We Don't Just Plan Your Market Entry — We Execute It.
Navigating Japan's retail landscape, language, and business customs can be challenging from abroad. Replacements bridges that gap — so your brand can focus on product, while we focus on getting it onto Japanese shelves.
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Founded by Akira Kariya — 25+ years in the outdoor & apparel industry, including brand management for German, Nordic, and French footwear/apparel brands entering Japan, and an active Executive Partner role at a Japan-based outdoor brand distributor.
The Challenge of Entering Japan
- Complex, relationship-driven distribution structures
- Language and cultural nuances in business negotiations
- Limited visibility into local trends, competitors, and the retail landscape
- Difficulty building trust with retailers without a local presence
- Uncertainty about which entry model fits your resources and budget
- Already have a foothold in Japan — a retail partner, a distributor, or direct-to-consumer sales — but haven't been able to scale into real wholesale distribution
How We Help
Market Entry & Business Development
We design a go-to-market strategy based on Japan's market conditions and distribution structure, and connect you with the right retailers and distributors.
Typical timeline: 1–2 months for strategy; 3+ months, ongoing, for sales channel development.
Market Research & PR Strategy
We analyze your competitive landscape and build a PR/marketing plan tailored to Japanese consumers and trade media.
Typical timeline: 1 to 6 months, depending on the scope.
Market Analysis & Brand Strategy Consulting
We help position your brand for long-term success, not just a one-off launch.
Typical timeline: 3–6 months, with ongoing reviews recommended.
Full Execution Support
Beyond strategy, we can take on the day-to-day work in Japan:
Sales Agency Service
We act as your sales representative, managing retailer relationships and order generation, while you retain control of invoicing and operations, and credit risk stays with your brand (or a separate importer). For brands entering the Japanese market for the first time, this typically combines a monthly retainer with a commission.
Import & Distribution Agency
We take full ownership of your import and wholesale operations in Japan, so you don't need to build a local entity or team. We handle invoicing to retailers and carry the credit risk.
Why Brands Choose Replacements
As country manager for German, Nordic, and French footwear and apparel brands, our founder built their Japanese distribution from the ground up — not as a consultant advising from the sidelines, but as the person directly responsible for the result.
From retail floor to buyer to brand manager to executive partner — 25+ years of hands-on experience across sales, merchandising, and brand strategy in the outdoor and apparel industry.
An established network of specialty retailers, mass retailers, media, and trade show organizers across Japan, including active involvement in international trade shows such as ISPO.
End-to-end support — from strategy to execution — under one partner.
How We Work Together
Free 30-minute consultation to understand your goals and current situation
Market assessment — research, competitive landscape, and channel options
Strategy proposal — a tailored entry plan, including the engagement model that fits your situation
Execution — sales, PR, trade shows, and ongoing support
Ongoing review — adjust strategy as you grow
Proven Track Record
We've supported 120+ market analysis and brand strategy projects.
European Outdoor Brand A
Challenge: A retail-led model had succeeded globally, but in Japan the brand remained known mainly within the trade, with mainstream awareness still to be built. Pricing was still based on retail-era assumptions, with no clear wholesale strategy across categories.
Result: Rebuilt the pricing structure for wholesale and is now transitioning from mass-retail accounts to a specialty-retail-focused network, category by category.
US Outdoor Brand B
Challenge: Exploring entry into Japan, but unfamiliar with local business customs and how to build a wholesale network — a Japan-based contact was in place, but with no capacity to run sales activity.
Result: Grew to the point of building its own small sales team; day-to-day sales have since moved in-house, with Replacements now engaged on an occasional consulting basis.
European Apparel Brand C
Challenge: Japan is a crowded market where brands investing in PR tend to see results, but this brand had no PR or promotional activity and was simply carrying over its home-market track record and its previous importer's terms and pricing.
Result: Retail expansion is underway, with ongoing support for sales planning and branding, including PR.
Who You'll Work With
Akira Kariya has spent 25+ years in the outdoor and apparel industry, from the retail floor to brand management. Read the full career timeline and company facts on our About page.
Company Facts
- Company
- Replacements, LLC(合同会社リプレイスメンツ)
- Representative
- Akira Kariya, Chief Executive Officer
- Founded
- October 2020 (as a sole proprietorship)
- Incorporated
- October 2025
- Address
- Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan 135-0041
- Corporate Number
- 8010603011831
- Main Banks
- MUFG Bank
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
Mizuho Bank
Bank of Yokohama - Phone
- +81-3-6821-2370
- info@replacements.jp
LinkedIn (Personal) ・ LinkedIn (Company) ・ Google Business Profile
Frequently Asked Questions
How do we decide between Sales Agency and Import & Distribution Agency?
If you already have the resources to manage inventory and invoicing, Sales Agency is a good fit. If you'd rather hand off all Japan operations, Import & Distribution Agency is the better fit. We decide together in a free consultation, based on how much you want to hand off and your current distribution in Japan.
Do you work with brands of any size, including small or early-stage ones?
Yes. Brand size is not a barrier — we'll start with a free consultation to understand your situation and propose a fitting scope of support.
What should we prepare before reaching out?
A product catalog or price list is helpful but not required. We can work through the details together during the free consultation.
We already have a distributor in Japan — can we engage you for PR or trade show support only?
Yes. Market entry support is not required — PR, marketing, and trade show services can be engaged individually.
Would you work with a competing brand at the same time?
We evaluate this case by case. If there's a possibility of representing brands in the same category and market, we confirm there's no conflict of interest first — feel free to raise this directly with us.
What do your fees and contract terms look like?
Fees vary significantly by scope, engagement model, and product category, so we don't publish a flat rate — but we won't be evasive about it during your free consultation either. Contract terms range from project-based to monthly retainers, depending on the scope of the engagement. For brands entering the Japanese market for the first time, this typically combines a monthly retainer with a commission, with exact terms set during consultation. In other cases, we decide together after hearing about your situation.
Why is a monthly retainer needed when we are entering Japan for the first time?
Before sales begin, there is groundwork to do, such as identifying the right retail channels, selecting candidate accounts and preparing introductions. The monthly retainer supports that work. Once sales begin, a commission is added. Whether this applies to your brand is something we confirm together in the free consultation. In other cases, we decide together after hearing about your situation.
Let's Talk — 30 Minutes, No Obligation.
Exploring the Japanese market? We offer free consultations built around execution, not just proposals.