Author Archives: UKTI Japan

UKTI Japan

About UKTI Japan

UKTI Japan helps British companies succeed in Japan and Japanese businesses expand into the UK. Our friendly and experienced teams in Tokyo and Osaka provide support and advice, including tailored market research and assistance arranging your visit to Japan. We also organise a busy programme of trade missions and hire out our Embassy facilities for your business events. We'd love to talk to you about how we can help your business and you can contact us at commercial.tokyo@fco.gov.uk

Pollen and Penguins: It’s February in Tokyo

Posted on February 27, 2012 by UKTI Japan

Why is it that pollen always seems to know when it’s exam time? In the UK, come May/June, out pops the pollen to torment all those poor examinees, as if they didn’t have enough to worry about. Japan’s academic year … Continue reading →

UK Imports Doing a Sterling Job in Japan

Posted on February 13, 2012 by UKTI Japan

When you live abroad but are paid in sterling, as I am, you become pretty sensitive to exchange rate movements. In the 18 months that I have been in Japan the yen has strengthened by  12 % against the pound.  … Continue reading →

The thriving centenerians of Japanese business

Posted on January 27, 2012 by UKTI Japan

The UK isn’t the only country with something to celebrate this year: some 1800 Japanese companies are  celebrating their 100th anniversary in 2012. Suggests it might be a good year for manufacturers of commemorative goods…    Looking down the list … Continue reading →

Year of the Dragon: not as scary as it sounds

Posted on January 9, 2012 by UKTI Japan

  In theory Japanese companies were back at work after the New Year break on 4 January. But it’s a while before normal routine resumes. On the first day back there is some kind of ceremony to mark the start of the … Continue reading →

New Year for Japan

Posted on January 5, 2012 by UKTI Japan

You’ve got to admire Japan’s resilience. An earthquake 6000 times more powerful than the one that hit Christchurch in February, the most towering tsunami in a thousand years, nuclear crisis, power shortages, typhoons, astronomically strong yen, flooding of their factories in Thailand, predictions that the … Continue reading →

Kanji for the year

Posted on December 19, 2011 by UKTI Japan

One of the more endearing aspects of Japan is that each December they choose a “kanji” (character) that epitomises the year just passed. Last year it was just “hot”, and back in  2007 it was “fake”, following a series of … Continue reading →

Cheese and SMEs

Posted on November 16, 2011 by UKTI Japan

11 November may mean Remembrance Day in the UK, but in Japan it’s Pocky Day – well, they’re perfectly formed to make a 3D version of 11.11.11. It’s also Cheese Day, for reasons which I’ve been unable to ascertain. I … Continue reading →

Question: When is it good to export mediocrity?

Posted on November 7, 2011 by UKTI Japan

Answer – when you’re the owner of the “World’s Worst Driver” TV format. Licensing fees have been pouring in for the format from around the world. Germany set out to find the  “World’s Worst Cook”, Denmark  the “World’s Worst Husband” and Sweden  … Continue reading →

Aoki’s genius touch for British design in Japan

Posted on October 21, 2011 by UKTI Japan

I’ve opened a few British store promotions over the years, but never before under a flyover on a busy main road. But then the Aoki British fair is breaking new ground in other ways too. It’s the first time a … Continue reading →

An electric experience – the low carbon Rolls Royce

Posted on October 19, 2011 by UKTI Japan

It’s not every day you get chauffeured around by your Ambassador, so I made the most of the experience when I joined Ambassador David Warren as he undertook a test drive of the electric Rolls Royce 102EX concept car on … Continue reading →