Home > Statistics > Handbook > Chapter 10 Commerce
Main contents start here
On Dotonbori Street, restaurants and bars stand side by side, displaying their characteristic flamboyant signage. It is Osaka's prime entertainment district. As night falls, neon signs light up to give the area even more hustle and bustle.
The 2007 Census of Commerce showed that 1.47 million wholesale and retail stores were in operation in Japan, following the pattern of constant decrease, with its 1982 peak of 2.15 million. The number of persons engaged became 11.69 million, of which 11.11 million were persons regularly engaged (which means persons engaged remaining after temporary employees and workers dispatched from outside units are excluded). A total of 548 trillion yen was generated in annual sales.
The number of wholesale stores dropped to 335,000 in 2007, from 375,000 in 2004, showing a decrease of 10.8 percent. Observed by size of operation in terms of persons engaged, approximately 90 percent of the stores were small- and medium-scale operations (with less than 20 persons). A total of 81.7 percent was incorporated establishments, while 18.3 percent sole proprietorships.
The number of persons engaged in wholesale was 3.62 million in 2007, of which there were 552,000 part-timers (15.2 percent). Annual sales in wholesale amounted to 414 trillion yen.
The number of retail stores in operation totaled 1.14 million in 2007, showing a continual downtrend since the 1985 Census. Observed by size of operation in terms of persons engaged, approximately 90 percent of the stores were small- and medium-scale operations (with less than 10 persons). By type of organization, 49.7 percent of retail stores were incorporated establishments, while 50.3 percent were sole proprietorships. Although the proportion of sole proprietorships was higher in the retail sector than in the wholesale sector, it has been declining since its peak (90.1 percent) in 1958.
The number of persons engaged in retail was 8.06 million in 2007, of which 3.97 million part-timers comprised 49.2 percent of the total. Annual sales in retail was 135 trillion yen.
The 2007 average sales floor space per retail establishment was by far the largest in department stores (23,630 square meters), followed by general merchandise supermarkets (9,403 square meters), specialty supermarkets (1,126 square meters) and drugstores (375 square meters). Store size growth was evident relative to the 2004 level, with a significant increase of 33.5 percent in drugstores serving as a major example.
Of the total annual sales at retail business establishments, roughly 80 percent were storefront sales, while about 20 percent were non-storefront sales. Compared to the 2002 survey on non-storefront sales, door-to-door sales dropped by about 20 percent, while mail order and catalogue sales grew by approximately 30 percent.
According to the 2006 Establishment and Enterprise Census, there were approximately 724,000 food service establishments in operation and 4.12 million employed persons (persons regularly or temporarily engaged). Compared to the 2001 survey, the number of establishments decreased by 8.9 percent while the number of the employed persons declined by 4.0 percent.
Some of the publications on this site are in PDF. To view them you will need to have Adove Acroabt Reader. Please click the graphic link to download Acrobat Reader.