Making your Business Expansion in Japan a Success

Probably the most westernized nation in Asia, Japan brings to mind images of exotic temples, sushi, cars, and ultra modern gadgets. It has managed the perfect balancing between preserving and adopting, the Western business ethic into its cultural and historical fabric. The well known impact of the strong Japanese work ethic and an unwavering dedication to productivity can be recognized instantly through the number of vast number of Japanese brands in our own markets. Japan's economy is deemed as the second largest and successful in the world, and has openings right from construction and media to food and fashion to healthcare and telecommunications.

Japan's economic climate

Japan has the world's second largest economy by nominal GDP. It has a large industrial capacity and is home to some of the world's largest and most technologically advanced producers of electronic equipment, machine tools, metals, ships, motor vehicles, chemicals, textiles and processed foods. Enterprises can create a lucrative presence in the country, and those with existing Japanese customers can strengthen their client relationships. The deficit of foreign investment has been recognized by the government and consequently become more supportive of overseas investors interested in expanding business overseas.

Business opportunities in Japan

Being the world's largest producer of cars with nearly 20 million cars produced, Japan has the largest market for automotive parts, technology and expertise. It also has a vibrant market with the continuing developments of information technology, like digital media. A turnover of US$1,124 billion turnover last year has made Japan home to the world's second largest consumer market. Known for its profile and influence in other markets, particularly in Asia, Japan is regarded as an indicator of future trends. It offers an enormous range of possibilities, as there are numerous avenues to explore. The country's economy has a huge variety of openings for potential investors interested in setting up right from fashion to healthcare.

Strategizing your market entry

Researching the Japanese market and identify the best potential customers, locations, sales leads and channels is important. It is never good to underestimate the temperament of a market. By carefully chalking out a strategy you can identify your competitors and work out a way to have an advantage over them. Getting worthwhile assistance is the key to progress here.


Before setting out on doing business overseas it is absolutely imperative for an entrepreneur to do their homework. Before embarking on a business venture in Japan, it is vital to prepare properly. It is advisable to employ people, with strong finance and management skills and a good understanding of the Japanese language. By employing a professional advisor, you can get hassle free advice on local business practices, international accounting, tax regulations and many more.

Hanami

Hanami - Hanami Party - The Japanese custom of enjoying cherry blossoms along with the arrival of Spring. See many Hanami pictures.

Hanami (花見, Hanami lit. "flower viewing") is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of flowers, "flower" in this case almost always meaning cherry blossoms (桜 or 櫻, sakura), or ume blossoms (梅, ume). From late March to early May, sakura bloom all over Japan. The blossom forecast (桜前線, sakurazensen, lit. cherry blossom front) is announced each year by the weather bureau, and is watched carefully by those planning hanami as the blossoms only last a week or two. In modern-day Japan, hanami mostly consists of having an outdoor party (Hanami Party) beneath the sakura during daytime or at night. Hanami at night is called yozakura (lit. "night sakura"). In many places such as Ueno Park temporary paper lanterns are hung for the purpose of yozakura.

Hanami History

The practice of hanami is many centuries old. The custom is said to have started during the Nara Period (710�784) when the Chinese Tang Dynasty influenced Japan in many ways; one of which was the custom of enjoying flowers. Though it was ume blossoms that people admired in the beginning, by the Heian Period, sakura came to attract more attention. From then on, in tanka and haiku, "flowers" meant "sakura."

Hanami was first used as a term analogous to cherry blossom viewing in the Heian era novel Tale of Genji. Whilst a wisteria viewing party was also described, from this point on the terms "hanami" and "flower party" were only used to describe cherry blossom viewing.

Sakura originally was used to divine that year's harvest as well as an announcer of the rice-planting season. People believed in gods' existence inside the trees and made offerings at the root of sakura trees. Afterwards, they partook of the offering with sake.

