Export to Japan

GUESTS:

• Rupert Daniels, Director, Creative, Consumer, Sport and Education, Department for Business & Trade.
• Carolyn Davidson, Commissioner General for the UK Pavilion, Osaka Kansai Expo 2025.

As hosts of Expo 2025, the global spotlight will be shining on Japan, and the Kansai region. In anticipation of this major event, we bring you and episode introducing the vision for Expo, looking at how we are also promoting business engagement and how UK companies can use EXPO 2025 as a platform to enter or expand their presence in the Japanese market.

Steve talks to the Osaka Kansai EXPO 2025 Commissioner General, Carolyn Davidson. Carolyn provides an overview of the plans for the duration of the EXPO. The episode also features a conversation between Carolyn and DBT Director for Creative, Consumer, Sport and Education, Rupert Daniels, while he was visiting Japan, to engage with existing and potential stakeholders of EXPO.

To find more information about OSAKA EXPO 2025 - you can visit our dedicated webpage where you will find further links and details of business tenders, theme weeks and the programme of events running up to and throughout the EXPO period:

https://exporttojapan.co.uk/sector/osaka-expo-2025/

************************************

The Export to Japan Podcast series is supported by The Foundation for International Trade and Industrial Co-operation (ITIC).

Kicking off a new season of conversations for 2024-25, Steve has a really valuable with Valeria Vigilante and John Austin-Sheridan from the Free Trade Agreement Utilisation (FTAU) team within the Department of Business and Trade (DBT).

The CEPA (UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) was the first trade agreement made after the UK left the EU. The conversation delves into the benefits of the FTA and how companies can find out if they can capitalise on any of the changes. The UK is also reaching the home straight to 'entry into force' of CPTPP (Comprehensive & Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership). Being part of this important trading block will improve conditions for British companies exporting across the region.

Browse our wealth of Japan-specific guidance across ExporttoJapan.co.uk, and reach the DBT export support service via our contact page.

You can also find export support on Great.gov.uk where you will have access to additional guidance, tools, and services as well as the export support service.

• https://www.great.gov.uk/

You can check their dedicated market guide on Japan where you can find specific information on doing business and operating in Japan and a link through to the wider resources on Export to Japan, additional guidance on CEPA and CPTPP will be published later in 2024.

• https://www.great.gov.uk/markets/japan/

Guests:

• John Austin-Sheridan: Account Manager – FTA Utilisation team (Department for Business and Trade)
• Valeria Vigilante: CPTPP Lead – FTA Utilisation team (Department for Business and Trade)

Steve caught up with Naomi in her capacity as Relationship Manager of FinCity.Tokyo. The conversation was a fascinating dive into the promotion of Tokyo as a global financial hub, great opportunities for UK companies in the sector and the support offered by the FinCity.Tokyo and its members.

With members comprising financial institutions, operating companies, industry groups and government agencies, FinCity.Tokyo aims to showcase Tokyo as a top-class global financial city.

Learn more at the FinCity.Tokyo website

Connect with FinCity.Tokyo on LinkedIn

The Klein Dytham architectural practice is behind award winning projects. Mark Dytham has over 30 years of experience from first encounters with Japanese architecture heroes, through establishing a practice in Japan and the myriad relationships built across the creative and construction industries and the wider business community in Japan. Here, among many keen insights, Mark sheds a light on the current state of construction and on market trends for office spaces.

For more information about Mark's work with Klein Dytham architecture, plus the great work building connections in the creative industries through the regular 'PechaKucha' events, visit their website: http://www.klein-dytham.com/

In this episode we reconnect with our very first guest, Tim Romero, who brought his insights from the world of startups.

Today we have him back for a fascinating chat covering a range of topics including changing receptivity to innovation and collaboration amongst industry and government in Japan, as well as touching upon the hot topic of digital transformation.

At the time of talking to Tim he is about to embark on his new role as Partner at JERA Ventures, investing in startups that can support the Japanese energy firm deliver on decarbonisation and digital transformation. Among his vast experience he also provides perspective from his recent position as Head of Google for Startups Japan.

