Doing Business in Japan
Many articles and books have been written about the subjects of “Doing Business in Japan” or “Doing Business with the Japanese”.
Some of them focus on Cross-cultural Management issues, others on Sales & Marketing issues and, finally, some others on Entry Strategy issues.
At GBMC, we cover all fields:
1) “Doing Business with the Japanese” in Japan:
In 2012, the EU-Japan Centre carried out a Survey of EU SMEs on their Internationalisation towards Japan (Source: In Search for Growth: Towards a New Role for SMEs in EU-Japan Relations, EU-JAPAN CENTRE FOR INDUSTRIAL COOPERATION 2013). The obstacles most often mentioned by respondents (126 European SMEs) were:
- Language barriers (55%),
- Difficulty to grasp business practices,
- Costs,
- Difficulty in understanding the local laws or regulations,
- Conforming to Japanese standards.
So, you have a “Homework” to do when approaching one of the most dynamic and challenging market in the world!
In our book “The Ultimate Survival Guide for Business in Japan”, we cover the following Cross-cultural Management issues:
[ Part I – Cross-cultural Management
Chapter I – Culture Basics in Japan
Chapter II – Group Spirit and « Nemawashi »
Chapter III – An Innovative Country
Chapter IV – « Omotenashi »: the Customer Service Mindset
Chapter V – The Sumo-way of Negotiating ]
For availability, please check the GBMC’s eBooks section at: http://www.gbmc.biz/GBMC_eBooks.html
You will also find links to many other articles from us.
Finally, as part of our consulting offer, we also provide (more details from: http://www.gbmc.biz/Japan_Training_Lecturing.html)
– Cross cultural training for European staff in Japanese companies
– Training for European companies who work with Japanese companies (Japanese customers, clients or partners): Japanese business etiquette, Japanese business culture, doing business with Japan ….
2) “Doing Business with the Japanese” in Europe or abroad:
Japanese companies have been major long-term investors in Europe and other parts of the world.
In the following Publications written for the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation, we have interviewed the executives of
14 Japanese companies and public/trade associations about the EU as a Destination for Japanese Investments.
> Title: “An assessment of key EU industrial sectors open to Japanese technological cooperation and investment”
This publication will help Japanese researchers, companies and other organisations take advantage of the considerable opportunities to establish and develop industrial activities or relationships in the EU. It begins with an explanation of how EU industry is expected to change, the impact and benefits the EU Single Market offers, how IPR protection is simplifying and strengthening, and new opportunities under the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme. Then, it identifies key industrial sectors and sub-sectors likely to be of potential interest to Japan, including brief mention of some of the countless recent examples demonstrating the already-close industrial ties. Finally, its case studies outline the experience of 14 Japanese companies and business federations which have established activities in Europe.
Direct Link: http://www.eu-japan.eu/sites/eu-japan.eu/files/AnAssessmentOfKeyEUIndustrialSectors_FINAL.pdf
> Title: “Destination Europe – The EU Single Market: an attractive destination for Japanese FDI”
This publication is an information material on the European Union as an attractive destination for Japanese investments. The European Union has historically been a major destination for foreign direct investment, offering Japanese companies the benefits of a Single Market of more than 500 million people. At the same time, there is still a considerable potential for further expansion of Japanese investment activity in the EU Member States now that the economies of Japan and the EU are on the way to becoming even more integrated as a result of the ongoing Free Trade Agreement negotiations. Japanese companies and investors will find useful information about the benefits of the EU Single Market that will encourage them to invest in one or several of our 28 Member States.
Direct Link: http://www.eu-japan.eu/sites/eu-japan.eu/files/DestinationEurope_1.pdf
Finally, as part of our consulting offer, we also provide (more details from: http://www.gbmc.biz/Japan_Training_Lecturing.html);
– Cross cultural training for Japanese expatriates working in Europe
3) “Doing Business in Japan”:
In our book “The Ultimate Survival Guide for Business in Japan”, we also cover the following Sales & Marketing/Entry Strategy issues:
[ Part II – Sales & Marketing Strategies
Chapter VI – Business Basics in Japan
Chapter VII – B2C Marketing
Chapter VIII – B2B Marketing
Chapter IX – Long-term B2B Sales Strategies
Part III – Japan Entry Stratégies
Chapter X – Indirect Sales
Chapter XI – Direct Sales
Chapter XII – Strategic Alliances and Partnerships ]
For availability, please check the GBMC’s eBooks section at: http://www.gbmc.biz/GBMC_eBooks.html
As the more you know about Japan, the better it is, you might as well:
– follow our Blog: http://gbmc-blog.biz
– register to our Mailing List on: http://www.gbmc.biz/Home_Page.php
– follow our company page on Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2420671
– check out our book (in French) about the History of the Japanese Economy:
“Lecture Economique de l’Histoire du Japon” (for availability, please also check http://www.gbmc.biz/GBMC_eBooks.html)
Finally, as part of our consulting offer, we also provide (more details from:http://www.gbmc.biz/EU-Japan_Consulting.html)
– EU-Japan Market Entry and Development Consultancy
– Japan Executive/Business Coaching Service
– Foreign Trade/Exhibition/Event Support Business Services
– Translation/ Interpreter Services & Language Courses
For more information, questions, comments or requests, you can also contact us at info@gbmc.biz
www.gbmc-blog.biz 
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