Leading a healthy lifestyle has always been important in Japan, but recently it has reached a new level and become fashionable. Though old news to some, health and beauty products with collagen are advertised and pop up everywhere, targeting women who are yearning for perfect skin. Fad diets have always been around, but now there are more and more fad exercises. The most recent highly publicized and popular import fad exercise is Billy’s Boot Camp. As for sports, the rage right now is running, and although not everyone is catching on, many running related products are gaining interest among those who never before thought of it as a sport. Women are the main target for these new exercises and sports as they are the main consumers. Interestingly enough, in a country where vegetarianism and veganism never really caught on and is still struggling for exposure, the macrobiotic lifestyle has recently received a lot of press. Mineral water has as well, even among a population whom once saw no reason to pay for water when it was always available for “free.”

Japanese firms are once again on a global buying spree. Headlines are reminiscent of the late 1980s–the last time Japanese companies did a lot of overseas acquisitions. In a variety of industries, Japanese have seemingly suddenly decided that they want to expand internationally. In some cases, it’s a desire to use some of the cash that has been accumulating due to recently improved corporate profits. Also, many Japanese firms are realizing that they need to gain more bulk if they are going to be competitive on a global basis. After watching from the sidelines as Western firms engaged in an extended bout of merger mania over the past couple of decades, Japanese companies feel that they need to play the same game in order to avoid being dwarfed. A desire to get further involved in markets that are growing faster than Japan’s is also a motivation. And of course there’s always the glamour of international M&A. Even if what you’re purchasing isn’t Rockefeller Center, hey it’s still fun to buy something overseas.

As a result of this new merger wave, Americans and Europeans in a wide range of industries are suddenly discovering that their company has just been sold to a Japanese buyer. They wonder “What’s going to happen?” “Should we be panicking?” and “How do we prepare?”

In this article, I will discuss some of the things that you can expect if your company is purchased by a Japanese firm, and some things that you can do to prepare yourself and your organization for making a successful transition.

Nothing Drastic Right Away
Westerners are conditioned to expect that an acquirer will come in and start making drastic changes very quickly. However, Japanese firms tend to have a different modus operandi. When a Japanese company acquires a foreign firm, it is unlikely to want to rock the boat right away. Seldom will there be a sudden layoff or change in management. Japanese firms tend to prefer to keep the current management intact, for various reasons including that they usually don’t have enough bilingual management talent internally to send to take over. So they need the current management and staff to stay on.

Westerners also tend to expect an acquirer to come in with a clear and detailed plan of what they are going to do with the acquired company. What the strategy will be, how post-merger integration will be handled, etc. However, the reality is that Japanese firms will seldom come in and quickly unveil a detailed strategic document of the type that Westerners might be looking for. Typically, the Japanese plan will be to spend some time getting to know and understand the operations of the acquired firm before fleshing out their plans. Until that happens, any strategic pronouncements that do come from senior Japanese management will tend to be quite vague.

What You Can Expect
One thing that you can expect after being acquired by a Japanese firm is a lot of questions! Japanese are famous for being detail-oriented, and you will be sure to get a dose of that rather quickly. Because Japanese like to study things thoroughly before making any decision, they will want to get as much information as possible about how your company ticks before they reach any conclusions about potential changes. Expect to play host to flotillas of visitors from the head office asking to see detailed documents. And probably several younger Japanese will…

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Up until now it was rare for the travel industry in Japan to aggressively target visitors from abroad. However, there has been a recent rise in interest not only within the travel industry but from beyond to provide opportunities for visitors to experience a more in-depth view of Japan.

An example of tours that provide this deeper view of Japan is one that delves into the world of sumo. Participants watch the wrestlers practice in the morning, try a little sumo, and eat chankonabe, a special hotpot that sumo wrestlers often eat.

At a more local level there is a sushi restaurant that allows visitors to make sushi. After the lesson participants have a greater appreciation for the art since they can taste the difference in professionally made sushi. Another example is aimed at those who wish to experience Old Tokyo for cheap by staying at guest houses with themed rooms that are decorated with a hint of Edo. For a modern alternative, capsule hotels and comic cafes are also gaining popularity as a place to stay replacing your average hotel.

Japan Close-Up is an English language monthly magazine committed to bringing the latest in Japanese business news. Find articles on the latest marketing trends and products plus in-depth insight on working in Japan.

This magazine is essential for those interested in finding a niche market in Japan for their products and services, as well as those interested in working in Japan.

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The low birthrate will inevitably reduce the size of the children’s market. On first glance that would seem to be a perfectly natural conclusion, but the reality is that the children’s market is showing unexpected activity. Three new “wallets” are pumping money into a number of child-centered markets. (read more)

(article by PHP)

The Kamu series of high-class bedclothes features totally new designs that have never appeared before.
These bedclothes were born out of a tie-up with Carre MOJI, an interior calligraphy gallery that adds modern, stylish DNA to the traditional Japanese culture of calligraphy.

For information on Maizuru Trade Co., Ltd. please refer to the Maizuru Trade Co., Ltd. website or send an inquiry.

In countries where bicycles are an important means of transportation yet space is always a limitation, Marunaka’s portable bike Carry Me is great news. A manufacturer in Taiwan developed this product which folds up to become 30 cm in width, 114cm in height, and 21cm in depth (minus the pedals). This compact size is extremely convenient for those looking for the perfect solution to avoid not only bicycle theft but those living in confined spaces. Not only is it small but very light at only 7.9 kilos. Currently they are sold in Japan in six colors at a little less than 600 US dollars.

Unics specializes in special technical coatings including polyurethane. The company has a wide range of experience in industrial equipment beginning with parts feeders, by making use of specialized urethane, Teflon and nylon coating technology and engineering plastic processing technology.

For information on Unics Co., Ltd. please refer to the Unics Co., Ltd. website or send an inquiry.

Fifty years ago Kikkoman Corporation predicted that the soy sauce market in Japan would decline. In response, the company decided early on to expand to the overseas market during a time when no other Japanese company in the food industry would dare try. Just as predicted the soy sauce market continued to shrink in Japan. However, Kikkoman was able to support itself by its sales activities outside of Japan, which make up more than half because of Kikkoman’s early entrance in the overseas market.

Unlike now where Japanese food is widely known outside of Japan, fifty years ago the average American was far from interested in foreign flavors. However, by staying true to the motto, “when in Rome, do as the Romans do” Kikkoman was gradually able to introduce soy sauce into the All-American kitchen. Instead of introducing Kikkoman soy sauce as how it is use in Japan, the black and white Kikkoman commercials of the time tried to grab the interest of these average Americans by introducing soy sauce as a type of barbeque sauce. Kikkoman’s teriyaki sauce was also introduced into the market as a barbeque sauce and became a big hit. Since then, although more people are using soy sauce in Asian dishes, its use has expanded to be used as flavoring for non-Asian foods such as sandwiches and frozen foods.

Geo. Prince Takeshita Co., Ltd. specializes in manufacturing and sales of fixtures, furniture-use and glass-use hardware, and construction materials.

For information on Geo. Prince Takeshita Co., Ltd. please refer to the Geo. Prince Takeshita Co., Ltd. website or send an inquiry.