Wales is coming to Japan

Over the next few weeks, I'm looking forward to welcoming Welsh businesses to Japan as part of the Creative Wales Games Industry Delegation and the Welsh Government Multi-Sector Delegation.

And it got me thinking about something.

I've lived and worked in Japan for 25 years now, and one of the things I've learned is that Japan can be an incredibly exciting market but perhaps not always for the reasons you first expect.

Japan is, of course, one of the world's largest and most sophisticated economies. It's a market of more than 120 million people, with highly developed infrastructure, globally significant companies and consumers who place a real premium on quality, reliability, design and trust.

But it's also a country going through some fascinating changes.

"I'm increasingly interested in what happens when we stop thinking simply about “exporting to Japan” and start thinking about Wales × Japan."

An ageing and shrinking population is creating new demands around healthcare, productivity and automation. Digital transformation continues to create opportunities for technology and services. Energy transition and decarbonisation are opening new areas for collaboration. And Japan remains a global force in advanced manufacturing, mobility, technology and the creative industries.

For the Welsh games companies coming to Japan, the opportunity is particularly interesting.

Japan isn't simply a big market for games. It's one of the places that has shaped what gaming is globally,  from Nintendo and Sony to generations of developers, designers, characters and storytelling that have travelled around the world.

I think there is enormous value in Welsh creative companies coming here not only thinking “What can we sell?”, but also:

What can we learn? Who could we collaborate with? And what could we create together?

Because after 25 years here, I think the real opportunity in Japan is often in the relationships.

Japan is somewhere where turning up matters.

Having coffee with someone matters. Being introduced by someone they trust matters. Coming back a second time matters. And sometimes a conversation that seems to go nowhere at the time becomes important six months (or even several years) later.

That's why I think delegations like these can be so valuable.

"Japan is somewhere where turning up matters."

Not because everyone is going to fly home with a Japanese contract in their suitcase (although that would be nice!), but because they create the opportunity to be here, listen, meet people, understand the market and start relationships.

And there are challenges too.

Japan isn't always an easy market to enter. Language matters. Localisation matters. Decision-making can take time. Expectations around service and quality can be extremely high. And what works brilliantly in Wales doesn't necessarily translate directly to the Japanese market.

But that's also why the right local relationships, partners, and knowledge can make such a difference.

And I think Welsh companies have something that travels surprisingly well here.

We're small. We're creative. We're used to building things through networks and relationships. We tend to be collaborative. And, in my experience at least, there's often genuine warmth when you tell someone in Japan that you're from Wales.

I'm increasingly interested, therefore, in what happens when we stop thinking simply about “exporting to Japan” and start thinking about Wales × Japan.

What could we create together?

"Japan isn't always an easy market to enter. Language matters. Localisation matters. Decision-making can take time. Expectations around service and quality can be extremely high."

Games. Technology. Education. Creative projects. Research. New products. New ideas. New networks.

For me, that's where it gets really interesting.

I've spent much of my career in Japan working around entrepreneurship, business, education and international exchange, and more recently I've had the privilege of becoming increasingly involved in connecting Wales and Japan too.

If I can help with a connection, answer a slightly random Japan question, explain something that seems baffling, or simply point you towards a decent coffee/beer after a long day of meetings, I'm very happy to help.

After 25 years here, I certainly don't claim to have Japan figured out.

But I do know my way around. 

Croeso i Japan. 日本へようこそ。