Retailers are being warmed by the promise of brisk cold-weather sales as the national "setsuden" summer campaign for conserving electricity seems to be sticking around for winter.
Retailers are being warmed by the promise of brisk cold-weather sales as the national "setsuden" summer campaign for conserving electricity seems to be sticking around for winter.
In the Tohoku region, an area devastated by the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake, sales of oil-powered heaters have gained strong momentum amid the continuing setsuden effort, prompted this summer by the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
At a home supply store in Sendai's Miyagino Ward in the Tohoku region, two lines of oil heaters were already out of stock in late September.
"We do not have immediate plans to receive the two items from our supplier. The heaters did not sell at all last year, though," a grinning store clerk said.
In mid-August, the store set up a sales area for heating devices. The top seller among those items are traditional Japanese oil heaters that allow users to cook on them using deep pans and kettles. This year, the store has already ordered more oil heaters from suppliers than in previous years.
Although air conditioners and heaters have been installed in temporary housing for disaster victims at government expense, residents are highly aware of the need for electricity conservation.
A 38-year-old resident of a temporary-housing apartment bought an oil heater for a 352-cm-by-352-cm room and other items at a home supply store.
"Many friends of mine living in temporary housing have already bought oil heaters," she said. "I need to save money on electricity because I am not financially in good shape after the March 11 disaster."
Consumers are increasingly turning to oil heaters not only in the quake-hit Tohoku region but also across the nation, as the notion of setsuden and public awareness of disaster prevention in times of power outages have been heightened.
Corona Corp., the nation's largest heater manufacturer, has increased production of oil heaters 40 percent from a year ago since June.
"We have not experienced such an output increase in the past 20 years," said a spokesman at the company, based in Sanjo, Niigata Prefecture. "Since there are only a few oil heater manufacturers in Japan, we must significantly boost output."
Corona increased the number of workdays using regular days off, while expanding assembly lines.
Iwatani Corp., Japan's largest liquefied petroleum gas supplier, released a new heater that runs on gas canisters this fall. The heater, which allows users to carry it relatively easily due to its lighter weight, does not require electricity. The Osaka-based company raised its sales target to 100,000 units from 60,000 units.
Apparel makers are also racing to take advantage of the setsuden trend. Uniqlo Co.'s functional underwear Heattech items are filling the shelves at its Tokyo Midtown store. The Heattech underwear generates heat by absorbing vapor from the body and keeping it moist under the clothes.
"If family members in 10 million households wear Heattech underwear and lower the room temperature by 1 degree in their homes, it would save electricity equivalent to half the amount of the expected power shortage during the winter," the low-cost clothing chain said.
Fast Retailing Co., the operator of Uniqlo, set a sales target for this year at 100 million items, up 25 percent from the 80 million pieces sold last year.
Some companies are also trying to revive "poka-poka goods," or old-fashioned Japanese heating products. Kao Corp., a leading home product maker, plans to increase production of the Megurism hot patch by 20 percent from a year ago.
The hot patch is designed to be applied to the lower back and shoulders when suffering from muscle pain.
"We will tout not only the warmness of the patch but also the quality of comfort the patch provides," a company spokesman said.
Honyaradoh Co., a hot water bottle maker, also will raise the number of Japanese hot water bottles, or "yutanpo," shipped by more than 30 percent from a year earlier this winter. The maker, based in Gunma Prefecture's Takasaki, saw a continued decline in sales in recent years.
The device, aimed at a customer base of women in their 20s through 40s, has regained its popularity due to its safe and electricity-free operation.
"We hope customers will rediscover the soothing quality of the sensuously pleasing warmness our yutanpo creates," a company official said. Yutanpo, made of traditional clay, relies only on hot water to keep a user warm.
(This article was written by Satoru Murata and Nobuyoshi Nakamura.)