Vietnam - The new tendency in Japanese FDI in Vietnam

VietNamNet Bridge – While local authorities have been trying to call for Japanese investment into supporting industries, a lot of Japanese investors arrived in Vietnam are operating in the fields of trade, real estate, information technology, service and consumer goods production.

The new tendency, which was predicted by Japanese experts 3-4 years ago, has become true when a lot of Japanese enterprises try to penetrate the Vietnamese market through different ways.

Distribution

Japanese investors not only want to bring raw materials, equipment from Japan to Vietnam, where they set up factories to make products for export, but they now also want to set up business centers, retail shops to sell the products made in Japan and other countries in Vietnam.

While Family Mart and MiniStop have been expanding their distribution networks in HCM City, Japanese leading retail group Aeon--has announced its official presence in Vietnam--with a shopping mall project on an area of 3.5 hectares, located in Celadon City project and developed by TTJSC. With the project, the Japanese retailer would target medium income earners.

Takashimaya retail group is also heading for Vietnam, which, when entering the market, would bring a lot of well-known fashion brands in the world.

Jetro (the Japan External Trade Organization) said that the tendency of Japanese investors flocking into Vietnam was anticipated in 2009, when Vietnam officially opened its market to 100 percent foreign enterprises.

Domestic consumption

Young population, improving income and familiar tastes with Japanese consumers are all the factors that make the Vietnamese market become more attractive in the eyes of Japanese investors--in the field of consumer goods production, which has witnessed rapid growth in recent years.

Buying shares of consumer goods production companies is the choice of many investors who want to take a short cut to the Vietnamese market, instead of making an investment from the beginning.

Besides, as the yen has been appreciating against the US dollar, Japanese economic groups tend to buy stakes in Vietnamese companies to preserve their capital and expand market.

Recently, Unicharm has bought 95 percent of stakes of Diana Vietnam worth 128 million dollars.

The other well-known merger and acquisition deals in the consumer goods production include the ones in which Kirin Holding bought stakes of Interfoods, Daio Paper bought stakes of the Saigon Paper Corporation. Ezaki Glico Group, a sweet and food group, has bought 10 percent of chartered capital of Vietnamese Kinh Do Group.

Analysts have commented that the Japanese purchases were all good bargains, since domestic production is facing big difficulties and domestic enterprises bear very high bank loan interest rates.

Real estate

Real estate was never an attractive business field for Japanese investors in the past. However, the situation has changed a lot.

According to the Foreign Investment Agency, in the first quarter of 2012, Japan led foreign direct investment in Vietnam with the investment capital poured into the country accounting for 88.8 percent of total foreign direct investment (2.3 billion dollars). Especially, real estate was the sector that saw the highest registered capital.

Tokyu Corporation has teamed up with Becamex IDC Corp to form up a 1.2 billion dollar joint venture to develop 71 hectares of land in the new city of Binh Duong.

Since lacking capital, Vietnamese real estate developers with big land fund are trying to sell land to get money to develop other projects. Tama Global Investment Pte in late December 2011 set its foot on the Vietnamese market by buying 20 percent of stakes of Cotecland, a real estate investment firm. Meanwhile, a Japanese investment fund has bought Center Point, a building on Nguyen Van Troi Street in HCM City.

Source: TBKTSG

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South Korea - S. Koreans find new beauty obsession in small faces

SEOUL, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- Double-eyelid surgery is so 1990's. So is a nose job.

For beauty-conscious South Koreans, whose endless pursuit of a more Westernized look has led to a thriving plastic surgery industry, operations that make their face smaller are the new "it" thing.

There is now a rapidly growing demand here for double-jaw surgery, which involves reconfiguring and aligning the upper and lower jaws and takes months for post-surgical recovery.

Though the surgery is originally developed to correct underbite and crossbite, among other orthodontic problems, more and more South Koreans are going under the knife to get a drastically slender, more Caucasian facial line.

In a country where double-eyelid surgery to get larger eyes is a common high school graduation gift from parents, the latest craze might not come as a big surprise.

"It could be easily assumed that 99 percent of South Korean celebrities got stuff done on their faces," said Dr. Park Sang- hoon, head of Seoul's ID Hospital, which specializes in double-jaw surgery.

The popularity of double-jaw surgery, which Dr. Park calls a " post-2000 phenomenon", also has a lot to do with a succession of South Korean celebrities who recently had their jaw bone cut and emerged looking like "totally different people" as countless Internet users enthused.

Comparing face sizes of celebrities is a common topic of discussion for netizens, who hardly hesitate to judge those with smaller faces are "winners".

The obsession is so widespread here that the term "V-line," which describes an oval face with a lean facial line and a sharp chin, has become a household word.

"It seems like having a smaller face is a dream for South Koreans," said Dr. Park, whose seven-story clinic is jam-packed with people wanting to reduce a prominent jaw. "Many still view Western looks as uniform standards of beauty."

No wonder "losers" are flocking to hundreds of plastic surgery clinics clustered alongside the so-called "beauty belt" in the affluent southern Seoul district of Gangnam.

