It is always interesting to take a look at what some of the foreign manufacturers are producing for their luxury electronic lines. It seems that the series of new phones being offered by NTTDocomo Japan are heading in many different directions.

Some of the items that caught my eye, in particular because I thought they were beautiful and slightly unusual, are the prototypes for the Touch Wood phones. Not yet in mass production these phones are only able to be seen at trade shows in Switzerland and Japan.

The phones are being created as a joint venture with the "more trees" reforestation project founded by musician Ryuichi Sakamoto and others. They are made with specially treated wood from the thinned forests in Japan managed by the "more trees" project. Each handset is unique featuring the particular grains, patterns and natural coloring of the tree from which it was made. No artificial paints or colors are used in the unique compression process developed by the Olympus Corporation. The cypress phones are much more durable than other phones with wood bodies, are resistant to water and will keep their natural shine. I just thought they were beautiful.

For the those who are less ecologically oriented, the company is also releasing the Docomo "style series." This includes the F-02B which is a jewelry quality waterproof phone with a snap on perfume holder, the L-02B which comes with a special content for beauty tips and the N-01B with deigns and colors inspired by French manicure designs.

Let's just say that the company is busy covering all angles of the phone market!

On the other hand, there the other side to Seiko, the luxury watch maker. Deep inside Japan are several Seiko watch manufacturers making some of the best and most reliable luxury watches ever created. These are the "Lexus of watches." Until recently such highly desirable watches have been mostly for the Japanese domestic market only. Bearing such names like Grand Seiko and Credor, most Westerners didn't even know of their existence. There also exists a large population of American and European (among other places) watch lovers who are aware of the Seiko treasures in Japan, and are almost pained by the fact that they cannot get them locally. The good news is that is about to start changing.

Enter the Seiko Ananta line of watches. Finally a global high-end product from Seiko that contain the high-end 100% manufacture-made movements and watches. Why the important of "manufacture-made?" Today everyone speaks about "manufacture movements." These are movements in watches made all in-house by the manufacturer with out having third part companies make them. Such in-house movements are considered to be at the top of the heap for luxury watch desirability. The majority of watch brands don't make their own movements. Seiko does however. In fact, Seiko is of the few totally vertically integrated watch makers in the world.

Is Japan losing its luxury appeal? Last year LVMH scrapped plans for a new Vuitton flagship store in Tokyo's Ginza shopping district and now Versace is pulling out completely. Bloomberg reports that Gianni Versace SpA will close its Japanese stores as part of an overall review of the company business strategy. A statement from the company said in part that the Versace boutiques in Japan " no longer represented the brand image and it was felt to be more advantageous for the company to close them and start with a clean slate." The fashion company has three stores in Japan, one in Osaka, one in Tokyo and one in Chiba according to the Versace website.Overall Japan's market for imported luxury goods has been shrinking in recent years.

Earlier this year I asked the team at Luxist Japan about the new Japanese attitude toward luxury. They reported that many of the more mass-marketed luxury brands are no longer faring as well with Japanese consumers. Like American consumers the Japanese are becoming adept at high-low dressing and are more interested in creating their own mix and match outfits without relying on copying what they see in store windows. Japan's luxury goods decrease may not represent as much of an overall disinterest in luxury goods as much as it does a less ambitious attitude toward overt logo chasing.

[Thanks, Lori!]

Yamazaki Single Malt, from Japanese whisky giant Suntory (which you may remember from Lost In Translation), is by far the best of world's can't-call-it-Scotches. So it's no wonder they've come up with a better way to drink it as well: with perfect spheres of ice 2" in diameter.

They don't melt as fast as our inferior American ice cubes, so they keep the drink at an optimum temperature longer without watering it down as much. An important Banshaku ("evening drink") ritual in Japan, apprentice bartenders in the high-end joints there must learn to carve them flawlessly from big blocks of ice.

They don't do that here unfortunately, but the MoMA store has a stock of imported plastic molds that do the trick quite well (right). You need a bottle of Yamazaki to get the full Land of the Rising Sun effect, though; their 12-year-old is $40 and 18-year-old is $100.

