Suning maneuvered to capture Chinese tourists purchasing duty-free electronic items in Japanese retail shops, as well as bring Laox sales and product management expertise back to its Chinese retail stores.

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Since rising prices would mean money spent now will go further than later, the government hopes to get Japanese to step up spending, especially for big ticket items like cars and houses.

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But the figure was boosted by the one-off sale of its stake in its Japanese refining and chemicals business earlier this year and tax-related items, said the Texas-based group.

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While DeNA wouldn't offer specific numbers about the game, the company said it is finding that the U.S. paying customers are spending as much as their Japanese counterparts and that the percentage of total players who are buying items has exceeded 3%, the high end of its earlier projections.

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Cash For Gold USA, which buys gold jewelry from consumers, said it would donate 10% of its profits to relief efforts in Japan, "Cash for Gold USA urges Americans and Canadians to send in their gold, silver and diamonds so that they can get paid for their items while also doing something good by providing financial relief to the Japanese, "the company said on its website.

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Rather than selling trendy, more transient items, new stores will focus on perfecting affordable basics--like Japanese denim and cashmere sweaters.

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The other alcove is filled with Japanese prints, most by Utagawa Hiroshige, an apt point of reference for Van Gogh, as he collected such items.

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Almost all his items are pocket-sized since they had to be secretly smuggled into the Dutch trading house by his Japanese assistant (who would have risked a death sentence if found giving them to a westerner).

ECONOMIST: Japanese art