Considering Japan
You think Japan is a fit, but you can't prove it yet
- No reliable read on whether real demand exists
- Unsure who actually buys, or how they decide
- Distributor, subsidiary, or direct, with no basis to choose
Japan market entry / US B2B and industrial companies
Considering Japan,
or already there without traction?
We test real demand with Japanese companies, adapt how you go to market, and represent you in the room, in Japanese. Then two named principals tell you plainly whether to go, adjust, delay or stop.
You will talk to Garrett Leopardi or Kaori Yamashita, the two principals.
- Tokyo company, established 2021
- Principal in US Eastern time
- Japanese and English
- Mutual NDA on request
Validate
We test the assumptions with real Japanese companies: who buys, why they would switch, and what evidence they need. Before you commit a larger budget.
Adapt
We rework positioning, materials, and route to market against what the market actually told us, not what worked in the US.
Represent
We stand in front of Japanese customers and partners on your behalf, in Japanese, and report back what was really said.
Pivot Global Solutions, run by Pivot Company, Limited (株式会社Pivot) in Ginza, Tokyo, helps US B2B technology and industrial companies enter the Japanese market. We test demand with real Japanese companies, adapt your positioning and materials, represent you in Japanese in front of customers and partners, and tell you plainly whether to go, adjust, delay or stop.
01 / Where you are
Which of these is you?
Companies usually come to us at one of two points. Both can be answered. Neither is answered by a market-size report.
Already there, stalled
You've entered Japan, and it isn't moving
- A distributor signed, then went quiet
- Meetings happen, nothing progresses to a decision
- No clear answer on whether the problem is fit, message, or partner
02 / The first call
What happens in the 30 minutes?
You talk to a principal, not a salesperson. We ask four things, and you leave with our first read.
What you sell, and who buys it at home.
What has happened with Japan so far.
What would have to be true for Japan to work, and how we would test it.
Our first read, including whether to wait or stop.
If there is a fit, we follow up with a written scope and a quote. If there is not, we tell you so.
Book a 30-minute call03 / What you get
What do you have in hand after each step?
Each step ends with something you can use or act on.
After step 01
Validate
A go, adjust, delay or stop recommendation, with what Japanese companies actually said.
After step 02
Adapt
Reworked positioning, Japanese-language materials and a route recommendation.
After step 03
Represent
Meetings held in Japanese and a written account of what was said.
04 / Why this way
Why not a large consultancy, or just a distributor?
Both have their place. Our job is to tell you whether to go.
The people on the call stay on the work
The principals who take your first call run the engagement themselves. When we bring in a specialist, we tell you who and why.
We will tell you not to go
An honest go, adjust, delay or stop recommendation.
We are in the room, in Japanese
Bilingual representation in front of your prospective customers. More than a report, an introduction or a list of contacts.
We do this ourselves: Pivot is the exclusive representative in Japan for a US technology company.
05 / The people
Who will you actually work with?
Two senior people, one on each side of the Pacific. One of them takes your first call and both stay on the work.
Kaori Yamashita
CEO
Leads the Japan side: the buyer conversations and partner meetings, in Japanese. Background in enterprise marketing at a major Japanese games company, with hands-on work in satellite technology and manufacturing.
Garrett Leopardi
COO
Your point of contact, in US Eastern time. An engineer by training, with work in oilfield services, VR and AR, manufacturing and robotics.
A senior core, backed by specialists we bring in for the project.
Book a 30-minute call06 / Limits
What do we not do?
We are not a law firm, a tax practice or a certification body, and we will not act as one.
Where an engagement needs incorporation, tax filing, customs, product certification, or employment law, we flag it early and point you to qualified specialists. We would rather tell you what sits outside our competence than take the work.
07 / Questions
What do companies ask us before they book?
What does it cost?
The first call is free. After it we send a written scope with a quote. The first step is deliberately the smallest: a validation project with its own written scope and quote, so you can find out before you commit a larger budget.
How long does it take?
Many Japanese companies decide by consensus, and that takes time. We will not promise a quick sale. Validation is the short part, and on the call we will tell you how long it would take for your case.
Why not go straight to a distributor?
A distributor is a route to market, not a test of one. Sign before you know who buys and why, and you can end up with a contract and no sales. If the evidence says a distributor is right, we help you choose one and work with one.
We tried Japan before. What is different?
Then you already have evidence, and it has probably never been read from the Japanese side. We start by finding out what was actually said, and whether the problem was fit, message or partner. Sometimes the answer is to stop.
Who are you?
Pivot Company, Limited is a Japanese company established in 2021, registered in Ginza, Tokyo. Both principals are named on this page. We do not publish the names of our consulting clients. The one company we represent publicly in Japan is named on our main site.
08 / Book a call
Start with a straight answer
Tell us what you sell and where you are with Japan. We will give you an honest read, including whether now is the wrong time.
- 30 minutes with a principal, no charge
- A reply within two business days
- Mutual NDA on request