Ichiro Anzai shines a light on the potential for New Zealand fresh produce in Japan with his enthusiasm for our “tiny little fruits” that are achieving big things here. Zespri is a giant NZ company in Japan and what they are achieving may look unattainable to those just starting out, but Anzai san’s tips and information will be of value to anyone at any stage of growing their business in Japan because it’s all about getting the basics right. 

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In this episode you’ll hear:

• How Anzai san became interested in working with the “tiny little fruits” (kiwifruit!) after working in big name organisations
• The excitement in the challenge of marketing and distributing fresh produce in Japan
• How Zespri achieved nearly 100% distribution in Japan to supermarkets with a lean sales force of just five people
• Anzai sans’s tips for growing your business in Japan

About Ichiro Anzai

Anzai san joined Zespri Japan in 2014 as Country Manager after taking up various senior sales and marketing roles across top-level companies such as Bristol Myers Squib, Baush & Lomb, Unilever and McDonald’s Japan. In October 2019 he was appointed Executive Officer, expanding his responsibilities to the Asia Pacific region and reporting directly back to the CEO of Zespri in New Zealand. 

Ichiro holds an MBA from Thunderbird Graduate School of International Management in Arizona. 

Outside of work, he is a keen guitar player.

Links:

Website: https://www.zespri.com/ja-JP 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zespri_jp/ 

Jandals in Japan is brought to you by Catherine O’Connell Law and PodLaunch with Jayne

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