As the world’s 3rd largest economy, Japan is home to some of the world’s biggest companies. Car producers like Toyota and entertainment giants like Sony and Nintendo need no introduction. More recently, we’re also seeing a startup boom in Tokyo. With that said, let’s look at some of the best Japanese companies, such as:
The Future of Japanese Companies
Traditional Japanese work culture has a reputation for long hours and hard work. However, things are changing. An increasing number of Japanese people are leaving behind the traditional lifetime employment model.
Furthermore, the covid 19 pandemic has normalized remote work, and many employees now want hybrid or fully remote options. Although there has been some pushback, some companies have also embraced the new normal.
Finally, The Japanese government has launched incentives to make Tokyo an international startup hub. These include tax incentives for investing in startups, and support for foreign-run startups.
1. Toyota
A name recognized all over the world. It is the biggest corporation in Japan and frequently ranks in the top 15 in the world. Since its foundation in 1937, it has grown into one of the world’s foremost automotive manufacturers.
2. Sony
Another internationally recognized name, Sony is perhaps best known for the PlayStation gaming console. However, the company is also involved in game development, film production, and the manufacturing of electronic products such as TVs, headphones, speakers, smartphones, and cameras.
3. Nintendo
Another entertainment giant, Nintendo is ubiquitous with gaming. Founded in 1889 as a playing card producer, the company diversified as time went on. Today, it is known for iconic consoles such as the Gameboy, Nintendo DS, Wii, and more recently, the Switch. To accompany its consoles, Nintendo also produces famous gaming franchises such as Donkey Kong, Mario, Pokémon, and Splatoon.
4. Softbank
A communications giant, Softbank is one of the newer companies on the list. Founded in 1981, during Japan’s boom era, it has acquired some well-known subsidiaries such as PayPay and Yahoo. Domestically, it is known as a major cellphone service carrier.
5. Fujitsu
Japan’s biggest IT services provider, Fujitsu is also one of the world’s oldest IT companies. It provides both communications equipment (such as hard drives, PCs, and smartphones) and digital services.
6. Rakuten
One of the newer entries to this list, Rakuten was founded in 1997. It offers Internet, FinTech, and Mobile services. In order to be more competitive on the world stage, Rakuten adopted English as its language of operation in 2012.
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7. Mercari
This online flea market has the distinction of being Japan’s first ‘unicorn’. Unicorns are companies that have reached over a billion dollars in market value. As of 2022, there are 10 unicorns in Japan.
8. SmartHR
SmartHR provides cloud-based services specializing in human resources. Their goal is to help digitize previously manual processes, such as new employee registration, employment contracts, pay slips, and end-of-year tax adjustments.
9. SmartNews
First established in 2012, the SmartNews app has now been downloaded over 50 million times. It curates news from a variety of sources with the aim of limiting the effect of echo chambers.
10. PayPay
Since its foundation in 2018, PayPay has grown into one of Japan’s most popular mobile payment providers. It works as an e-wallet and can utilize QR codes for immediate payments.
11. Preferred Networks
Preferred Networks aims to find practical uses for cutting-edge technology. They have projects in various fields, such as healthcare, supercomputing, transportation, and manufacturing.
12. Liquid Group
A fintech company, Liquid Group specializes in digital payments. In particular, they focus on corporate payment solutions, in both the B2B (Business to Business) and B2C (Business to customer) sectors.
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