Wie können traditionelle japanische Handwerke auch über die Grenzen Japans hinaus erhalten und weiterentwickelt werden? Dieser Frage widmen sich Prof. Harald Conrad vom Institut für Modernes Japan und Prof. Hendrik Meyer-Ohle der Meiji Gakuin Universität in ihrem gemeinsamen Beitrag für Forbes Japan. Im Mittelpunkt stehen dabei die Unternehmen und Akteure, die japanische Handwerksprodukte auf internationalen Märkten vermitteln und dabei weit mehr als eine reine Vertriebsfunktion übernehmen.

Im Folgenden finden Sie den vollständigen Beitrag.

Japanese crafts are often discussed from the perspective of “preservation”: how traditional skills can be protected, how ageing production regions can be sustained, and how knowledge can be passed on to the next generation. But when these crafts are brought overseas, who “translates” traditions into products, brands, and businesses? We are currently conducting joint research on the overseas marketing of Japanese craft products and the role of intermediaries, drawing on our respective expertise in Japanese studies and international marketing. In March 2026, we interviewed companies in Tokyo that sell Japanese craft products overseas, as well as policymakers and supporting organisations. What we found particularly interesting was that entrepreneurs were taking on a variety of roles that went beyond what they had initially envisaged. Selling craft products overseas requires more than simply delivering products and developing sales outlets. It is also necessary to communicate materials, techniques, and the values underlying manufacturing in ways that overseas customers can understand. At the same time, intermediaries are required to understand the preferences and price perceptions of overseas markets, as well as how products are used there, and to feed this information back to Japanese producers. In other words, they stand between producers and overseas markets and “translate” different cultures and business practices in both directions. Moreover, many entrepreneurs spoke of motivations that went beyond profit, saying that by creating new demand overseas they wanted to support the continued existence of producers and production regions. Rather than simply intermediating products, they support the bearers of culture by creating markets. How, then, can these activities be sustained? There are risks in relying too heavily on “Japaneseness.” Interest in Japan changes according to markets and trends and is also affected by policy and geopolitical developments. Rather than placing “Japan” itself at the forefront, it may therefore be more effective to build brands around product categories, production regions, materials, or lifestyles. Overseas consumers do not necessarily perceive design, crafts, food, and ways of living according to national borders. Brands that combine Japanese products with products from other parts of Asia are also conceivable. Furthermore, the entrepreneur’s role does not end there. The production networks that support Japanese crafts are ageing and becoming weaker. To sustain their businesses, entrepreneurs need to consider the production ecosystem as a whole, including materials, skills, logistics, successors, and human resources. The future of Japanese crafts does not depend only on increasing exports or presenting traditions in an attractive way. It also requires creating markets overseas, building sustainable relationships with producers, and strengthening the networks that support production. The roles of the entrepreneurs we studied have already begun to expand this far. They are no longer simply “exporters of Japanese products,” but builders of brands, markets, and sustainable production ecosystems.