Where is it most expensive to live as an expatriate? According to the latest Cost of Living Survey from Mercer you are going to spend the most in Japan. Tokyo owns the top spot with Osaka zooming up to second, up nine places since last year. In third place is Moscow which was first last year. Geneva rose four places to fourth position and Hong Kong rounds up the top five. The Mercer's survey uses New York s the base city for the index and scores 100 points. All cities are compared against New York and currency movements are measured against the US dollar. By this measure Tokyo scores 143.7 points and is nearly three times as costly as Johannesburg which has an index score of 49.6 and is at the bottom of the list of 143 cities across six continents. The list measures the comparative cost of over 200 items in each location and takes housing, transport, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment into account. The survey is conducted to help corporations set pay rates for international employees.

Some cities fell dramatically in the rankings. Warsaw was down 78 places from 35th to 113th. London was down 13 places to 16th, Sydney has dropped 51 places from 15th to 66th and Mumbai went from 48th place to 66th. Meanwhile cities in the US, China, Japan and the Middle East went up in the ranks. In a press release, Nathalie Constantin-Métral, a senior researcher at Mercer said that the economic downturn has caused fluctuations in most of the world's currencies leading to the reshuffling of the ranks.

[via Bloomberg]

Japan gets a lot of special watches that we never see here - though these are usually made by Japanese watch makers. Once In a while you get Japan only watches from Swiss makers such as Tag Heuer, and I wonder why Tag Heuer thinks no one else would want one. This special Carrera watch with a black mother of pearl dial is a perfect example. Not only is the watch a handsome, but more decorated rendition of the classic Carrera watch look, but it is simply enough to be appreciated by more markets. Notice that the dial is all black mother of pearl with a slightly matte black disc as part of the hour marker ring. The look is superb and something different from Tag Heuer - that to my knowledge has never utilized any type of mother of pearl on a man's watch.

Aside from this dial difference, the limited edition Tag Heuer Carrera Black features the same 44mm wide steel case and Tag Heuer Calibre 16 automatic chronograph movement as the rest of the modern Carerra watches. I've always loved bracelet of this watch that has mirrored certain Omega watch bracelets and features satin and polished steel finishes. Eventually Tag Heuer will upgrade the aluminum bezel (they look great but can be easy to scratch). Although Japan, like other Asian countries, is known to prefer smaller watches, I enjoy seeing the popularity of a 44mm wide model just as this there. 600 of these black mother of pearl Carrera watches will be available - in Japan only starting in July.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tinsley Mortimer isn't just a socialite, she's a designer ... and a dog lover.

Don't beat yourself up if you haven't heard of Samantha Thavasa. The luxury-cute handbag line only has one store in the United States (965 Madison Avenue, NYC). Their market? Japan, where they have over 160 stores.

Samantha Thavasa was founded in 1994 by its CEO and president Kazumasa Terada, and Tinsley Mortimer designs a subcollection of bags for them. It's a smart move on both parts -- Tinsley certainly knows fashion, and Samantha Thavasa's target audience, young Japanese girls, love American socialites and celebrities. Previous ad campaigns have featured the Hilton sisters, Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce and Solange, and Brit social queen Victoria Beckham.

Last Wednesday night, Mortimer hosted a benefit at Samantha Thavasa for Shiba Inu Rescue. NYC Shiba Rescue is a two-year-old non profit which provides foster homes for abused Shibas (a trendy Japanese breed) and finds them new owners across the tri-state area. We asked NYCSR president Zennia Barahona how the benefit came about:

Zennia Barahona: [Samantha Thavasana] contacted us. They wanted to do a fundraiser for a New York based organization, but on the other hand, they wanted to be able to do something that also coincided with their Japanese roots. We're able to get the word out about Shiba and other pure bred rescue, and people get to shop, so it's a great thing!

Luxist: Why pure breds?

ZB: When most people want a specific pure-bred dog, they think to go to a pet store, and we want to discourage people from doing that. We're really trying to educate people about puppy mills, and the dangers of that. But we also take in shiba mixes. We love them as well. If you want to get a dog, especially a pure-bred, definitely look at rescue and see if there's a dog that fits your lifestyle.

L: And what are Shiba Inus like?

ZB: Shibas can be quite aloof. They're very loyal to their humans but they can be aloof. They can be stubborn. They're very intelligent, very sweet -- their intelligence can lend itself to a great relationship, but it can also lead to training problems.

