Meet the new paradigm: network marketing in Japan; Can American-style marketing work in Japan?

Japan, Inc., Nov, 2004 by Yusuke Imura

We started saving the [yen]3 million seed capital to form a yugengaisha, or limited company under Japanese law, and also began preparing to leave our full-time jobs. The technicalities and procedures took an additional several months, but finally, on June 15, 2004, Occams Inc. was officially established.

We took the name for our company from the 14th century British philosopher William Occam, a mathematician whose most famous theorem is named after him--Occam's Razor. In a nutshell, it means "the most effective solution for a complex problem is often the simplest solution."

A good example to illustrate this concept is the following question: "Which is easier: selling 10,000 widgets to 10,000 people, or finding one person who can buy 10,000 widgets?" Our aim is to have the services that our company offers--be they translation, interpreting, network marketing, or other ideas--be fundamental, simple and effective. In short, we aim to either find the 10,000-widget buyer, or be that buyer ourselves.

Going forward in Japan.

Our view of implementing North American-syle network marketing in Japan is best described by our company's ten-year vision: creation of wealth in 100 countries around the world by the year 2010. Accordingly, our vision is simple: using accelerated, business-builder oriented techniques in Japan and other countries to build a multi-national business through the Nikken vehicle, helping as many people as we can in the process.

By the words "helping people," we mean creating the environment and opportunities for people to enjoy a more fulfilling life, both personally and professionally. We are continually seeking strategic partners, at either the corporate or individual level, who might share this vision in countries all over the world.

As for network marketing in Japan, we do feel that change is afoot. With continued exposure to professional, entrepreneur/business-owner distributors who have downlines in Japan, and the increasingly global nature of network marketing companies, more Japanese distributors are likely to choose to expand their businesses outside of Japan. Likewise, the wealthy and aging Japanese population remains an attractive lure to many Westerners seeking to do business abroad. In some cases, the methods used must be adapted to local customs and business needs, and in certain areas, we are still searching for just the right way to adapt techniques to the Japanese market. However, with a fundamental vision for business building and a proven business model in place, we believe that success is only a matter of time.

Yusuke Imura is CFO of Occams Inc.