Industries 
This week, guest author David Hepburn weighs in on cross-cultural design collaborations between Japan and Europe. He is a brand ambassador and consultant on Japanese design and culture, and advises food & drink brands in the UK.
Read more “3 Great Japan-Europe Design Collaborations”
Consumer Insights This week, we go on a very specific journey into the cultural and culinary aspects of ramen in Japan, and what makes it quintessentially Japanese, with this guest post, contributed by Jane Buhnn.
Whenever Japanese food comes to mind, chances are, you think of ramen. Everyone is familiar with this favourite noodle dish, thanks to its rich soup and tasty hand-made noodles. Interestingly, however, ramen wasn’t always the Japanese staple that it is today.
Marketing Originally, this post aimed to highlight how brands were keeping the sense of excitement high among locals for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Even though the COVID-19 situation has resulted in the event being postponed until the Summer of 2021, the marketing behind it no less relevant as inspiration. Here, we take a look at some of the Tokyo 2020 marketing campaigns run by both sponsors and non-sponsors alike with the objective of boosting audience engagement and intrigue around the event.
Case Studies The British Game Alliance (BGA), the foremost supplier of British game meat, was looking to expand their offering to Japan through luxury restaurants, hotels and resort chains as well as distribution channels.
Read more “Case Study: Helping British Game Alliance Reach New Clients in Japan”
Consumer Insights Across social media platforms, the #おうち時間 (#AtHomeTime) hashtag has been widely used to demonstrate how people can make the most of their time spent at home during lockdown, owing to restrictions on mass gatherings and days out. Travel is normally especially popular during Golden Week 2020 in Japan, with many workers choosing to go abroad or pick a destination within Japan for at least a few days.
Given the current situation, as locals may be wanting to find other ways to entertain themselves, brands are honing in on ways to maximise indoor enjoyment primarily those offering food and entertainment services. Let’s take a look at some of the Golden Week campaigns set in motion by brands in these two sectors, both local and international.
Interviews We recently caught up with Carly Yoshitani, Studio Administator at digital transformation agency Global Digital MOJO. With a total of seven offices worldwide, Carly is part of the Osaka team in Japan. In the latest of our interviews series, we wanted to find out more about the work they’ve done, and continue to do, in the Japan digital strategy market.
Business In Japan remote work is referred to using a number of different common terms, including 在宅勤務 zaitaku kinmu (telecommuting), the most direct translation リモートワーク rimooto waaku, or テレワーク terewaaku (telework). Those who are based remotely from the outset as a consistent way of working are taking part in what’s known as furu rimooto waaku (full-time remote work).
Industries In this post, we look at Japan agetech and elder care and some of the tech solutions addressing common issues. What does Japan’s current senior demographic look like, and what’s helping boost longevity and overall happiness?
Case Studies We assisted a tech startup accelerator in Japan by undertaking Japan market startup training for innovative foreign startups aiming to capture the Japanese market.
Consumer Insights Let’s focus on the coronavirus in Japan itself. Being so close to China and relying on Chinese tourism to boost the economy, the outbreak has inevitably had a knock-on effect in Japan. As global pandemics tend to do, coronavirus has given rise to worldwide panic as we continue to find ways of staying safe and work towards developing an effective vaccine. In this article, we outline some of the key happenings related to the coronavirus in Japan and how it has impacted thinking around certain topics.