For MNCs operating in Japan, language is
usually named as the first obstacle for their market entry into the Japanese
market and being successful.
Also, Japanese companies and business
professionals also say language (English) is the first challenge they face in
going global.
Well, to me, it is yes but no.
Regulations and rules such as tariff and
laws, whether applicable for all industries or of a specific industry is the
primary barrier.
They shape the external business
environment and the game rule each player play the game / do business.
They determine whether you can do a certain
business in a specific country or region.
What is tricky is that some rules are not
necessarily clear / written down and thus difficult for foreign investments to
fully understand and comply.
For overview and some details with a few
examples, please kindly refer to two eBooks I wrote, which was published by
StartiaLab, a leading Japanese eBook publisher in November, 2015.
English version: 7 Things to Know to be Successful in Business in
Japan
Japanese version: 世界を相手に勝つための教科書 – グローバル社会で事業を拡大する7つの方法と8つの事例
