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    • Useful info / Life / Housing
    • 2026/07/02 (Thu)

    This text has been translated by auto-translation. There may be a slight difference between the original text and the translation. (Original Language: 日本語)

    🏡 Dallas is actually a great place to live after retirement ！

    Having moved around repeatedly as a military wife for 20 years, I’d like to share what I find so appealing about the Dallas area. ✨

    ✔ ️ Housing prices that are still quite affordable 💲
    ✔ ️ Spacious homes ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
    ✔ ️ Spacious laundry rooms
    ✔ ️ Large pantries
    ✔ ️ Home theaters （ Movie theaters ！ 🎬
    ✔ ️ A spacious backyard where you can enjoy BBQs and gardening 🌳
    ✔ ️ Floor plans with game rooms or family rooms on the second floor are also popular 🎮

    And it’s not just about the houses ！

    🏘️ Communities in the Dallas suburbs are very well-equipped.

    ✨ Resort-style pools
    🎾 Tennis courts
    🏓 Pickleball courts
    💪 Fitness center
    🏡 Clubhouse
    🚶‍ ♀ ️ Walking ・ Jogging trails
    🌳 Parks and Playgrounds

    And …
    📚 There are many well-regarded school districts,
    👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 It’s relatively safe, and there are many areas popular with families raising children as well as retirees.

    To all military families thinking, “Where should we live after retirement? ？ ”

    The Dallas ・ Fort Worth area is a place where you can easily enjoy a comfortable lifestyle.

    Feel free to contact us with any questions about areas you’re interested in or home prices 😊

    🇯🇵 Japanese ・ English support available
    ⚓ Former military wife for 20 years ｜ Relocation ・ VA loan specialist

    Please feel free to contact us in Japanese ！.

    • Introduction / Professional
    • 2026/07/02 (Thu)

    This text has been translated by auto-translation. There may be a slight difference between the original text and the translation. (Original Language: 日本語)

    Why “800 Million Yen in Fraud” Went Undetected for Five Years at a U.S. Subsidiary—Three Blind Spots in Japanese Corporate Governance

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    The phrase “leaving it up to the local office” might be the riskiest business decision of all.

    Among Japanese companies with subsidiaries in the U.S., how many have headquarters that “truly” understand the actual situation on the ground? On-site audits are conducted once every 3 to 5 years. These are audits that merely stamp English financial statements with “No Issues.” Faced with time differences and language barriers, executives tell themselves, “We trust them”—but that “trust” continues to create a breeding ground for fraud.

    ① The Reality of “Overseas Subsidiary Governance” in Numbers

    By the time it’s discovered, it was already too late

    According to a 2023 survey by KPMG Japan, the majority of group fraud ・ and scandals at Japanese companies originate from overseas subsidiaries. In Deloitte’s “Japan Fraud Survey 2024–2026,” the percentage of companies that experienced six or more incidents of fraud was 14% （—a 5-point increase from the previous survey ）—and this figure is rising year by year.

    And the most critical figure—the frequency with which headquarters’ internal audit teams conduct on-site inspections of overseas subsidiaries is, on average, once every 3 to 5 years.

    History has proven just how dangerous this is.

    At the New York branch of Daiwa Bank, a former employee continued to conceal losses from government bond trading （—ultimately amounting to approximately 110 billion yen）—for over 10 years. At Olympus, senior executives continued to conceal losses totaling approximately 135 billion yen through overseas funds for over 20 years. This occurred despite the fact that “on-site audits were being conducted” in both cases.

    The problem lies not in “whether audits were conducted,” but in “the quality of the audits” and “the day-to-day monitoring system.”

    ② Why Are Fraudulent Activities “Invisible”? —Three Structural Blind Spots

    Blind Spot No. 1 ： The “Black Box” Nature of Operations

    Operations that veteran local employees have handled “instinctively” for many years. No one knows the exact procedures. Expatriate staff cannot verify the actual situation due to language barriers and assume “it’s probably fine.”

    A typical risk scenario unfolds as follows: a procurement officer colludes with a supplier to repeatedly inflate invoices and receive cash kickbacks. The issue wasn’t uncovered during an audit, but rather when another employee noticed discrepancies in the records after that officer had left the company.

    Blind Spot No. 2 ： The “Hollowed-Out” Nature of the Compliance System

    Regulations do exist. Training is also conducted, to some extent. But no one takes them seriously—this is what it means for the system to be “a mere formality.” Even if there is a whistleblower hotline on-site, no one will use it if there is no English support, anonymity is not guaranteed, and the perception is widespread that nothing will change even if a report is filed.

    From the perspective of local employees, there is a psychological barrier: “There’s no way I can report something to an expatriate from Japan.” Without a mechanism to break down this barrier, the whistleblowing system is nothing more than a facade.

    Blind Spot #3 ： FCPA Risk “Lack of Awareness”

    The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act （ FCPA ） holds the Japanese headquarters liable even if a local employee provides benefits to a foreign public official without the headquarters’ approval.

    Marubeni （ 2012 ） ： Agreement to pay a 4.1 billion yen fine

    Marubeni 2014 ） ： Agreed to pay a 9.1 billion yen fine

    Panasonic subsidiary （ 2018 ） ： Agreed to pay approximately 31 billion yen in fines

    “It was done by local staff” is not an acceptable excuse. Ignorance is no defense.

    ③ Abandon the binary opposition of “trust vs. control”

    Many executives confuse strengthening governance with “tightening control.” But the reality is much simpler.

    The problem isn’t “which is right,” but rather “the lack of clear boundaries.”

    According to research, when Japanese companies appoint a non-Japanese CEO to their U.S. subsidiaries, **72%** report “difficulties communicating with headquarters.” From the perspective of local executives, this leads to a persistent state of uncertainty: “I don’t know what to consult headquarters about.”

    This leads to two possible outcomes.

    ▼ Image ▼

    “Trust and management are compatible”—more precisely, “clear boundaries are the foundation of trust.”

    ④ Four Stages of “Governance Maturity”—Where Does Your Company Stand?

    HGMI is releasing an evaluation framework it developed through its consulting projects. Using the two axes of “visibility” and “autonomy,” a company’s U.S. subsidiary governance can be classified into four levels.

    Level 1 （ Chaotic ） ： Headquarters cannot see the actual situation, and the boundaries of authority are unclear. If something happens, it is discovered late, and even if headquarters intervenes, it is ineffective. This is common in the early stages of market entry.

    Level 2 （ Centralized ） ： Headquarters exercises strong control, but local autonomy is extremely low. Top talent leaves because they feel they “can’t make any decisions.” Speed is also lost.

    Level 3 （ Laissez-faire ） ： Local offices have significant authority, but headquarters lacks visibility into actual operations. While there are no apparent problems as long as performance remains strong, this is the state with the highest risk of fraud being uncovered. Daiwa Bank ・ and Olympus were close to this model.

    Level 4 （ Ideal Model ） ： The boundaries between authority and responsibility are clear. Headquarters operates under a system of “monitoring what needs to be monitored.” Field offices have the autonomy to “make decisions quickly on matters within their authority.” Governance and business speed are balanced.

    Which level does your company fall into? The first step is to evaluate this objectively.

    ⑤ “5 Actions” You Can Take Right Now

    Action 1 ： Create an authority matrix （ Can be completed in one month ）

    Amount ・ Create a table by category to clearly define “decisions local offices can make” and “matters requiring reporting ・ or consultation with headquarters.” This alone will significantly improve the speed of decision-making at the local level and resolve the problem of not knowing what to consult on.

    Investment decisions ・ Hiring and firing ・ Major contracts ・ Litigation response ・ Compliance matters— —For each category, simply set monetary thresholds such as “less than 100,000” or “100,000 or more.”

    Action 2 ： Establish three lines of defense （ 3 months ）

    First （ Field ） ： Documentation of business processes and segregation of duties （ The same person must not handle both ordering and approval ）.
    Second Line （ Management ） ： Appointment of on-site compliance officers. Reporting lines independent of the CFO and business divisions.
    Third Line （ Audit ） ： On-site inspections by headquarters at least once a year. Unannounced spot checks are also effective.

    Action 3 ： Establish an internal whistleblowing system that “truly works” （ 2 months ）

    ① Guarantee of anonymity （ A system that prevents the identification of the reporter ）
    ② English support （ A reporting channel that local employees cannot use is effectively non-existent ）
    ③ External reporting channel 6a> Attorneys ・ Direct reporting channels to third-party organizations ）
    ④ Public disclosure of post-reporting procedures （ “What happens after a report is filed?” in advance ）

    Action 4 ： Require monthly reporting of process KPIs to headquarters （ Continuity ）
    Revenue ・ If you focus solely on profits, you will fail to notice “fraud committed to inflate the numbers.”
    Mandatory reporting items ： New major contracts ・ Renewal status / Finance ・ Personnel changes among procurement staff / Compliance training participation rate / Number of internal reports and response status / Payment patterns by business partner

    Action 5 ： Once or twice a year Conduct “Culture Surveys” （ Ongoing ）

    Qualitative surveys that capture not only numbers but also the “on-site atmosphere.” These include anonymous surveys of local employees and individual interviews with middle managers. This provides leading indicators of risks that do not appear in the numbers.

    ⑥ Self-Assessment Checklist

    If you answer “NO” to three or more of the following 10 items, you should be cautious.

    Visibility
    □ Headquarters can review monthly financial data within 10 days of the following month
    □ There is a system in place to ensure that important contracts ・, litigation ・, and compliance issues are reported immediately
    □ Internal audits are conducted substantively at least once a year

    Authority Design
    □ The scope of “matters that local offices may decide” is clearly defined in writing
    □ Local CFO ・ Compliance officers can report directly to headquarters
    □ FCPA ・ U.S. labor laws ・ State laws: There is a dedicated system in place to handle compliance

    Culture ・ Human Resources
    □ Key Positions （ CFO ・ Legal ・ Compliance ） are not dependent on expatriate staff
    □ English ・ A functional internal whistleblowing channel that allows for anonymous reporting
    □ Local employees feel a sense of psychological safety that allows them to “report misconduct”

    Governance Structure
    □ The board of directors of the U.S. subsidiary meets at least four times a year

    Summary ： Investment in governance is not a “cost”

    Daiwa Bank’s $340 million fine. The $280 million penalty imposed on a Panasonic subsidiary. These are all costs that could very likely have been avoided with proactive governance investments.

    A 10 million yen annual investment in compliance versus a 100 million yen fine—the ROI is clear.

    If you feel “there are concerns about the governance of your U.S. subsidiary,” we recommend starting with an assessment of the current situation. The key is not simply determining “whether there is a problem,” but understanding “what stage the problem is currently at.”

    This article is based on the insights ・ and research of independent experts. For more detailed diagnostic ・ support, please take advantage of our free consultation with experts.

    ⑦ Common “Mistakes People Tend to Make” and the Correct Ways to Address Them

    There are common pitfalls that executives attempting to strengthen governance often fall into. The following are examples that HGMI has repeatedly observed in actual support situations.

    Mistake ① ： Thinking the job is “done” once policy documents are in place

    Many companies distribute internal regulations and distributing the compliance policy—many assume this is the end of the process. However, even if documents are distributed, they are meaningless if they aren’t read on the ground. Governance only functions when local employees understand it as something that “applies to them personally” and their behavior changes accordingly. A plan for “how to embed these practices” must be developed alongside the policy formulation.

    Mistake ② ： Assigning to also serve as “compliance officers”

    Expatriates are already extremely busy. Business operations ・ Customer service ・ Coordination with headquarters—it is structurally impossible to perform compliance monitoring while handling all of these tasks. Furthermore, if an expatriate has developed a close relationship with local executives, a human bias arises that makes it difficult to point out problems. As a general rule, compliance officers should be locally hired and kept independent from the business division’s management chain.

    Mistakes ③ ： Outsourcing internal audits entirely to an external firm simply because one is not proficient in English

    Outsourcing to an external audit firm is not a problem in itself. The problem arises when headquarters cannot specify “what needs to be verified.” External auditors will only examine the scope they are instructed to cover. If headquarters lacks the ability to define “what risks exist” and “what needs to be verified,” it will end up receiving an audit report that misses the mark—even after paying high fees.

