J-power: How two Japanese food brands in Singapore thrive when others fail

SINGAPORE – Opening a casual, upscale or fine-dining Japanese restaurant used to be a no-fail proposition. Build it and diners will come. Not any more. Diners tightening their belts in the midst of global trade and political tensions, and rising costs – now exacerbated by war in the Middle East – have affected restaurants of all stripes. Add to that the allure of Japan, where the strong Singapore dollar goes further and where Singapore travellers flock to every chance they get. In the past two years, many Japanese restaurants have shuttered. The most recent is the casual chain Itacho Sushi,…