Japan Market Entry in Practice: Lessons from Country Managers Building from 0 to 1
- 10 hours ago
- 3 min read
During SusHiTech Week in Tokyo, we hosted the Country Manager Meetup in collaboration with FINOLAB, bringing together overseas founders, Japan-based operators, and aspiring Country Managers.
We were joined by three experienced speakers who have built and supported Japan businesses from the ground up:
Itsuki Nomura (Country Manager, nCino)
Shogo Koda (Head of Japan, Dexterity)
Makoto Shibata (Head of FINOLAB, FINOLAB)
Yuki Kishi (CEO, YKBridge, moderator)
The focus of the session was simple:
How do you actually build and generate revenue in Japan?
Rather than theory, the discussion centered on real experiences from operators who have built Japan businesses from scratch.
The Reality of Starting from Zero
Both speakers shared a common starting point:
There was nothing in Japan.
No customers, no brand awareness, no team.
One of the first priorities was not sales — but alignment with headquarters.
“Headquarters often expects you to duplicate the US success in Japan. But the market is fundamentally different.”
This led to an important early task:
Educating HQ on market differences
Resetting expectations
Defining realistic timelines
Especially in Japan, where consensus-building takes time, this step is critical.
Early Strategy: Fail Fast, Learn Faster
In the early stage, one key mindset stood out:
“No one knows what works.”
Instead of over-planning, the approach was:
Start small
Test quickly
Adjust continuously
This applied to everything:
Pricing
Product localization
Sales approach
Hiring strategy
The first 6 months are not about scaling — they are about learning the market as fast as possible.
How Revenue Actually Happens in Japan
One of the most practical parts of the discussion was around first revenue.
Key insights:
1. The first revenue may not come from customers
In some cases, initial revenue came from:
Distribution agreements
Strategic partnerships
Upfront licensing deals
This helps bridge the long gap before end-customer deals close.
2. Sales cycles are long — and you must manage expectations
Enterprise deals in Japan often take 12+ months.
The key is not to fight this, but to:
Communicate transparently with HQ
Share detailed pipeline progress
Educate stakeholders on the decision-making process
“Consensus-building in Japan takes much longer than in the US.”
3. Getting your first “logo” is critical
Even if the deal size is small, landing the first customer matters.
Why?
It validates the market
It sets internal expectations
It gives you feedback to refine your approach
Go-to-Market Strategy: Partnerships vs Direct
A key decision every company faces:
Should we go direct, or partner?
The answer: it depends — but partnerships are often essential.
In Japan:
Market credibility matters
Brand recognition matters
Trust matters
Working with a strong local partner (e.g., trading companies or system integrators) can:
Accelerate trust
Open doors
Enable larger deals
Especially in regulated or conservative industries like finance.
The Role of the First Country Manager
One of the strongest takeaways:
The first Country Manager is expected to do everything.
From:
Market research
Sales
Partnerships
Hiring
Internal alignment
This makes hiring extremely difficult.
The panel highlighted several key traits:
Ability to operate in ambiguity
Strong execution capability (not just communication)
Deep understanding of the local market
And importantly: being coachable
The Talent Challenge
A recurring theme was how hard it is to find the right person.
Trade-offs are inevitable:
Language vs domain expertise
Startup mindset vs corporate experience
There is rarely a “perfect” candidate.
In many cases, success comes down to:
Finding someone who can learn fast and execute, not just someone who can communicate well.
Final Thoughts
Entering Japan is not just a market expansion —it is a system-level challenge.
Success depends on:
Managing expectations with HQ
Building trust locally
Making the right early decisions
And most importantly, having the right first Country Manager
At YKBridge, this is exactly where we focus — helping global companies not just “enter” Japan, but actually build revenue and traction.
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