Media, Events, and Promotion

Video Production

One of our core services is Video Production for great People, Products, Services, and Ideas. The videos you see on our Japanese Greats TV channel on YouTube are representative of the videos we create. There are several factors we consider critical to these videos.

• Short - These videos are all under 3 minutes long. We can, of course, produce videos that are longer. However, these are intended for promotion on social media and distributed via partner media and other channels. For this purpose, under 3 minutes is key.
• Interviews - The stories of the individuals that create great products, services, and ideas always front and center. They are recorded in the native language of the storyteller, usually in Japanese. In this way, the passion they convey always shines true. Subtitles provide information that cannot be conveyed otherwise.
• Imagery - Since the stories are being told in Japanese, the information being conveyed is mostly shown through images, not words. We take great care to shoot ample “B-Roll” video, interspersing these shots carefully in our edits to convey the quality and innovation that our subjects require.

Business Development

With extensive experience consulting for Japanese and international clients, the Japanese Greats team is well prepared to provide support for developing business for Japanese enterprises in international markets. Among the list of clients our team has provided consulting to over the past 25 years are some of Japan’s and the world’s major enterprises. Of course, we have consulted for many other smaller enterprises and find these opportunities to be far more promising in their potential rewards, but unfortunately their names are likely to be much less recognizable.

ALC Press, Inc., AOL Japan, Advanstar, Aviva, Bandai, CTC Technology, Dentsu Tec, Derwent World Patent, DISCO Inc., Elle Japon, EU Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation, Fuji Xerox Learning Institute, Fujitsu Learning Media, GAGA Communications, Gakusei Engokai, Horus Vision, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Iwanami Shoten, Kanda Gaigo Associates, Mori Sogo Law Offices(now Mori Hamada & Matsumoto), NHK/NHK Educational/NHK World, NTT Resonant, Pacific Century Cyber Works Japan, Pearson Education, Pedigree (pet food), Philip Morris Japan, Princeton Review of Japan (now AGOS), Recruit, Reuters Japan, Samsung Japan, Scouting Association of Japan (Boy Scouts), TBS Interactive, Tamagawa University, Thomson NETg, Toyota (Philippines), Wilson Learning Worldwide, World Support, Yohan, Zenken

Social Networks and Community Strategy

Using Social Networks (SNS) and Communities to build markets is one of Japanese Greats’ key strengths. Of course, we use our Website, Facebook, and You Tube to promote our content and activities. But we also use many other channels, services, and partnerships to promote and build our business, as well as the business of our clients.

In addition to the services mentioned above, we utilize a great many other channels and services, including: LinkedIn, FourSquare/Swarm, Google+, Pinterest, Twitter, MeetUp, Ustream, Evite, Flickr, HootSuite, SoundTracking, SoundCloud, Quora, EverNote, Skype, Mixi, and Yelp. This doesn't mean that you should use all of these services. You should use the ones that make sense for your business - the ones that help you to grow, inform, entertain, and satisfy your audience and communities of staff, partners and customers.

Should you become expert in all or most of these services? Probably not. But unless your business is going to grow by marketing to people born before Apple, Microsoft, Google, Rakuten, Softbank, and Yahoo! got started, then you need to have some strategists with experience on your side.

Editorial Writing, Translation, and Language Services

Our articles about Japan and the Greats of Japan have appeared in many publication and social networks in Japan and around the world.

Mike Kato’s articles and translations have appeared in a diverse range of publications, including Seven Seas Magazine (1989-1993), Algorithmica Japonica (1995-2003), Citizens Abroad (1998-2002), Learning Solutions Magazine (9/2007), Taiki Plus 04 (Autumn 2008), Information-Technology Promotion Agency, Japan (ITA) JITEC Fundamental Knowledge and Skills Examination (2010), Machine Translation Summit Journal (9/2011), Japan Quality Review (2012-2013), Deep Japan (2013-present), and E-Zine (2014). The topics of the publications range from travel to technology, machine translation, education, culture, and pottery.

In addition to work that Japanese Greats has done (re:new tohoku) with funding from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade & Industry, Mike has done work with a Japanese firm to acquire and administer a total of US$3M funding from an educational foundation by Coca-Cola, to provide solar power to 10 elementary and secondary schools in Kessennuma (Miyagi Prefecture) and Shinchi-machi (Fukushima Prefecture), in the reconstruction of Tohoku after the Great Kato Eartquake and Disaster of 2011.

Additional Consulting Services

In 2012, Japanese Greats organized a major project in London’s Asia House - re:new tohoku, - with funding from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade & Industry. The event was a showcase of products from most of the 10 prefectures designated “recovery zones” after the Great Kanto Earthquake and Tsunami of March 11, 2011. The event featured not only the products themselves, but videos of the stories behind their manufacture, as well as an innovative application developed together with Toppan Forms Payment Service featuring Smartposters and NFC (Near Field Communications).
http://www.renewtohoku.org/
http://www.toppan-f.co.jp/english/news/2012/0705.html

In addition, CEO Mike Kato has done work together with a Japanese firm to acquire and administer a total of US$3M funding from the Coca-Cola Educational & Environmental Foundation, to provide solar power to 10 elementary and secondary schools in Kessennuma (Miyagi Prefecture) and Shinchi-machi (Fukushima Prefecture), in the reconstruction of Tohoku after the Great Kanto Earthquake and Disaster of 2011. The projects were completed in fiscal year 2012 (Shinchi-machi) and 2013 (Kessennuma). The work included writing the proposals themselves, installing the systems, and developing promotional materials for the Boards of Education of Kessennuma and Shinchi-machi.
http://prw.kyodonews.jp/opn/release/201209106797/
http://www.cocacola.co.jp/press-center/press-release/en-news-20121127