Strategy
Market context, competitor mapping, platform selection, and a creator plan built around how Japanese audiences actually discover brands like yours.
INFLUENCER MARKETING FOR GLOBAL BRANDS ENTERING JAPAN
Reach Japan through the voices Japan trusts.
JDOC is a Tokyo team running influencer marketing and paid social for global brands entering Japan; strategy, creator casting, ad operations, and compliance. All in English.
AI-POWERED OPERATIONS. BIG-AGENCY OUTPUT, MORE TESTS ON THE SAME BUDGET.
02
PROOF
- followers across our own channels
- 150,000+
- followers across our own channels
- products taken to overseas markets
- 200+
- products taken to overseas markets
- industries served, from tea to gaming
- 18
- industries served, from tea to gaming
- languages, one team
- 6
- languages, one team: EN, JA, DE, KO, ZH
03
WHY JAPAN IS DIFFERENT
Great brands stall in Japan for predictable reasons.
Most failed launches here share the same root causes, and none of them are about product quality.
1
Gatekept talent
Most Japanese creators are managed by agencies that rarely reply in English, and rarely take chances on brands they don't know. Without an introduction, your brief never reaches the creator.
2
Translation isn't localization
Copy that converts in English reads as noise in Japanese. Audiences here reward restraint, context, and community fluency, not volume.
3
Strict stealth-marketing rules
Since October 2023, undisclosed paid promotion is illegal in Japan. One mislabeled post can damage a launch, and the brand is held responsible.
4
A different platform map
Instagram, X, YouTube and Twitch each dominate different niches than in Western markets. Budgets planned from abroad tend to land in the wrong place.
04
WHAT WE DO
One team, end to end.
Most agencies hand you a media list.
We run the whole engagement, and we build what the campaign needs to convert.
Creator casting
Shortlisting, agency negotiation, contracts, and briefing, in Japanese, with relationships that get past the gatekeepers.
Paid social & ad ops
Google and Meta campaigns run alongside creator content, so reach compounds instead of running in parallel.
Creative, web & landing pages
Our in-house dev team builds the Japanese-language pages, stores, and tracking your campaign lands on. No hand-offs between vendors.
05
WHERE WE GO DEEP
Gaming, esports & VTubers
- One of the world's largest gaming markets
- Streamers, VTubers, and community casters who play by their own rules
- Creator campaigns for game publishers and gaming hardware brands
- Title launches, peripheral reviews, and community activations
- The X-centered conversation around every launch
Campaign work in this vertical is currently in progress. Ask us about it on a call.
Consumer & lifestyle brands
- Social for consumer brands; beauty, audio, food, and more
- Heritage craft makers going global
- Global brands earning trust in Japan
- The right voices, the right context, provable results
06
SELECTED WORK
CONSUMER / FOOD & BEVERAGE
45wholesale inquiries
Nagamine Tea Factory
45 overseas wholesale inquiries within two months of launching their social channels; matcha and Japanese tea, sold to the world.
AUDIO / CONSUMER RETAIL
2%avg. engagement
Used-record retailer
Average engagement lifted to roughly 2%, with over ¥500,000 in sales in the first month of managed social.
DIY HARDWARE / LIFESTYLE BRAND
300K+organic views
VikingArm
More than 300,000 organic views, and the attention carried straight through to increased online store sales.
We work in both directions across the border.
The same team that helps Japanese brands win abroad helps global brands win in Japan; that's the point.
07
HOW IT WORKS
-
01
Discovery call
30 minutes, in English. Your goals, your market, your timeline, and an honest read on whether Japan is ready for you.
-
02
Strategy & shortlist
Within two weeks: platform plan, budget split, and a vetted creator shortlist with rate benchmarks.
-
03
Launch
We handle agency negotiation, contracts, briefs, disclosure compliance, and ad setup. You approve; we run.
-
04
Optimize & report
Monthly reporting in English; reach, engagement, conversions, and what we'd change next month.
08
WHY JDOC
-
1
Full-stack, plan to report.
Strategy, creator casting, production, ad operations, and English reporting, run end to end by one in-house team. No hand-offs, no vendor margins.
-
2
A network that cuts your cost.
Years of relationships with creators, talent agencies, and media across Japan mean faster casting, better rates, and cost-efficient execution.
-
3
Compliance-first.
Japan's stealth-marketing regulation is strict, and we treat disclosure as a design input, not an afterthought.
-
4
In-house creative & dev.
Landing pages, stores, and tracking built by our own engineers. One team, one accountability.
09
FAQ
What does an engagement cost?
Most projects start with a paid market and creator audit, then move to a launch package or monthly retainer. We'll give you a clear range on the first call, no obligation.
How fast can we start?
Strategy and creator shortlist within two weeks of kickoff. Campaign timing depends on creator schedules; gaming launches book out earlier.
Do you handle contracts with creator agencies?
Yes. We negotiate and contract with Japanese talent agencies directly, in Japanese, and manage disclosure requirements on every post.
What is Japan's stealth-marketing law?
Since October 2023, paid promotion without clear disclosure is an offense under Japan's Premiums and Representations Act, and the advertiser, not the creator, is held responsible. Every campaign we run is disclosure-compliant by design.
Which platforms do you work on?
X, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, LINE and Twitch; chosen per campaign, not by habit.
We're not a gaming brand. Can you still help?
Yes. Gaming is where we go deepest, but our consumer and lifestyle work spans tea, audio, beauty, craft, and more.
Tell us what you're launching in Japan.
A 30-minute call with the team that would actually run your campaign.
We'll tell you honestly whether Japan is ready for you, and what it would take.
Replies within 1 business day, Tokyo time.