Coming soon: Small Business Japan, an online publication for the English-speaking community in Japan
Launching in mid-October, Small Business Japan is a new type of online publication for the English-speaking community in Japan, particularly those active in or wishing to do business here.
Our Mission:
Provide valuable information and become a source of insight for those working in Japan so they can develop opportunities to fully demonstrate their talents.
Small Business Japan is operated by Posse Nippon, a-Tokyo based small company. It is designed for professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs, particularly foreigners, who would like to work in Japan –– not necessarily “small” businesses, as your ambitions must be big!
Hi everyone, I'm Yumiko Horie, the publisher of Small Business Japan. Thanks for visiting our site! I'm excited to connect with you here – it's a place where we can share information, ask questions, and support each other in our respective journeys in Japan.
Our content is intended for foreigners, both business owners and individuals. Some of you may have already achieved success, while others aspire to get started here. We will provide information and news that will help you navigate your journey in Japan, both in business and in life.
Small Business Japan is ad-free and subscriber-funded. A free membership will give you access to excerpts from our stories, while some articles will be open to the public. The site does not cover all the business news in Japan, much of which is already available in English. Instead, here at Small Business Japan, the publisher, Yumiko, will curate the most essential information by combining her journalism background and solopreneur experience in the country.
Why launch a new business media site in English?
We know doing business in Japan is challenging for non-Japanese speakers due to many hurdles, including language.
Yumiko, founder of Posse Nippon and publisher of Small Business Japan:
I have met many foreigners working in Japan with limited opportunities. Due to linguistic issues and cultural barriers, they often struggle to get by. Some feel they must compromise and work in jobs that do not match their skills or background. Some feel they are at an impasse and that their experience in Japan contributes little to their future careers.
These situations are unacceptable, and a desire to change them has been my motivation to date. With my 12 years of journalism experience and my background as a solopreneur since 2017, I decided to launch a media site publishing a curated selection of valuable information for the English-speaking community in Japan.
I fully understand that as a Japanese national, I am more advantaged in doing business in this country than non-Japanese professionals. With this in mind, I’m combining my expertise as an information-curating journalist and as a businessperson who founded the company Posse Nippon, operator of this new media outlet that will contribute to the lives and careers of those who need it.
Our focus
Small Business Japan aims to provide in-depth, reliable, and up-to-date information, which includes:
- Business news and topics, such as subsidies and funding opportunities and changes in rules due to revised legislation. We’ll also conduct interviews with specialists like tax accountants and immigration lawyers when pertinent.
- For individuals, we’ll report on essential subjects including pensions (nenkin) and other forms of social insurance that require an understanding of the system.
- Information on day-to-day but important matters like disaster preparedness, for all residents here in this same boat called “Japan”
- Stories of successful businesses with exciting models for your inspiration
- A selection of Japanese news curated and translated by Yumiko that appears on her radar as a former Japanese newspaper journalist
We also welcome questions and requests about subjects that readers would like to know more about but have found little reliable information on, or that they’d like to learn about from a more balanced point of view. Your questions and coverage requests are always encouraged, as what you feel and think may resonate with others. Your experience will matter to someone else.
