RAYUPWe Build Your Next Market.
JPEN

Japan & Asia Business Partner

Grow in Japan.
Scale across Asia.

Strategy, partners and sales for global companies — led on the ground in Tokyo.

Expand into Japan & Asia Source Japanese food Book a 30-min call

Founded 2023 in Tokyo

Expand into Japan & Asia Japan first, then Asia. Start here Source Japanese food From supplier to first shipment. See how

Why RAYUP

Why global companies work with us

01

Strategy expertise across industries

From insurance and telecom to food, agriculture and AI — we have built strategies, organizations and sales engines for major Japanese companies and local governments.

02

A network across industry, government and academia

Direct relationships with major corporations, ministries, prefectures, researchers and producers — so we open the right doors, not just send cold introductions.

03

We know how Japanese companies decide and buy

Our team has sold to and advised Japan's largest enterprises. We know how decisions are made, who needs to be convinced and how long trust takes — and we design your approach around it.

04

Operators with live trade channels across Asia

We run our own businesses and already trade with buyers, distributors and suppliers in Japan, Asia and beyond. You start from existing channels, not from zero — and we lead meetings and negotiations in Japanese.

Where are you now?

Start from the stage your business is in.

  1. 1

    Exploring

    Is there real potential — and where to start?

    Japan & Asia Entry Assessment
  2. 2

    First customers

    Win your first customers and partners in Japan.

    Go-to-Market Pilot
  3. 3

    Scaling

    Build an Asia business unit, run from Japan.

    Japan & Asia Division Build Fractional Head of Japan & Asia

Services

Four packages, one clear next step.

Exploring

Japan & Asia Entry Assessment

What we do

  • Market, competition, pricing and regulations
  • Customer interviews
  • Which countries to enter first

What you get

Go / no-go, entry plan and roadmap

Discuss an Assessment

First customers

Go-to-Market Pilot

What we do

  • Target account list
  • Sales meetings in Japanese
  • Distributors and partners
  • Proof-of-concept projects

What you get

First customers and a proven go-to-market plan

Discuss a Pilot

Scaling

Japan & Asia Division Build

What we do

  • Business plan and KPIs
  • Organization design, hiring requirements and coordination with recruiting partners
  • Sales process and tools
  • Partner model for each country
  • Entity setup
  • Governance with HQ

What you get

A self-running Asia unit based in Japan

Discuss a Division Build

Scaling

Fractional Head of Japan & Asia

What we do

  • Lead sales and partner management as your on-the-ground team
  • Reporting to your headquarters
  • Setting up your local team

Contracts with customers and partners are signed directly by your company.

What you get

Monthly results reports, and a handover to your permanent local head

Discuss a Fractional Head

Need to bring your products into Japan? RAYUP can act as your importer in Japan and handle the import process for you — so you can start selling before setting up a local entity.

How we engage

Clear terms, matched to each stage.

  • Fixed-fee projectJapan & Asia Entry Assessment
  • Monthly retainerGo-to-Market Pilot and Fractional Head of Japan & Asia
  • Retainer plus success feeAvailable from the Pilot onward
  • Joint venture or investmentFor selected businesses only

Entry Assessment

Fixed fee, quoted after a 30-min call

We send a written proposal with a fixed scope and fee after a 30-minute call.

Approach

Japan as your launchpad for Asia.

Win credibility with Japanese customers first, then expand to Asian markets with the partners, references and team built in Japan.

Test demand, competition, pricing and regulations in Japan and your priority Asian markets, and decide where to start.

Win your first Japanese customers and partners — the references that open doors elsewhere in Asia.

Take the partners, references and team built in Japan into your next Asian markets. In each market, we find and set up the local partners you need — distributors, sales agents and professional advisors.

Grow the business, and for selected businesses, deepen the partnership through a joint venture or investment.

Track Record

What we have done — and what it means for you

Most of our consulting work is inside Japanese companies and local government. That is exactly why it matters to you: it is where your customers, partners and approvals are.

Non-life insurance · Post-merger integration

Organization design for a new business unit inside a Japanese group

After an acquisition, we defined the acquired company's role within the group's food and agriculture strategy, designed the organization around its sales team and set rules linking sales and purchasing.

What this means for youWe can design your Japan & Asia unit so it works with your headquarters, not around it.

Telecommunications · New business

New business planning and monetization inside a Japanese enterprise

We defined the vision and the medium- to long-term monetization strategy for a green transformation (GX) business, built them into business plans and reorganized functions and staffing.

What this means for youWe know how new businesses are planned, approved and funded inside Japanese enterprises — your future customers and partners.

Prefectural government · Food and food-tech

Helped local food companies secure partnerships with major beverage, convenience-store and telecom companies

We advised promising local food and food-tech companies on strategy and alliances, and helped them secure partnerships with major beverage, convenience-store and telecom companies.

What this means for youWe can get your business in front of the major Japanese companies that matter to it.

Sales · Multiple industries

Built sales organizations and opened enterprise accounts in Japan

We designed sales strategies for SaaS start-ups — including how decisions are made in their target industries — set up a proof of concept with a retailer and trained the sales team of a growing consulting firm. Our CEO also led consulting sales to major card, telecom and energy companies.

What this means for youWe build the pipeline, and the team, that sells to Japanese enterprises.

Food exports · 20 countries and regions

Live trade channels across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas

Japanese food exports — matcha and Japanese tea, fresh produce, processed foods and beverages — covering market selection, certification and documentation, export operations and local sales channels. This includes export operations at businesses co-founded by our CEO.

What this means for youYour expansion starts from channels that already move products, not from zero.