Emperor Saga of the Heian Period adopted this practice, and held flower-viewing parties with sake and feasts underneath the blossoming boughs of sakura trees in the Imperial Court in Kyoto. Poems would be written praising the delicate flowers, which were seen as a metaphor for life itself, luminous and beautiful yet fleeting and ephemeral. This was said to be the origin of hanami in Japan.

The custom was originally limited to the elite of the Imperial Court, but soon spread to samurai society and, by the Edo period, to the common people as well. Tokugawa Yoshimune planted areas of cherry blossom trees to encourage this. Under the sakura trees, people had lunch and drank sake in cheerful feasts.

Today, the Japanese people continue the tradition of hanami, gathering in great numbers wherever the flowering trees are found. Thousands of people fill the parks to hold feasts under the flowering trees, and sometimes these parties go on until late at night. In more than half of Japan, the cherry blossoming period coincides with the beginning of the scholastic and fiscal years, and so welcoming parties are often opened with hanami.

The teasing proverb dumplings rather than flowers (花より団子, hana yori dango) hints at the real priorities for most cherry blossom viewers. (A punning variation, Boys Over Flowers (花より男子, Hana Yori Dango), is the title of a manga and anime series.)

JAPANESE TEA CEREMONY

The Japanese tea ceremony (cha-no-yu, chado, or sado) is a traditional ritual influenced by Zen Buddhism in which powdered green tea, or matcha (抹茶), is ceremonially prepared by a skilled practitioner and served to a small group of guests in a tranquil setting.

Cha-no-yu (茶の湯, literally "hot water for tea"), usually refers to a single ceremony or ritual, while sado or chado (茶道, or "the way of tea") refer to the study or doctrine of tea ceremony.

Since a tea practitioner must be familiar with the production and types of tea, with kimono, calligraphy, flower arranging, ceramics, incense and a wide range of other disciplines and traditional arts in addition to his or her school's tea practices, the study of tea ceremony takes many years and often lasts a lifetime. Even to participate as a guest in a formal tea ceremony requires knowledge of sado, including the prescribed gestures and phrases expected of guests, and the proper way to take tea and sweets, and general deportment in the tea room.

Using Japanese Skin Care to Look Forever Young

The image of the Japanese girl, despite or because of animé, is easily among those things that a number of men find powerfully appealing. The look isn't something everyone goes for, but a sizable enough portion of the population has found interest in it. It helps that, for some reason inexplicable to all but the Japanese (and, to some extent, the Chinese and the Koreans), the women in that part of the world never seem to age properly. That is, thanks to Japanese skin care secrets, even a woman well into her mid-forties looks a little too much like a woman who's only in her early or mid-twenties. Even more startling to observers is just how little involvement plastic surgery and expensive cosmetics have in Japanese skin care and beauty maintenance. Just how do the Japanese manage to keep even middle-aged women looking like teenagers?

Most analysts would like to point out that Japanese skin care and beauty maintenance is remarkably different from other areas. Closer inspection reveals a number of similarities and parallels to Chinese beauty secrets (because just about anything in Japanese culture has some sort of loose parallel to Chinese culture somewhere), but the differences still stand out. Most reputable authorities point out that it is likely that the standard Japanese diet forms the core of their ancient secrets.

Even with the arrival and success of big chains such as KFC and McDonald's, traditional food still makes up the bulk of the average meal. Most Japanese, in a recent survey, revealed that the occasional "Big Mac" was good for a treat, but bowls of ramen or a few rounds of sushi were still preferred as regular meals. The diet, on most levels is much simpler and, culturally, great emphasis is placed on preparing food such that it retains as much of its natural state as possible. This usually translates to less chemicals being used in the cooking process, which is something Western diets have large quantities of.
Reports also indicate that Japanese skin care regimens tend to use a wide variety of natural herbs, rather than relying on chemical treatments. There are numerous herbs that naturally occur in Japan that help fight off the negative effects caused by the various adverse weather conditions that the skin has to endure. They also help fight off all the pollutants and skin irritants that fly around, thanks to the highly industrialized nature of the country's urban infrastructure.

