The event industry & luxury in Japan : 3 keys to successfully execute your operation

In Japan, the luxury sector is extremely developed. The country represents the third-largest market globally (generating $30 billion in 2023) behind the United States and China, and it’s not likely to lose its position anytime soon. However, often, events are not included in statistics and studies. tokimeki gives you three keys today to dip your toes in the archipelago.

Our team has extensive experience in the luxury sector and continues to stay informed about new challenges and market trends. However, what truly allows us to thrive in this sector is our close proximity to Japanese luxury industry players.

Key #1 : In Tokyo, do as the Romans do.

Whether you’re a huge multinational corporation, a small startup, or a public institution, if you want to host an event in Japan, you’ll need to engage with the Japanese. While it may seem obvious to work with locals when operating internationally, it’s not necessarily the case for Japan.

It’s an incredibly attractive country, but for Westerners, it’s also a distant land. This distance, coupled with the language barrier, can be discouraging to the point that some may want to bypass these (sometimes lengthy) stages of adaptation and exchange. Don’t even think about it.

In the era of globalization and digitalization, cultures come into contact easily, but when it comes to understanding, it’s another matter entirely. We can’t stress enough the importance of having local partners who can guide you from the planning stages of your operation to its execution. If you don’t have time to study the Japanese market, make sure to work with people who know it inside out.

Key # 2 : experience or product ?

In Japanese, we could translate this with the terms “こと” (koto) and “もの” (mono). The first actually refers to the special relationship that clients have with the second. In the luxury sector, the Japanese audience is receptive to events that engage their senses: taste, smell, sight, hearing, touch, but above all, the sense of refinement, which is highly developed in the country’s culture.

That’s why the product or service around which you structure your event must be of very high quality, and the same applies to everything that surrounds it. You absolutely must think of methods to surprise your targets.

Contrary to what one might read, the Japanese are not more closed off than others and are sensitive to originality. We personally witnessed this during our event with the RCS agency, during which British and Japanese gastronomy met. You should aim to evoke emotions by being creative.

Key # 3 : 1 country, 4 season, hundreds of possibilities

Japan is a country with very distinct seasons. The landscapes change dramatically throughout the year, and the Japanese are very sensitive to these changes. If you’re organizing an event in the archipelago, you absolutely must take into account the calendar and all the cultural specificities that come with it.

Planning a large-scale operation during the sakura season? Think flowers. A more intimate event in winter? How about inviting participants to a kashikiri onsen? The peculiarities of the country and its natural environment offer countless possibilities from which to choose when selecting your actions.

By acting in this way, you take a step towards your targets and show them the genuine interest you have in them and their culture. That’s what we’ve been doing at tokimeki for the past three years, and we can’t imagine doing it any other way.