First, about the franchise business, franchising first appeared in America and expanded around the world.
The number one share of the franchise market is held by America, followed by Japan in second place.
As a person who had worked in both countries, I think is that there are as many differences between the franchise businesses in America and in Japan as between baseball and yakyuu (Japanese baseball).
Japanese idiosyncrasy.
The best example of this is the defining characteristic of the member shops.
In most countries other than Japan an individual becomes the franchisee.
That an individual expands the number of shops to ten and becomes “a corporate entity” happens frequently.
Thereafter, the company itself becomes a product (multi-unit franchise), and is often bought out.
However, that a corporate entity, which is in a totally different field, joins the franchise business and prospers, as in Japan, is very rare in the rest of the world.
Even in the world created by Venture Link, where I worked previously, it was an uncommon business scheme.
What I did not understand at the time, I now understand well after having experienced both American and Asian franchise businesses.Our advantage is that we have been doing only this type of operation for nearly 30 years.Our method is that we build a business plan starting with establishing the franchise headquarters, making a hypothesis, and verifying it, and then we keep on digging until finding a source of funds. Our confidence and belief is in having continuously created our core know-how.We will further evolve this unique Japanese franchise and push it out to the world.
Most of the franchises around the world are franchises originating in America.
McDonald’s, KFC, Starbucks, Subway, Burger King.
In the Restaurant business alone, most franchises started in America.
Why?
Americans understand very well the meaning of “selling knowledge” and its merit.
アメリカが世界で牛耳っている業界３つ。
Three industries in the world that Americans dominate:
１、Money market (Finance)
２、Information industry(IT）
３、Franchising
What they have in common is “Knowledge Industry”
America excels in selling knowledge.
Japan does not…
Public institutions in Asia are also starting to notice it.
The significance of selling one’s own country’s franchises to the world. They are beginning to notice this.
And then restaurant business.
For close to 30 years, I have been engaged in “franchising” and “restaurants” in JapanAnd I’ve been observing overseas for the past ten years.思うのは、まだまだ日本の食も伸びる要素があるということ。
Japanese restaurants around the globe have been growing at an accelerating rate in recent years.There are 118,000 Japanese restaurants around the world. (According to a 2017 survey by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources Statistical Analysis Data)However less than 5% of them are owned by Japanese.
Why?
The world is seeking Japanese cuisine, but no Japanese go out to the world, so locals are developing Japanese cuisine learnt by imitation.That doesn’t mean it’s bad. It’s good to expand the range.
Japanese cuisine called The Fusion is one of these.
Due to the effect of the Japanese yen depreciation and efforts to make visitors visa exempt, tourism to Japan finally exceeded 24 million people.
Although it is still a small number from a global viewpoint …
One of the reasons to visit Japan is:
“I want to eat Japanese cuisine!”
Thus tourists encounter genuine Japanese food.They are fed up with “so called” Japanese food they’ve eaten in their own country until now; and want to eat ‘real Japanese food’.Even after they’ve returned. It will certainly happen.
JETRO surveyed people around the world “What cuisine would you like to eat other than your own country’s dishes?”
The answer to this question and the most popular is… what!
“Japanese cuisine!”
Not French, not Chinese, not Italian, but Japanese cuisine.
Favorable winds!
The wind is blowing favorably for those who provide genuine Japanese cuisine!
Is one getting on the escalator going up, or isn’t one?
It is company dependent, president dependent.
Considering the needs of the world, Japanese foods could possibly be the largest exporting industry.
The Japanese food business is such area of industry!
Therfore
Japanese food x Franchising
I push-out these two industries into the world.
That’s what I do!
Assentia Holdings,Inc.
Akira Tsuchiya