Where our products have been exported

World map showing export destinations from Japan

20countries & regions

Southeast Asia

East Asia

Middle East

Europe

North America

South America

Oceania

Also in our track record

  • Research on markets and companies in the US, Europe and Asia for a healthcare company
  • Research on leading practices in the US, UK and Asia for a bank
  • Alliance development for energy and telecom companies, from partner long-lists to negotiations

Industries: insurance, banking, payment cards, telecom, energy, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, construction, plant engineering, software and local government.

Team

The people you work with

  • Rei Tanaka, Founder and CEO of RAYUP

    Founder & CEO

    Rei Tanaka

    Rei builds businesses between Japan and the world. After graduating from Waseda University, he began his career in consulting sales at one of Japan's largest consulting firms. He was the fastest in his cohort to generate ¥100 million in gross profit, and received an award for opening major new enterprise accounts in payment cards, telecom and energy.

    In 2023 he founded RAYUP to combine strategy consulting with real operations. He leads strategy and new-business projects for major Japanese telecom, insurance and government clients, and helps AI and SaaS companies win enterprise customers in Japan. He has also co-founded and run food businesses that sell to customers in 20+ countries and regions.

    He speaks regularly on Japanese food exports and agri-food innovation, including programs of Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the “JAPAN'S FOOD” EXPORT FAIR, has lectured at Chuo University, and received the Breakthrough Award at EXPERT AWARD 2025.

    Focus
    • Market entry & go-to-market
    • Enterprise sales in Japan
    • New business & strategy
    • Food & agriculture exports
    Industries
    • Telecom
    • Insurance & finance
    • Energy
    • Food & agriculture
    • AI & SaaS
    • Government

Supporting team

Experienced professionals who join your project as needed.

  • Partner, Global Projects

    Engineering graduate degree from a top Japanese university, followed by strategy, new-business and operations work at one of Japan's largest consulting firms. MBA from a leading Australian business school, then procurement transformation for global mining companies. Leads cross-border projects and PMO in English.

  • Director, Global Business

    Background in brand and creative direction, including running a startup media business in Korea. Has managed sourcing and production in China and Korea. Leads design, sales and promotion for English-, Korean- and Chinese-speaking markets.

Our team works with you in English and Japanese, with hands-on experience in Korean- and Chinese-speaking markets.

Source Japanese food

Buying from Japan? We find the suppliers and handle the details.

For importers, retailers and food businesses looking for Japanese products and reliable suppliers.

  1. 1Supplier shortlistProducers, manufacturers and OEM partners that fit your specs
  2. 2SamplesSamples and spec sheets to evaluate
  3. 3TermsPricing, minimum order quantities and exclusivity
  4. 4First shipmentCertification, documents, logistics and export
See products and the sourcing process Request a spec sheet

FAQ

Questions global companies ask us

Do we need a Japanese entity? When?

Not to get started. The Entry Assessment and the Go-to-Market Pilot do not require a Japanese entity — we work as your team on the ground. When you start hiring locally or contracting with customers at scale, we help you choose the right structure, such as a partner model, a branch or a subsidiary, and coordinate the setup with licensed professionals. For physical products, we can act as your importer in Japan until you set up your own entity.

Who signs with Japanese customers during the Pilot? For physical products, RAYUP acts as the importer and sells to your Japanese customers. For services and software, your company contracts directly with Japanese customers, and we lead the negotiations and support the contracting process.

Can we work in English?

Yes. Our team runs meetings, reports and deliverables in English, and leads conversations with Japanese customers and partners in Japanese.

Which Asian markets do you cover, and how?

We start from Japan and expand to the markets that fit your business. Our export work has reached Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Brunei, the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China, so in many markets we start from existing trade relationships. In each market, we find and onboard the right local partners and lead the work from Tokyo.

How long do Japanese enterprises take to decide?

Longer than in many markets. Decisions usually involve several departments and build on trust, and a proof of concept often comes before a full contract. We plan for this from day one: we identify who needs to be convinced, build the case in Japanese and use pilots to keep momentum.

What does it cost and how are you paid?

The Entry Assessment is a fixed-fee project. The Go-to-Market Pilot and the Fractional Head of Japan & Asia are monthly retainers, and from the Pilot onward part of the fee can be tied to results. For selected businesses, we also consider joint ventures or investment. See How we engage.

How do you handle NDAs and conflicts of interest?

We are happy to sign an NDA before you share confidential information. We do not take on directly competing work without your agreement.

News

Latest news

2026.10.05 Our CEO to speak at ODAIBA IX Core Workshop Vol. 13 (agriculture and ICT)The XG Mobile Promotion Forum (XGMF) brings together the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, telecom carriers, manufacturers and universities to promote the adoption and R&D of 5G and 6G.External link 2026.04.02 Our CEO received a Breakthrough Award at EXPERT AWARD 2025External link 2026.01.24 RAYUP signed an engagement partnership agreement with Iki City, NagasakiExternal link (Japanese)

Contact

Contact us

Tell us where you are and what you need. We reply within 2 business days.

Free · 30 minutes Japan & Asia Readiness Call Talk through your market, stage and next step with our team. Book a 30-min call

Company

Company name
RAYUP Co., Ltd.
Founded
February 14, 2023
Address
21F Nippon Life Marunouchi Building, 1-6-6 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0005, Japan
Phone
+81-3-6864-8332
Business
Japan & Asia market entry and expansion / Sourcing and export of Japanese food / Consulting

Your message is sent to our team by email and is not stored on this website. See our Privacy Policy for details.

About your project (optional)