Consumer Insights
Keeping it Fresh during Summer in Japan 2021: Top…
By Melissa Francis
Here’s a rundown of 3 key categories featuring cooling goods, perfect for summer in Japan 2021.
Consumer Insights
Tokyoesque Insights
Consumer Insights
Industries
Expand into Japan’s Craft Beer Sector: Overview, Obstacles and…
By Samuel Arnold-Parra
In this article, we take a look at the trends and challenges that exist in Japan’s craft beer sector, and where the opportunities lie for collaboration.
Industries
The SaaS Market in Japan: Overview and Opportunities
By Pujya Dass
Japan is a notoriously difficult market to crack. Even many successful, established businesses entering Japan from overseas do not bother to tailor their marketing and product or service appropriately to suit Japanese audiences. This applies to the Software as a Service (SaaS) industry just as much as any other. The SaaS market in Japan is bigger than the other SaaS markets in Asia. If you invest a proper amount of time and effort, you can find many amazing opportunities generated by underserved audiences.
Read more “The SaaS Market in Japan: Overview and Opportunities”
Industries
Ways to Break into Japan’s Organic Market
By Melissa Francis
Since 2008, growth in Japan’s organic market has been marginal. Still, overall Japanese consumer awareness of organic as a concept is on the rise, along with other categories like free-from, natural, and vegan. Supermarkets like AEON have been increasing their line-up of organic and natural products in order to meet the growing demand, including everyday staples like rice, miso and tea.
Japan also has few organic exports to other countries, with what is produced being consumed domestically. Australia, the US and Europe are some of the key international markets exporting their organic goods to Japan. Because Japanese consumers are still learning about the benefits of organic and what sets it apart, there is significant room for development over the next few years.
Read more “Ways to Break into Japan’s Organic Market”
Guest Articles
Guest Article: Designing for Export to Japan
By David Tonge @ The Division
Designing for Export to Japan
In the light of Brexit, many UK based companies are exploring Japan as a potential export market.
I have been working inside and outside of Japan for over 25 years. With my design company The Division and our Tokyo partners we help companies to navigate, design and communicate better for the Japanese market. And conversely help Japanese companies to export their unique Japanese identity to overseas markets.
Our work covers a broad spectrum including the design of consumer electronics, automotive and health and beauty products. Our clients include Brother, Dell, Denso, Kohler, Nissan, Panasonic, Shark, Shiseido, Sunstar, Toto and Zojirushi among many others. Our work for these brands has been successful from a business viewpoint as well as winning many coveted global design awards.
Read more “Guest Article: Designing for Export to Japan”
Interviews
4 Quick Insights from a PR Expert in Japan:…
We recently chatted with a PR expert in Japan, Mr. Yusuke Kamimura from PR & digital marketing agency ShapeWin Corporation. He delivered some key insights for businesses looking to promote themselves in the Japanese market. Here, we have condensed them down into 4 quick tips.
Introduction message from Mr. Yusuke Kamimura:
“My name is Yusuke Kamimura. I am the President of ShapeWin, which is a PR & digital marketing agency based in Tokyo, Japan. In 2007, I graduated from Tokuyama National College of Technology and majored in computer science and electronics.
I later joined SEGA TOYS as a marketing executive and product producer. In this role, I was involved in marketing toy products and appliances using popular children icons such as Doraemon, Anpanman, and Disney characters.
In 2011, I decided to go independent, and I founded ShapeWin Corporation. My vision is to provide marketing strategy & PR, and sales support for various startups across Japan and abroad.
Over the past 10 years, ShapeWin has successfully supported the development and promoted numerous startups from their beginnings all the way to IPO launch.”
Interviews
Interview with Sandy Tung: Urban Mobility, Innovation, and Smart…
We sat down with Sandy Tung, Technology & Innovation Lead at Greater London Authority (GLA) to discuss developments, opportunities, and trends in London’s smart city space, as the government looks at ways to promote improved urban mobility and develop smart cities further.
Marketing
Japanese Department Stores and Opportunities in the Luxury Pre-packaged…
By Maxim Tvorun-Dunn
Japanese Department Stores, or depaato have been a staple of modern Japanese consumer luxury retail and a spectacle in marketing and architecture since the 1920s. While being a key facet of urban life amongst turn-of-the-century modernity, department stores globally have found uncertainty in the digital age, hastened by recent pandemic events.
Marketing
What’s a Powerful Strategy for Marketing Sustainability in Japan…
By Maxim Tvorun-Dunn
As the current pandemic continues to restructure how we consume media and which methods are working best for marketers, this article examines how Japanese companies have attempted to adapt their communications around the climate crisis in this ever-changing environment, and highlight how they’re responding to the issue of sustainability in Japan.
Industries
Trends and Opportunities in Japan’s Tea Sector 2021
By Maxim Tvorun-Dunn
In this article, we outline the trends and opportunities that exist in the global tea industry, honing in more specifically on Japan’s tea sector.
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