Perspectives
Ideas for crossing markets with intelligence.
Practical thinking on Japan market entry, cross-border positioning, go-to-market execution, and building technology businesses between markets.
Cornerstone guide
How to Enter the Japanese Market: A Practical Guide
A decision framework for moving from Japan expansion interest to a focused thesis, credible market validation, and a route to first customers.
Read the guideHigh-intent guides
For teams actively planning a market move
How U.S. SaaS Companies Should Enter Japan
A staged market-entry playbook for SaaS teams deciding whether Japan deserves investment, how to validate demand, and what to localize before scaling.
11 min readJapan Distributor vs. Subsidiary: Which Entry Model Fits?
A practical comparison of distributor-led entry and establishing a Japanese subsidiary, including control, cost, learning, credibility, and timing.
9 min readHiring Your First Japan Country Manager
What the first Japan leader should actually own, when to hire, how to avoid the “one-person strategy” trap, and what good first-year outcomes look like.
10 min readJapanese Pricing Localization: Beyond Currency Conversion
How to adapt pricing and packaging for Japan without defaulting to discounts, arbitrary yen conversion, or a completely separate business model.
9 min readWhy U.S. Messaging Often Fails in Japan
The problem is rarely that American copy is “too American.” It is that the message assumes a buyer context, category frame, and proof standard that may not transfer.
8 min readEntering the U.S. Market for Japanese Startups
A focused U.S. expansion playbook for Japanese startups that need to sharpen positioning, choose a beachhead, and validate a repeatable commercial motion.
10 min readJapan → U.S. Enterprise Sales: What Changes
How Japanese B2B companies should adapt enterprise selling for U.S. buyers without discarding the rigor, product quality, and relationship discipline that already work.
10 min readField notes
All perspectives
Why Foreign Companies Fail in Japan
The recurring problems are less about cultural mystery than about untested assumptions, weak localization, poor channel design, and insufficient commercial commitment.
9 min readJapan Market Entry: Distributor, Partner, or Direct Sales?
A decision-oriented comparison of the three common routes to market—and the questions that matter more than the label.
10 min readSelling B2B Software in Japan
How enterprise expectations, localization, procurement, implementation, support, security, and partnerships shape the software buying journey.
11 min readLocalization vs. Translation: What Entering Japan Actually Requires
Translation changes language. Market entry also requires decisions about meaning, product experience, proof, pricing, trust, and execution.
8 min readWhat Japanese Companies Get Wrong When Entering the U.S.
Common U.S. expansion mistakes emerge when companies understate differentiation, target too broadly, and preserve home-market sales and messaging assumptions.
9 min readApply the thinking
A market is learned through action.
Explore our Japan market-entry work, U.S. expansion work, or begin with a readiness check.
Take the market-entry diagnostic