    Finally ： Governance is not a “reactive measure” but a “proactive strategy”

    It’s too late to act only after fraud has occurred. Fines ・, damages ・, and loss of credibility—all of these costs can be significantly mitigated through “upfront investment.”

    Expanding business operations while neglecting governance at U.S. subsidiaries is like adding fuel to a smoldering fire. Only executives who take action now will be able to continue doing business in the U.S. five years from now.

    If you have concerns about governance, please start by consulting with experts.

    Cross-Border Specialists ｜ HGMI
    Horizon Global Management Integration （ HGMI ） supports Japanese companies expanding into the U.S. ・
    www.horizongmi.com

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    Original Article （ Note.com ） : https://note.com/masa_us_biz/n/nff8d997a51e7

    • Problem solution / Life / Housing
    • 2026/07/02 (Thu)

    This text has been translated by auto-translation. There may be a slight difference between the original text and the translation. (Original Language: 日本語)

    Japanese language for your peace of mind. Dallas Real Estate Total Support - Finding a home that creates peace of mind for your family.

    ？ "Where to Start Living Abroad "

    Dallas ・ My name is Nana and I am a real estate agent in North Dallas.

    When starting a new life, choosing a home is more than "just looking for a place to live.
    It is an important start that will lead to peace of mind and smiles on your family's faces every day.

    ・ Which schools are safe for children to attend ？
    ・ Which areas are easy to commute to work ？
    ・ What is the actual safety and surrounding environment ？

    What is the "real life" that you can not see only from the internet information? We carefully convey the "real life" in Japanese, which you cannot understand only from the information on the Internet.

    Relocation ・ Moving ・ Buying a house ・ Selling ・ We support all the way to returning to Japan.
    Based on our own experience of overseas transfers, we offer proposals from the "perspective of actual residents".

    Dallas is a city where convenience and spaciousness coexist.
    Urban yet peaceful environment for families to live together.

    "I'm not concrete yet, but I want to talk about it"
    Even at that stage, of course, you are welcome.

    Let's find a comfortable life together for you and your family ・ 🏡

    Please feel free to contact us for more information.

    Please feel free to contact us in Japanese!

    • Introduction / Professional
    • 2026/07/01 (Wed)

    This text has been translated by auto-translation. There may be a slight difference between the original text and the translation. (Original Language: 日本語)

    Is It True That “Building a Factory in the U.S. Will Solve the Tariff Problem”? ？ The Essence of SCM Restructuring Facing Japanese Companies

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    Tariff losses for seven major Japanese companies totaled 1.5 trillion yen in the first half of 2025 alone. Companies that jumped at the idea that “building factories in the U.S. would solve the problem” are now facing a miscalculation following the Japan-U.S. agreement in September. The issue is not “where to manufacture,” but designing “which supply chain structure is the most resilient.”

    The shocking reality: 45% of companies are “doing nothing.”

    First, take a look at this figure.

    KPMG’s “Supply Chain Risks and Challenges Revealed in the First Year of the Trump Administration” （ February 2026 ） reports that 45% of companies have “neither considered nor implemented” any measures to address tariffs.

    While major automakers are announcing countermeasures, approximately half of Japan’s mid-sized ・ and small-to-medium-sized suppliers are still wasting time without taking any action. The expectation that “if the big players move, it will create a ripple effect” is an illusion. It is precisely the mid-sized ・ and small and medium-sized suppliers—who serve as procurement sources for the major manufacturers—that are in the position to bear the brunt of the impact first.

    Even more serious is the reality that “there is no department in charge of countermeasures.” Responsibility for tariff compliance is polarized between business divisions （ (40%) ） and corporate planning departments （ (34%) ）, with dedicated SCM departments taking the lead in only 9% of cases. Many companies are either taking ad hoc measures without specialized SCM expertise or are taking no action at all.

    This is corroborated by a PwC survey. According to PwC’s “2025 Survey on Corporate Responses to Geopolitical Risks,” while 82% of companies responded that “geopolitical risks are increasing,” over 70% are still only “considering” how to respond. There is a deep gap between awareness and action.

    Why are they unable to act? The primary reason is a lack of “personnel with specialized skills” （ (38%) ）, and organizational issues such as “the department responsible for responding ・ lacks authority” （ (20%) ）. Many Japanese companies are unable to visualize risks in the upstream supply chain. While they may have a grasp of their primary suppliers with whom they do business directly, in the vast majority of cases, they fail to identify the risks associated with the geographical concentration of secondary ・ and tertiary suppliers. Despite having suffered from the semiconductor shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic, the fact that these lessons have not been applied to the 2025 tariff crisis is due to nothing other than a disconnect between organizational memory and action.

    “Building a factory in the U.S. will solve the problem” is only half correct

    There is a proposition that many Japanese executives intuitively feel is correct: “If we manufacture in the U.S., we won’t be subject to tariffs. So we just need to build a factory.” Logically, this is correct. However, as a business decision, it is risky.

    There are three reasons for this.

    First, manufacturing costs in the U.S. are among the highest in the world. The average hourly wage across the U.S. is $ $17–25. Land and ・ factory construction costs are two to three times higher than in Japan. It takes 18–24 months to secure personnel. Even if tariff costs are reduced, there is a risk that manufacturing costs will rise significantly.

    Second, policies change. Between April and July 2025, some companies that hastily shifted production to the U.S. as a “countermeasure against the 25% tariff” faced miscalculations after the Japan-U.S. trade agreement was concluded in September. With tariffs on finished vehicles dropping from 25% to 15%, there are now cases where companies cannot recoup their relocation costs.

    Third, modifying a supply chain takes an average of 2 to 3 years. A PwC expert points out, “It is not realistic to respond immediately to policy changes. It is important to design a supply chain structure that will function no matter how conditions change.” The correct approach is to “design a supply chain that will function over the long term” rather than “act immediately.”

    Three Case Studies That Show the Difference Between Success and Failure

    Denso ： Looking 10 Years Ahead $ 1 billion investment

    Denso increased its cumulative investment in Maryville, Tennessee, to approximately $ 1 billion （ about 150 billion yen ）, establishing a North American EV inverter manufacturing hub. Furthermore, in August 2025, the company announced the addition of a ・ 69M advanced logistics center in $ Tennessee.

    It is noteworthy that “this move was not made as a tariff countermeasure.” It was a medium- to long-term investment based on the utilization of subsidies under the IRA （ Inflation Reduction Act ） and the irreversible trend toward electrification. As a result, it is also functioning as a countermeasure against tariffs. The correct approach was to invest in line with medium- to long-term changes in the supply chain structure, rather than focusing on short-term policy variables.

    Honda ：’s Calculated Move to Relocate Production

    Honda swiftly announced plans to relocate production of the Civic （ (made in Japan ）) and the CR -V （ made in Canada ） for the U.S. market to the United States. This decision can be commended for “clarifying its policy” to suppliers. There are situations where “failing to make a decision” itself becomes the greatest cost.

    Mazda ： paid the price for the low “risk sensitivity” in its SC design

    Meanwhile, Mazda, which has a low ratio of direct production in the U.S., is bearing the full brunt of the tariff impact and is being forced to fundamentally overhaul its business structure. It’s too late to act once risks have materialized. Design decisions made during normal times determine everything.

    JETRO’s “FY2024 Survey on the Status of Japanese Companies Operating Overseas （ North America Edition ） ” received valid responses from 774 companies. The domestic procurement ratio for Japanese companies in the U.S. rose from 46.3% to 48.5%, and of the 141 instances of supplier changes, 46 involved switching to U.S.-based suppliers. Meanwhile, the number of companies switching to Mexico halved from 21 the previous year to 10. The strategy of “utilizing the USMCA via Mexico” is currently being reevaluated.

    Comparison of NG Responses and Recommended Approaches

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    Four Steps to

    Step 1 ： Visualization （ 1–2 months ）
    Geographical Distribution of Tier-1 to tertiary suppliers ・ Map concentration risks. Do not proceed without understanding “where the vulnerabilities lie.” Geographical concentration risk refers, for example, to a situation where the procurement of key components is concentrated in a specific country ・ or region.

    Step 2 ： Scenario Analysis （ 1 month ）
    Estimate the costs ・ and lead times for each supply chain route under three scenarios: “15% tariff,” “25% tariff,” and “0% tariff.” The goal is to confirm that the structure can withstand even the worst-case scenario. Companies that skipped this step faced miscalculations in 2025.

    Step 3 ： Identify Priority Actions （ 2 –3 months ）
    Start with areas that are highly vulnerable and where the cost of remediation is realistic. Prioritize “treating critical vulnerabilities” over “overall optimization.” Resources are limited; trying to change everything at once will result in no change at all.

    Step 4 ： Diversified Implementation （ 3–12 months ）
    Transition from “concentration in one location” to “distribution across two to three locations.” Partial decentralization is more realistic and cost-effective than a complete transfer. For example, by diversifying sourcing for products destined for the U.S. as follows: “50% within the U.S. ・ 30% in Japan ・ 20% in ASEAN,” you can minimize the overall impact even if a problem occurs at any single location.

    Self-Assessment Checklist

    Please assess your company’s supply chain vulnerabilities immediately.

    Status of Visualization

    We understand our procurement dependence on secondary ・ and tertiary suppliers

    We have quantified the ratio of exports to the U.S. and the ratio of manufacturing within the U.S.

    Single-source suppliers for major products （ Irreplaceable suppliers ） have been identified
    Status of tariff compliance

    Estimated the annual cost impact of Trump tariffs on the company

    HS codes ・ Rules of origin have been verified and are up to date

    Department in charge of tariff compliance ・ A specific person in charge has been clearly designated

    Status of SC reorganization
    Quantitative comparison of “Manufactured in the U.S.,” “Via a Third Country,” and “Continued Direct Exports”

    A medium-term plan is in place that takes into account the fact that SC changes take an average of 2–3 years

    A system is in place to switch between multiple SC routes and a system in place to switch between them as needed

    0–3 ： Urgent action is required. Start with SC visualization immediately
    4–6 ： Narrow down priority areas and move to the execution phase
    7–9 ： A phase focused on “operational optimization”

    2026 and beyond ： SC fragmentation will accelerate further

    The mindset of “reviewing the situation once things stabilize” will no longer work going forward.

    U.S. trade policy changes at the executive order level and does not require congressional approval. There is always the possibility that today’s 15% could change tomorrow. The 2024 report from the Reshoring ・ Initiative announced 244,000 manufacturing jobs in the U.S. Capital investment totaling approximately $102.6 billion is concentrated in semiconductors ・ and electronic components alone. While Japanese companies remain inactive, firms from other countries continue to solidify their foothold in the U.S.

    According to a PwC survey, “Japan” emerged as the top destination for shifting production ・ and procurement away from China, with 53% of respondents citing it. “Japanese companies manufacturing in China for the U.S. market” face the dual challenges of mitigating China-related risks and responding to U.S. tariffs.

    We are entering an era where the optimal supply chain route varies by product ・ and by component. The concept of “handling all products with a single structure” is reaching its limits. What is needed now is the ability to design “a supply chain with the flexibility to function no matter how circumstances change.”

    Summary ： Review your company’s supply chain immediately

    Under the Japan-U.S. trade agreement, auto tariffs have been reduced to 15%. However, even 15% is still a high rate, and it does not eliminate the need for supply chain restructuring.

    The key is to “design a supply chain structure that functions regardless of how tariffs change.” First, identify the vulnerabilities in your company’s supply chain, estimate costs under multiple scenarios, and tackle the highest-priority issues first.

    A KPMG survey found that 45% of companies have taken no action. Before these companies fall behind their competitors, diagnosing your company’s current status is the immediate step you must take. The starting point for everything is for management to share the understanding that “inaction” itself is a risk.

    Cross-Border Specialists ｜ HGMI
    Horizon Global Management Integration （ HGMI ） supports Japanese companies expanding into the U.S. ・
    www.horizongmi.com

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    Original Article （ Note.com ） : https://note.com/masa_us_biz/n/nc66e901d6e27

    • Satisfaction guaranteed / Life / Housing
    • 2026/07/01 (Wed)

    This text has been translated by auto-translation. There may be a slight difference between the original text and the translation. (Original Language: 日本語)

    The process of buying your first home in the U.S. 5 Steps

    Hello.

