About JAPAN BRAND
Concept

Unique values from regional small and medium enterprises

The tradition of manufacturing, techniques and skills are nurtured throughout various locals in Japan, and people’s lifestyles are based on a unique aesthetic sense and wisdom. The local small and medium-size companies that participate in the JAPAN BRAND Development Assistance Program have the passion, pride and responsibility in manufacturing and the local they belong to. JAPAN BRAND regards these values as the “strength” and “ambition” that local small and medium-size companies can expose surpassing time and country boarders. Summarizing these values as the “distinctive, unique values from local small and medium enterprises,” the following three points have been noted:

Artisan Quality/Practical Beauty/Regional Spirit

Direction of evolution

Local small and medium enterprises should constantly “evolve” their products and services in the ever-changing market. JAPAN BRAND considers the following as the crucial direction for “evolution:”

JAPAN BRAND Direction of Evolution

Creating New Traditions

The JAPAN BRAND Development Assistance Program seeks to realize the following flow by “evolving” the “Unique values of local small and medium enterprises:” Produce products and services that are accepted in modern life, as well as in the Japanese and overseas markets -> establish local brands -> strengthen the company’s management base -> contribute to local economy activation. This direction is expressed as, “Creating New Traditions.”

Brand Concept

The brand concept of the JAPAN BRAND (pursued direction of the JAPAN BRAND Development Assistance Program = Movement philosophy) is “to create new traditions by evolving the distinctive, unique values of local small and medium enterprises.” It is expressed by the following diagram:

Unique value from regional small and medium enterprises / Evolution / Creating New Traditions photo

Reference) Upon developing the brand concept, we referred to the latest brand establishment methods, as well as already decided projects and successful cases. We conducted consumer surveys in Japan and overseas countries to find out the understanding level and acceptability of brand concepts. These surveys revealed that the consumers in all countries showed a significantly high interest in “brand concept.”