The latest Focus Core Salary Guide is here: 2025 Salary Guide

Welcome back to the FocusCore podcast. In this episode we are talking to a titan of the food industry in Japan, Paul Kraft. In his over twenty years experience, Paul has launched and led multiple brands to succeed in the Japanese market. He is now the Founder and President of JapanIQ, a company that specializes in helping companies avoid missteps and drive growth in the unique Japanese business landscape. In this episode we discuss the Japanese retail food market, what works, what doesn’t, and future trends we can expect to see unfold in the coming years.

In this episode you will hear:

• About challenges Paul faced when he first started working in Japan
• How the Japanese grocery market differs from other countries
• How Paul, and JapanIQ, has helped foreign companies avoid common pitfalls of doing business in Japan
• The leadership qualities Paul looks for when hiring in Japan
• Insights into Japanese consumer behavior now and in the future

About Paul Kraft:

Paul Kraft helps medium-sized foreign firms expand and optimize their footprints in the perplexing Japanese market. With over 20 years in the trenches navigating Japan Inc., Paul knows what lasts, what languishes, when to pivot, and when to start from scratch.

Paul took HARIBO gummi bears from #8 to #1 in 4 years, led Starbucks’ CPG entry into the Japanese mass market and department stores – including #1 at CVS. He launched the HoneyBaked Ham restaurant chain in their first-ever international market and grew Nestle Nespresso’s Japanese foodservice business by 20+%.

Paul specializes in Route-to-Market Analysis, Partner Identification, Hiring (and Firing), Empowering the Local Team to Speak Up, Value Chain Analysis, Strategic Planning, Translating Brands to the Japanese Market, Forecasting, Market Research, Marketing Communication, Japan Crisis Management, Live TV Interviews, Thought Leadership, Meeting Retailers, Launching New Products, Quality Control Checks, Factory Audits, and Market Audits.

Connect with Paul Kraft:

Website: https://www.japaniq.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kraftpaul

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@JapanIQ

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp

Facebook: :https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/

“Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.

Mentioned in this episode:

Find out more about salaries, the job market, hiring and what's important to both companies and individuals looking for a job specifically in Japan.