It seems that the word “innovation” has been used since very early times, and that term still sounds more appealing and exciting for me. However, we might be able to say “Game Changer” instead of it. What do you come up with after listening to the word? Leading-edge technology? Or professor Clayton Christensen at Harvard Business School? Interestingly, I suppose each person has a different definition of innovation. For example, the meaning of innovation in Japan, where I was born and raised, equals technological innovation.

So-called innovation is familiar to me. That is common now but was not so in…

I live in Japan, but I suppose Twitter is the most popular social media platform in Japan. Maybe, the characteristics of Twitter, such as anonymousness and easiness, fit into the Japanese people. According to public information, Twitter in Japan has about 45 million users (MAU), which is more than Instagram (33 million) and even Facebook (26 million) in the Japanese market. Many Japanese enjoy Twitter very uniquely. As soon as someone posts a specific hashtag (theme) on Twitter, for example, many people there would jump on it with joking, sarcasm, criticism, and so on. This style is called Twitter Ogiri…

The market size of influencer Marketing had been increasing smoothly, but many campaigns were postponed or canceled due to COVID-19. It can’t be helped because influencers seem tone-deaf during this crisis. However, even if this chaotic situation continues to influence us, I believe the essential quality of influencer marketing won’t change. That means that we are often influenced by the people we trust or respect. The essence of influencer marketing won’t change, but I guess the definition of the influencer itself will vary greatly.

The term “Influencer” turned out to be something negative

Many influencers had backlash from their followers and society because of their wrong behavior. I can’t…

The spread of COVID-19, a/k/a novel coronavirus, recklessly pushed many brand’s campaigns into postponement or cancellation. On the other hand, several countries like China, the U.S., and others that had horrible damage already try to resume their economy gradually. Of course, such a situation depends on each region. What we can say for sure is that this pandemic has changed our mindset and lifestyle very significantly. Based on these facts, how should the marketer behave in a post-novel coronavirus era?

Nobody can predict our future

Many people want to know when we will be able to go back to normal. But, as a matter of…

The Japanese bullet train, a/k/a Shinkansen, is a well-known public mode of transportation for Japanese people. When the passengers use the train, they often see the landscape of cleaning crews who clean the seats and prepare for the next operation on the train. Such a view is not unusual for many passengers, but they might be special for some business people. Why? That’s because Harvard Business School decided to choose cleaning crews at Tessei as one of the case studies among many companies.

If you are interested in this case study, I recommend that you purchase the document from the…

I feel fewer startup companies aim at the Japanese market from their own countries, just as Japanese startups hardly aim at the global market. Not that the barrier in the Japanese market is higher, but in my opinion, they make the priority of venturing into the Japanese market lower. Why isn’t the priority of entering the Japanese market higher than the priority for entering into any other foreign market? I guess there are several reasons why they hesitate to expand their business into the Japanese market.

Unique Language

In my opinion, nobody can underestimate the so-called language barrier.

Basically only Japanese people…

Japan is the third biggest market. The Chinese market is the second in the world, but the Chinese government and authorities have cracked down on foreign companies. Therefore, I might be inclined to say that Japan is practically the second-biggest market after the U.S.

I heard that mega-social media platformers regarded the Japanese market as the actual second-biggest market in the world. They decided to build the development team in Japan for the first time except for their headquarters in the U.S. They focus on the Japanese market more than other foreign markets.

I was born in Japan, and I…

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus attracted much attention across the globe. Many foreign media agencies covered not only the situation of Wuhan in China but also a cruise ship, the Diamond Princess, docked in Japan at that time. It is hardly surprising because many passengers who came from many countries around the world were on that vessel. I feel the attitude of the Japanese government to the tough situation of the Diamond Princess exposed the typical strengths and weaknesses that many Japanese people have. …