Investing in Japan

Support and Services

JETRO's Invest Japan Business Support Centers (IBSCs)

Voices of users

Here's a brief look at some of the companies that have worked with IBSC to set up business operations in Japan.

eRide Asia Pacific K.K. (United States)
Who they are -- eRide is a U.S. GPS (global positioning system) fabless semiconductor manufacturer. Their solutions put interactive location technology into wireless phones and other mobile information appliances. They established a company in Tokyo in September 2005, planning to utilize Japan as its business hub for the Asia Pacific Region.
What they say -- IBSC provided extremely valuable support for our incorporation in Japan. They also introduced us to top professionals in the fields of legal, logistics, real estate, corporate accounting and other vital areas necessary to start our Japanese operation. JETRO's service was not only timely but also very accurate. I highly recommend any corporation considering direct investment in Japan to see the JETRO team.
Jose Briceno, VP of Sales and Marketing eRide Inc, and President of eRide Asia Pacific K.K.

Rimage Japan Co., Ltd. (United States)
Who they are -- Rimage is a leading provider of integrated CD-R/DVD-R (recordable) publishing systems, required for producing discs with customized digital content on an on-demand basis.
They established a company in Tokyo in May 2005. Rimage plans to keep the steady Japanese market as its base, and to develop their business within Asia.
What they say -- Collecting market information and receiving advice on legal procedures was a prerequisite for our decision to invest in Japan. Therefore, our stay in the IBSC was extremely useful. This preliminary step was also very important before working with lawyers, consulting firms and other experts. JETRO advisors also provided useful information on developing our business in the Asia Pacific Region.
Yoshihiro Oyamada, Managing Director, Rimage Japan Co., Ltd.

TMD Friction Japan K.K. (Germany)
Who they are -- TMD Friction is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of brake friction materials in the original equipment market of the automotive and brake industry. They established a company in Yokohama in November 2004 to develop new brake systems with Japanese car and brake manufactures from an early stage.
What they say -- With JETRO’s support we got legal, tax, labor law advice and selected outsourcing services. Because of this, we could from the beginning fully concentrate on our business. In this way we got an excellent head start with the most valuable services from JETRO.
Hartwig Martius, President, TMD Friction Japan K.K.

CLOS D'AGUZON JAPON K.K. (France)
Who they are -- CLOS D'AGUZON produces and sells aromatic raw material made of fragrant herbs and fruits of Provence, southern France. They opened a company in September 2005 to establish a sales network in Japan and as of December 2005 has expanded to a network of more than 20 department stores.
What they say -- While we were in the IBSC, JETRO’s staff and advisors gave us useful information on incorporation procedures in Japan. Their frank opinion about our products was also useful. We also appreciate JETRO in giving us some assistance with our exhibition.
Itsuki Uehara, Sales Director, CLOS D'AGUZON JAPON K.K.

UFIDA Software Engineering Japan Ltd. (China)
Who they are -- UFIDA Software Engineering is a major domestic software company, distinguished for its quality, advanced technical capabilities and process control. It boasts a sales network of more than 60 subsidiaries and offices in China. It opened a company in Japan in January 2004, and has taken on multiple projects for Japanese clients. In 2005, they set up a joint venture in Xi'an with NTT Data to provide IT services for Japanese companies operating in China.
What they say -- By maximizing IBSC's entire range of services, we had a huge advantage when proceeding with our investment activities. IBSC completely changed our perception of 'public organizations.'
Yan Gao, President, UFIDA Software Engineering Japan Ltd.

Constellation Wines Japan K.K. (United States)
Who they are -- They produce and market more than 200 beverage brands from around the world. Along with its headquarters in New York, the company has operational bases in Australia, New Zealand and England. For more than 30 years, Constellation has been marketing its brands throughout Japan, and in March 2004, it established a company here.
What they say -- IBSC provided valuable introductions, support and service to allow us to incorporate as fast as possible. From logistics, real estate and accounting introductions, to general advice on Japan, employment and more, JETRO's service was timely and accurate. I would highly recommend any corporation considering direct investment in Japan to see the JETRO team.
Craig Campbell, President, Constellation Wines Japan K.K.

InterAct Technologies Co., Ltd. (China)
Who they are -- As specialists in call center software development, consulting and systems integration, InterAct Technologies operates approximately 300 call centers in China, including Haier Group, and Legend Group Limited, and also offers OEM operations for major manufacturers in Japan. They established a company here in August 2003.
What they say -- IBSC has provided us with professional consulting services in terms of activities required to accelerate our investments in Japan. Due to unexpected events including SARS, we were pressed to decide whether or not to continue investing in Japan. Thanks to IBSC, we were able to overcome these crises. We recommend maximum utilization of JETRO's support for companies considering investing in Japan.
Yutaka Uchidate, Executive Vice President & CMO, InterAct Technologies Co., Ltd.

Genesys Conferencing K.K. (France)
Who they are -- The world's largest provider of multimedia conferencing solutions, Genesys Conferencing maintains an outstanding portfolio of virtual communication and collaboration services. Their solutions include audio, video, and web based conferencing services for global corporations conducting simultaneous virtual conferences around the world. In December 2003, Genesys set up a company in Japan.
What they say -- IBSC's hotline with Japanese Ministries gave us effective solutions to tough regulation issues during our start up.
Giulio Lilli, Representative Director, Genesys Conferencing K.K.

Resources Connection Japan K.K. (United States)
Who they are -- Emerging from one of the Big Four accounting firms, Resources Connection specializes in global accounting, finance, IT and personnel consulting services. The company operates more than 60 offices worldwide and was selected as one of the top 200 small companies by Forbes Magazine in 2002 and 2003. Its stocks are also traded on the NASDAQ. Resources Connection formed a company in Japan in January 2004.
What they say -- The advice we received from IBSC regarding starting up our business in Japan was very valuable and has helped our firm thrive in the Japanese market.
Hiroshi Ueda, Managing Director, Resources Connection Japan K.K.