Fast-fashion titan Uniqlo had already ventured into the domain of smartphones applications with not-so-exciting Uniqlo Calendar, fashion-style browsing Uniqlooks or again Uniqlo Wake Up applications. However, the Japan-based brand has finally released something that speaks directly to its target customers with UTme!, an application that lets smartphone users design their own T-shirts.

Mikihiko Yamato, Deputy Head of Research at Ji Asia tells CNBC's Cash Flow which retailers will benefit from the recent improvement in Japanese consumer sentiment. He expects favourable earnings from fast retailing companies like H&M and Gap. Hit play to find out how Abenomics influence Japanese retailers like Aeon and Izumi.

Japanese consumer confidence improved in March to the highest level in almost six years, a Cabinet Office survey showed on Wednesday, indicating that aggressive government and central bank policies are having their desired effect. The survey's sentiment index for general households, which includes views on incomes and jobs, was 44.8 in March, which was the highest since May 2007. That was also up from a revised 44.2 in February. 

FOODeX JAPAN is the largest annual food and beverage trade show in Asia and has been a highly successful trade event since its debut in 1976 serving not only Japan’s $700 billion food market but many lucrative Asian markets. Over 75,000 professional visitors attend FOODEX 2013, including over 6,500 from Korea, Taiwan, China, Thailand, and Hong Kong. Location: Tokyo, Makuhari Messe Chiba Exhibit Profile: Food, beverage products Visitor Profile: Supermarkets, hypermarkets, wholesalers, grocery stores, food service hospitality, fast food chains, convenience stores, distributors, importers, agents and brokers No. of Exhibitors: 2,500 producers from 73 countries

New research from McKinsey suggests that Japan’s online grocery market is likely to grow rapidly over the next few years, creating opportunities for supermarket retailers (and, to some degree, fast-moving consumer goods manufacturers). Back in 2009 already Japan’s general merchandise stores and supermarkets comprised an Internet grocery retail market estimated at ¥28.4 billion ($280 million) of which Ito-Yokado accounted for 45 percent and Seiyu (Wal-Mart) another 31 percent