Work in Japan

Marketing to Seniors in Japan: a Golden Opportunity

2020.03.13 www.gloture.co.jp

Japan is experiencing a super-aging society, in every area. In 2017, 35.2 million inhabitants were 65 or older. In 2020, it is supposed to grow to 36.2 million (according to Statista). It represents a huge opportunity for marketers, should they find the right way to reach out to the elderly. Nowadays, advertising campaigns which target seniors are quite offensive and aim at solving problems related to age only, like safer bathtubs or adult diapers. But people don’t stop living and having fun after 60 years old, they do more than just staying at home and playing go. Situation in Japan Japan has a huge amount of data concerning the elderly,…

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…

Decoding of the Japanese Business Negotiations

2020.03.09 www.gloture.co.jp

International trade has now become unavoidable, but even though business negotiations are happening every day, all businessmen do not know the right way to negotiate with some nations – especially with Japan. Its culture differs widely from Western countries’, particularly when we know that indirect communication is favored by Japanese. When we don’t understand how the system works, meetings and negotiations seem strange, even illogical. So let’s give a look at why businessmen act as they do to better react. Feelings & Emotions Yes, when you negotiate, you are in a professional setting – but Japanese people will avoid doing business with you if they think you are disrespectful,…

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)…

What Japanese Think of Foreigners Working in Japan

2020.03.06 www.gloture.co.jp

Because of its aging population, Japan is trying to attract more foreigners as a workforce. In 2019, 1.7 million immigrants were living in Japan, but it was not enough: the government revised laws to bring in more talents. Even though foreigners are needed, however, the archipelago remains a country where collectivism and homogeneity reign supreme. If you want to work in Japan, you will have to follow its tacit rules and understand its culture. What It Is Like to Work in Japan First, you have to understand how Japanese companies work and what the typical mindset is. Unlike in the West, the word ‘company’ implies more a whole than many…

What Business Loyalty Means in Japan

2020.03.05 www.gloture.co.jp

When we think about Japanese workers, we imagine someone working hard, all day long and who never misses work. It is called being loyal to one’s company, and it is a core value in Japan. But it does not apply only to companies, but also to suppliers or customers. Therefore, if you want to enter the Japanese market or work in Japan, you will have to understand what loyalty means and how people display it. Seller – Buyer It is fundamental for Japanese salespeople to build a strong relationship with buyers – and it is part of their jobs. As a consequence, many buyers have only one supplier for specific…

How to Make the Perfect Japanese Business Card

2020.03.05 www.gloture.co.jp

As we know, business cards are a must-have when doing business in Japan or with Japanese. The exchange of business cards (meishi koukan 名刺交換) is a tradition and it is essential to know its inner working. Sure, you need to always have some with you, but the first step is and will always be to have printed your cards. So what do you have to include on it, or not include? What are the basics and common sense concerning business cards? Essential Information Your Full Name: on the Japanese side, write your name in katakana. People will be embarrassed if they don’t know how to pronounce it correctly and have to be…

Business Cards in Japan: Theory & Practice

2020.03.03 www.gloture.co.jp

Whoever wants to do business in Japan heard about business cards and their tacit rules. If you master the Japanese culture, people will certainly have a better image of you. Instead of being the gaijin (foreigner) who wants to do business, you show that you put your shoulder to the wheel and value the Japanese culture, not only the Japanese market. The exchange of business cards (meishi koukan 名刺交換) is an essential element since a real business relationship cannot be built without it. But too many rules seem to exist: are they truly followed by businessmen? Business Cards Rules　名刺のルール (meishi no ruuru) First, let’s see what Japanese and foreigners are…

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…

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 –…