    My name is Nana and I am a real estate agent in the Dallas ・ North Dallas area.

    Many people feel uneasy about buying real estate overseas because of the differences in language and systems, and they don't know where to start.

    Especially when relocating or moving with a family, there are many things to consider, such as schools ・ public safety ・ and living environment.

    So in this article, we will introduce the basic process of purchasing your first US home in 5 steps.

    ① Loan pre-qualification
    Clarify your possible purchase budget and prepare to begin your home search with confidence.

    ② House Search
    Area ・ School District ・ We will select the most suitable property while considering living environment.

    ③ Submit an offer
    Offer the property you like and submit your purchase terms.

    ④ Inspections ・ Appraisals
    We check the condition of the building and evaluate the fair price to ensure a safe transaction.

    ⑤ Closing
    After the final procedures, the purchase is finally complete.

    Relocation ・ Moving ・ Home Purchase ・ Replacement ・ Selling ・ We provide total support until you return to Japan.

    Because we have experienced relocation ourselves, we are able to make proposals that are in line with actual living conditions.

    We also provide careful support for loans and various procedures in cooperation with our reliable team.

    "I don't know where to start"
    "Is it OK to ask such questions?" ？

    We welcome such consultations.
    Please feel free to contact us in Japanese.

    Please feel free to contact us in Japanese.

    • Introduction / Professional
    • 2026/06/30 (Tue)

    This text has been translated by auto-translation. There may be a slight difference between the original text and the translation. (Original Language: 日本語)

    Ozaki Accounting Office YouTube Channel

    For Japanese residents in the U.S.
    Do you have any problems with tax returns, taxes, incorporation, etc. ？

    Ozaki Accounting Office on YouTube
    Information on American taxes and accounting is explained in Japanese and easy to understand.

    ✔ Tax Return ・ Tax Consultation
    ✔ Corporate Closing ・ Payroll （ Payroll Calculation ）
    ✔ Company Formation Support
    ✔ Support for Japanese Companies Expanding into the US
    Expatriates, restaurant owners and company managers are also welcome to contact us.

    Japanese ・ English speaking.
    We have an office in Miami, but can respond from anywhere in the US.

    Please visit our YouTube channel ！

    • Introduction / Professional
    • 2026/06/30 (Tue)

    This text has been translated by auto-translation. There may be a slight difference between the original text and the translation. (Original Language: 日本語)

    "Raise Salaries and You'll Attract Talent"—The Blind Spot of Japanese Companies That Keep Losing Talent in the U.S.

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    Intended Audience: Executive leadership of companies based in the U.S. or planning to establish a presence there ・ CFOs ・ HR managers

    67.5% of Japanese companies in the U.S. cite “wage increases” as their top management challenge.
    However, an increasing number of companies are finding that even when they raise salaries, they still cannot attract or retain talent.
    The issue is not “how much to pay,” but “how to design the compensation structure.”

    01 ｜ The Reality Revealed by the Numbers ： Recruitment at Japanese Companies Is in a Critical State

    JETRO conducted a survey in fiscal year 2025 of Japanese companies in the U.S. revealed shocking findings.

    67.5% cited “rising employee wages” as their top management challenge

    51.4% cited “securing （ general employees ）” as a challenge

    40.2% cited “employee retention” as a challenge

    39.4% cited “securing employees （ engineers ）” as a challenge

    Even more serious is the “change in circumstances.” 27.0% of companies reported that their ability to secure talent had “worsened.” This is more than 2.5 times the 10.7% of companies that reported an “improvement.” Companies that are improving versus those that continue to deteriorate—what is causing this difference?

    Key Message ： Look at the structure of the problem, not just the volume of problems

    A common mistake made by many Japanese companies is the assumption that “raising salaries will attract talent.” The average annual salary for engineers in Silicon Valley is $ 125,306 （ approximately 13.78 million yen ）. This is about three times the average salary of 5.11 million yen for engineers in their 30s in Japan. Attempting to bridge this gap would devastate business profitability. “Stopping price competition” is the first step in this strategy.

    02 ｜ A Counterintuitive Finding ： Companies that raised salaries saw employees leave even sooner

    “If we raise salaries just a little more, we should be able to hire them”—this is the fate that awaits companies that act on this assumption.

    A Japanese manufacturing company based in the Midwest raised engineers’ annual salaries by 20% between 2022 and 2024. The result was ？ the turnover rate remained unchanged.

    Interviews with 10 former employees revealed the following three underlying reasons:

    “Even when I submit improvement proposals, it takes six months to get approval from the Japanese headquarters.”

    “I have absolutely no idea what the criteria are for becoming a manager.”

    “My scope of responsibility is vague, and I can’t make any decisions on my own.”

    What Americans seek in a job is “meaning” and “a sense of accomplishment.” Even if you raise their salary, without decision-making authority, the job will simply appear to them as “a place where they get paid but can’t do anything.”

    Key Message ： Americans change jobs an average of 11 times （ In Japan, it’s twice ）

    This is the cultural （ Nikkei Shimbun, 2024 ）. Americans actively “change” situations where they find themselves in an “environment that stifles growth.” Even if their salary meets market standards, they’ll look for the next opportunity if they don’t feel they’re growing. This isn’t a “matter of loyalty” but a “market structure.”

    03 ｜ Analyzing the Problem ： Why Can’t Japanese Companies Hire?

    [Obstacle ① ] The Fatally Slow Hiring Process

    Top American candidates compare multiple offers simultaneously and make a decision within 72 hours. The average lead time for Japanese companies to extend a final offer is 4 to 8 weeks. During that time, candidates go to other companies.

    According to a 2025 survey by SHRM （ (Society for Human Resource Management) ）, the average cost per hire is $ 5,475 for non-managerial positions, and $ 35,879 for managerial positions. Vacant positions result in a monthly loss of $ 4,000 to $ 9,000. The cost of “taking time to hire carefully” continues to accumulate behind the scenes.

    [Barrier ② ] Erosion of Authority Due to the Approval Culture

    The most common reason Americans who join Japanese companies cite for leaving is, “I can’t make any decisions on my own.”

    A structure requiring approval from the Japanese headquarters, a workflow that takes weeks for approval, and a situation where ambiguous scope of responsibility prevents action. Americans are strongly motivated by the desire to “take ownership of their work results.” The organizational structure stands in the way of this.

    [Barrier ③ ] Lack of an employer brand

    “What kind of company is yours? ？ ”—When candidates check Glassdoor, they find nothing. The recruitment page features a single line: “An environment where you can thrive globally.” However, from an American perspective, it comes across as “an office that simply waits for decisions from the Japanese headquarters.”

    We know we can’t compete with Google ・ and Amazon on salary. Yet many companies can’t even articulate a reason why someone should work for them.

    [Challenge ④ ] Structural Shortage of Bilingual Talent

    The number of Japanese residents in the U.S. has been declining over the long term. The pool of Japanese-English bilingual professionals with practical experience is shrinking year by year. Experts warn: “Over the next 5 to 10 years, recruiting Japanese-English bilinguals in the U.S. will become as difficult as it is in Europe.” （ iiicareer.com, November 2025 ） .

    In addition, starting in September 2025, an $ additional fee of 100,000 was imposed on new H-1B visa applications. For a company that used to send 10 expatriates per year, this alone represents a cost increase of $ 1,000,000 （ approximately 150 million yen ）. The profitability of the “sending employees from Japan” strategy is rapidly deteriorating.

    04 ｜ Improvement vs. Deterioration ： What Is Driving the Difference in Outcomes?

    ▼ Image ▼

    As a result, employee retention rates at companies showing improvement are 20 to 30 points higher than at those showing deterioration. Hiring costs are 40 to 50% lower. This is not just a matter of perception; it is a difference in design.

    05 ｜ Three Specific Actions ： Things You Can Start This Week

    Action 1 ： Organize data on departing employees （ By the end of this week ）

    Create a list of employees who have left over the past two years. Categorize their reasons for leaving into “Compensation ・ Career ・ Culture ・ Management ・ Offer from another company.” What is the most common reason? This is the crux of the problem.

    If you haven’t conducted exit interviews, contact former employees who have left the company, even at this late stage. If you reach out with the attitude that you “want to hear their candid opinions,” they will often speak with surprising honesty.

    Action 2 ： Measure the hiring lead time （ Within this month ）

    For the most recent 1 0 hires, measure the number of days “from job posting to final offer.” If there are multiple positions taking more than three weeks, improving the hiring process is an urgent priority.

    As a specific improvement measure, setting a “salary cap” that allows local HR personnel to extend offers without prior approval from the Japan headquarters will yield the most immediate results. For example, simply setting a rule such as “Annual salary $ of 120,000 or less can be decided locally” will significantly shorten the approval process.

    Action 3 ： Rewrite the job description for one position （ By next month ）

    Select one of the most critical positions currently being recruited for and completely revise its job description. Verify that the following elements are included:

    Clear definition of the scope of work （ “Other duties” eliminated as much as possible ）

    Success metrics （ Clearly defined KPIs ） （ After 6 months ・ What should be achieved after 1 year ）

    Scope of decision-making authority （ What can be decided independently ）
    6a> Reporting Line （ To whom do I report, and with whom you collaborate ）

    Salary range （ Specific figures based on market data ）

    Revising this job description alone will change the quality of applications. This is because it conveys the first impression to candidates that “this is a reputable company.”

    06 ｜ Articulating “Value Beyond Salary”—Leveraging the Hidden Strengths of Japanese Companies

    Japanese companies have recruitment advantages that U.S. companies lack. They simply haven’t been able to articulate them.

    The rare value of access to the Japanese market. Japan is the world’s third-largest economy, with a market of 125 million people and a unique consumer culture. “Talent with experience at Japanese companies” is highly sought after in the global recruitment market. Few companies are able to present this to candidates as a career asset.

    The contrarian value of stable employment. From 2022 to 2025, Meta ・, Google ・, and Amazon repeatedly carried out large-scale layoffs. For talent aged 35 and older ・ with families, a “stable employment environment” is a compelling selling point. There is a significant segment of the workforce that is averse to the risks associated with startups.

    A gateway to the entire Asian market. Companies headquartered in Japan have networks spanning all of Asia, with Japan as their base. For ambitious candidates who “want to gain real-world experience in the Asian market,” this is a powerful differentiator.

    Be sure to actively highlight these points on your recruitment site ・, in job postings ・, and during interviews. Doing so alone will shift the competitive landscape of the hiring process.

    07 ｜ Summary ： The hiring crisis is not a “salary issue” but a “design problem”

    The essence of the hiring shortage in the U.S. is not price competition but a design problem.

    ✅ Compress the speed of the hiring process to “within three weeks”
    ✅ Clearly delegate decision-making authority to local teams
    ✅ Link compensation to market data and make them transparent
    ✅ Articulate a unique employment value proposition （ EVP ）
    ✅ Collect data on employee turnover and identify the root causes of the problem

    All five of these design changes can either be implemented “at no cost” or offer a “clear return on investment.”

    Even if the initial investment in recruitment reform is $ 50,000, an improvement in retention rates of 15 points would result in annual cost savings of $ over 130,000 （ based on an annual hiring of 8 employees ・ for a company with 50 employees ） . This represents an investment with a 2.6x ROI.

    It’s not that “we can’t hire”; it’s that “our system isn’t designed to hire”—this shift in perspective is the starting point for everything.

    If you’d like to consult with experts regarding ・ recruitment in the U.S., please take advantage of a free assessment from a specialized support organization.

