What Should You Do in the First Three Months After Entering the Japanese Market?

Once a company decides to enter the Japanese market, what should it focus on during the first three months?

For many international companies, the headquarters has already conducted market research, competitive analysis, and target customer definition. The company may also already have a global marketing strategy, brand messaging, and marketing materials.

However, a global marketing strategy does not always work in Japan exactly as it is.

The key is not to start from scratch, but to adapt the existing global strategy and product value to the Japanese market, bring them to the local market, and improve them based on actual customer responses.

For international companies entering Japan, the first three months can be approached through the following three steps.

01｜Define Who You Want to Reach and What Value You Offer

Once you enter a new market, the first step is to review your existing global strategy from a Japan-market perspective.

Your global target market may already be clearly defined, but the specific industries, companies, decision-makers, business challenges, and buying processes in Japan may be different.

Start by identifying who you want to reach in Japan and what problems you can solve for them. Then consider how your product or service creates value for Japanese customers and how that value differs from competing or alternative solutions already available in the market.

This does not necessarily mean changing your global positioning. Rather, it means identifying which parts of your existing value proposition need to be emphasized, adjusted, or explained differently for Japanese customers.

Who are we targeting? What challenges do they have? And what value can we provide?

Clarifying these points provides a strong foundation for your Japan marketing activities.

02｜Make Your Message Easy for Japanese Customers to Understand

Once your target audience and value proposition are clear, the next step is to turn them into messages and content that resonate with Japanese customers.

Even if your product or service is highly competitive, its value will not lead to marketing results unless customers can understand why it matters to them.

Rather than simply translating existing global materials, consider the message from the customer’s perspective: What does this product actually help them achieve? What problems does it solve? Why should they consider it?

It is also important to consider how the information is presented, not just what you communicate.

In Japan, combining written explanations with visual elements such as illustrations, diagrams, product screenshots, comparison tables, and process flows can make complex products and services easier to understand.

For international companies, localization therefore goes beyond language translation. The structure of the information, the way benefits are explained, and the visual presentation may also need to be adapted to the Japanese market.

Based on this approach, review and develop the key touchpoints customers will encounter, including your website, product and service materials, company profile, sales materials, case studies, white papers, and other marketing content.

The same applies to PR, LinkedIn, and other social media communications. Consider whether the content is relevant to Japanese customers and whether they can quickly understand the value being presented.

Move from “what we want to say” to “what our customers need to know.”

The goal is not simply to communicate your message, but to make it easy for your target customers to understand and relate to.

03｜Go to Market, Listen, and Improve
Once your basic marketing foundation is in place, it is time to take your message to the Japanese market and see how customers respond.

Use channels where you can reach your target customers, such as trade shows and industry events, seminars and webinars, PR, LinkedIn, industry media, and other relevant communities.

However, you do not need to launch every marketing activity at once.

Start small, and use actual market responses to learn what works. Pay attention to inquiries, sales conversations, event participation, customer questions, content engagement, and other signals that can tell you what customers are interested in and which messages resonate with them.

The insights you gain should then feed into your next marketing activities.

Don’t just execute and move on. Execute → Listen → Learn → Improve.

For companies entering a new market, this cycle is particularly important. Your first few months are an opportunity to test your assumptions, learn from the Japanese market, and gradually build a marketing approach that works locally.

Start Small, Learn Fast, and Build What Works in Japan

For international companies entering Japan, the goal is not to rebuild everything from the beginning.

Adapt your global strategy to the Japanese market.
Make your value easy for Japanese customers to understand.
Go to market, listen to customer responses, and improve.

By repeating this cycle, you can gradually develop a marketing approach that works for your business in Japan.

WiTH supports international companies entering and growing in the Japanese market, from market and customer analysis and marketing planning to website and content development, campaign execution, PR, events, and day-to-day marketing operations.

We can work with your existing global marketing strategy and adapt it to the Japanese market, rather than starting from scratch.

Whether you need support with strategy and planning, content production, execution, or ongoing marketing operations, we can work alongside your Japan marketing team based on your local resources and priorities.

WiTH is your marketing partner in Japan — from strategy to execution.