Category: Japan & Korea

Exporting to Japan: A Complete Guide

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Japan is a highly developed country with a population of around 130 million people. With a strong purchasing power, it’s also comparatively digitized with a strong credit card and smartphone penetration.

This makes Japan one of the most interesting Asian countries for cross-border eCommerce sales.

Still, a majority of small European and American business owners merely focus on local markets and don’t grasp the opportunities to export to countries like Japan.

In this article, we review the following topics:

  • How to find Japanese customers
  • Trade fairs
  • Do I need a visa to visit Japan prior to exports?
  • Finding a Japanese distributor
  • Registering your trademark in Japan
  • Japanese certification standards
  • Shipping products to Japan
  • What are the biggest eCommerce platforms in Japan?

Continue reading Exporting to Japan: A Complete Guide

Top 5 eCommerce Websites in Japan: An Overview

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Japan’s retail industry changes quickly as more and more shoppers switch from bricks & mortar stores to eCommerce options. There are plenty of benefits of being an online-seller here. The country has a small land area which makes deliveries swift and at a low-cost.

Besides, it has some of the most developed distribution channels globally with a large population that has a strong purchasing power. Even if Amazon is one of the most popular eCommerce marketplaces in Japan, there are several other websites that foreigners have barely heard of.

In this article, we list the biggest eCommerce platforms in Japan, explain their history, and what makes them unique. Let’s get started with the biggest one.

1. Amazon Japan

This company needs no further introduction as it’s the biggest eCommerce platform in the world and the third most valuable company, right after Microsoft and Apple. The company made revenues worth around USD 281 in 2020 and with a market value of around USD 1.69 trillion.

Amazon can be found in dozens of countries all over the world and is not limited to a few markets like Rakuten, Lazada, or Tmall, for example. Even if Amazon has seen great success in Western countries, it’s not as big in Asian countries like Vietnam, China, Thailand, the Philippines, Korea, and Singapore.

In fact, the company pulled out of the Chinese market due to fierce competition from local marketplaces. Continue reading Top 5 eCommerce Websites in Japan: An Overview

List of Korea Company Formation Agents: Top 5 Picks

Posted on by Marcus Sohlberg — 2 Comments

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In this article, we list some of the most popular company formation agents, including a presentation about the companies and their management, services, and countries of operation. The list consists of companies that are both Korean and foreign-owned.

At the end of the article, you’ll also find a useful FAQ with questions that are frequently asked by readers. Let’s get started.

1. Osungac

Osungac was established in 2008 and an experienced accounting firm that serves to foreign and local clients. Their staff speaks English and are specialized in incorporations, bookkeeping, tax declarations, commercial law reporting and clearing, and more.

The company has a strong network in Korea and offers a one-stop total service, to minimize the hurdles of dealing with several service providers. Some of their partners include Cekindo, 3E Accounting, VCA Accountants, and more.

They are continuously researching and developing new services for customer satisfaction.

Services

  • Incorporation
  • Outsourcing Services in Accounting
  • Tax Services
  • Payroll Outsourcing & Social Insurance
  • Audit and Assurance
  • Others

Countries & Regions

  • Korea (Seoul)

Office Address:

D, 9F, 109 Teheran-Ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

2. Pearson & Partners

Pearson & Partners is a renowned law and accounting firm that provides customization for business networks in Korea, Singapore, and other countries. They provide customized solutions for business owners with services that are tailored for each business type. Continue reading List of Korea Company Formation Agents: Top 5 Picks

List of Japan Company Formation Agents: Top 6 Picks

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In this article, we list some of the most popular and leading company formation agents in Japan and primarily in Tokyo. We start with a short introduction about each service provider, list their services, in which cities they are located, and finally their office address.

You’ll also find a useful FAQ at the end of the article where we reply to frequently asked questions among readers.

