Interview

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 … [Read more...] about Takumi/Brickny Europe: “We want to bring real Japanese food to Europe”.

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 situation early on and transformed itself in Europe from a travel agency into a concept store for Japanese food - just six months after the global outbreak of the Corona pandemic. Björn Eichstädt and … [Read more...] about H.I.S.: “We want to transfer our service concept to new business areas”.

When it comes to software and digital, some think Japan is weak compared to its perfection in hardware. Yet the country has an extremely exciting new-generation digital scene that has been making itself more noticeable internationally for some time now. One of the pioneers is the digital design consultancy Goodpatch, which has also been active in Germany since 2014. We met … [Read more...] about Goodpatch: “Looking at the digital beyond borders”

The Japanese toy manufacturer EPOCH is present in many children's rooms with brands like Sylvanian Families and Aquabeads and cooperates with well-known Japanese brands such as Nintendo. Many of the company's products are timeless evergreens that have been on the market for over 30 years. EPOCH operates with a very sustainable strategy: only when a brand is well established, … [Read more...] about EPOCH: “Our ambition is a perfect experience for children”