Ha! We love dogs with a little spirit. Click here if you're interested in adopting or becoming a foster home. Next we chatted with Ms. Mortimer about her designs, dogs, Japan, and how she feels like she's working for Disneyworld! Click through the gallery for photos of the fete, the bags, and the dogs, and to read our exclusive interview.

Japan has dominated the pearl market for years but according to a report from Reuters, the pearl empire is facing a crisis. The cultured pearl empire created by Kokichi Mikimoto has had a run of over one hundred years but now the decrease in jewelry sales and the rise of the pearl industry in China is changing things. The Reuters report says that domestic production hit a high of 88.5 billion yen ($900 million) in 1990 but last year's number was one fifth of that. Growers who have been cultivating pearls for years are considering getting out of the industry. Pearl farms are closing down as the market shifts.

In China, growers have had great success in cultivating pearls that can be as big and round as the prized Japanese akoya pearls. China has 50 times Japan's pearl production capacity and can flood the market with cheaper pearls. Japan is also facing competition from South Sea and Tahitian pearls. Japan now imports more than double the amount of pearls it exports.

Another problem may also be that the market for pearls just isn't there anymore. Pearls are considered traditional and are often out of favor with young people. Pearls were once a classic gift for life transitions like graduations and weddings but that is not as common anymore. Tiffany & Co.announced the closing of their their pearl-only Irdidesse stores in March of this year. Also while the diamond industry has made huge promotional efforts to educate consumers, most people don't know why they should choose one type of pearl over another. The company that started it all, Mikimoto, has learned to roll with the times selling pearls from a variety of places and combining pearls with diamonds to create a variety of jewelry styles.

Japan's love of luxury fueled the rise of luxury brands in the 1980s and early 1990s and have continued to buoy Louis Vuitton, Chanel and others in recent years but could Japan finally be losing its love of the pricey labels? The Financial Times has an interesting piece on a report by McKinsey, the consultants that seems to show that the Japanese infatuation with expensive goods is waning. Brian Salsberg, the author of a McKinsey report on the Japanese luxury goods market says that the change isn't just a recession blip but instead represents "a long-term shift in the market."

But why take the Financial Times article's word for it when I can ask the team at Luxist Japan? Chihiro Ishizaka tells me that there is less of an interest in luxury but that many Japanese are still brand-lovers. There may also be a bit of brand fatigue. The Japanese are bored with the obvious logos like the LV monogram pattern and Prada's famous triangle. Ishizaka says that the ubiquitous Louis Vuitton is not as popular because when high school students are carrying around Vuitton bags it loses its impact for adults. Instead brands like Bottega Veneta and other more modest brands are appealing because they offer quality and prestige without an obvious logo.

Like American consumers the Japanese are becoming adept at high-low dressing, combining brands like UNIQLO, Zara, and Mango with one expensive item and delighting in inexpensive vintage clothing. Brands still have their allure for the Japanese and provide a level of confidence about fashion choices but Japanese consumers are becoming more interested in creating their own mix and match outfits without relying on copying what they see in store windows. Yasushi Okue also of Luxist Japan agrees saying that it "is not just the economy, it's the growing diversity in lifestyle and taste, especially among younger women." This mirrors what the Financial Times article reported indicating a sort of training-wheels approach to luxury in which first shoppers take in what they are sold but later are able to be more discriminating about fashion choices and long for increased personalization. It seems to me that luxury isn't fading away as much as the Japanese are looking for more value from their brands than just a recognizable logo and a flashy storefront.

It was a quite the scene in Tokyo on Monday when people linked up to get free diamonds. French jeweler Mauboussin gave away .1 carat diamonds in order to drum up attention for their brand. People came from surrounding cities to line up for the promotion. The tiny diamonds are worth about $50 each. The Maboussin flagship Japan store opened in the Ginza shopping area earlier this year but found that they weren't getting a lot of foot traffic because the store's name was basically unknown. Maboussin will make any free diamond into a ring or pendant but that will cost around $500.