    Cross-Border Specialists ｜ HGMI
    Horizon Global Management Integration （ HGMI ） supports Japanese companies expanding into the U.S. ・
    www.horizongmi.com

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    Original article （ Note.com ） : https://note.com/masa_us_biz/n/nc4df5b87a921

    • Problem solution / Professional
    • 2026/06/28 (Sun)

    This text has been translated by auto-translation. There may be a slight difference between the original text and the translation. (Original Language: 日本語)

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    • Introduction / Professional
    • 2026/06/26 (Fri)

    This text has been translated by auto-translation. There may be a slight difference between the original text and the translation. (Original Language: 日本語)

    "Making the Acquisition" Is Just the Starting Point—The True Nature of the "Innovation Death" That Japanese Companies Keep Repeating in U.S. Startup M&A

    ▼ Image ▼

    Many Japanese companies that acquire U.S. startups find themselves asking the same question 18 months after closing: “Why did the founder leave?” The answer lies in what began on the very day of the acquisition.

    Why Do 70–75% of M&A Deals Fail?

    Fortune magazine published some shocking data in 2024.

    An analysis of 40,000 M&A deals over the past 40 years ・ revealed that 70–75% of them failed. An even more surprising finding is that the stock of the “acquired company” outperformed that of the acquiring company by 20–25% three years later.

    In other words, the “losing side” in M&A often does a better job of protecting shareholder value.

    What does this mean? It’s not a matter of the acquisition price. Insufficient investment in the post-acquisition strategy—the PMI （ integration process ）—is turning M&A into a value-destruction machine.

    Acquisitions of U.S. startups lay this problem bare in an extreme way. This is because much of a startup’s value resides in “people”—the founders and a small number of brilliant engineers.

    What is happening is “subjugation” masquerading as “integration.”

    Key Message ： For startups, the management systems of large corporations are not life support—they are poison gas.

    Let’s look at a typical scenario of what happens immediately after a Japanese conglomerate acquires a startup.

    First, the “standardization of expense reimbursement workflows” begins. Next, “monthly KPI report templates” are handed down from headquarters. You’re required to align performance evaluations with “group standards.” Business trips now require approval following strict procedures.

    These are standard management practices for a large corporation. However, the founders see a completely different picture.

    “Do I really need approval from five people just to buy 30,000 yen worth of experimental parts?” “We’re running weekly sprints, yet we’re being told to prepare a monthly report template.” “This used to be my company, but now I’m just someone’s subordinate.”

    A startup’s competitive advantage lies in speed and rapid experimentation cycles. The more people involved in decision-making, the more that speed drops exponentially.

    Six months later, the first key engineer quits, and a chain reaction follows. Twelve months later, the founder leaves, saying, “I can’t do what I want to do.” Eighteen months later, all that remains are “the remnants of what used to be a startup.”

    Learning from Real-Life Examples ： What Happened—The “Symbol of Destruction” and “Model of Rebirth”

    Key Message ： A company that paid 600 billion yen in tuition versus a company that acquired innovation for $500 million—the difference lay in the depth of their strategy.

    NTT Communications × Verio （ 2000 ）

    In August 2000, NTT Communications invested 600 billion yen to acquire the U.S. Internet company Verio. At the time, it was one of the largest overseas M&A deals by a Japanese company.

    The outcome became clear one year later. A 500 billion yen impairment loss. 83% of the investment had vanished.

    External factors （—the collapse of the IT bubble ）—did play a role. However, the fundamental problem lay in the design of the post-merger integration (PMI). The planning for “Why did it have to be Vrio?” and “What to do in the 100 days after closing” was inadequate.

    Ajinomoto × Forge Biologics （ 2025 ）

    In stark contrast is Ajinomoto . In 2025, it acquired Forge Biologics, a gene therapy CDMO （ contract manufacturing organization ） based in Ohio, for approximately 55 billion yen.

    Why is this regarded as a success story? Ajinomoto had incorporated a strategic shift toward the biotech business—leveraging its amino acid technology—into its strategy more than 10 years ago. Forge Biologics was a target proactively identified as the “missing piece.”

    The question “Why does it have to be this company?” had been clearly answered even before the acquisition.

    Mizuho Bank × UPSIDER （ 2025 ）

    In 2025, Mizuho Bank acquired a 70% stake in the fintech startup UPSIDER for 46 billion yen.

    The most notable aspect is the integration plan. It was explicitly stated that “management members will retain their shares and continue to operate autonomously.”

    A major Japanese financial institution placed “preserving autonomy” after the acquisition at the core of the contract terms. This shift in design philosophy is the key to successful startup M&A.

    The 4-Quadrant Model to Prevent Innovation Death

    Key Message ： Success or failure hinges on “whether strategy leads or is reactive” × Success is determined by the four quadrants of “autonomous vs. absorptive.”

    There are two axes that determine the success or failure of startup M&A.

    Axis 1 ： Proactivity in Target Selection

    Strategy-Driven ： Actively identified candidates by working backward from the company’s 10-year strategy

    Passive Approach ： Proposed by an intermediary ・ Referral ・ Consideration began following a chance encounter

    Second Axis Depth of integration

    Autonomous ： Founder ・ A design that maximizes the autonomy of the management team

    Absorption ： Large-corporation systems ・ A design that integrates into the corporate culture

    Combining these two axes creates four quadrants.

    ▼ Image ▼

    The quadrant ① has the highest probability of success.

    The strategic necessity is clear, and a plan is in place for “what will remain unchanged” even after the acquisition. This is “innovation-preserving M&A.”

    Quadrant ④ is the most risky.

    A passive decision based on “we bought it because a good deal came along,” coupled with unilaterally imposing the rules of the larger company—this is the pattern into which the vast majority of failed M&A deals (70–75%) fall.

    Comparison of Common Mistakes and Recommended Approaches

    ▼ Image ▼

    Self-Assessment Checklist ： Is your company in the ① quadrant

    Please answer the following questions honestly.

    Prior to the acquisition

    The company’s 5-year ・ and 10-year strategies were agreed upon by the board of directors, and and had articulated the necessary capability gaps

    actively identified the target company （ rather than relying on an intermediary ）

    We confirmed in advance with the legal team the risks associated with CFIUS review and its impact on the schedule

    A PMI leader has been appointed prior to the acquisition

    Post-acquisition
    6a> A retention plan addressing the risk of key personnel, including the founder ・, leaving the company has been documented

    The list of “things to keep unchanged” was created before the list of “things to change”

    The areas where decision-making authority remains with the founders are explicitly stated in the contract

    The milestone for determining the success or failure of PMI is set at 12 months a> 24 months

    If 6 or more out of 8 answers are “Yes,” you fall into this quadrant ①. If 4 or fewer, review the integration design immediately.

    Cost Reality ： The scale of losses “if not done”

    The appropriate level for PMI costs in startup acquisitions is 5–10% of the acquisition price. These costs include not only payments to PMI consultants but also retention ・ bonuses to keep key personnel, a buffer for system integration, and the cost of dispatching bridge personnel to local offices.

    For a 5 billion yen acquisition, the PMI budget would be 250 million to 500 million yen. This may seem like a “significant expense.”

    However, the losses incurred by neglecting PMI can amount to 30–80% of the acquisition price. In the case of NTT, 83% was lost.

    If PMI fails in a 5 billion yen deal, that translates to a loss of 1.5 to 4 billion yen in value. “Saving on the PMI budget” results in losses more than ten times that amount—this is the economics of startup M&A.

    Another factor to consider is opportunity cost. Failing to secure the innovation sought through M&A causes the technological gap with competitors to continue widening. That loss does not appear on the financial statements.

    Three Actions You Can Take Right Now

    Key Message ： Only strategic buyers can truly acquire innovation.

    Action 1 ： Articulate “Why M&A? Why now?” to the board of directors
    Before selecting M&A targets clearly articulate “what your company is lacking” and “why organic growth won’t be enough.” Without this, you cannot break free from reactive M&A.

    Action 2 ： Appoint a PMI leader in advance
    The success or failure of an M&A deal is determined by the actions taken after the deal closes. Involving the PMI leader from the due diligence phase and creating a “100-Day Post-Closing Plan” significantly increases the probability of success.

    Action 3 ： Include “Cultural Due Diligence” as a mandatory item
    In addition to financial ・ and legal due diligence, which are a given, incorporate cultural due diligence—which assesses “the founder’s source of motivation,” “the risk of team members leaving,” and “the compatibility of decision-making styles”—into the formal process.

    Summary ： “Having made the acquisition” is merely the starting point

    Acquisitions of U.S. startups by Japanese companies are surging between 2024 and 2025. According to Bain & Company, the total value of M&A by Japanese companies in 2025 reached a record high.

    However, while the number of deals increases, so do the number of success stories—but the number of failures increases even more. The M&A failure rate remains at 70–75%.

    To truly “gain innovation” through startup M&A, post-acquisition planning—including appropriate investment in PMI, protecting founders’ autonomy, and designing KPIs specific to startups—is essential.

    “Having made the acquisition” is merely the starting point. The real work begins here.

    Target Selection for U.S. Startup M&A ・ If you would like to consult with an expert regarding PMI design, please book a free consultation via the link below.

    Cross-Border Specialists ｜ HGMI
    Horizon Global Management Integration （ HGMI ） supports Japanese companies expanding into the U.S. ・
    www.horizongmi.com

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    Original Article （ Note.com ） : https://note.com/masa_us_biz/n/n0654b7e4947c

    • Introduction / Professional
    • 2026/06/25 (Thu)

    This text has been translated by auto-translation. There may be a slight difference between the original text and the translation. (Original Language: 日本語)

    Three Reasons Why Japanese Companies Fail to Gain "Innovation" Even When They Acquire U.S. Startups

    ▼ Image ▼

    Despite the acquisition, the founder left. The engineers disappeared too. All that remained were the high acquisition costs and the title of “separate company”—this is the reality facing many Japanese companies.

    Little-Known Facts ： Japan Is the “World’s Largest CVC Investor”

    Let’s start with some shocking figures.

    In the fourth quarter of 2023, Japanese megabanks swept the top three spots in the global ranking of corporate venture capital （ CVC ） investment deals. Mitsubishi UFJ Capital invested in 22 companies, SMBC Venture Capital in 18, and Mizuho Capital in 15. Japan is, in name and in reality, the world’s largest investor in startups.

    Yet why does it fail to “capture innovation”?

    The answer is simple: they believe in the illusion that “innovation will come if you pay for it.” The value of a startup lies neither in patents nor in equipment, but in the people and the culture they create.

    The moment an acquisition agreement is signed, that value begins to seek an exit.

    The Essence of Failure ： “Acquisition” and “Acquiring Innovation” Are Two Different Things

    There are two completely different objectives in startup M&A.

    The financial return model is a pure investment aimed at capital gains from a future IPO or business sale. The relationship with the startup is that of a “shareholder,” and involvement in management can be kept to a minimum.

    The innovation-acquisition model aims to transform the investor’s own business by incorporating technology ・, talent ・, and business models. In this case, post-acquisition PMI （ and business integration ） determine the success or failure of the entire endeavor.

    The majority of failures by Japanese companies stem from aiming for the “innovation acquisition model” while approaching it with the mindset and structure of the “financial return model.” They can make the investment, but they cannot integrate the acquired business.

    Analyzing the three mechanisms of failure

    Failure ① ： Disconnect in decision-making speed
    At U.S. startups, critical decisions are made within hours to days. Product pivots, hiring ・ and layoffs, partnerships—everything moves at high speed.

    In contrast, Japanese parent companies must go through “approval procedures,” “board meetings,” and “headquarters confirmation.” According to Frontier ・ Management, decision-making at Japanese companies routinely involves lead times of “weeks to months” compared to U.S. acquirers.

    If this disconnect isn’t resolved after the acquisition, the startup’s founding team will choose to resign out of frustration that “nothing gets decided.” You’ve paid the money, but the people disappear. This is the most common pattern of failure.

    → So What ？ It is essential to document the “scope and authority of delegated decision-making” prior to the acquisition and clearly define the areas where the startup can operate autonomously.

    Failure ② ： “Indirect Governance” as a Euphemism for Neglect

    After overseas acquisitions, Japanese companies often adopt a strategy of “indirect governance,” in which they allow the local management team to remain in place. At first glance, this appears to respect the startup’s autonomy. However, in reality, it is a reflection of the fact that there is “no vision for how to integrate the company.”

    As a result, neither value creation nor technology transfer takes place. The acquired startup is left to operate as a “separate company.” A few years later, it is “declared a failure” as a costly investment that brought no transformation to the parent company’s business.

