History of Ramen in Japan: Quintessentially Japanese

14 May 202014 June 2020

By Jane Buhnn

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.

Ramen Bowl — Source: Instagram—Ichiran_JP

Marketing

Tokyo 2020 Marketing & Brand Campaigns: Before the Postponement

6 May 202022 July 2020

By Melissa Francis

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.

Source: Shutterstock

Case Studies

Case Study: Helping British Game Alliance Reach New Clients in Japan

30 April 20209 June 2020

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.

Consumer Insights

Golden Week 2020 in Japan: Focus on Dining In and Home Entertainment

23 April 20208 October 2020

By Melissa Francis

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.

Golden Week 2020 Japan KFC — Source: KFC Japan

Interviews

Talking Japan Digital Strategy with Global Digital MOJO Carly Yoshitani

16 April 202011 June 2020

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.

Japan Digital Strategy Global Digital Mojo — Global Digital MOJO Japan Team

Business

How Japanese Companies are Rising to the Japan Remote Work Challenge in 2020

9 April 202022 July 2020

By Melissa Francis

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

Japan Agetech: Seize Opportunities in a Growing Market

1 April 202013 September 2020

By Melissa Francis

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

Japan Market Startup Training Case Study for 13 Businesses: Startup Bootcamp Osaka

12 March 20206 June 2020

We assisted a tech startup accelerator in Japan by undertaking Japan market startup training for innovative foreign startups aiming to capture the Japanese market.

Japan market startup training and expansion — Source: Shutterstock

Consumer Insights

Change from Crisis? The Reaction to Coronavirus in Japan

5 March 202011 June 2020

By Melissa Francis

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.

Coronavirus in Japan Students Masks — Source: Guideable.co

Interviews

Interview with Akio Fujii, Japan M&A Specialist

27 February 202011 June 2020

Japan M&A transactions have been on the rise. Since 2014, the number of outbound M&A (Merger & Acquisition) transactions from Japan increased by 58% to reach a total of 720 deals in 2019 with Asahi Group’s acquisition of Australian drinks giant Anheuser-Busch Inbev SA/NV topping the list at a value of $11.3 billion USD. 40% of the top ten outbound deals were made with European companies.

As for inbound transactions, only one of the highest ranking deals was made by a European company (Sandoz International GmbH’s acquisition of Aspen Japan KK at a value of $441 million USD), with the key companies being Japan’s Softbank and South Korea’s NAVER Corporation who increased their existing 73% stake in LINE Corporation to a complete acquisition at a value of $3.4 billion USD in December 2019.

This week, we were fortunate to have the chance to speak with Akio Fujii, a longstanding specialist in working on Japan M&A, both between Japanese companies as well as between Japanese and global companies. He kindly agreed to give us the low-down on his key professional endeavours, experiences in the M&A world, and some advice for foreign businesses looking to do deals in Japan.

Check out his latest article over on LinkedIn entitled ‘What it Takes to Change Japan’.

Tokyoesque Insights

History of Ramen in Japan: Quintessentially Japanese

By Jane Buhnn

Tokyo 2020 Marketing & Brand Campaigns: Before the Postponement

By Melissa Francis

Case Study: Helping British Game Alliance Reach New Clients in Japan

Golden Week 2020 in Japan: Focus on Dining In and Home Entertainment

By Melissa Francis

Talking Japan Digital Strategy with Global Digital MOJO Carly Yoshitani

How Japanese Companies are Rising to the Japan Remote Work Challenge in 2020

By Melissa Francis

Japan Agetech: Seize Opportunities in a Growing Market

By Melissa Francis

Japan Market Startup Training Case Study for 13 Businesses: Startup Bootcamp Osaka

Change from Crisis? The Reaction to Coronavirus in Japan

By Melissa Francis

Interview with Akio Fujii, Japan M&A Specialist

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