Several days ago it bounced across the globe that Nintendo will release its first AR mobile game, showing to all the fans of Pokemon how to get back into their childhood and youth.
Nintendo is a perfect example of the company that first went into stardom in a different industry, at a completely different time period, but did not lose its edge. In 2016 the consoles have evolved into a museum relict and the mobile devices as we know will soon join them unless we add the AR/VR component to it.
Interbrand has ranked 40 most valuable Japanese brands in 2016 and on the list there are global, yet household names that we drive, take photos with, use as consumer electronics or wear.
The principles of success are universal and many global markets can adopt valuable insights from Japanese businesses that do not have to do so much with the external conditions such as office, funding or prestige. Rather it boils down to business philosophy and daily steps that are taken.
Today check out 3 exquisite ways to get the hints of Japan in your business:
1)Adopt Kaizen: it is more than a word.
And in the philosophy of kaizen there are seven deadly sins or wastes such as: overproduction, overprocessing, moving too much, waiting too long, redundant transportation, excessive inventory and necessity for rework.
A perfect example of eliminating seven wastes can be seen in the website Best Japanese Engines which is a one-stop shop for all seekers of used Japanese engines. The company became a market leader, thriving over three decades in business and three main factors can be attributed for their success.
They cover a range of engines and spare parts of top Japanese brands such as Acura, Toyota, Nissan, Subary, Isuzu, Suzuki, Lexus, Infiniti & Scion engines; they developed a reliable, decades-old dealer network in Japan, and they maintain strong presence at their primary US market: not only with Houston headquarters, but also with eight more sales and distribution offices.
2) With minimalism you become the voice instead of noise.
The more I work on global projects, the more I realize that the single most important question marketers should ask every day is, ''Can we make it simpler? Are we sure that our users will get it?''
And there is a strong validation for this question when you create a website, video, rebranding strategy or any other project. Ask a grandma or grandpa if they get it and until they do not, keep simplifying your material.
Ernst F. Schumacher was right when he said, "Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius -- and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction."
In Japan they understand this concept so well, which can be seen in the simple acronym of the organizational principles or 5S: seiri (sort), seiton (set in order), seiso (shine), seiketsu (standardize), and shitsuke (sustain). Just look at Japanese gardens and ikebana; haiku poetry and calligraphy; and low-calorie, delicious food that you can savour with your fingers or sticks.
3)In your world tradition and future can also happily coexist.
Anybody who has travelled to Japan or has friends from this polite Asian country can notice something incredibly humble in the bearing of the Japanese people. The history and geography of Japan testified gazillions of times that there is not a challenge that the persevering people from the country of rising sun cannot overcome, keeping their chin up no matter what.
Shinto temples and Harajuku fashion do not exclude each other; they let each other be. Vegetables can be produced in high-tech flamboyant factories. And in the 21st century the home etiquette does not end when you take your shoes off and take a slight bow in the presence of your friends, you may want to sleep in a capsule hotel if you do not require additional services.
Finally, let's recall Marie Kondo's bestselling business of tidying up Japanese way: instead of criticizing clients world-wide, she advises like an assertive and constructive pro about getting rid of waste.
Do you feel determined to move to a next chapter in your life, but you are uncertain how to start? To book a coaching session with Milena Milicevic, reach her out at LinkedIn.
Photo credits: Learn Japanese, Lonely Planet, Student Events, Demilked, private archive, Daily Mail, Collective Evolution.