    “Leaving it up to them” and “neglecting them” are entirely different things. The minimum requirement for integration is to guarantee autonomy while incorporating regular management reviews and a support system.

    Failure ③ ： Valuation "overvaluation"

    Silicon Valley startups are traded at valuations that are “unreasonable” by Japanese standards. As of 2024, the average EV/Revenue multiple for SaaS companies is 6.8x. AI startups command a premium several times higher than that.

    Furthermore, in “acquihire” （—acquisitions aimed at talent acquisition ）—the market rate per engineer ranges from $1 million to $2 million. Big Tech spent over $40 billion on talent acquisitions in 2024–2025. Google invested $2.7 billion in Character.AI, and Microsoft invested $650 million in Inflection AI.

    When Japanese companies enter this competition, they often face a choice between missing out on good deals due to slow decision-making or rushing into purchases at inflated prices. Determining whether to buy now and conducting a calm assessment of whether they can win the competition are the most critical tasks before an acquisition.

    Three Real-World Case Studies ： Learning from Failures and Successes

    ▼ Image ▼

    KDDI’s acquisition of SORACOM is a “counterexample” that has drawn industry attention. It directly refuted the conventional wisdom that “startups acquired by large corporations experience slowed growth.” It grew precisely because it maintained its autonomy. Whether Japanese companies can grasp this paradox will determine the success or failure of their M&A efforts.

    The Competitive Landscape in 2025 ： Japanese Companies Have No Time to Spare

    In 2025, Japan’s overseas M&A market is expanding rapidly. In the first half of 2025, the total value of M&A by Japanese companies reached a record high of approximately 31 trillion yen （—3.6 times the figure for the same period the previous year ）.

    Interest in AI startups is also exploding. M&A activity related to AI agents has become particularly active, and global funding for AI startups is expected to double in 2025 compared to 2024.

    Ajinomoto （ in January 2024 ） and Yamaha （ in December 2024 ） successively established corporate venture capital (CVC) funds in Silicon Valley . Yamaha’s investment fund totals $50 million. This trend is expected to continue.

    The question is not “whether to enter the market,” but “how to enter it.”

    What is noteworthy is the fact that Japanese megabank CVCs dominated the top three spots globally in 2023. This is not merely a matter of “the size of assets under management.” However, for many non-financial Japanese companies, CVCs are still in a state where “they’ve tried it but haven’t seen results.” What accounts for this difference? The clarity of strategy and the presence or absence of a PMI framework.

    Self-Assessment Checklist ： Is Your Company Ready?

    Please review the following items. If you check half or fewer of these items, there are steps you should take before rushing into an acquisition.

    Defining Objectives

    KPIs for the three years following the acquisition are defined in numerical terms

    Criteria for “failure” （ Cut-off point ） has been determined in advance

    Agreement on whether to pursue a financial return model or an innovation acquisition model,

    Target evaluation

    Cultural compatibility （ History of collaboration with Japanese companies ・ Motivation

    Estimated the potential impairment of value

    Compared valuations with similar deals

    Integration planning

    Documented documented the scope of the startup’s autonomy

    designed retention packages for key personnel

    agreed in advance on decision-making rules between Japan and the U.S.
    6a> Ongoing Management

    Designed a monthly monitoring system

    Secured expert advisors on cultural integration

    Have criteria for transitioning to “full integration”

    The “true competitors” after an acquisition are the Big Tech companies

    There is a fact that is often overlooked. When Japanese companies seek to acquire U.S. startups, they’re not just competing against other Japanese companies. Microsoft, Google, and Meta are sitting at the same table.

    If Japanese companies enter this competition with a system where “decision-making takes three months,” they won’t be able to secure good deals. Startup founders choose partners based on three factors: a sense of speed ・, brand strength ・, and a guarantee of autonomy. Unless Japanese companies create a structure that gives them an overwhelming advantage in these areas, they cannot win.

    So, how can they differentiate themselves? The answer is “market access.” If we can leverage Japan’s massive customer base ・, distribution network ・, and manufacturing capabilities, “joining the umbrella of a Japanese company” will become an attractive proposition for startups. There are actually many U.S. startups that feel frustrated because they have the technology but lack a market. This is precisely the competitive advantage that only Japanese companies can create.

    Reasons to Rely on Experts ： M A: “Closing” Is Not the End

    The most common failure in U.S. startup M&A deals is a knowledge gap caused by “advisor turnover.”

    M&A advisors until the deal closes, separate consultants for PMI support, law firms for legal matters, and the HR department for labor issues—this fragmentation causes the integration to collapse.

    Successful M&A deals have a system that manages the entire process—from target selection to PMI execution and ongoing governance—in a seamless, end-to-end manner. It is essential to adopt a perspective that does not end with the “acquisition” itself, but continues until “innovation has been firmly established.”

    Summary ： Can You Adhere to the Three Principles?

    For Japanese companies to succeed in M&A with U.S. startups, they have no choice but to adhere to these three principles.

    Clarify the objective （ Is it for financial returns or to acquire innovation? ）

    Guarantee autonomy 6a> Just as KDDI did with SORACOM ）

    Retain talent （ If the founding team leaves, the value disappears ）
    “Acquisition” is a means to an end, not the end itself. Companies that cannot envision what they aim to achieve beyond that need to stop and rethink their strategy immediately.

    One discussion that must not be overlooked is that of “total cost.” When acquiring a U.S. startup, the total cost includes not only the purchase price but also PMI costs ・, talent retention costs ・, legal and compliance costs ・, and the management time spent on cultural integration. It is not uncommon to think you’ve “gotten a good deal,” only to find that the integration costs exceeded the purchase price. Furthermore, it is necessary to estimate the exit costs in the event of failure. Liquidating a subsidiary in the U.S. involves legal procedures ・, employee compensation ・, and creditor settlement, which can take anywhere from several months to over a year.

    We strongly recommend that executives ・ and CFOs considering M&A with U.S. startups start by consulting with experts. Simply taking stock of your company’s situation can reveal risks you hadn’t previously considered. Selecting experts who can provide end-to-end support—from target selection to integration planning—is the shortest path to success.

    Cross-Border Specialists ｜ HGMI
    Horizon Global Management Integration （ HGMI ） supports Japanese companies expanding into the U.S. ・
    www.horizongmi.com

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    Original Article （ Note.com ） : https://note.com/masa_us_biz/n/n10ed204a967f

    • Satisfaction guaranteed / Life / Housing
    • 2026/06/24 (Wed)

    This text has been translated by auto-translation. There may be a slight difference between the original text and the translation. (Original Language: 日本語)

    🏡 Are you thinking about moving to Dallas? ？

    Since the process of buying a home in the U.S. is very different from that in Japan, I’m sure you have many concerns and questions.

    As a bilingual (Japanese and English) Realtor, I help Japanese clients moving to the Dallas ・ Fort Worth area understand the U.S. home-buying process in a way that’s easy to follow.

    ✅ Explanation of the U.S. home-buying process in Japanese
    ✅ Support with loans and financial planning
    ✅ Consultation on choosing school districts and neighborhoods
    ✅ New construction ・ and pre-owned home listings
    ✅ Full support from contract signing to closing
    ✅ Dallas ・ Frisco ko ・ Prosper ・ Serina, and other locations in the DFW area

    In addition to home purchases,

    🏠 We also offer consultation on rental management or selling your home if you’ve decided to return to Japan or have been transferred there.

    “I plan to return to Japan in the future—is it okay to buy a house? ？ ”
    “I’d like to rent it out when I return to Japan.”
    “What should I do if I decide to sell? ？”

    We provide comprehensive support to address these concerns and more—from before you buy all the way through your exit strategy.

    From finding a home in the U.S. to future sales ・ and rental management. Please feel free to contact us.

    📩 Nana Williams
    🏡 Dallas-Fort Worth Relocation Specialist
    🇯🇵 Japanese ・ English available

    Please feel free to contact us in Japanese!

    • Introduction / Professional
    • 2026/06/24 (Wed)

    This text has been translated by auto-translation. There may be a slight difference between the original text and the translation. (Original Language: 日本語)

    The Real Reason Japanese Companies Are Told “Nothing Gets Decided” in the U.S.—The Divide Between Japanese and American Business Cultures and a Plan to Bridge It

    ▼ Image ▼

    Top American talent is leaving. Decisions that were supposed to have been made in meetings aren’t being implemented. This isn’t a matter of their loyalty, nor is it a problem with your English skills. The cause lies in the fact that the （ institutional design ） of Japanese companies functions as a “bug” in the U.S.

    Key Message ： The true cause of the disconnect is not “language” but the “philosophy behind decision-making design”

    Failures in Japan-U.S. business communication cannot be resolved simply by improving English proficiency.

    At the root of the problem lies a difference in the design philosophy of decision-making between “high-context culture （ Japan ） ” and “low-context culture （ the U.S. ） .” This concept, proposed by cultural anthropologist Edward ・ Hall, is the sharpest scalpel for dissecting the divide between Japan and the U.S.

    In Japan （, a high-context ） society, the premise is that “things are understood without having to be said.” Agreements are reached through behind-the-scenes negotiations before meetings, and the meetings themselves are merely a formality to confirm those agreements. Silence is an expression of consent, and reading the room is considered a virtue.

    In the （ low-context ） culture of the United States, the premise is that “if it isn’t put into words, it doesn’t exist.” Meetings are the very venue for decision-making, and silence is a signal of disagreement or confusion. Taking responsibility for one’s words is seen as a sign of sincerity.

    The United States is one of the world’s most low-context cultural regions. Japan, conversely, ranks among the world’s most high-context cultural regions. When these two nations interact, structural misunderstandings are inevitable. English proficiency is irrelevant.

    Unless this difference is incorporated into institutional design, friction will persist.

    Shocking Figures—The “Communication Breakdown” Generates Three Costs

    Cost 1 ： 86 trillion yen in lost opportunities due to the collapse of employee engagement

    Gallup （ 2024 survey reveals shocking figures.

    Japan’s employee engagement rate is a mere 6–7%. This is less than a quarter of the global average of 23%, placing Japan at the lowest level in the world. The number of （ actively disengaged ） employees is four times that of engaged employees.

    This low engagement results in an annual opportunity cost of 86 trillion yen across all Japanese companies （ (Gallup estimate, 2023) ）. This loss is on a scale comparable to Japan’s national budget.

    So, what happens at U.S. offices where the culture of the Japanese headquarters is imported as-is? The answer is obvious. Exposed to Japanese-style “laying the groundwork” ・, “approval processes” ・, and micromanagement, the engagement of American employees declines even more rapidly.

    Cost 2 ： Snowballing turnover costs

    JETRO （ FY2024 North America Survey ） In this survey, 68.4% of Japanese companies in the U.S. cited “employee retention” as one of their top management challenges.

    When an employee leaves, costs such as recruitment advertising ・, recruitment agency fees ・, interview costs ・, training expenses ・, and productivity losses during the handover period accumulate. According to general U.S. HR surveys, the total cost amounts to 50–200% of the position’s annual salary. For an organization of 50 employees with an annual turnover rate of 20%, this translates to “hidden losses” quietly accumulating to the tune of several million dollars per year.

    Cost 3 ： Lost opportunities due to delayed decision-making

    While Japanese companies spend 6 months to a year on M A or considering investments, startup stock prices frequently triple. According to multiple VCs interviewed by （ TechBlitz ）, a common sentiment is: “The atmosphere during meetings with Japanese companies is positive, but when we follow up six months later, we’re told they’re still reviewing the proposal internally. In the meantime, the stock price has tripled.” “Under review” is synonymous with abandoning the opportunity.

    Five “cultural clash” patterns that occur daily on the ground

    Pattern 1 ： The Misunderstanding That “Nodding ＝ Means Agreement”

    When a Japanese manager finishes an explanation, an American subordinate nods. The Japanese manager interprets this as “agreement.” However, an American’s nod is a signal that they are “listening,” not an expression of agreement.