Cosmetics in Japan also lend to the apparent ease that women who employ Japanese skin care techniques enjoy. Chemically speaking, Japanese cosmetics are much "lighter" than their Western counterparts. Most Japanese-made cosmetics rely more on essential oils and components derived from herbal treatments than anything else, with some products having firm basis in food. They also do away with some potentially damaging chemicals by insisting that everything be free of any scent. It is a poorly recognized fact that adding scent to make-up can sometimes cause problems in long-term skin care. The focus on natural products and compatibility with even the most sensitive skin conditions is often combined with products that have a stimulating effect on the skin, making it appear more vibrant and young.

As stated, Chinese and Japanese beauty secrets are very similar to one another in principle, if not in tactics. Both cultures have honed their skin care and beauty management secrets to keep their people looking as fresh and as young as possible for as long as possible. Both sides have managed to succeed in that endeavor, though factors in the Japanese diet appear to have given the Japanese the edge in terms of maintaining that "porcelain doll look" much longer than their Chinese counterparts.

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History of Sex in Japanese Culture

Japanese are known for their seemingly humble nature and their great technological achievements. They are also very fascinating people with their war culture of samurais. The 2005 movie Memoirs of a Geisha has sparked some interest in sex in Japanese culture.

This film has given the world a glimpse of ancient views and ways of sex in Japanese culture actually worked, the different hierarchical levels. It is no wonder that more people are actually looking things up on the Internet about geisha's as they have sparked an interest in sophisticated prostitution.

It might not be hard then to see how ancient times and modern demands have change and evolved the nature of sex in Japanese culture.

Japans crazy culture has sparked a whole lot of interest in the Japanese culture. There are many ways that the Japanese dress that has sexual connotations to their past and gives a glimpse of sex in Japanese culture .

It is clear from the movies and the word itself that ancient ways have indeed influenced sex in Japanese culture. The most popular of these are the geisha, which in a word where high class prostitutes. The geisha has sparked great interest due to their exotic appearance and interesting way of life.There are many Japanese women who dress up like geisha's as it seems to give them a sense of the past without making them feel cheap and cheesy.

The feel is that being a geisha was something of great erotic and desirable stature and of course it was seen as being a rather glamorous way of life for any humble countryside girl. It is this that has liberated the way sex in Japanese culture works. 

There are many love hotels in Japan ; these are there due to the lack of space in the many Japanese homes. They a re a practical solution especially if you are young couple who wished to just go out and have sex in a private setting.

Sexual connotations are everywhere and this gives you the depth of sex in Japanese culture . The anime for one shows the sexually liberated Japan as you often see these characters have exaggerated features yet they seems to highlight some sexual and erotic fantasy.

It is this that might deceive the world into thinking that sex in Japanese culture is rife and explorative, perhaps in a way it is as you can buy magazines showing nude women in vending machines without embarrassment.

The world could learn a thing or two from this ancient way of life, where prostitution was legalised in some form. It is a rather interesting glimpse of the way sex in Japanese culture has evolved and it helps us understand the extra erotic nature of Japan today. 


Original article : History Of Sex In Japanese Culture

Gift trends in Japan

The Japanese gift market is steeped in tradition, with a focus the "cultural etiquette" surrounding gift giving.  There is a strong culture of giving "cash" in elaborated decorated envelopes on occasions such as the birth of a baby, a wedding or a funeral.  Many gift websites provide a table with a sliding scale of “appropriate amounts” to put into your envelope or spend on a gift.

Siblings and family spend around 10,000 yen. For a colleague you’d spend around 5000 yen, and a friend? Anywhere between 5000 to 10,000 yen.

Upon receipt of your gift or  fancy envelope of cash, recipients are expected to send a “return gift” . Again, the amount you spend on the “return gift” depends on your relationship with the gift-giver, as well as the generosity they have shown you!  Return  gifts are sent out by department stores, in something I can only liken to a “gift registry” type of service. You give the department store a list of names and addresses, as well as the amount to spend and they handle the rest for you.

