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How do I establish first contacts and lay the basis for a good relationship with Japanese partners?Many products and services that are successful in Europe will undoubtedly also be appreciated in Japan. Just how to find and approach potential partners in the land of the rising sun? This webinar tells you all about the appropriate channels and strategies to introduce yourself to Japanese customers. It takes you through the process from first contact making to getting ready for your initial trip...

How can I turn my first encounter with Japanese business partners into a success?This webinar has been postponed to 23/10/2018A first encounter with Japanese business partners can be quite challenging. Having a realistic view of what can be achieved at all and what pitfalls are to be avoided, is of vital importance. Not only do you need to know about the basic business etiquette. You will also have to be acquainted with Japanese communication and presentation styles. No matter if you meet up...

What are the significant advancements in autonomous driving systems in Japan?Unknown to many in the industry, Japan has a variety of autonomous driving systems developments that will likely be adopted by major automakers in the coming years. Major automakers like Toyota and Nissan are investing heavily, but so are a variety of lesser-known Japanese tech, chip and auto electronics companies. Meanwhile, Japan’s government has made development of such autonomous driving systems a key priority for...

What are the different ways for EU SMEs to access financing in Japan?It has always been difficult for EU SMEs to access financing, even in their home market. When seeking financial support for an EU SME on the Japanese market, it pays to look at Japan in the many public as well as private sources of financing.This webinar will discuss the traditional ways to access financing in Japan, as well as alternative financial support ideas. The webinar is targeted to EU companies seeking financial...

To register for this webinar, please fill the form on EU-Japan website. When do I have to pay Consumption Tax when I do business with Japan?Do I have to pay Consumption Tax? How can I get paid consumption tax back? How to deal with Consumption Tax when doing business with or in Japan is a question that is often asked to JTPP Helpdesk’s experts, as it operates rather differently from the EU VAT regime. In this webinar, Tokyo-based tax attorney Ms. Hiroko Koido will give an outline of the rules...

How do I follow up visits in Japan and keep in touch with Japanese Business Partners?As pointed out in the previous webinar, first visits are essential to get to know your potential business partners in person and lay the basis for a mutually beneficial relationship. However, they rarely produce any concrete results – let alone a contract. All the more important it is to keep in touch once you are back in your home country. Following up a visit properly shows your upright interest in the...

What are the recent developments in the AR and VR fields in Japan and where can EU companies add value to the market?Augmented reality and Virtual reality are still technologies in development but with a lot of potential in many domains. The Japanese government issued a report as early as 2016 about the expected long-term positive effects on the Japanese economy brought by AR and VR. The Japanese AR and VR market has a lot of strong players in the gaming field including Sony for Hardware or...

Would you like to seize business opportunities in Japan’s service economy? In considering a service-related business venture into a new market, one needs to maximize opportunities by taking all possible trade linkages into consideration. Access to reliable information is the key for success. When entering a particular foreign market, it is a rule of thumb to target local partners who have market knowledge and developed business networks. When growing your service-related business, it is...

How do I successfully prepare and negotiate a deal?Meetings with Japanese partners follow a different agenda than the one we are used to in Europe. They require a more meticulous preparation process and a good deal of formality. For European business people, the greatest challenge however lies in the fact that Japanese meetings tend to be lengthy and tedious and seldom produce any concrete output. Many try to speed up the process, insist on achieving visible results or put pressure on the...

What is Japan’s approach to address plastic pollution?Japan is a world leader producer and consumer of plastic and disposable products. Yet, marine pollution from plastic waste is a growing concern and, after the EU, Japan is actively preparing a new strategy to tackle this issue before welcoming the next G20 in Osaka in 2019. The webinar will introduce the Japanese market of single-use plastic products and potential substitutes, focusing on the items targeted by the EU. We will review the...

How can a European company efficiently set up and effectively utilise a representative office in Japan?This Webinar presents practical, step-by-step guidelines relevant to EU-based small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are thinking about entering Japanese markets by first opening a representative office. For many companies in Europe, Japan can appear both an attractive and a distant or unfamiliar market. For this reason, many European companies hesitate to invest in Japan, or do decide...

What Laws should you know when starting a business in Japan? Legal matters upon starting and operating a business in Japan from technical points will be described in this webinar. On the other hand, the presentation will focus on the course of actions for start-ups and how to overcome the challenges you may encounter rather in practical points of view. The webinar is targeted to EU companies seeking to launch a business in Japan, and who would need updated information about the laws and the...

Urban Technology Alliance offering European and Japanese Smart City TestbedsThe first objective of this webinar is to present the Urban Technology Alliance (UTA), a global alliance of smart city testbeds involving European and Japanaese cities and technological stakeholders. In addition, this webinar will be an opportunity to give a presentation of some of the ongoing smart city experiments within the UTA city testbeds. The webinar is targeted to EU companies and organisations seeking a testing...

How can European SMEs both overcome and exploit mutual perceptions of distance and difference between European and Japanese business environments?In contexts for international business and management, perceptions of ‘distance’ and ‘difference’ can appear as sources of high risk, threats to management control, and thus as obstacles to international business success. As illustrated in this webinar, distances between Europe and Japan can appear actual or perceived: e.g. ‘real’ in terms of geography...

Are there distinctive styles of Japanese business communication?Specifically, the webinar focuses on styles of business communication commonly used by managers in Japan, comparing these styles of communication to those commonly used by managers across Europe. The term ‘style’ comes from a Latin word stilus, meaning a ‘writing instrument’ or ‘pen’. Just as individuals vary in terms of their ‘style’ of handwriting, so individual managers in Europe and in Japan vary in terms of their preferred...

How can managers in EU-based SMEs most effectively prepare for investing in a business trip to Japan?Increasing numbers of small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Europe are looking to make initial investments in Japanese markets for their goods and services. Common approaches include attending a trade exposition or fair or by joining an EU-sponsored trade mission. This webinar offers practical guidance to European SMEs attempting to ‘stand out from the crowd’ and ‘get noticed’ in Japan...

How can EU-based small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that have invested in a business trip to Japan follow up on and gain a return from this investment?One of the challenges that managers face after returning from an overseas business trip is to identify which of the meetings and conversations at (for example) a trade fair, Expo or conference should be prioritised and followed up on. The return from business trips in Japan can be especially challenging in this regard: not only are there...

How can EU-based SMEs prepare effectively for hosting a business delegation from Japan?After having invested time, money and other resources into making initial contact and subsequently developing the basis for a business relationship with partners in Japan, one objective commonly shared by managers in European small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is to invite their Japanese partners to their ‘home base’ in Europe. One potential gain in having such an invitation accepted is that the...

What is the Japanese Renewable Energy Market Situation in 2013?BEFORE the Fukushima accident in March 2011, Renewable Energies accounted for only 9% (mainly hydroelectricity for 8%) of the total 2010 electricity production in Japan, far behind major conventional sources like gas, nuclear and coal. From a world ranking perspective, Japan was #13 in Wind Energy, #3 in Solar Energy and # 8 in Geothermal Energy. In short, the government was concentrating on nuclear and solar power generation...

How can managers in EU-based SMEs achieve clear and confident outcomes in their negotiations with Japanese business partners?Earlier Webinars in this series have illustrated how Japanese and European business cultures differ. In European cultures it is normal for people to express individual preferences and concerns directly and explicitly, while in Japan there is a shared expectation that these should be stated indirectly and implicitly, perhaps in order to avoid causing embarrassment or...