Leveraging Japan: Marketing to the New Asia

Those foreign-owned companies thinking of setting up shop in Japan must read Leveraging Japan first. After arriving in Japan, you'll find yourself referencing this book often. In particular, manufacturers of consumer goods will benefit from the insights offered by these 3 authors. Manufacturers of industrial goods may get less out of this book. Although written back in 2000, Leveraging Japan is still a tried and true analysis of the Japanese consumer market. You'll learn why Western-based manufacturers of consumer goods prefer to enter Asia via Japan, not China. If you are not a manufacturer, then I would instead recommend a book such as Saying Yes to Japan: How Outsiders are Reviving a Trillion Dollar Services Market.

As both a Japanese and an experienced marketer who got the master degree of marketing in the U.S. recently, I do recommend this book for your "must-read." There may have been a lot of books titled such as "Marketing in Japan," and they might have taught you "Bow each other and give your name card when you see Japanese business person at the first time." It's really awkward for Japanese. And I had been very curious why foreign marketers have repeated to fail in Japan's market and why they have misunderstood or overlooked Japan's culture, infrastructure, and fundamentals as a lucrative consumer market. The book will show you the change of Japan as the most important market and the portal to Asia into new era, but will tell you the principle of multicultural marketing that has not changed, as well. The reliable statistics and tips/topics in the book are absolutely terrific to depict the real Japan. It must be helpful for you to know and success in the market.

For 15 years now I have consulted for US companies planning to enter the Japanese market. It has been some time since I read a book this up to date, this exciting, this accessible on the subject of entering the Japanese market in the English language. The main shortcomig of the book is its misleading title: the book is really about the changes in the Japanese market due to the changing consumer demographics and attitudes, regulatory restructuring, and the ongoing revolution in distribution systems; about the recent experiences of US entrants (1994-98) into the market; and the reasons why some succeeded while others failed. The books makes three exellent points: that the Japanese market place is changing dramatically; that foreign companies with the commitment and the resources to enter the market directly can and do make lots of money in Japan almost immediately; and that Japan offers much better profit and growh prospects to American companies than the ephemeral but fashionable emerging markets of SE Asia. The book presents issues of doing business in Japan from the point of view of large, determined, well capitalized companies entering the market through their own directly owned subsidiaries and makes the point that this may be the only fool-proof method to do well in that market. It isnt cheap, but worth its price as a guide and a reference book.

This book details the atmosphere in Japan since the Asian Crash. It contains the most current information (released 1/04/00) on Japanese market conditions. This information has assisted me both in understanding my multinational clients' needs as well as directed me toward the legal advice I need to advocate in entering this market.