Surprisingly, Japanese do not give gifts to celebrate birthdays. Many of the women I spoke with expressed amazement at the vast range of greeting cards they had seem whilst visiting overseas, for such an array of occasions! (I got the feeling that they considered we westerners to be “frivolous” gift givers!)

Despite the lack of birthday presents, the Japanese give gifts as a mark of respect. As is the custom, I presented each of the attendees at my Japanese business meetings with a small gift. Train stations for the “bullet train” have extensive gift shops, because it is a tradition to give a gift to the host when you reach your destination.

The online gift market in Japan is extensive, as you would expect in such a “techno savvy” country.  The majority of consumers under 40 years of age  order  goods on their mobile phone. Gift catalogues are also very popular. One of the gift catalogue companies I met with had 23 different catalogues, over 5 million customers per year, and an annual turnover of 150 billion yen.

Gift presentation is everything. I met with one online retailer who had the most amazing gift despatch service system I had ever seen. One person was in charge of dusting, there was even a gift wrapping “supervisor”...

Everything is gift wrapped...beautifully. Department store employees attend gift wrapping school, and use the traditional Japanese method of folding the  gift paper so that the “happiness can get in”. You must hold your gift the right way up, so that the happiness does not “escape”...

5 Interesting Places In Japan To Visit On A Short Trip

So, you are planning to Japan for a trip. Excellent! Whether you are visiting first time japan or you have been there before, it is likely that there are so many things you have not seen of the amazing and mystifying country

A short trip of a day to two – such when you are just passing through beautiful country Japan on your way to another location – will most likely not allow sufficient time to see everything. In that matter, try to fix your japan trip a couple of day.


If you are visiting to Japan for a short trip, you are probably concerned in narrowing your choice down to the most attractive place to visit. Here are the some interesting places to think about during your Japan trip.

Nagano

Nagano is the very famous place for snow and ski tourists, the major attraction place to visit is Hokkaido. It is one of the most visited places in Nagano and in winter months it is very expensive. Besides winter sport, the destination has outstanding slopes and the worth powder is just as best as that in Hokkaido.

By the way, Nagano is also the favorite destination of people who travel Japan for working holiday vacation because resorts are offered free accommodations, meals and ski passed to outside tourist on working vacations.
Kyoto

Kyoto is such a place where people with get rich history and culture of Japan, if you want to know Japan's rich culture then Kyoto is for you. it has many fantastic potted historical feudal destinations to learn because it escaped the extensive annihilation that occurred during the period of second world war. It considered as the home to 17 UNESCO world heritage sites like Tenryu-ji temples, Ninna-ji, Kinkaku-ji and Kozan-ji temples. To visit this 17 interesting sites you have to spend at least two days.

Okinawa

In Japan Okinawa is the best attractive tourist point in summer season because subtropical climate which makes this place as cool environment, even in January and December where northern areas people used blanket. Asides from the fabulous climate, Okinawa has the stunning beaches for sunbathing and clear crystal water for scuba diving. Most of tourists believe that vacation in Okinawa is similar to Hawaii vacations.

Tokyo

Tokyo is the capital city and offer many unforgettable sightseeing to its explorers. It is the center of Japan where several historical and modern elements come together in amusing mix. The Ueno Park Zoo and Disneyland are the modern diversions but you can watch the history and genuine culture in the Imperial Palace and the Asakusa Kannon Temple.


Osaka

Osaka is such a wonderful place for those hesitate the concept of diving into the bustle and hustle of Tokyo city. it is the third largest city in the nation but the crowed are less hurried then the Tokyo. Also the place has outstanding historical destinations and rich cultural flavor.


There are many amazing destination to visit in Japan. However, these above destinations should be important to give you a outstanding traveling experience during your short trip. No way to feel bored whether you are coming for two days or long vacation, Japan always will entertain you.