Entrepreneur Association of Tokyo
Featured Member - Takaoka

Interview - February 2007

KenjiTakaoka - Export-Japan.com
Kenji Takaoka
CEO Export-Japan.com

Profile of Export-Japan
export-japan.com, Inc., based in Tokyo and Osaka Japan, provides Japanese and overseas businesses and organizations quality web development and marketing solutions to succeed in the international market.

1. When did you start your first business? What was it? What lessons did you take away from that experience?
I started my business in April 2000 when I was an MBA student at Kobe University. Before entering graduate school, I worked for the Royal Thai Consulate-General Commercial office in Osaka to promote Thai products to the Japanese market. Then, I felt that the Internet would drastically change the way we do international business. I then proceeded to set up my company which specializes in international web promotion for Japanese companies.

2. What are some of the challenges you have faced in starting your business and how did you overcome them?
At that time, there were no such market demand in Japan as to make international promotion through the Internet as not so many Japanese companies had good English webistes. Then, we started from helping them to create their English websites.

3. How did you form your business? (Yugen Kaisha, Kabushiki   Kaisha, etc.) How long did the start-up process take?
We started from Kabushiki-Gaisha (joint stock company) But, it was not a wise judgement as I needed a longer trial and error period as a self-employed individual than I had expected. Accordingly, our company faced financial difficulties soon after incorporating, and it took us about 3 years to overcome. In Japan, there is a business saying "Chiisaku-unde Ookiku-sodateru" (Give birth in small and raise it big). I think it's really worthwhile to follow.

4. Where do you see your business in 5 years?
We see a lot of business expansion for another 5 to 10 years in our market. The internationalization of Japanese economy is still in its first phase. We expect many more Japanese companies will be willing to try to make use of their website for their international business strategy. We're already engaged in the global websites of many top share Japanese companies of traveling, children's apparel, heavey equipment and real estate sector as well as some municipal governments.

5. Do you see yourself as an entrepreneur? Why?
I have never thought of myself as an entrepreneur but I guess it depends on the opinion of others.

6. What is your definition of an entrepreneur?
A compulsory self-starter :-)

7. What piece of advice would you give to a person wanting to start his or her own business in Japan?
You will have many chances to satisfy many clients if you can satisfy your closest friends and family.

8. Can you recommend any resources such as books, websites, or support centers for entrepreneurs in Japan?
Please come to see me. :-)

9. Who are your mentors in business?
I don't know too much about him. But, Mr. Kounosuke Matsushita, who is the founder of Matsushita Electric, seems to be my management's goal.

10. What makes you happy?
To go where I never been and to see what I never seen.