In its ongoing efforts to help European SMEs access the Japanese market, the EU-Japan Centre has been organizing various market access workshops on a regular basis since 2015 to explain the specificities of doing business in Japan, with a focus on cultural aspects and certain industrial sectors. 
The three online workshops organized since October gathered a total of 78 participants and were co-organized with the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (on Japan ICT sector), Kosice Regional Chamber at the Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the ADMANTEX2i Consortium of clusters (on Japan business cultural aspects) respectively.

Interested in organizing an on-site or online workshop? Please contact Ms Ana Horvatin at: workshops(at)eu-japan.eu. 

Our Slovak partner shared the following: "The content of the webinar was not only insightful but also presented in a manner that was easy to comprehend, even for those with limited prior knowledge of the Japanese market. The speaker demonstrated a profound understanding of the subject matter, providing valuable perspectives and practical insights that will undoubtedly prove invaluable. We particularly appreciated the emphasis on cultural considerations and relationship-building, which are often underestimated aspects of entering a new market." 

About their motivation to organize this workshop: “It has been fueled by the growing interest in the region from our stakeholders, as well as our moral duty and obligation to share general and trade-related knowledge about Japan and other Asian markets. One of the key motivations is also the upcoming World Expo in Osaka, in which the Slovak Republic is going to participate. As a professional organization with a heritage exceeding 170 years, we have the responsibility to support our region and country on the mission to represent us in the best manner possible."

By Mr. Juraj Seman, Advisor for Foreign Affairs and Protocol, Kosice Regional Chamber