The South Korean government does not keep its own statistics on cosmetic surgery, which is not covered by the national health insurance.

But according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ISAPS), a total of 361,988 surgical plastic surgery procedures and 408,925 non-surgical procedures were conducted in 2010 in South Korea.

Double-jaw surgery usually costs more than 10 million won (8, 690 U.S. dollars) and chin reduction surgery about half that price, but many of those who underwent the excruciating procedures say they got plenty of bang for the buck.

"I always thought I was neither pretty nor ugly, but I still wanted to be prettier," said a 25-year-old Chinese student, who identified herself only by her last name Wang.

With a sharper chin and taller nose bridge, her before-and- after pictures show the size of her face got noticeably smaller.

"They really worked," Wang said of the operations.

She is one of a growing number of foreigners who take advantage of South Korea's advanced cosmetic surgery technology. At the ID Hospital, where Wang received surgery, 10 to 15 percent of all patients are now foreigners.

The government's efforts to promote "medical tourism" coupled with the popularity of South Korean celebrities in the world, also help attract foreigners.

Still, the fad has a less palatable side to it.

According to the state-run Korea Consumer Agency, the number of reported cases of adverse effects of plastic surgery stood at 2, 984 in 2010, up from 1,901 cases in 2006.

Last year, a woman dissatisfied with her double-jaw surgery committed suicide, leading her family to sue a Gangnam clinic.

An unspecified number of people have reportedly died after double-jaw surgery, a major operation involving general anesthesia, due to excessive bleeding.

Critics also point out the looks-obsessed culture stifles diversity and distorts perceptions of natural beauty.

Celebrities who recently got double-jaw surgery, while becoming subject to much envy, also copped criticism that they now all look similar and lost individual charm.

"Some might blame us surgeons for making everyone look alike, but it's not like we can shape a face the way we really want to," Dr. Park said. "It is the society that ultimately decides what a desirable face should look like."

Kim Junghyun

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USA - College Admissions: 5 Hottest Majors for 2012

With a stagnant economy and college costs on the rise, it’s hard to know what direction students should take to ensure job security after college.

Here are 5 hot areas of study for 2012, based on trends and surveys of where the jobs are:

Public Health

According to the U.S. Government, healthcare will generate more jobs than any other industry in this decade. From surges in diabetes domestically to outbreaks of communicable diseases in Asia, the public health field has a range of exciting options. Some of the best programs at the undergraduate level are at Emory University in Atlanta, situated strategically near the Center for Disease Control, and Georgetown University in Washington, DC, home to the National Institutes of Health. Students can be focused on the scientific aspect of public health, the statistical angle, or policy initiatives.

Petroleum Engineering

As the U.S. struggles to reduce its dependence on foreign oil, petroleum engineers are in demand. According to careercast.com, petroleum engineers earn the highest starting salary of any recent graduates, at more than $100,000 a year. What colleges offer this major? As you might guess, Texas, Oklahoma and Alaska are the hubs for petroleum engineering programs. Texas A&M, U. Texas at Austin, U. Oklahoma and the University of Alaska all offer top programs with internships nearby.

Environmental Studies

Careers in this field are growing as corporations and governments become more focused on saving the environment. From policy analysts to engineers who design green power alternatives, the options are broad and appeal to a variety of interests. The University of Vermont, set amidst a rich area of forests and lakes, provides unparalleled opportunities for field research and was recently awarded a $20 million dollar NSF Grant. Engineering students at UVM build wind turbines on campus, while recreation management majors focus on green resorts, and agriculture majors explore sustainable farming. If a small school is more your style, then Dickinson College in Pennsylvania provides one of the oldest environmental majors in the country. With 40 study abroad programs on 6 continents, Dickinson has a true commitment to global leadership in environmental science/studies.

Bio-Medical Engineering

This challenging field brings together the discipline of engineering with the science of medicine. Some of the most exciting research and discoveries for 2012 and beyond lie in this arena. From cancer drug development to tissue regeneration neural engineering, bio-medical engineers are on the forefront of helping people live better lives. Brown University has a growing Bio-Medical department with expansive facilities in conjunction with a top rated medical school. The Whitaker Institute at Johns Hopkins is considered to be one of the most prestigious biomedical schools in the country, and Georgia Tech also boasts a top 10 program. It is a highly competitive major however, and applicants typically need to have strong grades in 3 lab sciences, calculus, and high SAT or ACT scores.

Accounting

It may not sound sexy, but according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers' Job Outlook for 2011, 62% of employers were hiring accountants. Given the scandals on Wall St. and in companies like Enron, there are exciting opportunities with the SEC and private auditing agencies such as PwC and KPMG.

Many accountants also go on to become CFOs later in their careers, and the pay scale is attractive right out of college. NYU’s Stern School of Business boasts a top 10 accounting program in the heart of the finance world. And specialty undergraduate business colleges like Babson, Bentley and Bryant also have strong programs, as do many state universities.

Cristiana Quinn, GoLocalProv College Admissions Expert

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India - Travel trends - Cosmetic surgery in India

Mumbai is India's cosmetic surgery capital: Here's a list of medical centers and their price tags

Some estimates say the value of the market in India is about US$ 25 million.

