Japan was closed to the outside until the Meiji Era (1868), but still learned, adapted and perfected techniques. Craftsmanship was widespread and well regarded. The country strongly industrialized until World War II. It was dominated by big industrial groups like the Zaibatsu, which were linked to families like Mitsui, Mitsubishi, Sumitomo and Yasuda.
Japan is different. Yes, we have all heard this sentence before. And for many of us, make that too often before. Yet when it comes to public relations, a smartly localized approach can produce superior results—especially in Japan. The reason is—you’ve seen it coming—that the market has quite a few peculiarities. Interestingly enough, many international companies don’t localize smartly and […]
This phenomenon exists not only since 2011, when many foreign expatriates in Japan have left the country all of sudden because of the Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami. Yes, the event caused a leadership vacuum in some organizations many did not recover from until today. But its origins nevertheless are older and also truly local due to the group-oriented socialization of […]
By Yoshihiro Sugita, General Manager, Industrial Service at TÜV Rheinland Japan Industrial accidents in Japan According to recent statistics by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the number of industrial accident fatalities is decreasing constantly, except for the extraordinary rise in 2011 because of the Great Kanto Earthquake and the following nuclear power plant accident. The number reported […]
Japan’s declining population is expected to lead to slower market growth. One measure by the Japanese government to counter this development is trying to attract more investment from overseas. In fact, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) aims to double foreign direct investment (FDI) stocks to up to 35 billion yen by 2020. Reasons to enter Japan One […]
Japanese service is known for its superior quality all over the world. Visitors experience this already when they arrive at a Japanese airport and need public transportation. Service staff is very friendly and guides non-Japanese speaking foreigners toward their destination. Restaurants provide menus with pictures of dishes and drinks often even for Japanese guests. Shops commonly offer to ship purchased […]
Japan fascinates with its coexistence of old, sometimes archaic companies and extremely modern high-tech. It is the result of a deliberate attempt to defy Schumpeter’s theory of destruction and creation – so far with success. Japan has a reputation of being one of the innovation and high-tech power houses of the world. It certainly deserves this image well. Hybrid cars, […]
by Kazushi Arima, General Manager, Mobility at TÜV Rheinland Japan Research on electric cars In 2011, TÜV Rheinland organized a global opinion survey about electric cars. The result showed that people are generally positive in their acceptance of and expectations toward so-called e-mobility. More than half of the people surveyed in 10 out of the 12 countries studied expressed […]
Energy storage may not sound particularly sexy, but it is one of the topics that is shaping the future of mankind. Because for a sustainable future, renewable energy is essential. But compared to fossil-based power generation, energy from renewable sources cannot be produced as steadily. The sun shines, or it does not. Wind blows, or it does not. This in […]
This article series tries to shed light on the characteristics of Japan’s Science and Technology system. We begin with a historical view to see how science and technology developed, the implications for the current Science and Technology system and especially the transfer of knowledge from science into industry. A very basic characteristic of Japan is its ability to learn from […]
Japanese high-tech firm QD Laser Inc. and the Medical Faculty of German University of Duisburg-Essen have signed an agreement for cooperation at The University of Tokyo today. As part of the Memorandum of Understanding, the Eye Clinic of Essen University Hospital will perform clinical studies and research with the innovative retinal imaging laser eyewear (LEW) model developed by QD Laser […]
These days, news are full of multinational companies accused of shifting their profits to low tax jurisdictions. But with a corporate income tax rate of 36%, Japan is not really a location where companies want to artificially transfer their profits to. More often than not it will take time and patience to break even and make profits in Japan. This […]
The CxO’s Headache In March 2006, I was in a meeting room with a local CFO of a leading European company. My colleague and I were invited to discuss how they can increase their profit by improving the way they buy things. There were two issues causing a headache to the firms CFO. First, no one in the procurement team […]
Japan is better prepared for the next industrial revolution than it seems at first sight. But the companies have to embrace change to stay in the race. Do you know the Borg, the cyborgs from the science-fiction universe Star Trek, who assimilate civilization after civilization? For years the German industry warns its colleagues abroad, that the dawn of the Internet […]
It is no secret that many small and medium-sized enterprises (SME’s) in Japan often have excellent technologies at their command. Yet many are focusing more or less on their domestic market. But as promotion by the government or private initiatives is stepping up, they attract higher attention from overseas. And as they become increasingly open themselves, foreign companies have more […]