It is one thing to enjoy a good bottle of wine but when the back story to that wine includes employment for developmentally disabled individuals it adds a little something extra. At Coco Farm & Winery in Japan over one hundred unique people are employed in creating each bottle of wine. Many even live full-time at the vineyard which also serves as a school. The detail-oriented and repetitive environment is complimentary to many of the autistic students' personalities and their treatment as colleagues encourages everyone to participate fully in the winemaking process no matter the task.

Coco Farms & Winery is commended for its chardonnay, typically a difficult wine to create in Japan's climate. Many Japanese wines tend to be sweeter with the cold winters and hot summers. Their wines range from whites, reds, rosés, sparkling and dessert wines. I find it especially interesting how well the process of winemaking suits the developmentally disabled -- are other wineries offering similar opportunities?

via Vinography

Embattled insurer American International Group (AIG) might be getting a billion-dollar boost through a real estate deal. Bloomberg reports that AIG is involved in a deal to sell its Tokyo headquarters building, shown above, to Nippon Life Insurance Co., Japan's largest life insurer, for close to a nice round billion. The 15-story tower is located in central Tokyo's Marunouchi district, the most expensive office district in Japan, next to the Imperial Palace, and the price certainly doesn't suggest that it's an emergency sale. Commercial values in Tokyo did fall over six percent last year and office vacancy but it is still the third highest city in the world for office real estate. In March AIG was said to be looking to earn a far smaller number, around $100 million by selling its 66-story Art Deco headquarters at 70 Pine Street in Manhattan.

Collectors of all kinds are known the world over for spending exorbitant amounts of money on objects that get the majority of their worth from the sentimental value they hold with their owners. Japanese folklore is no exception, and a company in Japan is hoping to cash in on some collector love by offering hand-carved wooden sculptures of the famous mythical monsters Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah. The creations are each extremely detailed and impressive, as well as quite pricey. The smaller Godzilla and Mothra versions are priced at $3,000 each, but the real star of the show is the three-headed King Ghidorah -- he stands 8 1/2 feet tall and costs a cool $23,000.

Could make for an interesting statement in your entryway, perhaps? (ha!)

Via Bornrich

Classic British outdoor clothing company Barbour has teamed up with Japanese designer Tokihito Yoshida to launch a new limited edition capsule collection for Autumn Winter '09. J. Barbour & Sons, known for their iconic waxed jackets, was founded in 1894 and holds Royal Warrants from HM Queen Elizabeth II, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, and HRH The Prince of Wales. A graduate of Kuwasawa Design School, Tokihito previously designed for companies including Blades Savile Row in Japan before founding his own brand, To Ki To, in 1997. Consisting of five waxed and three waterproof jackets for men, the inspiration for the new To Ki To range came from Barbour's rich archive, which goes as far back as 1908, along with technical innovations and a modern fit.

Tokihito is renowned for the detail that he adds to his garments and he has taken Barbour's distinctive style and added his own signature design to create a unique collection that includes a wax Trench Coat, Bicycle, Horse Riding (above), Motor Riding and Driving jackets. Special features include zip on/zip off detachable helmet-style hoods, detachable padded vests, water-resistant map pockets, and integral storm skirts. On the trench coat, the vent and the front of the jacket combine to make a pair of "culottes" with the button features. Pricing has not been announced but Michael Williams at A Continuous Lean tags it at about $799 - $999 apiece.

It may not look like much but the 282-pound Japanese bluefin tuna shown above brought in more than $100,000 at auction recently. Two sushi bar owners, one in Hong Kong and one in Japan, paid $104,700 for the big fish at a Tokyo fish auction on Monday. The price was about ten times the average price and the highest in nearly a decade. The first sale of the new year traditionally brings hight prices but the prices were even higher because of a shortage of high quality Oma bluefin. There were just three available at the Tsukiji market compared with 41 last year. A smaller imported bluefin caught off the cost of the U.S. sold for $15,400. Members of international tuna conservation organizations have agreed to cut their bluefin catch quota for 2009 by 20 percent to 22,000 tons which could mean more high prices this year.

For a great behind-the-scenes look at the world of tuna sales, I recommend The Sushi Economy by Sasha Issenberg, it's got some fantastic descriptions of the chaos and commerce in Japan's tuna auctions. It also explains that the tuna's tail is sliced off (as shown above) at auction to expose the quality of the flesh.