Useful Resources

Beginners

Everything About Japanese Culture for Businessmen

If a foreign company wants to enter the Japanese market, learning the language is not enough. Even if you speak really well, faux pas slow down your business and harm your credibility. Whether you want to create a website, post on social media or meet professionals, there are a few things you should pay attention to. You can also read about the Japanese business etiquette to know the dos and don’ts when participating in professional meetings. Colors Color meanings change depending on countries and sometimes regions, so it is important to know them in order to avoid delivering the wrong message. Black: both positive and negative, it represents elegance, sexuality…

Crowdfunding in Japan

How to Write & Submit a Press Release in Japan

Press releases are not to be overlooked since it is a basic way to make your product known – whether you are doing crowdfunding or want to sell a good or service. Basically, you write all the essential information and send your text to press companies to attract new customers. It must be catchy and make readers want to buy your product, but not only. Here are the best tips for you to succeed! Benefits of Press Releases Why should you write and send a press release? It is a marketing method really effective, the cost is not very high but the impact on your sales is big. It will also…

Marketing in Japan

How to Use Hashtags on Social Media in Japan

Hashtags are extremely useful to attract new followers, so potential new customers. Nowadays, you cannot find success without creating an account on (the right) social media networks and without knowing how to get new followers. So let’s get right into this! What Is a Hashtag? “Hashtag” is the name of the hash symbol # and is mainly used to classify or categorize posts on social media. Someone who is looking for posts on a specific subject (technology, an event, a person, etc.) will find many by adding this symbol before keywords (#tech, #olympics, #trump, etc.). If he/she doesn’t choose popular keywords, however, he/she won’t find anything very interesting. This is…

Challenges

How the Coronavirus Pandemic Impacts Japanese Companies

As of March 23th, 2020, the coronavirus infected more than 337,553 people and killed 14,654 of them. In the archipelago, 14,654 cases and 41 deaths were reported, which makes people wonder if the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will start as scheduled. Unlike people in many countries, the Japanese are not locked up, even though some restrictions are set. They can go out as much as they want but the government asks companies to implement teleworking. So how does Japan, a country where it is valued to spend never-ending hours at work and to build relationships during drinking parties (nomikai), deal with this crisis? Companies Opt for Teleworking Both the government and…

Tech

What You Need to Know About Drones in Japan

Drones, or unmanned/uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAV), have become very popular over the years. Before being commercialized, it was created for military use only and many restrictions were implemented. Nowadays, anyone can buy a (small) drone and fly it – but restrictions are still imposed. The rules are not the same depending on the country, so let’s start with that. Drone Laws in Japan New laws started to be enacted for low-altitude drones when a man used one of them to transport radioactive sand and land on the Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s office (in 2015). Fortunately, he was out of the country and nobody was hurt (the level of radioactivity was…

Beginners

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

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

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,…

Beginners

Useful Japanese Language Resources for Beginners

The most useful and important way of integrating into a culture is to learn the language. For people who are thinking of going to Japan for business, I would highly recommend for you to learn the basics. Chances are the people you encounter will speak relatively good English but it sets a good impression if you know some of the fundamentals. For example, if someone asks if you are doing well you can reply with げんきです (genki-desu) and it sets up a more intimate connection. This may sound obvious, but first impressions are everything in Japan. Knowing the language is advantageous, it will help you stand out and ensure that…