Dominate Japan's travel market
The competition is fierce in Japan. With thousands of destinations, services, and experiences for tourists to choose from, you have to fight to be seen. But what if there was another way? What if you didn’t have to compete at all—even in a highly saturated category?
It’s unlikely your brand or destination is struggling because your offer lacks quality. That’s rarely the problem. Your weak points are usually value creation, differentiation, and experience design. When these three elements work in harmony, you will have a unique magnetic pull that tourists can’t resist.
Value is created when a problem is solved, either by reducing pain or increasing delight. To create value, you must look for problems, not ideas.
Competing is a choice. To avoid being interchangeable with other brands or destinations, you must contradict your competitors and defy category norms.
Great experiences sell. To engage people with your brand or destination long-term, you must learn to induce positive thoughts, feelings, and behaviours.
About Michelle
I’ve always been a bit of an inventor. I grew up drawing, making, and collecting materials, enjoying the precision and technical skill required for good craft as much as the creativity. This desire to combine fun and function is still present in my work today, demonstrated through thoughtful strategy and design.
I became interested in Japan around 2020 after being introduced to the culture by a friend. I was entranced by the emotionally raw anime, deep respect for nature, quality craftsmanship, and the visually stimulating city streets. At the start of 2022, I began studying the language with the goal of making Japan the focus of my business.
In my free time, I love to hike and explore the natural world. I particularly enjoy books and documentaries about ecology and palaeontology, learning about the intricacies of nature’s systems and origins. These fundamentals of life often inspire my own systems, strategies, and ideas, and I believe this broad and unusual knowledge base pays dividends when solving complex problems.
My guiding principles
1. Customer Obsession
Helping the customer win is the prerequisite to your own success.
2. Master The Fundamentals
No goal can be achieved without first mastering the fundamentals.
3. Impact > Size
No company is too small to create and dominate a space in the market.
4. Reality > Perception
Focus on creating a great reality, and perception will sort itself.
5. Cultural Awareness
People and place must be studied to achieve authentic connection.
6. Be Thorough
Plan for success in granular detail, it won’t arrive by chance.
7. Be T-Shaped
Deep knowledge and broad context reveal insights and opportunity.
8. Be Scientific
Seek the cause & effect relationships that direct all systems and processes.
9. Quality In, Quality Out
Quality inputs and processes create stronger outputs and better results.