JAPANESE_startup

Working for a Japanese start-up

As of this summer, I have been working in the start-up space in Tokyo; and when it comes to new tech companies in Japan, start-ups are booming. The idea of starting your own business is growing, and the government is offering more support to entrepreneurs.  Some call it that Japan’s second wave of tech innovation will soon be upon us. In this post, I hope to provide you with some insight as to how the work climate is slowly changing in Japan, how young tech companies are starting up and are looking to expand globally, and where to look to actually keep up with the trends. Also some advice as to how to actually land a job within the field, right here in the largest city on Earth.

The work climate is changing

The Japanese government is beginning to show more support for young tech companies, with Shinzo, the current Prime Minister and an outspoken advocate for tech companies in Japan, breaking new ground, according to TechAsia. And even though the government is struggling to keep up with the fast development in the field, support packages are being developed.

The whole work climate in Japan is also shifting, according to many Japanese friends and colleagues I have been talking with. Until recently, the given career path in Japan was a lifetime employment as a salary man. In Japan, your company is often considered family, and working with the same employer your whole life guarantees that you are always taken care of.

Today, it is however becoming more common to actually switch jobs once in a while. Or maybe even start a freelance career. Or, your own start up.

As a foreigner, the start-up space is welcoming. Especially since many of the companies are young and speak English, as they are looking to expand globally.

Japanese start-up hangouts and incubators

There are a lot of incubator spaces growing, such as Samurai and Open Network Labs. A list of Japanese seed investors and VC firms can be found on thebridge.jp (although dating back to 2013, there’s still a lot of relevant information to be found). Also check out their other list: Where are the startup incubators and accelerators in Asia? Here’s 100 of ‘em.

A lot of Tokyo’s start ups are centered around Shibuya. Go hang out at FabCafe in Dogenzaka, Shibuya if you want to feel some of the Tokyo startup vibe, they even have a 3D-printer!

fabcafe-business-workshop
FabCafe in Shibuya, Tokyo – Photo from fabcafe.com

(As of February, San Francisco hyped coffee shop Blue Bottle Coffee is opening up their first Japanese venue in Shimo-yoshisawa, bound to become a cool hang-out hub.)

Don’t miss out on attending a PechaKucha-evening at Super Deluxe in Roppongi! Presentations consisting of 20 slides, each show only for 20 second – on all kinds of subjects and presented by all types of people. You’re sure to be up for both a laugh and some good learning.

Looking beyond borders

My friend Said, Swedish journalist and mobile app developer, wrote an interesting article for Internetworld on the start-up culture in Tokyo, listing FabCafe as the go-to-venue for start-up people. The article highlights how Japanese start-ups want to make their way out in the world. (Article in Swedish can be read here: Nu vill Japans startups ut i världen.)

Talking about expanding globally. An interesting story from Tech in Asia talks about why Asian start-ups should be looking to Europe as their market for expansion. A Venture Capitalist out of in Sillicon Valley recommends the European market as the place to target. Why? There’s higher mobile penetration, more hours commuting in public transportation opening up for more mobile screen hours per person, and people more prone to try tech from different parts of the world.

As a foreigner, maybe there are good opportunities in helping start ups grow outside Japan? Help them expand their global footprint.

The world looking at Japan

The Finnish global Tech conference Slush were in Tokyo looking for the hottest start-ups to bring overseas to participate at Slush in Helsinki. The winner of return-tickets to the event were Capy – a more interactive and hassle-free captcha, already being used by several large enterprises in Japan.

Earlier this fall I was also at an ICT Spring event in Ochanomizu, Tokyo, hosted by the Embassy of Luxemburg. The country is hoping to attract Japanese and Asian start-up talent to come and establish themselves, setting up offices in Luxumburg; calling the initiative “Gateway to Europe”.

Upon visiting Silicon Valley earlier this fall and attending a MobileMonday Silicon Valley event, mobile app analytics company AppAnnie were present, talking about the trends shaping the app economy in Japan.

Keep up to date with the Japanese start-up scene

Check out the English version of the site The Bridge for the latest news from the startup scene in Japan. The journalists behind the site are extremely knowledgeable and cover different start-ups coming from Japan: thebridge.jp/en

(Oh, and don’t miss the interview with our team from BHI Inc. from earlier this fall: Japan’s BHI launches mobile apps that prevent info overload in messaging)

Also, subscribe to the newsletter from Startup Digest, covering all startup events in your area (I’m on the Tokyo subscription list). The best way to keep updated with this space is to meet with the people in it: startupdigest.com

Mobile Monday Tokyo was one of the first Mobile Monday organizations to open outside of Helsinki. The group host a large amount of events for the mobile crowd in Tokyo every year, just recently celebrating their 10 year anniversary. If you’re in or looking to be in the mobile space, this is a definitive hang-out opportunity! Keep up with them at: mobilemonday.jp

I just joined my first Bootstrap Lunch this past weekend, an informal lunch hosting seven start-up people every other Saturday at Shibuya’s FabCafe. Join the Meetup group Tokyo Startup Circle to keep up to date with the latest events. Overall, Meetup is a great site for meeting people in Japan. People host events all the time, about all kinds of relevant and irrelevant subjects, and there is always great people to connect with!

If you’re around in the summer, make sure to check out the Beer Garden parties.

To keep up with the marketing, startup and tech scene in Asia overall, where Japan is of course frequently featured, check out Tech in Asia, Campaign Asia and Marketing Magazine. All three offering coverage in English.

Want to work with a Japanese start-up?

Check out justa.io/en – the site to find startup jobs in Japan. Currently showcasing jobs from almost 100 different startups. And above all, they are a really cool gang!

(If you are a foreigner not living in Japan at this moment, it can be difficult to get a VISA to stay in the country. Study on and visit your country’s Japanese Embassy site for more information. I recommend this post by my friend Jason Ball, who also heads up the networking organization GoodPeople Japan: I like this place… I could live in Japan)

Please comment below if I’m forgetting anything essential in this list. I’m still pretty new here, so I’m sure there’s a lot of great insights that could be added. Big thank you!

Emelie Fågelstedt

Independent communications strategist supporting organizations with their digital business and communications strategy since 2010. Founder of digital agency Fågelstedt Kommunikation and co-founder of Svenska Nomader, Sweden's largest platform for digital nomads. Public speaker on tech, social media, e-commerce and the future of work.

4 thoughts on “Working for a Japanese start-up

  1. Really informative article and nicely written too! As a foreigner in Japan looking to contribute to the start up scene I have a question re: language. Is it possible to work for a start up with only basic Japanese conversational level ? I’m actively studying but by no means business level let alone fluent!

    1. Hi B.

      Happy to hear that this post has been of help!

      Good question indeed. Japanese language skills is of course always a plus in Japan, but a lot of the start-ups are also trying to target markets outside Japan, and then bringing your English skills to the team is also a big plus. I only know basic Japanese conversation as well, but that was never an issue for me while working with BHI Inc. I believe there are both tech and non-tech roles at start-ups in Japan that you can still contribute to even if you only know basic Japanese.

      I’d suggest you reach out and grab a coffee withteh guys at justa.io/en to present yourself and what skills you could bring to a start-up.

      Best of luck!

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