Tim is also the host of his own successful podcast focussing on startups changing Japans economic landscape: Disrupting Japan.

Disrupting Japan Podcast:

https://www.disruptingjapan.com/disrupting-japan/

JERA Ventures:

https://www.jera.co.jp/en/corporate/business/ventures

Our previous catch-up with Tim:

https://exporttojapan.co.uk/the-world-of-japanese-startups-with-tim-romero-2/

In this episode Steve chats with experienced lawyer, Hiroshi Chiba, of Uchisaiwaicho Law Firm. With his speciality in employment law, Chiba-san provides key insight on the subject. From recruiting and managing Japanese staff, through the particularities of Japanese employment law, what happens if something goes wrong, and how to avoid it in the first place!

Hiroshi Chiba can be found here:

http://chiba-lawfirm.com/english/

The webpage and access to all the other valuable resources of Export to Japan can be found here:

https://exporttojapan.co.uk/employment-law-in-japan-with-hiroshi-chiba/

There's also the YouTube version if you want to subscribe to the videos:

https://youtu.be/RFElaBKtEmA

Welcome to the new season of episodes. Kicking off with a conversation about Intellectual Property with Mori-san from Shiga International Patent Office.

https://shigapatent.com/en/

The UK-Japan Digital Partnership was signed at the end of 2022. Steve talked to Jana Psarska earlier in the year to discuss the implication of the agreement, the priorities and collaboration in digital technologies, infrastructure and data.

Jana enlightens us on the complimentary strengths of the UK and Japan, the importance of commitment to like-minded partners to help drive the UK's digital strategy, and opening up opportunities for British companies.

techUK is a trade association bringing people, companies and organisations together to realise the positive outcomes of what digital technology can achieve. They create a network for innovation and collaboration across business, government and stakeholders. Find out more at: https://www.techuk.org/

More about the UK-Japan Digital Partnership: https://www.techuk.org/resource/uk-and-japan-launch-new-a-digital-partnership.html

Professor Joe Howe and Richard Lyle talk to Steve about the hydrogen economy in Japan.

Professor Joe Howe is Executive Director of the Thornton Energy Research Institute of the University of Chester, Chair of the Northwest Hydrogen Alliance, and academic lead at Hynet, among other roles. He has strong connections with Japan and shares his valuable and extensive knowledge and experience on the status and progress in hydrogen technologies, and commercial opportunities.

Richard Lyle appears again on the Export to Japan podcast, but this time in his role leading on energy sector projects for Intralink. Intralink were commissioned by the British Embassy Tokyo to report on the hydrogen economy in Japan. Richard brings his experience of supporting companies entering the Japanese market to offer advice on talking to potential partners.

Useful links including the Intralink report on the Hydrogen Economy, can be found at episode notes on the Export to Japan Podcast page: https://exporttojapan.co.uk/podcast/

The second part of Steve's chat with Anil Malhotra, Chief Marketing Officer (and co-founder) speaking from the UK, and Andy Suzuki, SVP for APAC, based in Tokyo.

Bango's recent acquisition of the global payment business of Japanese telecommunications giant NTT Docomo, prompted us to get in touch with Andy and Anil for a discussion on the route they have taken to build trust and establish themselves in the Japanese market. Learn about the rise of Bango, its long connection with Japan and hear Anil and Andy's perspective on long-term relationships, persistence and investment needed to achieve success in Japan.

Don't forget to listen to Part 1 first:

More information about Bango:

Bango has developed unique purchase behavior technology that enables millions more users to buy the products and services they want, using innovative methods of payment including carrier billing, digital wallets and subscription bundling. Bango harnesses this purchase activity into valuable marketing segments, called Bango Audiences. Merchants use these audiences to target their marketing at paying customers based on their purchase behavior. Better targeting increases spend through the Bango payments business, in turn generating more data insights, creating a powerful virtuous circle that drives continuous growth. Everyone connected to the Bango Platform thrives as the virtuous circle grows.

The world's largest online merchants, including Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), use Bango technology to acquire more paying users.

Find out more at Bango.com