Guest Speaker
Business Seminar
For Osaka Innovation Hub: Expanding startup businesses in Singapore
Sep 2018
20 startup entrepreneurs and students from Osaka Innovation Hub visited WASABI Creation as part of their one week study tour in Singapore. Tong (Founder, CEO), together with Yuta Morita (Intern, SMU MBA student) conducted a seminar for the group on how they can expand their businesses from Japan to Singapore. They covered topics such as incorporation in Singapore, Singapore's demographic, consumer behaviour, influencer marketing, popup store marketing, etc. The participants were very interested in these topics and asked many questions such as "What are the common difficulties and errors Japanese companies have when doing business in Singapore." Tong was glad to have shared his experiences and expertise in these areas.
Japanese Lessons
For foreign domestic workers & caretakers
Sep 2018
WASABI Creation was requested by a nursing training school to conduct Japanese lessons to its students comprising of foreign domestic workers and caretakers. The students are attending the school to step up their skills in nursing care for the elderly. As Japan is seriously facing the hit of aging population, and lack of manpower in providing care to the elderly, they have opened up working opportunities in Japan to foreign caretakers.
In view of this, these foreign domestic workers are trying out learning Japanese to equip themselves with the language skill that will enable them to work in Japan in the future.
Guest Speaker
Seminar to Ryokoku University: How Singapore's policies have shaped a multiracial and international society.
2 Sep 2018
A group of 40 students from Ryokoku University, Japan visited WASABI Creation as part of their educational tour in Vietnam and Singapore. WASABI Creation founder, Tong conducted a seminar on Singapore policies that have shaped the country's multiracialism, and built an international society.
More and more Japanese companies realise the need to venture overseas market as its domestic market continue to string due to aging population and depopulation, however there is a lack of talent within Japan who has the experience, skills, and know-how to bring business across boarders. We hope the seminar will be able to share with the students some ideas and tips on how to be a global talent.
Guest Speaker
Seminars to Business Schools in Delhi, India
Aug 2018
WASABI Creation was invited by our partner, Intraversity in Delhi, to conduct talks to students of various business and management colleges in India. Over the week, we visited and met students from Jaipuria School of Business, JK Business School, Institute of Technology And Sciences, and Accurate Institute of Management & Technology. We shared with the students about our business, market trends in Japan and Singapore, and answered the students' questions on entrepreneurship.
WASABI Creation is also in talks with the schools to work with our partner in bringing students to Singapore for educational tour and internship.
Guest Speaker
"How SMU MBA Students can prepare themselves in working with the Japanese?"
6th Jul 2018
The Founder of WASABI Creation, Tong was invited by SMU MBA Class to speak at "Japanese Business Night". Tong shared about his experiences when he was working as a fresh graduate in Japan, and talked about Japanese business culture that is unique and special to non-Japanese people.
Tong also talked about basic Japanese business etiquette, such as exchanging business cards, and seating positions for Japanese business meetings. The MBA students shown great interest with many questions.
The event ended with a party serving Sushi for everyone.
Entrepreneurship Training Camp 2nd edition
"Partnership with SAI International College Bubhneshwar, India"
June 2018
WASABI Creation hosted 8 Indian students from SAI International College Bubhneshwar over 4 days for an intensive Entrepreneurship Training Camp at WASABI Creation's office. The students worked in groups of 2 on various topics such as coworking space business, India market entry, Japanese F&B market research, as well as overseas travel trends for India.
An extensive research in in these were done by the students, who also came up with creative proposals to implement new business into the fast growing market. Many presentations and discussions were held with the students to finalise the proposal.
At the end of the program, each student received a certificate of participation for their enthusiasm during the program.
WASABI Consulting
"What can Japanese students do to become international professionals?"
16th Mar 2018
The Founder of WASABI Creation, Tong was contacted by a group of students from Tokyo University, who are interested to learn about doing business internationally, as they planned their self-funded trip to Malaysia and Singapore. A sharing session was conducted over web conference, where Tong answered questions from the students, shared his own experiences, and gave advises to the students what they can do to groom themselves into international professionals.
Here are the reviews and comments from the students.
