Export to Japan

Steve talks to Bango's 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 origins and rise of Bango and its long connection with Japan. Hear Anil and Andy's perspective on long-term relationships, persistence and investment needed to achieve success in Japan.

It was such a fruitful discussion that it has extended into two parts!

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

Rutherford's bags are a success story of grassroots consumer goods expanding into the Japanese market. Capitalising on the value and trust Japanese consumers put on high quality British products.

Alex Hughes has been working with a Japanese distributer for over 10 years and has great insight into maintaining the working relationships and the investments required to successfully embed into the Japanese market.

Find out more about Rutherford's: https://rutherfordsengland.com/

Find out more about the consumer goods market in Japan: https://exporttojapan.co.uk/sector/consumer-goods/

Steve catches up with Gary Waterfall, the Senior Defence Advisor to Clarion Defence & Security (not to mention the (now retired) Air Vice Marshall's packed military career and being part of The Red Arrows!).

DSEI JAPAN 2023 comes after the recent reciprocal access agreement between UK and JAPAN, as well as the landmark GCAP (Global Combat Air Program) - the trilateral agreement (along with Italy) to work together on the next generation combat aircraft for cutting edge air defence.

Gary and Steve explore what the new agreement means and what opportunities this opens up for companies across the whole supply chain.

Clarion Defence & Security are organising DSEI JAPAN in March 2023:

JAPAN'S ONLY FULLY INTEGRATED DEFENCE EVENT

DSEI Japan is the only large-scale, fully integrated defence event to take place in Japan, providing unprecedented levels of access into the Japanese and wider Asia-Pacific market.

DSEI Japan will take place from 15-17 March 2023 at Makuhari Messe, Tokyo.

Find out more via: exporttojapan.co.uk/dsei-japan

Nanako Aramaki, Chief Localisation Officer, from Tokyo/London content marketing agency Tamlo, joins Steve in a chat that covers the specific considerations for digital marketing in Japan. Copying and pasting your global campaign won't cut it! Localisation is the key. We also cover social media in Japan, the rise of influencer marketing, and the importance of building trust with your Japanese audience. Nanako brings a fresh perspective. Enjoy!

For more on marketing in Japan visit the sales and marketing section at https://exporttojapan.co.uk/guide/

For more about Tamlo visit: https://tam-tamlo.com/en/

How a 17 year old British programmer brought to Japan by Nintendo went on to found one of the most successful independent games development studios in Japan! - PART 2

As we head toward the New Year, how about catching up with the rest of Steve's conversation with Q-Games to motivate you with their success story?

Hear about getting to know and work in, the often challenging but highly rewarding, Japanese market. And the nurturing environment of Kyoto, as a contrast to the non-stop metropolis of Tokyo.

For more information and updates from Q-Games:

Website: https://www.q-games.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PixelJunkNews

Play the PixelJunk Scrappers Deluxe Demo: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1663210/PixelJunk_Scrappers_Deluxe/

And as promised in the chat here's a link to Bitsummit:

https://bitsummit.org/en/

How a 17 year old British programmer brought to Japan by Nintendo went on to found one of the most successful independent games development studios in Japan!

'tis the season! A wintertime two-parter to warm your cockles!

Steve tucks into hearty conversation with Dylan Cuthbert and Hollie Hughes from Kyoto-based Q-Games. Learn more about Dylan's amazing journey, being brought to Japan by Nintendo, working with Sony and Google, to founding his own company in 2001. Hollie covers the valuable marketing role at Q-Games. Together they cover the gamut of topics from digital publishing and marketing in Japan versus the UK, great insight on getting to know Japan, to the benefits of setting up business in Kyoto.... so much to unpack from these two special episodes.

Keep your eyes peeled for Part 2, coming just before New Year!

For more information and updates from Q-Games:

Website: https://www.q-games.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PixelJunkNews

Play the PixelJunk Scrappers Deluxe Demo: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1663210/PixelJunk_Scrappers_Deluxe/

Steve talks to experts from Dentsu and E&Y Strategy & Consulting about opportunities around OSAKA EXPO 2025 and beyond.

OSAKA EXPO 2025 "Designing Future Society for Our Lives" is a great opportunity to shed light on the vast potential of the Kansai region and western Japan. There is a lot going on beyond the metropolis of Tokyo.

Kay Nemoto, Senior Business Co-creation Producer at Dentsu, and Minami Uchida, Partner at E&Y Strategy and Consulting, offer their thoughts and experience on the aspects of supporting large events, potential for international companies to get involved, and what it could mean for further opportunities in the challenging and rewarding Japanese market.

For more information and updates on OSAKA EXPO keep an eye out for further reports from Export to Japan, as we watch the developments leading up to 2025 very closely. Of course, with keen focus on how the UK pavilion shapes up!

You can also visit https://www.expo2025.or.jp/en/

In this month's instalment Steve chats with Richard Lyle, the new(ish) President of the British Chamber of Commerce Japan (BCCJ).

With the mission to strengthen business ties between UK and Japan, BCCJ is a not-for-profit private membership organisation that brings together representatives of UK and international businesses to promote networking and information exchange.

Ahead of the prestigious British Business Awards, Richard enlightens us on the great initiatives spearheaded by BCCJ and the value of membership.

More information on BCCJ https://exporttojapan.co.uk/about-us/your-strategic-partners/british-chamber-of-commerce-japan/

Steve talks to Masayasu Ishida, the President and CEO of SPACETIDE Foundation.

Discussing the current status of commercial space opportunities in Japan and beyond. As well as opportunities for UK players to collaborate and get involved.

Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum Official Website: https://www.aprsaf.org/annual_meetings/aprsaf28/meeting_details.php

SPACETIDE Contact Information:

Official Website: https://spacetide.jp/en/

Email: [email protected]

In this episode, Steve talks financial services with Takuma Tanaka, Deputy Director of the Strategy Development Division of the Financial Services Agency in Japan (JFSA). The two discuss the opportunities in Financial services in Japan, recent policy changes and the challenges that still remain in the market. Helpful links: International Financial Center Japan https://www.fsa.go.jp/internationalfinancialcenter/en/ JFSA on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/financial-services-agency-japan/