3 Learning Lessons Foreigners Doing Business in Japan Learn Way Too Late

Let’s face it, starting a business or trying to grow it in Japan is extremely difficult and even more so if you’re a foreigner.

To be completely honest, sometimes it can feel so daunting that you often wonder, what’s the point?

Between the hurdles that the Japanese government throw at you to the racism that exists every time you try and grab a seat at Starbucks, you probably think, “Why on earth did you choose Japan of all places to launch or market your business?”

Well, if you’re like us, the answer to that question is because you love you this place, the people, and the things that can be good about the culture or lifestyle.

You also believe, like so many others, that something great is slowly happening in Japan.

You believe that there is a movement happening and, though only at its infant stage, if you can use your gifts as a marketer, entrepreneur, or artists to be a part of it then everything else is all of the sudden worth it.

But if you’re going to run a business here or try and market it to Japanese consumers, please try and avoid these mistakes along the way.

Not having enough Japanese partnerships

What were you thinking trying to get another Gaijin to be your partner or opting in to choose that foreign vendor first before having a Japanese option to vet?

Look, just by writing this, we’re calling out ourselves out since we’re a foreign company, but the truth is you have to think differently about growing your business in Japan and that means working with the culture and not against it.

If you’re an entrepreneur trying to build a business, then go ahead and build an international team but be sure to find a Japanese representative who can act as your ambassador between all things Japan.

If you’re a marketer, you need to have a larger team of Japanese speaking and writing experts. For example, when we entered the Japan market, the first thing we did was ensure we had legible copywriters. This ensured that we were able to modify and adjust our Japanese content and writing based on the audiences we were targeting.

This has worked for us as we can now turn around faster content projects but also because we can work directly better with Japanese clients- because you know, we’re in Japan.

Speaking of, here’s another thing to avoid doing.

Forgetting that you’re in Japan

Seriously people, how many times do businesses need to receive a lecture about the fact that they are marketing to Japanese people, not Americans, Europeans, or even Chinese. This is so simple, yet forgotten everywhere.

Foreigners in Japan working in business, entrepreneurship, or advertising have this idea that a 30 year old in Japan deals with the same problems as a 30 year old in the US.

Not so. Different generations here have different expectations and with those expectations come pain points that need to be solved by new ideas and a different type of product.

This is yet another reason something as significant and viral as Buzzfeed in the US struggles to get 30 likes on a post here in Japan.

So, please refrain from starting conversations like, “This would be huge in Japan”. You don’t know that, so don’t waste your time and bank account on trying to find out.

You’re in luck though, because even Japanese customers have trouble understanding or accepting the reality of the people either facing them on the subway or looking them in the mirror everyday.

This means there is a chance to dive deeper into what these people care about and re-work your idea, thinking, or even approach more toward that.

To be successful in this, we would consider writing a blog series or running a couple test campaigns to better understand the market so you can deliver a better solution to the customer.

Speaking of the customer, here’s another mistake to avoid.

Only thinking of yourself

I had a call with a friend today and we chatted about Japan, Gaijin culture, marketing and more. The dilemma most marketers have and entrepreneurs here seem to lose grasp of is that this is not about you.

Let us explain, we get what you’re doing. You’re building a business, marketing a product, or just trying to survive in a foreign country you’re having second thoughts about.

This being the case you’re scrambling around trying to market, sell, survive and just make something happen for yourself.

Guess what, that’s human nature. You’re surviving and there is nothing wrong about that, we’ve all been there.

But desperate people looking to sell to survive hardly thrive.

Do you know who does thrive? Those who realize this was never about them building an empire in the first place but finding a way to solve problems for a people, community, and country that they seem to have a passion to serve and make better.

Let’s face it, Japan is a tough place to succeed as a foreigner and we could write an entire blog post about all the legal, visa, and contractual nuances that make you want to vomit.

But if there is any advice we could give either to marketers or entrepreneurs looking to thrive in Japan it would be to find a way to re-evaluate every day by taking your own pride out of the equation and look deeper at how you can serve and help those around you.

We’re not saying it’s easy, and Japanese individuals aren’t necessarily looking to discuss their problems or receive help, but in our experience problem solvers who have found a way convey compassion for the customer before trying to win their commerce seems to be the foreigners who are able to survive past their mistakes.

Is this you? It could be.