Interview archive
Takumi/Brickny Europe: “We want to bring real Japanese food to Europe”.
Every Japanese and Japan lover living in Germany probably knows Immermannstraße in Düsseldorf. Since the 1960s, many Japanese companies and hotel brands of Japanese origin have settled there – or the Japanese Consulate General. Japanese-run restaurants and supermarkets, bakeries, bookshops, hairdressers and other shops have also established themselves. Although you are in Germany, you have…
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Audio-Technica: “We want to make high-quality sound an experience for everyone. “
Excellent sound has long been a well-known characteristic of Japanese audio products. Audio-Technica has been at the forefront of Japanese audio quality for the last 60 years. Whether…
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H.I.S.: “We want to transfer our service concept to new business areas”.
One of the industries most affected by the pandemic, in Japan and worldwide, was the travel industry. H.I.S., one of Japan’s leading travel agency groups, recognised this critical…
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Goodpatch: “Looking at the digital beyond borders”
When it comes to software and digital, some think Japan is weak compared to its perfection in hardware. Yet the country has…
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EPOCH: “Our ambition is a perfect experience for children”
The Japanese toy manufacturer EPOCH is present in many children’s rooms with brands like Sylvanian Families and Aquabeads and cooperates with well-known…
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SMC: “We’re in growth mode.”
SMC is a manufacturer and solution provider for pneumatic and electrical automation technology. In addition, the company develops and manufactures solutions in…
TENGA: “Only with passion we are capable of changing society.”
In recent years, “FemTech” has attracted a lot of attention and the international market for sexual wellness products has grown continuously. However,…
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Subaru: “We don’t want to satisfy the customer, we want to satisfy the customer very much.”
By the year 2028, no Subaru user should die in his or her car. This is what the Japanese car manufacturer Subaru…
UNIQLO: “We combine art and science to create LifeWear.”
UNIQLO has become one of the leading clothing brands on the planet in recent years. The Japanese company develops and sells clothing…
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ROHM Semiconductor: “For many industries, semiconductors are not only relevant, but indispensable.”
Only a few years ago, semiconductors were a purely niche topic – but at the latest since the still ongoing chip shortage,…
Carlsen Verlag: “Manga is growing in Germany, and we still see a lot of potential.”
Many people still associate the word “manga” with big eyes, short school uniforms and excessive violence. But the genre has much more…
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Digital Art Museum: “We are building the largest museum for digital art in Europe.”
Art is not normally part of the core business of Xing founder and technology investor Lars Hinrichs – but to bring teamLab’s…
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teamLab: “The space is our canvas, and light is our paint.”
With their digital works and an unconventional understanding of art, the Japanese artist collective teamLab has been stirring up the art scene…
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Fujifilm: “We have transformed to stay pioneers, not followers.”
From photo films in the 20th century and floppy disks in the 1980s to instax cameras making the rounds at weddings today…
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Yusen Logistics: „The importance of logistics as a core industrial business has been reaffirmed during the Covid pandemic.”
We are living in an era where human contact and mobility are limited. Everything can be purchased online, and logistics is the…
Brother: “Those who decry the demise of the printing business have too narrow a view of the industry.”
Matthias Kohlstrung has been at the helm of Brother International GmbH in Germany and Austria since 2014. A time in which the…
Yakult: “Once we enter a market, we will work hard until we succeed.”
The Japanese Yakult drink, which contains Shirota lactic acid bacteria that reach the intestine alive, is successfully sold in German supermarkets, and…
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JAL: “There are surely things we can utilize from our past experiences to overcome the Corona disaster.”
More than a year and a half has passed since the airline industry was severely affected by the coronavirus that struck the…
“LIXIL’s strong technology history is essential for scaling up the GROHE brand”
Sanitary solutions from GROHE adorn countless bathrooms all over Germany – but not many are aware that since 2014, GROHE has been…
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Asahi Kasei: “We ensure that headquarters takes the European perspective into account.”
Asahi Kasei is one of Japan’s leading integrated chemical manufacturers, with its European headquarters located in Düsseldorf. We spoke to Hideki Tsutsumi,…
YKK: “You only start to notice a zipper once it’s stuck.”
When was the last time you looked closely at a zipper? For Andreas Brandenburger, Sales and Marketing Manager for the Germany business…
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Kyocera Document Solutions: “We have to find creative answers to the complex questions of our time.”
With its printers and scanners, Kyocera Document Solutions has made its way into the offices of many German companies. But people are printing less and less – also at work. How is the company responding to a changing market? And what role does the Kyocera corporate philosophy play here? Those are some of the issues we discussed with Dietmar Nick, Managing Director of Kyocera Document Solutions in Germany.
Trend Micro: “IT security is a central part of our DNA.”
As an IT security provider, Trend Micro always has to be one step ahead of cyber criminals. Frank Schwittay, Vice President Europe…
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Kirin: “When Germans drink Kirin, it’s a testament to quality.”
The Germans’ favorite alcoholic beverage is beer – and so is the Japanese. Kirin, one of Japan’s most well-known breweries, ventured into…
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Mitsubishi Electric: “Most people interact with our products many times a day – often without realizing it.“
From rice cookers to space satellites – few companies boast a broader portfolio than Mitsubishi Electric. But while the technology giant is…
Fujitsu: „Our goal is to play a significant role in shaping digitalization.“
As Head of Fujitsu Central & Eastern Europe, Rupert Lehner is responsible for around 5,000 employees in Germany, Austria and Switzerland as…
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Panasonic Industry: „We are hidden in a lot of German products.”
For more than 20 years, Johannes Spatz has held management positions at Panasonic in Germany and Europe. In an interview with J-BIG…
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