Are AI and Machine Translations Sufficient For Japan Entry? Introduction Localization is a big first step in acquiring customers in a different country or region. AI is changing the overall GTM landscape and the quality of AI and machine translations has made significant progress over the past few years. AI and machine translation can help with translating large quantities of…

Japan’s Looming Shortage of IT Talent Introduction Japan has a looming labor shortage across all industries. This expected labor shortage is commonly referred to as the 2030 problem. The government and companies have initiatives in place to address this problem, including hiring foreign workers and accelerating the adoption of technology. The need for talent in IT-related fields is no exception…

Why Don’t People Switch Jobs in Japan? Introduction It is less common for Japanese people to switch jobs and careers compared to other countries. There are a plethora of reasons people in Japan choose to switch jobs less and stick with one job. Cultural aspects and corporate structures are big drivers that result in Japanese workers staying with a single…

The Unique Role of a System Integrator (SI) in Japan Introduction The indirect sales channel can be a substantial part of revenue especially in Japan. Resellers work with customers and introduce new and fitting technologies to their customers. The importance of resellers and distributors cannot be understated, as they provide access to their customer base and their brand name. There…

Creating the Perfect Company Introduction Deck in Japan Introduction The importance of a company introduction deck cannot be understated in the purchasing process in Japan. Decisions in Japan are made through a consensual decision-making process. The first step in consensual decision-making is to make sure all the stakeholders and decision-makers have the right context. Most of the viewers will come…

Context-Building for Consensual Decision-Making Introduction Certain aspects of Japanese best practices are a manifestation of the unique business culture. Business culture is different in any country, but Japan has a few key differentiation. Decisions are made in groups, persuasion is based on application, and feedback is given indirectly. Business communication is also layered and nuanced. This blog post will focus…

Communication Style in Japan Introduction The importance of communication cannot be understated in any business context. As business cultures differ between countries, the communication style is also distinct. The Japanese communication style can be understood by borrowing a few concepts from Erin Meyer’s “Culture Map” concepts. Understanding the communication nuances is important to make sure there’s alignment. It is also…

Business Culture in Japan Introduction Erin Meyer published a book on global business cultures in 2014 called “The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business.” The book shares each country’s cultural positioning and stresses the importance of assimilating to a specific culture to find success. This blog post will dive into Erin Meyer’s findings with a focus…

Introduction Online marketing is a great way to acquire leads. The Online marketing space in Japan is similar to most markets. The Japanese Online marketing market is relatively small compared to the US. The relatively smaller market can be both a positive and a negative. Online Marketing Market Size Online marketing consists of paid advertisements through search and display networks.…

How To Create a Win-Win Relationship with Partners Introduction Working with resellers and distributors can accelerate the Japan entry. These partners have existing clients to whom they can sell to. Working with partners could jump start the Japan market entry. Though the ideal working relationship with partners can prove to be fruitful, these relationships are very rare. These relationships require…