I love meeting international women in Japan who are finding their way and creating things whether it is a new podcast or a bricks and mortar business like Blanka’s which actually does deal with things like bricks! Blanka shares how she came to be really enjoying running her family’s renovation company that helps foreigners get the services they need in English. She has certainly happened upon a niche, so this makes me wonder what other niches there are in Japan that could be explored! 

In this episode you’ll hear:

• How Blanka came to be running a renovation company in Japan that provides bilingual services
• Things to think about when considering investing in a property in Japan that might be different from your own country
• Blanka’s recent projects which include a podcast on real estate in Japan, and helping children to learn about personal finances

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About Blanka:

Blanka Kobayashi is multi-talented entrepreneur. She studied Finance, Marketing and Management in Czech Republic and International Relations at Charles University. She is working as a Marketing Director of Kobayashi Group Japan. She also founded the Tourism Department of the company, HBK Tours, because traveling and sharing her love for Japan is her passion. She co-founded HBK Naturalist with her husband in 2006. She studied Aromatherapy and Naturopathy in 2017-2018 to further her knowledge about natural medicine and herbal remedies.

She handles Brand Marketing and Market Research and social media marketing for the company. She also participates in the Blockchain Fintech Projects and new business project developments.

Currently she spends lots of her time managing ARK Reform Japan, bilingual renovation company based in Tokyo and Chiba, that the Kobayashi family founded in 2021. The company aims to help not already Japanese homeowners, but especially foreign home and business owners in Japan, to successfully navigate through renovating their properties. Blanka is in charge of marketing, sales and customer’s relationships.

Her strong suit is research, sourcing and execution of crucial task so her knowledge has been invaluable when offering advice to people on how to proceed with their pursuit of financial freedom. Together with her husband, they published The Beginner’s Guide to Financial Freedom to help people manage their finances and plan for better future. Their second book, The Beginner’s Guide to Side Hustles is about to be published next month, followed by The Beginner’s guide for Kidpreneurs.

Blanka is originally from a small town in Moravia, Czech Republic but lives in Tokyo, Japan with her husband and son. She serves as a cultural ambassador, helping foreigners to integrate in Matsudo area and the Japanese citizens to learn more about Czech Republic and to embrace foreigners, living in the prefecture. She is also an Advisory Board member for English Developmental Center at Cape Verde and Board member of L.E.A.D., Japan based educational program to empower young children in leadership and entrepreneurship. Blanka is passionate about helping others, especially children. Her big dream is for their family to establish foundation, helping children with proper education and living more fulfilled lives. That is why the family participate in many charitable projects in Japan and in Africa.

Things mentioned in the episode:

The beginner’s guide to financial freedom: https://www.amazon.com/Beginners-Guide-Financial-Freedom-Achieve/dp/B0931X1NFG

https://www.amazon.co.jp/Beginners-Guide-Financial-Freedom-Achieve/dp/B0931X1NFG

https://amzn.asia/d/gYM49L9

Connect with Blanka:

ARK Reform Website: https://arkreform.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blanka-kobayashi-138954140/

Podcast: https://podcast05d680.podigee.io/ 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JapanRealEstate 

Connect with Jayne:

PodLaunch with Jayne: https://www.jaynenakata.com/podcastconsulting