    The following week, when told, “I haven’t heard anything about that matter,” the Japanese manager is left perplexed. This is one of the most common “incidents” at Japanese companies in the U.S. The solution is simple. After every meeting, be sure to document “who ・ will do what ・ by when” and share it with everyone within 24 hours. An agreement only exists once it is put in writing.

    Pattern 2 ： From Being Labeled a “Micromanager” to a Lawsuit

    Polite, Japanese-style guidance ・—checking on progress—is interpreted in the U.S. as “a boss who meddles too much in the details ＝ a micromanager.”

    Americans work under a “job-based employment” system that assumes autonomous decision-making. When their work is micromanaged, they feel that “their expertise is being denied,” and their engagement plummets. Furthermore, when continuous monitoring and criticism accumulate, there is a risk that this could escalate into harassment ・ or discrimination lawsuits. Cases are on the rise at Japanese companies in the U.S. where Japanese managers find themselves in court while still believing they are simply “providing careful guidance.”

    Pattern 3 ： Meetings Where “Laying the Groundwork” Doesn’t Work

    Japanese managers typically discuss matters individually before a meeting to determine a “compromise.” The meeting is supposed to be a formality.

    However, Americans do not have the concept of “laying the groundwork.” They expect to receive information for the first time during the meeting and want to discuss it on the spot. When Americans attempt to overturn something that was “already decided” in advance, Japanese people view this behavior as “failing to read the room.” Americans, on the other hand, get angry, asking, “Why was I excluded from the decision-making process?” It’s a dynamic in which both sides feel the other is ignoring the “proper way” of doing things.

    Pattern 4 ： “Ringi”: A Fossilized Decision-Making Process

    Ringi （ ） This system does not exist in the United States. The idea that a single decision requires the approval stamps of all stakeholders is incomprehensible to Americans.

    As a Frontier ・ management survey points out, in U.S. M A transactions, the seller （ PE fund ） drives the sale process according to a tight schedule. By the time Japanese companies attempt to make a decision through their internal approval process, the deal has already gone to another buyer. The label of “companies that take six months to make a decision” has become a common perception of Japanese firms, whether in the Silicon Valley M&A market or the Southeast Asian VC market.

    Pattern 5 ： The Reversal of How Silence Is Interpreted

    In Japan, “silence is golden.” Silence to gather one’s thoughts is considered a virtue and a sign of respect for one’s superiors.

    In the U.S., it’s exactly the opposite. If you remain silent when asked a question by an American, it is interpreted as “an insult,” “a lack of understanding,” or “rejection.” NTT × A 2024 joint study with the Tokyo Institute of Technology also quantitatively confirmed the differing impacts that differences in Japanese and American communication norms have on workplace well-being.

    Comparison Table ： Common Mistakes and an Effective “Japan-U.S. Hybrid” Approach

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    Learning from Real Examples—The “Cultural Disconnect”

    SoftBank × Sprint （ Investment Amount ： Approximately $20.1 billion ） a>
    In 2013, SoftBank acquired Sprint, then the third-largest U.S. mobile carrier, for approximately $20.1 billion. However, despite dispatching a large number of engineers from Japan to improve the network, the project site was thrown into chaos due to differences in communication culture between Japan and the U.S. Sprint executives were reportedly speechless to see “ordinary employees” participating in SoftBank’s management meetings, according to （ a Nikkei report ）. Plans to merge with T-Mobile US were derailed by opposition from the FCC, and Sprint was effectively sold off in 2020. After seven years of struggle, the withdrawal was partly due to differences in communication structures.

    The lesson is simple. No matter how much financial resources a company has, integration will not succeed if the communication framework between organizations does not function properly.

    Rakuten’s Declaration to Make English the Official Language （ in 2010 – Present ）

    Hiroshi Mikitani declared English as the official language, and it was fully implemented in 2012. As a result, the proportion of foreign employees rose from 2% to over 20% （, with engineers accounting for nearly 50% ）.

    However, internally, veteran employees in their 40s and older who failed to meet the TOEIC target scores left the company, resulting in the loss of accumulated on-the-job knowledge. In an environment where “communication is possible only in English,” some executives found themselves unable to convey subtle nuances or make proposals to management. According to Business Journal （ 2025 ）, failing to meet TOEIC targets carries the risk of pay cuts ・ or demotion, and the problem of “English being a barrier even for those with technical skills” remains unresolved as of 2025.

    The lesson from Rakuten’s case is clear: the key to globalization is not English proficiency, but the ability to translate cultural contexts. Simply relabeling the language will not resolve the fundamental disconnect unless the structure of decision-making changes.

    Self-Assessment Checklist—Your Company’s “Cultural Disconnect Risk Score”

    Please count the number of items below that apply to your company.

    An American staff member says, “I didn’t know about this,” at least once a month

    No follow-up email is sent after meetings （ From the Japanese side ）

    A Japanese manager “nodded ＝ agreed” , which caused problems

    It has become the norm for decision-making to take three weeks or more

    The annual turnover rate at the U.S. office exceeds 15%

    During the recent M&A ・ investment review, there have been deals where “the timing was missed”

    Salaries for American staff are more than 10% below the local market rate

    Exit interviews are not being conducted, or the results are not analyzed

    There are instances where Japanese managers cannot explain “why they do things” in English

    3 or more items ： The cultural disconnect is becoming severe. A review of organizational diagnostics and system design is urgently needed.

    5 or more items ： The risk of key personnel leaving and of litigation is increasing. We strongly recommend consulting with experts.

    The essence of the solution—not “translation training” but “system redesign”

    This is not to say that cross-cultural training or improving English proficiency is unnecessary. However, those measures alone are insufficient.

    People act within systems. Unless the system changes, the knowledge gained through training will vanish the moment they return to the workplace. What is needed is to transform the decision-making process itself into a “design that allows both Japan and the U.S. to act without hesitation.”

    The Three Pillars of Institutional Reform

    The First Pillar ： A Decision-Making System That Eliminates the Need for Behind-the-Scenes Negotiations
    6a> Introduce the RACI matrix （—Responsible / Accountable / Consulted / Informed ）—to ensure that every member of the organization understands “who the final decision-maker is.” Once the decision-maker is clear, the need for behind-the-scenes lobbying disappears. At the same time, setting “approval deadlines” in the digital approval workflow systematically eliminates the risk of items remaining “under review” indefinitely.

    Pillar 2 ： Meeting Design to Eliminate Information Asymmetry

    Make it mandatory to share the agenda by the day before the meeting, and and immediately document decisions made during the meeting. Establish a system where a memo clearly stating the three points—“Who ・ will do what ・ by when”—is sent to everyone within 24 hours. This alone will eliminate the majority of “I wasn’t informed” issues.

    The Third Pillar ： Quantitative Monitoring of Cultural Friction

    Engagement Scores （ Gallup Q12, etc. and track turnover rates on a quarterly basis. By visualizing this data, progress on cultural integration can be made an official agenda item at executive meetings. This creates a situation where management decisions are based on data, rather than on subjective impressions such as “I feel like the atmosphere has improved.”

    When systems change, behavior changes. When behavior changes, trust builds.

    Summary ： Treat “communication issues” as the top management priority

    If the disconnect between Japanese and U.S. business cultures is left unaddressed, a triple whammy will ensue.

    First, employee turnover （—a sharp rise in hiring costs and the loss of on-the-ground knowledge ）. Second, lost opportunities （—missed M&A ・ investment opportunities due to delayed decision-making ）. Third, litigation risk （—harassment ・ and discrimination lawsuits ） stemming from cultural misunderstandings. These are all management challenges that can be quantified.

    Gallup （ 2024 ）’s finding of a 6% engagement rate in Japan suggests that similar risks are present at U.S. offices where the culture of the Japanese headquarters has been imported.

    There are only three first steps you can take today.

    Calculate the turnover rate at U.S. offices over the past year.

    Reanalyze exit interview data from the perspective of “cultural friction.”

    Compile a list of cases where “slowness” impacted recent M&A considerations.

    Once these three data points are gathered, you can estimate the cost of cultural disconnect. And that figure is bound to be “higher than expected.” The problem lies in what you can’t see. That’s why the losses keep piling up.

    Please take advantage of free consultations with experts regarding cultural challenges in U.S. operations.
    https://www.horizongmi.com/

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    Original Article （ Note.com ） : https://note.com/masa_us_biz/n/n4ee8aea5d4d9

    • Introduction / Professional
    • 2026/06/23 (Tue)

    This text has been translated by auto-translation. There may be a slight difference between the original text and the translation. (Original Language: 日本語)

    The number one reason for leaving Japanese-affiliated U.S. companies is “secrecy.” However, the Japanese employees are not aware that they are keeping things from their Japanese counterparts.

    ▼ Image ▼

    Japanese boss ： “Just keep things moving along smoothly from here. （ I’m sure 90% of it got across. ）” American subordinate ： “ （ There isn’t a single specific instruction. Am I not trusted? ？ ）

    The stereotype of ‘secretive Japanese’ is a misunderstanding

    There is a common misunderstanding that occurs most frequently at Japanese-affiliated U.S. companies. It’s when American employees feel that “Japanese people are hiding information.”

    But the reality is different.

    Japanese managers aren’t hiding information. They assume that “saying this much should be enough to get the point across,” so they verbalize only 10% of the information. The remaining 90% is left to “the atmosphere,” “context,” and “unspoken understanding.”

    American employees lack that context. Only 10% of the message gets through. They interpret the remaining 90% as having been intentionally withheld.

    A survey by Japan Intercultural Consulting reports that one of the most common misunderstandings at Japanese-affiliated U.S. companies is the perception that “Japanese people are secretive.” However, this is not a matter of personality, but rather a matter of cultural communication patterns.

    SHRM （ Society for Human Resource Management ） Survey ： 41% of employees responded that “intercultural communication breakdowns had a negative impact on productivity and engagement.”

    “Structural Differences” Between Japan and the U.S. in Numbers

    We start with the data, not subjective impressions.

    Research by Hofstede （, an authority on cultural psychology ）, quantifies the differences between Japan and the U.S.

    ▼ Image ▼

    What does an Uncertainty Avoidance score of 92 mean? It is the numerical basis for the behavioral principle of “securing a way out by not making explicit statements.” Japanese businesspeople unconsciously try to avoid risk by “avoiding definitive statements and leaving room for ambiguity.”

    The U.S. individualism score of 91 is the foundation of a culture that “clearly states one’s position and seeks direct feedback.”

    It’s not hard to imagine what happens at Japanese-affiliated U.S. companies where these two cultures intersect.

    Counterintuitive Insight ： It is the U.S. side that perceives “cultural issues” as a serious problem

    Many executives at Japanese companies say, “We understand the cultural differences.” That’s why they conduct both English language training and cultural awareness training.

    However, Deloitte’s （ 2024 ） cross-border M&A survey revealed a paradoxical fact. In cross-border M&A between Japan and the U.S., a significantly higher proportion of U.S. executives than Japanese executives cite “cultural integration and alignment” as a key challenge in PMI (post-merger integration).

    What is even more serious is that, even though both sides use the same term “cultural issues,” what they mean by it differs fundamentally between Japan and the U.S.

    The Japanese side perceives “culture” as “process friction.” They view it as procedural issues, such as meetings running long or coordination taking too much time. On the other hand, when the U.S. side refers to “culture,” they are pointing to the fundamentals of organizational design—such as where decision-making authority lies, escalation pathways, and risk tolerance standards—in other words, “who has the authority to decide what and when.”

    As long as there is a discrepancy in how the problem is defined, the solutions will also be off the mark. “English training” and “cultural seminars” do not resolve this fundamental discrepancy. They merely alleviate the symptoms without addressing the root cause.

    Why do approval processes ・ and behind-the-scenes negotiations appear to be a “black box”?

    An executive who has worked with Japanese companies in the U.S. testified as follows （ from a Best Times article ） .

    “I feel that the approval process is a mechanism designed to obscure who bears ultimate responsibility when a problem arises. Decisions really take a long time. Dozens of signatures are required to get anything started, and no explanation is given as to why so many people are needed.”

    For Japanese people, “laying the groundwork” is a “careful process of building consensus.” However, to Americans, it appears to be an “opaque process” and a “diffusion of responsibility.”