WASABI Insight vol.10
Business in Japan~
"Japanese Business Culture & Manners"
1st Mar 2018
The Founder of WASABI Creation, Tong held a seminar sharing his experiences and insights on doing business in Japan, in particular on the topic of "Japanese Business Culture & Manners".
Tong shared from his own personal experience overs the years while he has been working in Japan, and doing business with Japanese companies. As he grew up and went through the education system in Singapore, knowing the language didn't seem to have prepared him enough to work in Japan as a fresh graduate. Tong talked about the episodes he had encountered all these years, and cover some of the basics about "Japanese Business Culture & Manner".
Topics:
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Japanese business culture 101, how are the Japanese thinking?
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Exchanging business cards
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Visiting & hosting a Japanese company
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Useful Japanese expressions for business
More information: Business in Japan~ "Japanese Business Culture & Manners"
Guest Speaker
The Japan Council of Local Authorities for International Relations, Singapore (CLAIR, Singapore)
Feb 2018
The Founder of WASABI Creation, Tong was invited by The Japan Council of Local Authorities for International Relations, Singapore (CLAIR, Singapore) to share about WASABI Creation's business and its expertise in helping Japanese companies go global
Tong shared about his past, present, and future projects on how WASABI Creation is bridging Japan, Singapore, and the rest of Asia in terms on Business, Culture, and Tourism. In particular, Tong talked about his observation of how many Japanese companies are facing difficulty in presenting their products to the local markets overseas, and what could be so the solutions to better communicating with local consumers and making online connections for building relationships.
About CLAIR, Singapore
2021 Projects
Educational Projects
Virtual Learning Program in Singapore
Online Entrepreneurship Workshops for Japanese University Students
February, September, November 2021
As the restrictions for international travel continue, our Online Entrepreneurship Workshops continues to work with university students in Japan throughout 2021.
Over 100 students had joined our program from various universities in Japan this year, while our trainers in Singapore guided them through different stages of the startup process from ideation, solution, prototyping, customer validation, and pitching.
Similar to last year, the programs were all conducted in English, and the students also participated in discussion and pitching presentations in English. We saw that students are getting more confident in communicating in English and using English a tool instead of merely another school subject.
While the students worked on various issues in Japan based on the united nation sustainable development goals (UNSDGs), such online overseas program gave them an international perspective to their startup ideas.
Virtual internship & lecture
Overseas education & internship program for students from India
January, July, November 2021
Every year, WASABI Creation hosts several groups of students from India for their overseas education & internship program in Singapore. Although boarders continue to be closed, we have extended our online program for this year as well. We hosted various groups of students from India who are eager to learn new things beyond their schools and country. Over a week-long program, the students worked in groups on research and making proposals to 3 Singapore SMEs in areas such as business development, overseas market expansion to India, Indonesia, and Japan.
We hope we can host the students in-person in Singapore soon as Vaccinated Travel Lanes are opening up between countries.
Project Consulting
Influencer marketing, Consumer trends, New market entry
Bridging Japan & Singapore for businesses
2021
Despite cross-boarder businesses have become very difficult in the past two years due to the pandemic, it is heart warming to see Japanese companies and the government are still keen in doing businesses in Singapore. We have spoken to many Japanese companies, and some government departments who are working on digital solutions to promote their products & services, such as influencer marketing. We have gladly shared our views and advised them on the recent consumer trends and outreach strategies to Singapore customers. Many of them are also planning their next moves once travelling between Japan and Singapore is possible again.
We have also successfully assisted some Japanese companies in incorporating their company in Singapore, in order to get closer to their clients and suppliers in Southeast Asia.
Influencer Marketing
Bringing International Brands to Consumers in Japan
Digital experiences of the latest tech products
2021
This year is a big year for influencer marketing at WASABI Creation. We had the opportunity to work with various international brands by introducing their latest tech products to the consumers in Japan with the support of many talented influencers and YouTubers. These tech products include healthcare, wellness, education, lifestyle to name a few. Here are a couple of the YouTube videos we have worked on together with some gaming influencers and tech influencers in Japan.
The pandemic has driven businesses to go online and so do we. On the bright side, it allows us to do more and become more creative and efficient in creating content in the digital space, and reach out to everyone at every corner of the globe.