Approaches compared
Different ways to approach a market you do not yet know
There is more than one way to learn about Japan before entering it. Some are faster, some are cheaper, some are more thorough. This page sets out the differences plainly so you can judge which suits your situation.
Back to homeWhy comparison matters
Choosing the right tool for the stage you are at
Companies approach Japan in different ways depending on their budget, their timeline, and how seriously they are considering entry. Some rely on internal research. Some commission large strategy consultancies. Some talk to chambers of commerce or trade associations. Some hire in-country staff early. Each has a logic, and each has a cost structure and a set of limitations.
We are not suggesting that structured independent consulting is right for every company at every stage. What we are suggesting is that it is worth understanding what each approach actually delivers before committing to one. The sections below try to set that out fairly.
Approach comparison
Common approaches set side by side
| Dimension | Internal research | Large strategy firm | Ordinal 42 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope | Broad, shaped by what is publicly available and what the team already believes | Wide frameworks, often sector-agnostic unless the engagement is large | Narrowed to your specific sector, product type, and entry window |
| Cost | Staff time, which is rarely tracked carefully — often more expensive than it appears | High, with billing structures that reward longer engagements | Fixed fee per service, stated clearly before work begins |
| Timeline | Variable and often extended while other priorities compete | Scoping and contracting alone can take weeks | Set at the start and held to; typically one to eight weeks |
| Local knowledge | Dependent on whether anyone in the team has Japan experience | Present in larger firms, but often pooled rather than sector-specific | Based in Osaka; working from inside the market, not from a distance |
| Deliverable | Usually a presentation or internal memo, often without source verification | Detailed reports with recommendations, often running to many volumes | A focused written document with source references, followed by a discussion session |
| Objectivity | Shaped by existing internal views and what the team wants to find | Generally objective, but scope is often set by the client's framing | Independent; we report what is there, including findings that complicate the picture |
What sets us apart
Specific rather than comprehensive; independent rather than advisory
We are not trying to manage your entry
Many firms provide market research as a step toward a longer engagement — the research justifies the strategy project, which justifies the implementation project. We provide research as a standalone service. What you do with it is yours to decide.
We work from inside Japan
Our base in Osaka means we are reading from the same market we are describing — not synthesising secondhand sources at a distance. This affects the quality and currency of what we can tell you about distribution, relationships, and local practice.
We include what is inconvenient
If the sector you are considering is saturated, or if your product category faces specific barriers, or if the entry route you have in mind carries risks you have not accounted for — we say so. A briefing that confirms your existing assumptions is not much use.
Effectiveness
What different approaches tend to produce
Internal desk research
Useful for initial orientation and building a vocabulary for the market. Tends to confirm what the team already suspects, and often misses the practical details that determine whether a plan is workable — distribution margins, approval timelines, relationship conventions.
Large consultancy engagements
Thorough and credible. Better suited to companies that have already committed to entry and need a detailed implementation roadmap, rather than companies still deciding whether to proceed. The output is often more than is needed at the consideration stage, and the cost reflects this.
Structured independent briefing
Most useful at the consideration stage — before budget is committed and before the direction is set. Delivers enough specificity to make a sound decision without the overhead of a full implementation engagement. The written format means findings can be shared internally and revisited.
Cost and value
Thinking about the investment in context
The fee for a Market Context Briefing is ¥32,000. An Entry Route Assessment is ¥41,500. Local Partner Search Support is ¥44,000. These are fixed, stated in advance, and not subject to scope creep.
Set against the cost of a misdirected entry — legal fees, staff time, partner disputes, regulatory delays, or simply two years in a market that was never going to work for your product — the fee for a structured briefing is small. We are not offering certainty; no one can. We are offering a sharper view of the terrain before you commit to crossing it.
Stage 01
¥32,000
Market Context Briefing
Stage 02
¥41,500
Entry Route Assessment
Stage 03
¥44,000
Partner Search Support
Client experience
What working with us actually looks like
Before the engagement
An initial exchange by email to establish whether the service fits your situation. No call required unless you prefer one. No pitch, no credentials deck. If what you need is outside our scope, we say so at this stage.
During the engagement
Work proceeds to the agreed timeline. If anything significant changes — about the sector, about your situation, about what we are finding — we let you know rather than waiting until the document is complete.
At delivery
You receive the written document before the discussion session, not during it. This lets you read carefully, discuss internally, and form questions at your own pace. The session is then a conversation rather than a presentation.
After the engagement
We are available for follow-up questions for a reasonable period after delivery. If your situation develops and you want to return for a further service, we will have the context of the earlier work available.
Long-term perspective
What tends to hold up over time
Japan is a market that rewards patience. Companies that enter with a clear understanding of the distribution structure, the regulatory environment, and the relationship conventions in their sector tend to navigate the first two years more steadily than those who rely on optimism and speed.
A good briefing does not expire quickly. The structural features of a sector — how it is organised, who the established participants are, how decisions are made in buyer organisations — tend to change slowly. A document prepared carefully in July 2025 will still be largely accurate in July 2026.
Contrast this with a general market overview, which describes conditions at a high level and becomes harder to apply as the situation evolves.
Common misconceptions
Things worth clarifying about how market entry research works
"We can do this research ourselves with online sources"
Online sources for Japan are either high-level and generic, or highly specific and in Japanese. The gap between them is where most of the useful practical information lives — and accessing it reliably requires either fluency or established contacts in the sector. This is not to say internal research is without value; it is to say its limitations are often underestimated.
"A chamber of commerce or trade association can provide this"
Chambers and trade associations are excellent for introductions and general orientation. They are less suited to providing the specific, structured analysis of a single sector that a company at the consideration stage actually needs. Their role and ours are complementary rather than competing.
"We need a large firm to be taken seriously"
At the consideration stage, what you need is accuracy, not brand recognition. A briefing from a firm you have never heard of that contains specific, verifiable information about your sector is more useful than a well-formatted report from a global consultancy that describes Japan at thirty thousand feet.
"If we hire locally, we won't need external research"
A local hire brings deep personal experience of one career path through one part of the market. This is valuable, and it is different from a structured independent survey of the sector as a whole. The two are not substitutes; they address different information needs at different stages.
Why choose this approach
What you are choosing when you choose Ordinal 42
Specificity
Research scoped to your sector and circumstances, not a general Japan overview you would need to interpret yourself.
Independence
No downstream interest in the decisions you make. Our fee covers the briefing, nothing else.
Clarity
Written first, discussed second. You read before you discuss, which means the conversation is more useful.
Transparency
Fixed fees, clear timelines, and source references in every document. No surprises, no opaque billing.
Next step
If the comparison has been useful, we are glad to hear from you
An initial note takes a minute. We read every enquiry and come back to you within a few working days with a straightforward view on whether we can help and, if so, how.
Write to us