    According to a JBpress report, Japan’s “preliminary groundwork” and Western “behind-the-scenes negotiations” are similar on the surface but fundamentally different. Japanese “preliminary groundwork” is a process of “finalizing conclusions before official meetings,” with the meetings themselves serving merely as a formality to rubber-stamp those decisions. Backchannel negotiations in the West, on the other hand, are a process of “exploring options at a stage where no answer has yet been reached.”

    When Americans who do not understand this difference participate in Japanese-style meetings, they tend to feel, “What is the point of this meeting? If it’s already been decided, this is a waste of time.”

    A common pattern revealed by the failures of three companies

    SoftBank × Sprint ： 4. A 1 Trillion Yen Price Tag

    In July 2013, SoftBank acquired Sprint for approximately 1.8 trillion yen. As of December 2017, approximately 26% of SoftBank’s interest-bearing debt （—over 4.1 trillion yen ）—stemmed from Sprint （ (Business Journal, 2018 ）). In April 2020, the merger with T-Mobile effectively marked SoftBank’s withdrawal from the U.S. market.

    One of the factors behind the failure was “cultural friction between the Japanese sense of urgency and the bureaucratic culture of large U.S. corporations.” Much of what the Japanese side believed they had “communicated” never reached the U.S. front lines.

    Rakuten’s Adoption of English as the Official Language ： The Real Obstacle That Awaits Beyond Language

    Rakuten began fully implementing English as its official language in 2012. TOEIC scores averaged over 830 (excluding employees who had lived abroad as children), and the transformation was so significant that Harvard ・ Business ・ School adopted the program as teaching material.

    However, the fundamental challenge reported from the front lines was not “language.” Dismantling the culture of tacit knowledge—which emphasized “intuition,” “reading the room,” and “following established conventions”—proved far more difficult. Even when speaking English, Japanese managers still verbalized only 10% of the information. Simply changing the language did not change the underlying structure.

    Japanese-affiliated U.S. manufacturing company ： Annual turnover rate of 30%

    According to a survey by Japan Intercultural Consulting, a case was reported where a regional headquarters of a Japanese-owned U.S. manufacturing company recorded an annual turnover rate of 30%. The main causes of turnover were “a lack of transparency in information” and “uncertainty regarding career growth.”

    NG vs. Recommended ： Common Contrasts in the Field

    ▼ Image ▼
    The Reality of Turnover Costs—How Much Is Lost Annually If Left Unaddressed

    Estimates based on an annual turnover rate of 30% at a Japanese-affiliated U.S. subsidiary with 50 employees.

    Annual turnover ： 15 employees

    Cost per employee （ Hiring ・ Training ・ Productivity loss ） ： 15–30% of annual salary. Assuming a mid-level manager’s annual salary $ of 120,000, the cost ranges from $ 18,000 to $ 36, 000

    Total annual cost ： $ 270,000– $ 540, 000 （ approximately 40 to 80 million yen ）

    These are not “labor costs,” but rather management costs resulting from neglecting cultural gaps.

    Another factor that is often overlooked is “knowledge leakage.” Local-hire managers who leave the company take their knowledge of the company’s business processes ・ customer relationships ・ and market insights with them when they move to competitors. Japan Intercultural Consulting describes this as “Japanese companies becoming training centers for competitors.”

    The annual investment cost for redesigning communication systems ranges from $ 80,000 to $ 150,000 for companies of this size. In terms of ROI, the break-even point is reached within one year.

    Three Actions You Can Take Right Now

    Action 1 （ This Week ） ： Create an Authority Matrix

    Compile a single sheet summarizing who has approval authority for what amounts and within what ranges, and share it with all locally hired leaders. This will immediately eliminate situations where people say, “I didn’t know.” Cost ： Internal man-hours only.

    Action 2 （ Starting next month ） ： Establish the “WHY” First Rule

    For all meetings “Agenda ・ Purpose ・ Background ・ Decisions ・ Next Actions ・ Person in Charge ・ Deadline.” In particular, make the “Background” field mandatory. By articulating “why this is important right now” at every meeting, the habit of speaking only 10% of the time will be forcibly changed. Cost ：: Zero.

    Action 3 （ Starting this month ） ： Launch “reverse 1-on-1s”

    Japanese managers will set up a monthly session to ask locally hired leaders. The agenda is: “What information do you want to know but aren’t being told?” and “What aspects of the decision-making process do you find opaque?” Simply repeating these questions will make the root of the problem visible. Cost ： zero.

    Self-Assessment Checklist

    If you answer “Yes” to three or more of the following, be cautious.

    Locally hired leaders cannot explain “why this policy was adopted”

    “Who decided what”

    Budget ・ HR authority is not documented

    Locally hired leaders are unaware of the strategy set by the Japanese headquarters

    Employee evaluations are limited to an annual performance review

    Information is sometimes sent with only “FYI” as the subject line

    When giving instructions, they sometimes fail to explain the “why”

    Some information is shared only among Japanese expatriate employees

    Three or more ： The turnover rate is at risk of being 1.
    Five or more ： Significant brain drain ・ Potential for legal trouble. We recommend an immediate organizational diagnosis

    Summary ： Redefine what it means for a message to be “understood”

    The gap between Japanese and American business cultures is neither an emotional nor an ethnic issue. It is a structural problem of contextual asymmetry that can be resolved through organizational design ・ and process design.

    “Saying” something and “it being understood” are different. Even if a Japanese manager feels they have “said” something, it may not have reached the American—it is “systems,” not “understanding,” that resolve this asymmetry.

    An organization that verbalizes 90% of its communication will not emerge unless it is intentionally designed. Conversely, if you design the right systems, the organization will function even with limited cultural understanding.

    The question you should ask isn’t “Why isn’t this getting across?” but “What percentage of my message am I articulating?”

    Business Expansion Between Japan and the U.S. ・ To consult with an expert on organizational design, please take advantage of our free initial assessment.

    Cross-Border Specialists ｜ HGMI
    Horizon Global Management Integration （ HGMI ） supports Japanese companies expanding into the U.S. ・
    www.horizongmi.com

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    Original article （ Note.com ） : https://note.com/masa_us_biz/n/nc7c3328d4367

    • Satisfaction guaranteed / Restaurant / Gourmet
    • 2026/06/22 (Mon)

    This text has been translated by auto-translation. There may be a slight difference between the original text and the translation. (Original Language: 日本語)

    Slowly aged for 1 to 2 weeks to bring out the flavor of the fish.

    You will be surprised by its gentle texture and rich flavor.

    Mr. Sushi Japanese Restaurant presents a very special consistent product.

    Carefully selected fish is cured slowly at low temperature for a short period of time.
    The flavor is concentrated without losing excess water.
    It has a light yet deep flavor.

    A unique product of Mr. Sushi, utilizing Edo-mae techniques and the wisdom of aging.

    "I didn't know it could be so tender and rich in flavor …"
    -- All the staff who tasted it were amazed by this confident product.

    A new experience of fish that goes beyond the boundaries of a sushi restaurant.
    Please enjoy the perfect balance of freshness and maturity with your own taste buds.

    • Satisfaction guaranteed / Restaurant / Gourmet
    • 2026/06/22 (Mon)

    This text has been translated by auto-translation. There may be a slight difference between the original text and the translation. (Original Language: 日本語)

    Aged slowly for 60 days.　We were surprised at the softness and flavor beyond our imagination.

    Mr. Sushi Japanese Restaurant presents a special dish.

    Wet aged beef, which is carefully selected beef and aged in a vacuum for 60 days, is finally available.

    By laying it down slowly at a low temperature, excess moisture is kept out and the flavor and tenderness are brought out to the utmost limit.

    A unique product of Mr. Sushi, finished with Japanese techniques.

    "I never thought it would be this good …"
    -- All the staff who tasted it were surprised by this confident product.

    Please try this meat dish that goes beyond the boundaries of a sushi restaurant and see for yourself.

    Mr. Sushi Japanese Restaurant is serious about its meat dishes,
    which are beyond the realm of a sushi restaurant.

    We look forward to serving you.

    • Signature service / Restaurant / Gourmet
    • 2026/06/22 (Mon)

    This text has been translated by auto-translation. There may be a slight difference between the original text and the translation. (Original Language: 日本語)

    Fresh fish available 🐟 ] Come to Mr. Sushi Japanese Restaurant ♪.

    A cozy restaurant frequented by both locals and Japanese.
    A place where you can enjoy authentic sushi prepared by Japanese chefs at reasonable prices ！

    ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・

    All fish are shipped directly from Toyosu, Japan ！ ！ "Safe" and "Secure" fish.
    We bring in seasonal fish from Japan 6 times a week, so you can enjoy the freshest fish of each season.

    We offer sushi ＆ dishes that you can easily enjoy with your family ・ and friends.　　
    Please spend time with your loved ones ！

    ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・

    ＼ We also have this recommendation ！ ！ ／

    ◆We also have bar seating
    After having sushi for dinner, please enjoy drinks at the bar ♪


    ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・

    If you have a large reservation or a large number of customers, please contact us. If you have a reservation for a large number of people, please feel free to contact us.
    Please call us at ： or visit us at 385-0168

    寿司すし屋和食日本食
    • Introduction / Professional
    • 2026/06/22 (Mon)

    This text has been translated by auto-translation. There may be a slight difference between the original text and the translation. (Original Language: 日本語)

    Success or Failure in Expanding into the U.S. Depends on the “Back Office”—The Reality of Withdrawal Faced by 60.4% of Companies

    ▼ Image ▼

    “We’ve created a product that will work in the U.S. All that’s left is to bring it to market”—that’s what the executive thought when he went to the U.S. ・ The first obstacle the person in charge faces is an invisible wall known as the “back office.”

    Market research is complete, a local partner has been found, and funding is secured—yet many Japanese companies still stumble. The cause lies not in the product or strategy, but in the fact that the “behind-the-scenes mechanisms that keep the company running” haven’t caught up.

    Shocking Survey Results

    A 2026 Survey on the Reality of U.S. Market Entry （ COEL, Inc. ） Facts Revealed ：

    60% of executives at companies expanding into the U.S. are considering “withdrawal ・ downsizing ・ or changing plans.” The main reason is “back-office ・ and increased operational burdens such as compliance with laws and regulations （ 60.4% ） ”

    It’s not because they lost to the competition, nor because their products didn’t sell. They are being crushed by their own operations.

    This is by no means someone else’s problem. According to the same survey, fewer than 30% of companies reported that they had “thoroughly planned their back-office infrastructure” before entering the market. The remaining 70% only realize the problems after they have entered the market.

    Over “over 30%” of work hours are consumed by back-office tasks

    Even more shocking is the allocation of work hours ：

    About 80% spend 10%

    Of those, over 20% spend 30% or more

    55% of respondents cited “sales ・ negotiations”—the area they should actually be focusing on

    Assuming an 8-hour workday, 30% of that is 2 hours and 24 minutes. Nearly 12 hours a week—time that could have been spent on sales and business development—is consumed by tax processing ・, payroll ・, and legal matters. That adds up to over 600 hours a year. If all that time had been devoted to their “core business,” the results would have been completely different.

    The “Top 5 Challenges” of U.S. Back-Office Operations

    1. Tax ・ Accounting ： Federal ・ State ・ Municipal triple taxation

    The U.S. tax system has a three-tier structure. In addition to federal corporate tax （ Federal Corporate Tax ）, there is state corporate tax （ State Corporate Tax ）, and in some states, municipal business taxes are also levied. Furthermore, tax rates and filing rules vary by state.

    Sales Tax （ ） is particularly fraught with pitfalls. Each state has its own rules for determining （ nexus ）—the threshold for tax liability—and the “economic nexus” system, which triggers a filing obligation once a certain level of sales or number of transactions is exceeded, is spreading across all 50 U.S. states. If you hire employees, obtaining a State Tax ID and registering with the state labor department are also mandatory. If you expand into a market without knowing these requirements, you’ll face hefty penalties later from the IRS （ (U.S. Internal Revenue Service) ） and state tax authorities.

