Your social post went viral in Japan. So what?

Every brand dreams of a runaway social post. It rarely happens organically, and when it does the whole team is elated. Then the boss asks what you gained from it. Usually nobody has a good answer. Social success is public. Thousands of…

Your Best Customer in Japan Is 65. Your Marketing Is Too Young.

When global brands talk about Japan, the demographic conversation usually goes the same way. The population is aging. It's shrinking. There are fewer young consumers. All true. Then comes the question: is Japan a less attractive market? I disagree.…

The Average TikTok User in Japan Is 34. Has Your Strategy Noticed?

If you look at the Japan marketing plan of most companies, TikTok is probably filed under "youth." It is an easy assumption. The platform built its reputation on dance challenges and teenagers, and most media coverage still treats it that way.…

Branding That Evolves: The Pokémon Playbook

Gotta Catch 'Em All When I was a kid, I traded my way into a blue holographic Charizard. I have no memory of what I gave up for it, but I remember exactly how it felt to hold it. Here is the part that still makes me laugh. To this day, I do…

The Kyoto You’re Looking For Was Never Real

What "tourist trap" really means, and why it's a PR problem.   A tourist trap is a place people believe other tourists ruined. So why does everyone visiting Japan go to the same ten places?   Japan welcomed a record 42.7…

1 in 20 Resignations in Japan Now Goes Through a Middleman. It’s Exposing Which Employers Are Toxic

Resignation agencies are trending. According to a 2025 study by the Persol Research Institute, 5.1% of people who left a job in Japan, one in twenty, did not tell their boss “I Quit.” They paid a company to do it for them. A resignation…

Strong Japan: The Takaichi Persona

In early 2026, the victory of Sanae Takaichi in the lower house snap election marked more than just a political win. It signaled a renewed vigor in the brand of Japan’s national government. The Persona of Strength What distinguishes Takaichi…

PR in Japan: What Foreign Brands Get Wrong

After 8 years running a PR firm in Japan, I’ve seen the same pattern repeat itself across industries. Here's why global playbooks consistently fail, and what actually works. Let me be direct: most foreign brands that struggle in Japan aren't…

Digital Marketing in Japan: 5 Social Platforms That Matter

Same Platforms, Different Worlds Social media in Japan looks familiar. Same apps. Same icons. Same endless scrolling. Why don’t Japanese users react to a localized marketing strategy? User behavior, expectations, and even where people scroll…