start a business in japan tanejapan

Start a DTC business in Japan easily and economically

Our mission is to become a solution for international businesses in Japan. We are a team of experts on the Japanese market helping companies to expand their business in the Japanese market. Our core expertise is in the lifestyle, fashion and retail sectors, providing services ranging from localised marketing to DTC business in Japan. As we are bi-cultural, we understand both the target market and aims and strategies from both sides.

Why now is a great time to focus on Japan to expand your business?

T A – N E Story

What we didn’t know was that western countries far from China would be affected more severely than Asian countries by the economic crises (COVID-19 pandemic). The UK is one of the worst-hit countries in the world. Due to the prolonged strict lockdown, my hospitality business has come to a halt and the news of the closing of mega stores and businesses hit the headlines. At the same time, whenever I had video calls with my family in Japan, I was envious of their almost normal life and how businesses were running as usual. It also reminded me that If you don’t sell into the markets with the strongest and most resilient economies, it’s inevitable that your business will be weak. As a marketer who has spent many years helping international companies expand their business in Japan, I thought this was an opportunity for businesses suffering from the pandemic to   Japan to offset the decline in the home market.

But, I realised when it comes to sourcing information on the Japanese market in English, it is almost non-existent. Moreover, this area of business is somewhat unclear and it can be difficult for international companies to find solutions to successful expansion in Japan. As an example, I heard about a fashion accessories brand attending an exporting event run by the government in the hope of finding some guidance. At the event, there were some Japanese-owned companies who help to export, but the fashion firm felt none of them could understand their target market and business goals. 

Even though we are living in a digitally connected world with infinite information, I felt Japan is like a mysterious treasure Island you can’t reach – a land of gold as Marco Polo wrote, literally.

During the lockdown, my passion for introducing this land of gold and leading the people to an expedition of success in Japan quickly grew. Then, I started to reunite with people, who are experts in the Japanese market to help with business expansion in Japan. This led to the creation of T A – N E Japan.

A point often overlooked is that Japan is in the rest of the world category, but it is, in fact, one of the important major countries for business, with the world’s third-biggest economy and a market where consumers love Western design and products. Why this gap? The problem is that many companies think that having a business in Japan is very difficult and expensive, and beyond imagination for many.

However, the world is changing and the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift in business models. As a result, it is now possible to create a future-proof DTC business in Japan, which is cost-effective and a proven way to grow sales. This means that today, you can scrap the old model of finding a distribution company to sell products or establish an expensive and complicated Japanese office. The new business model allows you to open up the market easily and economically and sell your products directly to Japan’s 120 million wealthy customers.

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