Keiretsu introductions
Keiretsu introductions are warm referrals routed through Japan's traditional corporate group networks, still a significant channel into large Japanese enterprises.
Keiretsu — historically bank- or manufacturer-centered corporate groups such as Mitsubishi or Mitsui affiliates — still shape who gets introduced to whom inside large Japanese enterprises. A cold approach to a keiretsu-affiliated company often moves slower than the same approach routed through a trusted intermediary already inside the group's orbit.
For a foreign or foreign-adjacent agency entering Japan, identifying which prospects sit inside a keiretsu, and which intermediaries (trading companies, banks, existing vendors) can make the introduction, is often more productive than direct outbound.
Why it mattersIgnoring keiretsu structure in Japan GTM planning means competing on cold outreach in a market that still runs substantially on trusted introduction.
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