―What kind of products and services do companies in JTC provide?

We deal comprehensively with most of products and services in Japan. Global Partners started contacting with tens of thousands of Japanese SMEs from 7 years ago. Among these, companies that sympathized to the business models and agreed to work together gradually came into JTC or convey their products to be exhibited in JTC.

To become a close partner to local buyers by building a relationship of mutual understanding and by recognizing their issues is key to success in Dubai. Higher quality in products is obviously essential, but without understanding their issues or giving them equipped with appropriate advice and information face to face, you will never succeed. You first sell the person and then, sell the products.

―How do you find the response to JTC so far?

We have received tremendously positive response with huge surprise. Japanese products are essentially popular in Dubai because of its uniqueness and higher performance exertion. Recognition of healthy Japanese foods (Washoku) and the increasing number of Japanese restaurants due to that also helps elevation of status of Japanese products in the world.

Nevertheless, there still remain Japanese products people in the world do not know how to use. For instance, the washlets, commonly used in houses in Japan, are not available in 98% of countries around the world. People get really surprised when you explain them and what is the mechanism injected in the products.

―What are the strategies to prevail products of Japanese SMEs?

We have provided 410,000 Japanese companies with business seminars on expanding oversea and individual consultations. With a corporate database of 560,000 Japanese companies, we have accumulated profound knowledge of certain products and services of companies. Besides, we make more than 1000 phone calls to local companies based in Dubai every day that to a great extent enhances our local companies’ database. The database of both side, Japan and Dubai, can be well utilized for matching best apposite companies. Thanks to the efficiency by making much of the database, it is highly anticipated that we will be able to facilitate Japanese products thoroughly distributed to every market and every customer in a few years.

We also constitute suitable business strategies based upon our feasibility studies conducted prior to actual sales and marketing. Feasibility studies play a pivotal role to determine “what products,” “to whom,” “through which channels,” “how to differentiate,” and “for how much.” You reinforce yourself with strong strategies base upon these, or otherwise, you will just waste your time. The name of JTC will be soon recognized through these strategies.

―As noticed, you made such a great career as a director of Hikari Tsushin (listed in the first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange). What did make you decide to establish your own company?

Originally, Global Partners Inc. was established as a joint venture company among Softbank, Alibaba, and Hikari Tsushin. Later, because of participation of 20 other companies in investing their funds, Global Partners Inc. initially started its project with the capital of 1 billion yen.

During my career at Hikati Tsushin, our tasks and duties were more likely as sales agents of mobile phones, the internet, health insurance, office automation equipment and so on. Now, we became a service provider and help companies expand overseas. As a promoter to lead companies that work together, I cannot be with halfhearted preparation. Hence, cutting off my retreat, I decided to devote myself for this project as my life work and did a management buyout.