ketch-Up travelling through Japan

Time travel to Japan from Sydney

From September 1 to September 15, Harshita participated in Western Sydney’s Launch Pad Mobility Program to Japan. This program was specifically designed for WSU entrepreneurs keen to understand the Japanese startup ecosystem.

During the program's first week, the cohort spent their time in the Kansai region (Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto) visiting various organisations like Anchor Kobe, meeting students and entrepreneurs from Osaka University, AstraZeneca and Kyoto University. This was an interesting blend of networking and meeting international entrepreneurs who were establishing their businesses in Japan. One of the key takeaways from the many interactions in the Kansai region was the emphasis on ‘localisation’. As a new entrant into the Japanese market, it is important to localise the content and business which is more relevant to the audience you are catering towards. 

On the fun side, the Kansai region had so many cultural things to offer. The Arashiyama Bamboo Forest was quite an experience to visit during the late hours in Kyoto and after exploring some local restaurants around Kyoto. Additionally, visiting the famous Mount Roko in Kobe offered a breathtaking view from the hilltop to the port and dark bay connecting Osaka and its suburbs, closing the distant horizon in a mesmerising panorama. The food culture in Japan is very welcoming and people genuinely enjoy eating out every day. Meeting friends and colleagues after work is a big part of their culture while sharing a meal or a drink. 

On September 10, Harshita pitched ketch-Up at the Osaka Innovation Hub to founders in the Kansai region and received valuable feedback on the business. Much to her surprise while she was conducting market validation with the locals in Japan, a lot of women were welcoming of the idea of ketch-Up as catering to the issues of social isolation which is almost felt by 15.4% of the women in Japan (Center for Brain Sciences, 2022) compared to 17% of women in Australia (Australia Institute of Health and Welfare 2023). 

The last leg of the program was spent in Tokyo. Travelling on the famous bullet train from Osaka to Tokyo at almost 300km/hr was a thrilling experience. Tokyo had a very different feel to it. Bustling and always busy with people, the city was vibrant and showcased a different side of Japan. It was young, filled with energy and creative. In Tokyo, we visited the Tokyo Innovation Base which offered us great insights into the Tokyo entrepreneurial ecosystem and introduced us to the government initiatives by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, woven by Toyota which showed us the incredible work they are doing in the mobility sector, Hitachi’s Lumada Innovation Hub which was intriguing, especially with their digital solutions making advancements in the data-driven world and Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) where we had the opportunity to meet a senior business development manager representing Australian businesses in Japan who provided us with some real and practical advice on how to navigate the Japanese market if we were seeking business opportunities there. 

On the last cultural night of the program, Harshita pitched ketch-up to members and mentors of TiE. With a room full of potential investors, it definitely was a nerve-wrecking moment to have received feedback and interest from industry experts but also has helped in improving ketch-Up for the market. 

After successfully pitching, with heaps of energy the entrepreneurs headed out to experience the nightlife in Tokyo. With music playing on the streets to music inside the clubs it was all a very different vibe. The plethora of music that one could experience at one club from EDM, Techno, Hip-hop to RnB was a great mix of cultures and people from all around the world. Tokyo being a busy and a hustling city, offered contemporary and modern art to art lovers. The food on the streets, to food at Izakayas couldn’t have been better. 

Japan was truly a special and quite an important part of ketch-Up’s journey. This experience has opened new potential markets as well as connected us to a whole new ecosystem. 

ありがとうございます

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