Set up a Company in Japan

Marketing in Japan

The Best Japanese Website Design

2020.03.12 www.gloture.co.jp

The characteristics of a good website design are not the same depending on countries. Making the right decisions will increase traffic and improve your company’s image. A great website in Europe will be seen as sad in Japan, colors don’t have the same meaning, numbers neither… If users are familiar with your design, they will trust the brand better and stay longer. So let’s see what the best websites look like in Japan and how to improve yours. Case Study: Starbucks English version As we can see, the style is more refined, whitespace filled. There is less text, almost none. A big font size is used for the main information…
Set up a Company in Japan

How to Build Your Network in Japan

2020.03.06 www.gloture.co.jp

Whether you want to do business in Japan or already work there, networking is essential to achieve success. But how to build and feed your network in Japan? Places First, even though social media is essential, it is not easy to expand your network well without actually meeting people. Not only in Japan, but everywhere else: if you overlook the importance of physical contact, your number of connections will not increase very fast, or not increase at all. But Japan has some specificities concerning the places you should go to meet professionals. Nomikai The word nomikai means ‘gathering to drink’ and it is a big part of the Japanese (business)…
Set up a Company in Japan

Particularities of the Japanese Distribution System

2020.03.02 www.gloture.co.jp

Selling in Japan is different from selling in Europe or America. The distribution circuit is characteristic, with some barriers for imported products. Because of its sorts of tangled model, distribution in Japan has been misunderstood by other countries, leading to some trade problems and disputes. The model is changing, but the number of ‘mom-and-pop’ (speciality or semi-speciality) stores remains bigger than elsewhere, with around 373 thousand stores according to Statista (in 2014). So what does the distribution look like in Japan now? Stores in Japan There are three main types of stores, if we except the (semi-)speciality ones. Merchandise Stores (GMS) マーチャンダイズストアmaachandaizu stoa They specialize in ‘groceries, perishables, clothing, household…
Marketing in Japan

Offer the Best Customer Service in Japan

2020.02.28 www.gloture.co.jp

Everyone knows that the customer is king. But it is pushed to extremes in Japan – the customer is not king, but God. Hospitality is an essential value, you must satisfy people’s needs and avoid offending them. When entering a store, every employee shouts, ‘irasshaimase!’ (which can be translated as ‘welcome’) and bows a little. Hierarchy is omnipresent in the Japanese society, in all kinds of relationships (a senpai should be respected by his/her kouhai, the eldest child by his siblings, a teacher by his/her students, etc.). But in business, not showing respect or not giving of your best to your customers – or at least not pretending to –…
Marketing in Japan

How to Build Customer Trust in Japan

2020.02.27 www.gloture.co.jp

The Japanese market is the third largest in the world, so the competition is stiff. If you want to find your place in the sun when doing business in Japan, building and maintaining trust is essential. People are looking for reliable companies and entrepreneurs, their behavior will change depending on whether they trust a brand or not. Note that you can start building trust before you set a branch in Japan (thanks to your network, for example). Why Trust Matters in Japan The Edelman Trust Barometer is a useful source of information for companies. It analyzes markets and usually compares it with other countries, and it pointed out that yes,…
Marketing in Japan

How to Have Your Business Succeed in Japan

2020.02.25 www.gloture.co.jp

Japan is the third largest world economy, behind the United States and China. It has a sizeable population and a ready market, as well as other factors ready and available to help a business grow. However, Japan has been classified as one of the most difficult places to establish a business and succeed, when compared to other industrialized nations. Despite this, many companies have seen huge successes in the Japanese market. The truth of the matter is that setting up a business in Japan, as with most countries, requires significant up-front work. Starting a business in Japan isn’t difficult and does not require huge startup costs. If you have a…
Co-working spaces

Coworking Office Spaces in Tokyo

2019.08.22 www.gloture.co.jp

Shared work-spaces are becoming more and more popular within white collared jobs. Not only is it just a cheaper alternative for companies, but it has also become a popular choice for small businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs. It enables their employees to have more flexibility and provides a different experience from traditional office spaces. Benefits of co-working Spaces First, good working conditions equate to good work. If you choose a bar or a café as your office, it will be noisy and your table will not be as convenient and large as a desk. You will not have everything within easy reach, in case you need more pencils, sheets or if…
Beginners

Six Tips to Ready Your Crowdfunding Campaign for Expansion Into the Japanese Market

2019.08.07 www.gloture.co.jp

So your company just successfully funded its crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter or Indiegogo. Congratulations! Maybe you’ve already started manufacturing of your product or even sales to consumers. Now’s the time to look into expanding to the Japanese market. If you want to succeed, you’re going to want to avoid the mistakes of companies that have come before you. You also should follow these six tips on how to best prepare your entry strategy into Japan. 1) Do your research The first step any company should take before stepping foot in Japan is substantial market research. This means understanding your sector in Japan, the existing competitors, and the needs of Japanese…
AI

Spotlight on the AI Market in Japan

2019.08.05 www.gloture.co.jp

One of the most promising tech trends of the near future is AI, or Artificial Intelligence. Definitions of what exactly AI is varies, but generally the term refers to computer systems’ technologies that are able to perform functions that replicate human intelligence and thought. As research and development of AI technology grows stronger, companies are constantly finding new potential applications, but also face the risks of overly intelligent machines that have long been the subject of dystopian sci-fi films. The U.S. and China are seen as the two leading countries for AI technology and development. The U.S. leads the development side with over 1,000 AI-related companies including Google, Amazon, Microsoft,…