1. ProWorks Group

ProWorks Group was founded in 2007 and consists of international expansion specialists. They don’t only have offices in Japan, but in the US and have built up an extensive portfolio over the years.

The team consists of around 13 professionals, including both Japanese nationals and foreigners, that have catered to locals and foreign clients alike. The company offers various services and multiple options, not a single line of services.

Services

  • Incorporation
  • Market Entry
  • Accounting & Tax
  • HR
  • Payroll Services
  • Professionals On-Demand
  • Business Consulting
  • Others

Countries & Regions

  • The US (Honolulu, Hawaii)
  • Japan (Tokyo)

Office Address: Daiwa Akasaka Bldg 4F, 2-14-5 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 107-0052, Japan

2. Healy Consultants

Aidan Healy founded Healy Consultants in 2003 and it has become a major player in the incorporation industry since. Being an Irish Chartered Accountant, Aidan has spent decades overseas and managed to accumulate a great deal of experience prior to establishing Healy Consultants. Continue reading List of Japan Company Formation Agents: Top 6 Picks

Exporting Wine to Korea – How to Get Started

Posted on by Marcus Sohlberg — 9 Comments

Suggestion: Watch the 10 minutes video tutorial before reading this article

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Are you an exporter of wine, but never thought about exporting wine to Korea? In this blog post, I present the increase of wine consumption in Korea and how you can prepare for profitable exports there. Literally speaking, the imports of wine has skyrocketed since 2000 and the trend won’t change for a long time to come. There are no incentives why you should turn your back to this fact when you can get a decent market share in Korea as well.

Market analyzis for wine consumption in Korea

Wine imports increase with double digits on an annual basis in Korea, there’s a strong demand for sure. Still, red wine is dominating the imports (just over 71%) but luckily white-and sparkling wine is getting more appreciated too. It doesn’t matter if you produce red, white or sparkling wine. You can be sure to find customers for all products. Continue reading Exporting Wine to Korea – How to Get Started

JIS Marking – What it really means and why you need it when exporting parts to Japan

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Imagine a scenario where you finally managed to ship that goods worth 10000 USD to Nagoya. Long time off work has finally paid off, but all of a sudden you get terrible news. The goods are rejected and seized by the Japanese Customs. In the best case, the goods are sent back, in the worst case demolished. I keep my fingers crossed that you will never experience a situation like this. But, it’s not rare for Western business owners to face these kind of issues when their products can’t meet required certification standards.

This article is dedicated to business owners who plan for exports to Japan, but never heard about the JIS-mark. In this guide I present valuable information concerning application processes, product categories that need the JIS-mark, testing and costs. But let me start with an introduction of the JIS-mark.

Continue reading JIS Marking – What it really means and why you need it when exporting parts to Japan

Shipping to Japan – The short guide that presents the best freight option for your products

Posted on by Marcus Sohlberg — 2 Comments

Suggestion: Watch the 10 minutes video tutorial before reading this article

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to China & Southeast Asia

To initiate exports to Japan is not always an easy task for small business owners who long for increased sales in the far East. If you plan for exports to Japan, I recommend you to read this short guide. I guide you through the benefits of using different freight options and present the import procedure to Japan. Let’s start with the latter one.

Export/import procedures to Japan

The Japanese Customs provides valuable information on their website. You can find information regarding certification, application procedures when exporting/importing goods, FAQ and lists that show goods with prohibition. Continue reading Shipping to Japan – The short guide that presents the best freight option for your products

Exporting to Korea – The short guide for SME owners

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Suggestion: Watch the 10 minutes video tutorial before reading this article

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to China & Southeast Asia

The imports of Western products to Korea has increased the past decade and it seems like the trend won’t change in the coming future. One reason is thanks to the FTA (Free Trade Agreement) that was established with the EU and the US in 2011 and 2012 respectively. But when imports of foreign products increase we also see increased safety controls and adoptions of foreign standards.
Continue reading Exporting to Korea – The short guide for SME owners