Recently, the British government decided to impose what the Brits have dubbed as the “boob tax”.

Breast enhancement in Britain will now set patients back by an additional US$1,500, jacking up the medical bill by an average 20 percent. In the Brit taxman’s lexicon, it is Value Added Tax, applicable on all cosmetic surgeries in that country.

Here in India, the medical tourism business may be a growing sector but it still remains somewhat unregulated.

India is hovering between fourth and fifth place in the top five global destinations for medical tourism, cosmetic surgery being a part of this; and with taxes going up in the United Kingdom, Asian destinations are set to benefit.

Most experts agree that the Indian cosmetic surgery sector is growing by between 20 and 30 percent, though the exact number of tourists who visit India every year just for cosmetic surgery is not clear.

Many bundle the procedure along with their normal travel itinerary.

Figures differ from 10,000-100,000 inbound a year, depending on the source of information. And some estimates say the value of the market in India is about US$ 25 million.

Cheap rates are the main reason driving these clients to India for cosmetic surgery.

“The average dentist in the United Kingdom is not qualified for advanced cosmetic procedures,” says Dr. Mukul Dabholkar, a Bandra-based dentist. "A full mouth rehabilitation with bridgework, crowns and laminates there would cost approximately Rs 20 lakh (US$39,000). In India, this will cost Rs 6.5 lakh (US$12,600) with dentists of better caliber.

Mumbai: Bollywood clients and the rising Indian middle class

It is not just inbound clients who propel the growth of the Indian cosmetic surgery sector, but domestic clients too.

Some 50-60 percent of the total cosmetic surgery tourists annually end up in Mumbai, India's entertainment capital.

Though Chennai, New Delhi, Bangalore, even Goa and Kolkata account for the rest, everybody in the business says Mumbai stakes claim to the top spot.

Mumbai-based cosmetic surgeon Dr. Manojkumar Manwani, who has been in this field for almost two decades, is fairly clear about Mumbai’s status as India’s cosmetic surgery capital.

Of all of his clients, 50 percent are from India.

Dr. Mohan Thomas, a cosmetic surgeon who qualified in the United States and is now practicing in India, calls Mumbai the cosmetic surgery mecca.

Dr. Thomas is on India’s national advisory tourism council under the Ministry of Tourism. He revealed that until two years ago, Chennai had captured a giant share of this market because of low fees and operating costs.

Mumbai has now pole-vaulted to the top slot for cosmetic surgery in India, while all other cities are a distant second, he said.

From head to toe, Mumbai’s plastic surgeons can manipulate any outer part of the human anatomy in a long list of 175-odd invasive and non-invasive procedures.

There are also several hospitals in Mumbai that conduct these procedures, such as Bombay Hospital and Medical Research Center, Asian Heart Institute, Wockhardt Hospital and Breach Candy Hospital.

India’s upper crust, though, is no longer the sole beneficiary of the surgeon’s scalpel -- well, more usually a laser nowadays.

The great Indian middle class is a rising client with vanity high on the list of discretionary spending.

Cosmetic surgery in India is also shedding its taboo tab.

Though in existence in India for about four decades, this form of surgery was always referred to in hush-hush tones.

Film stars have always vehemently denied doing it, explaining away their chiseled bodies to gym sessions or classical dancing.

Then along came India’s first Miss Universe, model turned actor, Sushmita Sen, who in a newspaper interview acknowledged that she had had silicone implants to augment her breasts.

Many others followed Miss Sen, like dancer Rakhi Sawant and actresses Bipasha Basu, Shilpa Shetty, Sridevi and Koena Mitra -- or so this Times of India article insists.

Traditionally thought to be a woman’s market, men, too, have now emerged as new clients. And the clientele is younger too, as 20- and 30-somethings want to partake of the "plasty".

What’s on the menu?

Mumbai’s cosmetic surgeons say that for the young and the middle-aged, rhinoplasty (commonly referred to as the "nose job") is on top of the list, then chin augmentation, lip or breast augmentation, dental corrections and electrolysis hair removal.

For the middle-aged to the old, it is liposuction, wrinkle removal (popularly known as Botox treatment), thread lifts, face-lifts, hair weaving and stretch marks removal.

Foreign clients come for the “heavy-duty” stuff like abdominoplasty (tummy tucks), laser liposuction, face lifts, breasts augmentation and dental work, because these are extremely reasonably priced here.

For most foreign tourists, it becomes a “see India and get those wrinkles ironed out” kind of combined tour.

In Mumbai, a tummy tuck comes with a Rs 2 lakh plus price tag (in the United States, the price of this is about US$4,000 i.e. Rs 20 lakh), breast augmentation will set you back by Rs 2.20 lakh (between US$3,000-4,000, i.e. between Rs 15-20 lakh) while a nose job starts at Rs 1 lakh.

A Botox shot costs Rs 400 per unit (in the United States it will cost about US$70 per unit).

Amrita Ghaswalla

http://www.cnngo.com/mumbai/life/boob-talk-land-bollywood-123207

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