI without data is like life without oxygen, it doesn't exist,' said Brian Marshall, global co-head of software investment banking at Citi. 'Because of that, data is having a zeitgeist moment right now driven by AI,' Marshall said. Tech deals are one of the few bright spots in an otherwise gloomy M&A market, accounting for $421 billion of the $1.67 trillion in global deals announced in the first five months of the year, or about 25% of total M&A, according to preliminary data compiled for Reuters by Dealogic. That's up from about 20% last year and 17% in 2023, the data shows. Of the tech deals, those involving AI software makers accounted for almost three quarters of the overall value, the data shows. Goldman Sachs Managing Director Matthew Lucas, who focuses on M&A relating to all aspects of computing, said enterprise data, as it applies to use in AI, is the 'most dynamic area in software M&A right now.' 'There's a very strong perception that speed matters a lot, getting there first matters a lot, and that tends to lend itself to doing M&A,' Lucas said. The software firms that help companies manage their data on cloud-based systems are increasingly valuable commodities as the number of such potential targets is rapidly shrinking. Enterprise data infrastructure and analytics companies like Confluent, Collibra, Sigma Computing, Matillion, Dataiku, Fivetran, Boomi, and Qlik, could become targets for legacy tech providers in the near term, investment bankers say. The companies, they say, may help businesses integrate, analyze, and store information better. Executives for Boomi, Dataiku, Fivetran, and Qlik all said they weren't surprised by the attention. "Messy, siloed data has long undermined the attempts of enterprises to deliver on the transformative potential of analytics. Now, with the urgency to deploy effective AI, fixing it isn't just essential — it's existential," Florian Douetteau, co-founder and CEO of Dataiku, said in a statement. Requests for comment from Confluent, Collibra, Sigma Computing, and Matillion weren't immediately returned. Several multibillion-dollar deals for data infrastructure companies have been struck or closed just in the last few weeks. Meta announced Friday a $14.8 billion deal for a 49% stake in data-labeling company Scale AI. Salesforce announced plans last month to buy data integration company Informatica for $8 billion. Artificial intelligence is driving a once-in-a-generation makeover in tech that's forcing several of the largest social media platforms and software makers to buy companies that help AI-backed systems run smoothly. Worldwide, generative AI spending is expected to total $644 billion in 2025, an increase of 76.4% from 2024, according to a forecast by technology data provider Gartner. In early May, IT management provider ServiceNow(NOW.N), opens new tab said it was buying data catalogue platform which will allow ServiceNow to better understand the business context behind data, executives said when it was announced. The Salesforce acquisition of Informatica, announced late last month, will allow Salesforce to better analyze and assimilate scattered data from across its internal and external systems before feeding it into its in-house AI system, Einstein AI, executives said at the time. IBM (IBM.N), opens new tab closed on its acquisition of data management provider DataStax the very next day. IBM said the deal, announced in February, will allow it to manage and process unstructured data before feeding it to its AI platform. Those deals highlight the strategic importance for legacy software players to own all aspects of data management, and M&A is often the fastest way to achieve it. Instead of building complex data systems from scratch, they are acquiring specialists that can help organize, clean, and connect data from across their business. Would-be targets have sometimes become the hunters as was the case when Databricks, a leader in data processing and AI that was recently valued at $62 billion, announced plans last week to buy serverless database manager Neon for $1 billion. But dealmakers warned that companies can't just buy any kind of data and throw it into an AI system and expect good results. Air Canada was found liable in small claims court and forced to refund airfare last year after one of its AI chatbots gave a customer bad advice. Those types of errors can happen if the wrong kind of unfiltered data is imported into an AI engine, tech dealmakers say. 'A lot of companies have a huge amount of data, but I think they're learning that you can't just funnel every piece of data you have into an AI engine with no organization, and hope that it spits out the right answer,' said Brian Mangino, partner at Latham & Watkins.
CBS News
23 minutes ago
- CBS News
"No Kings" protests planned across Southern California on Saturday
While President Trump attends a military parade for the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army on Saturday, which coincides with his 79th birthday, hundreds of protests are planned nationwide. The movement, "No Kings," is designed as a "nationwide day of defiance" in counter to Mr. Trump's parade, according to organizers. "On June 14—Flag Day—President Trump wants tanks in the street and a made-for-TV display of dominance for his birthday," the "No Kings" website reads. "A spectacle meant to look like strength. But real power isn't staged in Washington. It rises up everywhere else." WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 09: Marine One lands at the White House with U.S. President Donald Trump behind workers putting up a riser in front of the White House ahead of the Army's 250th birthday parade and celebration on June 09, 2025 in Washington, DC. The U.S. Army will mark its 250th anniversary with a parade along the National Mall that will include 6,500 troops, 150 vehicles and 50 aircraft. Kayla Bartkowski / Getty Images In response to the planned gatherings, Mr. Trump told reporters that he doesn't "feel like a king." "I have to go through hell to get stuff approved," he said. Organizers say nonviolence is the "core principle" of gatherings and pleaded with attendees to leave weapons at home and de-escalate any conflicts. The "No Kings" protests are scheduled in all 50 states, parts of Canada, Mexico, South America, Europe and even Africa. Dozens of protests are planned across Southern California on Saturday in response to the military parade being held in Washington D.C. No Kings website Locally in Southern California, dozens of "No Kings" protests are planned. A full list of events can be found here, but some are listed below: Los Angeles County Ventura County Orange County Inland Empire
