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Article written by Chieko Nakabayashi, Expert on Japan’s Service Industries, Brussels, Belgium – October 2013Japan’s service industries have grown significantly as part of total economic activities since the 1970s. This does not mean, however, that Japan’s services are replacing manufacturing goods as national outputs. It rather indicates that the relationship between manufacturing and services has become deeply interdependent. At the core, Japan boasts some of the best manufacturers in the...

Article written by Masako Kato, Intercultural management consultant, itim international, Helsinki, FinlandYou all know that Japanese customers have expectations of high quality. But even with your top quality products/services, you may still face some challenges with Japanese customers. Here are some ex­pectations of Japanese customers and tips to cope with them.

Article written by Michio Matsuzaki. In the event that a Foreign Corporation launches a Business in Japan:Representative Office:A representative office is suited to the preparatory stages of a business launch by a foreign company on a small scale in order to study Japanese markets and to plan for business structures etc. in the future. A representative office can be easily set up without registration. A representative office is, however, not permitted to get involved in any of actual sales...

Article written by Lyckle GriekWhat are your opportunities in Japanese Public Procurement?Do the JTPP Quick Scan!Getting to know your market is one of the more difficult issues which you must resolve before venturing into a new overseas market. Basic questions such as “Is there a market for my products?”, ”Who would buy them?” and “Are my prices competitive?” are usually the first that come to mind.Purchases made by Japanese government organisations represent a huge and extremely diverse market...

Article written by Michio Matsuzaki. Part 1) Statutory InterestsThe Civil Code of Japan was first established in 1896 as the basic rule governing civil matters between/among individuals and business entities, which is comprised of five parts, i.e. “General Provisions”, “Real Rights”, “Claims”, “Relatives” and “Inheritance”. As time goes by with the advance of Japan’s society some parts of the law seem no longer sufficiently cover and govern those relevant matters in modern society and the...

Article written by Lyckle Griek, Owner, Japan Unlimited Consultants & Liaisons, Workum, NetherlandsSimilar to Europe, government, business and research institutions in Japan are active in tapping the potential of the so-called ‘Triple Helix’. A large number of networks of ‘San’ (Industry), ‘Gaku’ (Academia) and ‘Kan’ (Gov­ernment) are closely cooperating in order to generate an innovative business-cycle based upon academic research.At the local and regional level, governments and universities...

Article written by Philippe Huysveld, CEO & Senior Consultant, GBMC (Global Business & Management Consulting), France -February 2015Often, companies entering new markets are forced to work with local partners and to form Partnerships or Strategic Alliances, and therefore to share business or profits, because of inadequacies related to different types of resources required to succeed (for example, capital, technical know-how, specific market knowledge or experience in the business environment)...

Article written by Michio Matsuzaki. The Companies Act has been in effect since May 1, 2006 onwards. Enforcing the Companies Act did not mean simply revising the previously existing Commercial Code, but rather abolishing whole parts of the Commercial Code regarding companies and the Law of Yuugen-Kaisya (hereafter YK - a limited company) etc. Therefore, the contents of the Companies Act cover broad areas of doing businesses in Japan.Below are the points of the Companies Act regarding setting up...

Article written by Olivier Van BenedenA few years back while visiting Japan, a former university classmate and I stopped by a convenience store to buy some drinks in order not to arrive empty handed at the home of Saito, a common friend. As I grabbed some Asahi beer, my friend was quick to remind me that Saito worked for the Kirin beer company. While somewhere else the choice of what to get would present no dilemma, we both knew that it would be inconsiderate to our friend not to get Kirin beer...

Article written by Philippe HuysveldWhen fine-tuning a B2C marketing (and e-marketing) strategy for a specific foreign market, it is crucial to take into account cultural and social aspects. That is, you have to get familiar with the local consumer mentality, habits, tastes and ways of living. This is more than true and paramount for the Japanese domestic market, which is in his way a challenging “retail laboratory” where new marketing concepts are developed, tested and launched!In this article...

Article written by Philippe Huysveld, CEO & Senior Consultant, GBMC (Global Business & Management Consulting), France - December 2013The first half of 2013 has seen the beginning of formal negotiations between the European Union (EU) and the Japanese government with the purpose of concluding a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) or even an Economic Integration Agreement (EIA) between Europe and Japan. In parallel, the Country of the Rising Sun has confirmed its participation to the negotiations for the...

Article written by Olivier van Beneden. Why is reporting so important in Japanese companies?Information sharing and reporting is often a cause of friction in Japanese companies. Here is one extreme example that shows just how serious the implications can be.A Japanese company in the Netherlands appointed their first European CEO (previous CEOs were Japanese). This person, let’s call him John, had only worked for American and European companies previously. Soon after his appointment, the amount...

— Latest update: March 2024 — AI is an indispensable tool for business success these days. In Japan, the demand for AI in business has been growing year by year, and it is positioned as an essential technology tool for Society 5.0, which is the goal of the Japanese government. The rise in research and public investment in AI over the past few years can be attributed to the tremendous potential of the AI industry. More active business cooperation between the EU and Japan is expected. Table of...

From the EU Japan Centre for Industrial corporation - Brussels office, we want to introduce you to one open innovation program hosted by a Japanese company.

You are a European Union company/organisation and you need specific information that is not available online? Feel free to submit your question to the EU-Japan Centre and it will do its utmost to provide you with the answers you are looking for. Please be aware that questions (unless confidential) and their corresponding answers could be stored and made available online in the Q&A database. If you have a question about the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, please mention the HS code of...

JTPP Helpdesk strives to support European SMEs during the whole process of tendering in Japan, using internal and external experts. A substantial part of these expert-services are free and covered by the Helpdesk. JTPP Helpdesk strives to offer tailor-made support to its clients, with a first answer two business days. We will be happy answer any of your questions regarding public procurement and, if necessary, bring you in contact with the appropriate experts.

In Japan, only certified tax and accounting experts are allowed to provide legal advice. To support you with more complex legal questions with regard to your tax matters in Japan, JTPP Helpdesk has established linkages with a network of taxation and accounting experts. JTPP Helpdesk works among others with member of the TKC National Federation, a federation of almost 10.000 licensed tax accountants, primarily providing services to SMEs. Among these, there are a substantial number of tax...

Autonomous cars, commonly known as self-driving cars, aren’t new to the Japanese automotive industry. There will be more cars in the coming decades but fewer drivers on the road.

If you are targeting a Japanese company, it is essential to have a thorough understanding of the business model so that you can adapt your approach accordingly.

Japanese consumers have different appetites and expectations than Europeans. If your product or service is to succeed in Japan, you need to know what is expected of your product(s) and what consumers do not want to see. In order to gain that knowledge, it is essential for you to know about their lifestyle, habits, etc. You must also be aware of specific consumer behaviour within certain segments of the Japanese market, such as among elderly and young people.Table of ContentsConsumer...