    2. Payroll ： Chaos Governed by State Laws

    California’s overtime rules are completely different from those in Texas. In California, overtime pay is triggered once an employee works more than 8 hours in a day, but many states use 40 hours per week as the benchmark. Minimum wages also vary at the state ・ and city levels; in San Francisco and New York City, they are more than double the federal minimum wage.

    The “mandatory buyout” of unused vacation time is required in California but optional in other states. Operating based on a “Japanese mindset” immediately creates a risk of legal violations. To avoid this, you must prepare an Employee Handbook （ ） tailored to each state and have it reviewed by a local employment attorney.

    3. Visas ・ Immigration Law ： Inability to Relocate Talent

    When attempting to send talented Japanese personnel to the U.S., visas become a major hurdle. The L-1 （ intracompany transfer visa ） requires at least one year of employment history, and it is not uncommon for the process from application to approval to take three to six months. The H-1B （ specialty occupation visa ） involves an annual （ lottery ）; if an applicant is not selected, they must wait until the following year.

    How will the local business operate while waiting for the visa to be granted?—The speed of initial operations after entering the market varies significantly between companies that have prepared an answer to this question in advance and those that have not.

    4. Legal ・ Compliance ： and Litigation Risks Are Ever-Present

    In the U.S., even a single dismissal carries there is a risk of a “Wrongful Termination （ Unfair Dismissal ） Lawsuit.” Even in states with “at-will employment” （—where dismissal is generally permitted ）—if a termination is deemed to be based on gender ・, race ・, age ・, religion ・, or disability, you may face claims for substantial damages.

    Hiring employees without an Employee Handbook in place can result in enormous legal costs later on. Furthermore, if you are based in California, compliance with the CCPA （ (California Consumer Privacy Act) ） is mandatory. Inadequate data management may result in administrative sanctions.

    5. Profit Repatriation ： Unable to Repatriate Profits to Japan

    Transfer Pricing （ Transfer Pricing ） is an issue that companies expanding globally inevitably face. Payments from U.S. subsidiaries to Japanese parent companies—including royalties, management consulting fees, and intra-group service fees—must all be set at “arm’s-length prices.”

    If this is not properly documented （ Transfer Pricing Documentation ）, there is a risk of receiving an assessment from the IRS and being subject to back taxes, surcharges, ・ and even interest charges. Adopting a mindset of “just transferring profits to Japan for now” will lead to painful consequences later on.

    Common “realization-after-the-fact” mistakes

    Here’s what we hear from companies that have actually expanded into the U.S.:

    “We chose an LLC when incorporating, which complicated tax processing with Japan. We should have gone with a C-Corp from the start”—this is a mistake in choosing the corporate structure. A C-Corporation is the most suitable structure for a wholly-owned subsidiary of a Japanese parent company, but changing it later involves significant costs and effort.

    “We hired an engineer in California, but since we hadn’t established employment policies, we were sued by a former employee”—this is a classic example of underestimating the importance of an Employee Handbook.

    “We turned a profit in the U.S. and tried to remit the funds to the parent company, but our tax accountant stopped us, saying, ‘You don’t have transfer pricing documentation.’”—This is a case where planning for profit repatriation was put on the back burner.

    These are all failures that companies “realize too late.” And the cost of “realizing too late” is several times higher than the cost of “planning from the start.”

    Three Principles for Overcoming These Challenges

    ① Assemble a Team of Experts Before Entering the Market

    CPA Certified Public Accountant ）, immigration attorney, and employment attorney—entering the U.S. market without these three professionals is like stepping onto a battlefield completely unprotected. Some business owners view ・ legal and accounting fees as “unnecessary costs,” but compared to the costs of facing litigation or a tax audit later on, they are an overwhelmingly affordable form of “insurance.”

    In particular, you should make it a habit to hire an employment attorney before making your first hire. By not only having them create a template for an employment agreement but also having them draft employment policies in accordance with state law, you can significantly reduce future problems.

    ② For back-office operations, consider utilizing BPO

    BPO （ Business Process Outsourcing ） is an effective strategy. Payroll ・, expense reimbursement ・, and bookkeeping （ ） offer particularly high ROI when outsourced, allowing you to quickly create an environment where your core team can focus on their “core business.” Furthermore, by combining cloud-based tools, even a small team can achieve a level of management on par with U.S. standards. There is no need to build everything in-house from scratch.

    ③ View it as an “infrastructure investment,” not a “cost”

    Management decisions differ depending on whether back-office development is viewed as a “cost” or an “infrastructure investment.” Companies that establish an appropriate structure early on can move at an overwhelmingly faster pace when scaling up. When expanding from 50 to 100 employees—or beyond—the expansion speed differs significantly between companies forced to “react after the fact” each time and those that designed their systems from the start.

    Summary ： Toward an Era of “Designing Before Expansion”

    The U.S. market is truly massive. However, the criteria for companies capable of competing there go beyond product strength alone. Only companies that master the “invisible operations” can compete in the long run.

    Tax ・ Payroll ・ Visas ・ Legal ・ Profit Repatriation— —As long as you view these five areas as “issues to be addressed later,” you will never escape the back-office trap.

    The era of “entering the market first and figuring it out later” is over. Now is the time to transition to an era of “planning before entering.”

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    Original Article （ Note.com ） : https://note.com/masa_us_biz/n/n0366013bb0bc

    • Event / Media
    • 2026/06/22 (Mon)

    びびなびオンラインセミナー：　アメリカ名門大学進学セミナー

    びびなびオンラインセミナー：幼少期の子どもを海外で育てる

    2026年7月24日（金）午後6時（太平洋時間; PT)
    ※タイムゾーンが異なる方はご注意ください。

    講師：株式会社Avalon Consulting

    参加費無料

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    びびなびのオンラインセミナーは参加費無料です。事前登録が必要となります。
    たくさんの方のご参加をお待ちしております。

    • Satisfaction guaranteed / Finance / Insurance
    • 2026/06/21 (Sun)

    あらゆる住宅ローンの疑問や悩みに日本語でお答えします！

    120社以上の金融機関のローン製品を取り扱う住宅ローンのブローカーです。
    お一人お一人のニーズに合わせて、最適な条件のローンをご紹介します。

    アメリカの不動産は所収していればほとんど必ずと言っていいほど価値は上昇します。
    平均的なアメリカ人の持つ資産のうちでも最も大きな割合を占めるのが、持ち家となっています。
    どのみちずっとすみ続ける家、目先の金利や市場の動向に惑わされず、買える時にまず買っておく、というのが賢い資産運用の方法でもあると考えています。

    こんなお悩み、ご相談ください！

    ・住宅ローンを組みたいけど、どうすればいい？
    ・リモデルをしたいけれど手元に資金がない。持ち家のEquityを現金化できないか？
    ・投資物件を買って、賃貸収入を得る方法は？
    ・老後の資金繰りが心配、Reverse Mortgageって安全なの？

    自身でもカリフォルニアとハワイに7件の不動産を所有し、短期・長期の賃貸運営を行っています。
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    住宅購入から投資戦略まで、日本語で分かりやすくサポート！

    「頭金がほとんどなくてもで家を買えるのか？」
    「ローンを賢く使って資産を増やす戦略」
    「金利は下がるの？上がるの？待つべきor今動くべき？」

    無料相談随時受付中！まずはお気軽にお問い合わせください。

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    • Introduction / Professional
    • 2026/06/19 (Fri)

    This text has been translated by auto-translation. There may be a slight difference between the original text and the translation. (Original Language: 日本語)

    The Story of a CFO Who Set Up a U.S. Company for 300,000 yen but Lost Tens of Millions of yen Two Years Later

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    33.5% of Japanese companies are operating at a loss in their U.S. operations. For many of them, the problem began with an underestimation of “startup costs.”

    “Being able to set up a company” and “getting the business up and running” are two different things.

    The CFO of a Japanese SaaS company came to me for advice.

    “It’s been two years since we incorporated in Delaware. But now we’ve received a notice from the IRS regarding a transfer pricing audit, and when I showed it to my tax accountant, they told me we face the risk of a back tax assessment in the tens of millions of yen.”

    It’s true that you can hire a service to handle the incorporation for 300,000 yen. The “paperwork” involved in registration is inexpensive.

    However, the cost of “building” a U.S. corporation that can operate safely is an entirely different matter.

    ❌ Common Mistakes vs. ✅ Recommended Approach

    ▼ Image ▼
    What Are the Real Costs?

    Actual Costs in the First Year （ Mid-Sized Companies ・ With Actual Business Operations ）

    Even at the smallest scale, 3 to 5 million yen. For a full-scale office, 10 to 30 million yen or more.

    The following two items are particularly often overlooked in the breakdown.

    ① Transfer pricing documentation （ 300,000–1,000,000 yen per year ）
    Mandatory if there are any transactions between the Japanese parent company and the U.S. subsidiary. Failure to prepare the documentation may result in a penalty of up to 40% during an IRS audit （ IRS IRC 6662 ） .

    ② Multi-state corporate tax returns （ 20 to 600,000 yen × Number of states ）
    Simply hiring one employee in California creates a nexus （ tax presence ） there. It doesn’t end with just a Delaware incorporation.

    Counterintuitive Insights ： The notion that “Delaware is the best option” is often mistaken

    According to a survey by M Accelerator, 73% of foreign founders make $ more than 50,000 legal errors when incorporating a Delaware C-Corp.

    If you incorporate in Delaware but conduct business in California, you’ll be required to pay California’s annual （ minimum franchise tax of $ 800 ） separately. This results in double costs.

    In many cases, direct incorporation in the state where the business actually operates is more cost-effective overall.

    Five Things to Check Before Rushing to Incorporate

    Key Message ： Aim to “get the business up and running” rather than just “incorporate.”

    Do you have exit criteria? ？
    Expanding into a market without setting limits on the amount or duration of losses can lead to boundless losses. Bain Survey （ In 2024 ）, the failure rate for overseas M&A by Japanese companies was 25%, more than four times that of U.S. companies （ (5–6%) ）.

    Have you assessed transfer pricing risks? ？
    All companies with internal transactions between Japan and the U.S. must establish a transfer pricing policy prior to incorporation.

    Have you worked backward from the visa application schedule? ？
    It takes at least six months from incorporation to obtaining an L-1 or E-2 visa. If you rush to complete the incorporation process, you’ll end up with a “ghost corporation” with no one on the ground.

    Have you planned for a bank account? ？
    Major banks strictly scrutinize account openings for foreign corporations with no actual operations. Without an account, you cannot transfer funds or apply for visas.

    Have you secured local experts—（ a lawyer ・ and an accountant ）? ？
    Rather than looking for them after incorporation, assembling a team before incorporation significantly reduces both costs ・ and risks.

    What “End-to-End” Incorporation Support Solves

    The key is the perspective of providing ongoing support until “the day the business launches,” rather than simply handling the incorporation process on your behalf.

    Strategic Planning → Corporate Structure ・ Selection of Incorporation State → Registration ・ EIN ・ Bank Account → Transfer Pricing Planning → Visa Applications → Local Hiring ・ Office → Ongoing Compliance
    Lawyers ・ Accountants ・ Labor Consultants ・ and Business Consultants work as a single team. This eliminates the hassle and risk of coordinating multiple specialists in-house.

    Self-Assessment ： How would you rate your pre-incorporation preparations? ？

    For the items below, ？

    Have you calculated the cumulative investment amount over three years and and obtained management approval

    Consulted an expert regarding transfer pricing risks

    Understand the relationship between the state of incorporation and the state of actual business operations

    The visa application schedule is aligned with the incorporation schedule

    Exit criteria are documented

    All 5 items checked → Preparations are complete 6a> Three or fewer items → Strongly recommended to consult with an expert in advance

    Summary

    “You can set up a company for 300,000 yen” is not a lie. However, that merely means “you’ve obtained a building permit.”

    There are separate costs involved in constructing a building, housing people, and operating it safely.

    If you truly want to launch a business in the U.S., please consult with an expert “before” incorporation.

    Cross-Border Specialists ｜ HGMI
    Horizon Global Management Integration （ HGMI ） supports Japanese companies expanding into the U.S. ・
    www.horizongmi.com

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    Original article （ Note.com ） : https://note.com/masa_us_biz/n/n58f8f408c346