MasterClass: The Full Japan Entry Stack
🎙️ The Panel: Founder-to-Founder Reality Check
Moving beyond the "polished" government brochures, this session brings together two leaders who have built the actual pipes between Taiwan, Australia, and Japan. We are diving deep into the Full Stack of market entry from landing in a regional hub to scaling in the capital.
The Speakers
Pablo Riveros (Manabu Hubs): The "Soft-Landing" specialist. Expert in the Kyushu ecosystem and building high-trust local networks from Fukuoka (Fukuoka Startup Collective)
Anthony (Epiport / Scinet Pluss): The "Growth-Scaling" strategist. Expert in moving from initial entry to national scale across Tokyo, Osaka, and beyond.
💡 What’s on the Table?
1. The Regional Playbook (Kyushu/Fukuoka)
Focus: Why Fukuoka is the "Goldilocks" zone for global founders.
Case Study (Hardware): Lessons from the E-bike/Micromobility entry—navigating hardware regulations, local testing grounds, find partners and Fukuoka’s unique "Special Zone" status.
2. The National Scale (Tokyo/Yokohama/Osaka/Kobe)
Focus: Bridging the gap from a regional pilot to Japan’s major economic engines.
Case Study (Software/SaaS): A breakdown of B2B Software entry—overcoming the 7-year cloud adoption gap, "ISMAP" security hurdles, and enterprise sales cycles.
Services Case Study: The three buyer archetypes in Japan: large enterprises, mid-sized companies, and SMBs — and why Taiwanese founders usually mis-target the first.
3. The "Unspoken" Truth: Governments & JETRO
The Problem: Many founders treat JETRO or City Govs as "sales agents" or "free consultants," leading to stalled momentum.
The Optimisation: How to leverage these institutions for credibility ("Shinyo") rather than lead generation — what they can do (visa support, subsidies, introductions) vs. what you must do yourself (hiring, cultural translation, closing)
The underused Tokyo channel: "Shosha" (trading houses) and SIer partnerships, which often outperform direct sales for foreign entrants
💡 🌊 Why This Matters to Taitung & Global Community
We aren't just travelling in Taitung because the scenery is beautiful. Taitung represents the future of Remote Work & Co-creation.
For Taitung Local Business: Discover how to export the "Taitung Brand" (Tourism, Agri-tech, Lifestyle) into the lucrative Japanese market by leveraging Japan's regional revitalization (Soshi-ka) trends.
For Global Nomads & Gold Carders: Learn how to position yourself as a "Human Bridge" between Taiwan’s talent and Japan’s capital.
The Taitung-Japan Link: Both regions share a deep focus on balancing high-tech lifestyles with nature. We’ll discuss how Taitung's "Slow Life" tech scene can mirror and partner with Japan's regional hubs like Fukuoka or Kobe.