Activities
1Facilitating innovation through inward Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Japan, international collaborations and joint ventures, support for startups expanding overseas, and encouraging the active participation of highly-skilled foreign professionals in the labor force
Facilitating FDI into Japan, international collaborations and joint ventures
As a provider of comprehensive support for inward FDI, JETRO strives to attract foreign companies to Japan by helping them establish offices, expand their operations, and facilitates collaborations and joint ventures with domestic firms. Through these activities, we aim to attract businesses and other organizations that can significantly contribute toward spurring innovation, resolving domestic social issues, and revitalizing regional economies, while working together with the government, local governments, academics, research institutes, and other stakeholders involved in local innovation ecosystems.
An investment promotion seminar overseas
Assisting startups in expanding their businesses overseas
To foster the creation of startups that can thrive globally, JETRO helps businesses expand overseas through consultation with experts, such as international mentors (including serial entrepreneurs), investors, academics, and accelerators.
We support startups at all stages and in all industries, from “born global” startups (startups aiming to be global enterprises from day one) to “J-Startup” companies. The type of support we provide is also broad-ranging and extends from helping businesses bring in their first overseas customers and obtain funding to hitting unicorn status and reaching the exit. This support includes market entry strategy development through our acceleration program, and by offering mentoring and introductions to investors and potential clients overseas.
Promoting Japanese startups at a major exhibition in the U.S.
Promoting the active participation of highly-skilled foreign professionals
As part our efforts to promote diversity at Japanese and Japanese-affiliated companies both domestically and overseas, to encourage innovation, and to enhance international competitiveness, JETRO offers hands-on support from specialized advisors to companies interested in hiring, training, and retaining highly-skilled foreign professionals. We also operate a comprehensive portal site for hiring foreign professionals and hold joint information sessions with prospective employers.
Career fair at the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH)
2Supporting Exports of Japanese Agricultural, Forestry, and Fishery Products and Food
To help the Japanese government reach its target of “two trillion yen in exports of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products and food by 2025 and five trillion yen by 2030,” JETRO fully uses its domestic and international networks, working with the government, local authorities, industry associations and other organizations. We are also working with the Japan Food Product Overseas Promotion Center (JFOODO) on promotional activities to support existing export businesses and to attract new domestic exporters and buyers looking to market Japanese agricultural, forestry, fishery, and food products overseas.
Japan Pavilion at a food trade fair in the U.S.
Advertisement for Japanese seafood at an MTR station in Hong Kong
3Helping Japanese SMEs Expand Their Businesses Overseas
JETRO helps domestic companies, including SMEs, expand their businesses overseas.
Some specific endeavors include supporting the development of overseas sales channels by utilizing DX projects, including cross-border e-commerce sites such as JAPAN MALL and Japan Street, supporting cooperation with local governments and financial institutions nationwide through the Consortium for a New Export Nation, and helping companies that can compete in overseas markets to grow through trade fairs, business meetings, and hands-on support from experts.
Japan Pavilion at the 2023 BIO International Convention
Japan Street for the development of overseas sales channels online
4Contributing to the activities and trade policies of Japanese companies through surveys and research
JETRO provides a wide range of Japanese companies with up-to-date overseas business information based on research and analysis that utilizes our strengths, such as our robust network of domestic and overseas offices, personnel possessing extensive knowledge of overseas regions and industries, our connections with local companies, research institutions, and international organizations, and the accumulated research results from the Institute of Developing Economies (IDE-JETRO). We also contribute to improving the business environments and trade policies for Japanese companies through proactive policy advocacy aimed at domestic and foreign governments.
Hybrid-format seminar by the heads of JETRO’s regional offices
International Symposium: Marine Plastic Debris and its Countermeasures in Asia (Held in February 2023)
5Contributing to regional economies in the age of globalization
JETRO takes full advantage of its know-how and experience with helping Japanese companies expand overseas, and with generating investment in Japan, along with our ties to domestic and foreign governments, local governments and businesses. By bridging the gap between regional firms and overseas markets in the age of globalization, we provide comprehensive support that produces tangible results.
