UKTI Japan team made its debut at the latest Asia Task Force event Doing Business in Asia in London and Manchester on 8 and 9 July. The team hosted clinics for UK companies interested in doing business with Japan. David Warren, British Ambassador to Japan, attended the event in London.
The first day kicked off at Chelsea FC’s Stamford Bridge ground with introductory remarks from Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and Co-chair of the Asia Task Force. Lord Powell of Bayswater highlighted the opportunities the region has to offer British companies. Then the 300-plus audience broke up for various country clinics.
The four Japan clinics attracted around 90 representatives of companies both new and familiar with the Japanese market. Robert Ettinger (manufacturer of leather goods) delivered an interesting and amusing talk about his experiences of doing business in Japan. He recalled the challenges he initially faced meeting Japan’s exacting quality demands. But 12 years on, with over 200 stores selling their products and the opening of their own store in Tokyo just around the corner, the company has certainly proved that it has more than met those challenges.
Next stop Manchester, where the new Minister for Business and Enterprise, Mark Prisk, opened the event. With Asian GDP expected to exceed that of the G7 by 2030, the Minister urged companies to take advantage of the opportunities. So with that thought in our heads, we once again broke up into the various country clinics with around 50 companies attending ours.
Michael Edelman, CEO of a Manchester-based company, Nanoco Technologies, joined the panel and spoke about his experiences working with Japanese companies. Although his company is very different to Robert Ettinger’s, the principles needed to succeed are the same: dedication, perseverance and attention to quality and detail.
Both days gave the Japan team excellent insight into the companies wishing to learn more about the opportunities the market can offer. We are grateful to our UKTI colleagues in the UK and special thanks to Robert and Michael for sharing with us their experiences.
If you missed these events but would like to know more about the opportunities in Japan please contact us at commercial.tokyo@fco.gov.uk
David Abbott, Deputy Consul General, Osaka
David.abbott@fco.gov.uk