Selling into Japan as an Exporter: A Systems Approach from First Contact to Long-Term Partnership.

Getting your product onto the shelves of a foreign market can be a complicated and daunting task - and the Japanese market is no exception. In fact, Japan represents one of those markets where only a complete, holistic understanding of its systems can make entry possible, let alone successful. It is an affluent market with remarkable stability and an ever-increasing demand for imports - both to satisfy consumers' appetite for exotic products and to compensate for structural deficiencies, including the lack of many primary and intermediate products essential to sustaining its high-tech manufacturing industry.

Now, what does it take for a foreign producer or manufacturer to get their products onto the shelves of a Japanese supermarket, drugstore, or convenience store? That is the question this book answers. It offers those interested in bringing products to Japan an insider’s view of sales channel layers, distribution systems, consumer psychology, logistics, product development and pricing, customs procedures, required certifications, communication, and the art of nurturing and maintaining commercial relationships with Japanese stakeholders.

A complete reading of this book will enable you to fully grasp the systems that sustain Japan’s import business, learn how to navigate them, develop world-class products that cultivate trust among Japanese buyers, and compete favorably with domestic products.