Get your news covered by Japanese media.
Tokyo-based PR and marketing for overseas companies. We write your release in Japanese, distribute it where Japanese journalists look, and pitch the ones who matter.
Email usNo call needed · Same-day reply (JST) · First release in as little as two weeks
- From JPY 400,000One release, written, distributed and measured
- Two weeksFrom first email to going live in Japan
- English-firstNo Japanese-speaking staff needed on your side
- Entity optionalFor companies entering Japan and those already here
Why PR in Japan stalls
Most foreign companies don't fail in Japan on the product.
They fail on being heard.
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01
Translation shows
Japanese editors can tell in one line — and they stop reading.
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02
Distribution isn't PR
Publishing and hoping does nothing. Coverage comes from the outreach afterwards.
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03
Trust comes before trial
Japanese buyers need to see a company consistently before they will try it at all.
We write in Japanese.
We don't translate into it.
That single difference decides whether a Japanese editor keeps reading.
What we do
We do the execution, not just the plan.
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Press releases & media outreach
Written in Japanese by Japanese writers, distributed on Japan's largest platform, then pitched directly to the journalists in your category.
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Events & press conferences
Launches, press conferences and partner events, planned and run in Japan. You fly in for the day; we handle everything else.
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Websites & landing pages
Japanese sites built by our own designers and engineers — written for how Japanese buyers evaluate a company, not translated.
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Design & creative
Social, signage, flyers, in-store POP, packaging and sales collateral, adapted for Japan rather than translated into it.
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Video production
Brand films, product videos and vertical social video. Shot and edited in Japan, with subtitles and casting handled locally.
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One team, one contract
We assign the specialists your project needs and manage them, so you deal with a single point of contact.
How we work
First email to first release: as fast as two weeks.
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01
Email us
A few lines is fine. The more detail you send, the fewer rounds it takes and the sooner we can start.
Same day -
02
Scope & quote
What we would do, what it costs, when it goes out — in writing. Online meeting if it helps.
2–3 days -
03
Release goes out
Japanese copywriting, distribution and direct outreach. You approve the text first.
From 2 weeks -
04
Measure & continue
A clipping report in English, then the next release, event or campaign.
Ongoing
What we need from you — your announcement in English, any assets you have, and one person who can approve.
- 30 – 40Japanese outlets typically republish your release
- 2 weeksFrom first email to going live in Japan
- ¥400,000Starting price for one release, fully managed
In our experience, distribution alone rarely results in fewer than 20 outlets. Original articles depend on the news and our outreach — no agency can promise a specific outlet, and we won't pretend otherwise.
Pricing
We publish our starting price so you can decide quickly.
| Press releaseJapanese copywriting, distribution and clipping report | from JPY 400,000 |
|---|---|
| Monthly retainerLower per-release rate. Six-month minimum. | Quoted to volume & term |
| Events, websites, creative and video | Quoted per project |
These are starting points, not our full range. Building a customer base in Japan usually takes a year or more of sustained activity. Marketing strategy, partner development and the commercial decisions behind market entry are part of what we do.
Fees exclude any applicable Japanese consumption tax. Payment by bank transfer in Japanese yen.
Selected work
Projects led by our CEO and our team.
Client names withheld. Industries, scale and results are as delivered.
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The Japanese arm of a US company needed to reach enterprise buyers for a product already proven in North America. We produced a tie-up article in a leading industry outlet, ran two email campaigns through that outlet's newsletter, and followed up with two webinars.
- 30,000+emails delivered
- 800+visits to the landing page
- 500+leads from two follow-up webinars
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An AI company with almost no track record in Japan needed local proof before buyers would take it seriously. We put them on stage at a leading Japanese industry conference alongside one of their existing Japanese clients, so the results came from the customer rather than the vendor.
- 500+qualified business leads
- 20+sales meetings
- 10+media placements
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A newly created international competition, headquartered elsewhere in Asia, had four months to launch its first Japanese rounds with no local recognition and no media relationships. We ran the tip-off press conference, distributed Japanese releases for the overseas entity, and secured interviews with national papers and wire services.
- 1,300+articles published in Japan
- 40+media outlets covered it
- 20+outlets at the press conference
- University basketball league · Hong Kong — Acted as the league's Japan PR office with no local entity on their side: releases, interviews and live tournament updates, delivering 50+ articles from a single tournament.
- Medical professional network · Spain — Promoted the organization's first Asian conference in Japan through an executive interview and a targeted email campaign.
- Sponsorship analytics · United States — Secured a conference speaking slot alongside two Japanese enterprise clients, generating 500+ qualified leads.
Why us
You get an operator, not an account manager.
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A Japanese company
Japanese-owned, Japanese-run, working in this market every day. Understanding Japan cannot be translated or outsourced.
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Media from the inside
Our CEO built his career at Japan's largest press release platform. He knows what gets picked up here and what disappears.
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On both sides
Our team is in Japan. Our CEO is based in Southeast Asia — close to the companies looking at Japan, and to the market itself.
About
Company
| Company name | Action First Japan LLC |
|---|---|
| Founded | March 1, 2021 |
| Representative | Domu Kumagai, Founder & CEO |
| Head office | 1-24-7 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan |
| Services | PR & press release distribution · Events · Web · Design & creative · Video · ASEAN market entry · Owned media |
| Main bank | MUFG Bank, Shinjuku Branch |
Domu Kumagai — Founder & CEO
He built his PR career at Japan's largest press release distribution platform, working with clients across nearly every industry. That is where he learned, at scale, which releases Japanese media pick up and which ones disappear.
Since then he has held executive positions, including several COO roles, at companies from early-stage startups to listed businesses. He currently serves as COO of a sports-industry company, CMO of a Tokyo wellness brand, and country lead in Thailand for a listed Japanese company's edu-tech business, where he led the local launch and the establishment of its Thai subsidiary.
FAQ
Questions we get before the first project.
Is this a fit?
Do we need Japanese-speaking staff on our side?
No. Briefing, approvals and reporting all happen in English. We handle the entire Japanese side, including writing the release.
We don't have a company in Japan. Can you still work with us?
Yes. We regularly distribute Japanese releases and run press conferences for organizations headquartered overseas without a Japanese entity.
We're already in Japan but our PR isn't working. Is that a fit?
Yes — often the more interesting problem. An office in Japan does not automatically mean you get covered, understood or bought.
Can we test the market without setting up a company here?
Yes. We can run test marketing on your behalf, and depending on the product act as your local partner or sales agent, so you can validate demand before incorporating.
Scope & commitment
What is the smallest engagement you take on?
One press release — Japanese copywriting, distribution and a clipping report — from JPY 400,000.
Do you only take one-off projects?
No — long-term engagements are what we prefer, and in Japan they are what works. Japanese customers need to see a company consistently before they trust it enough to buy. Realistically that means a year or more of continuous activity. Retainers start from six months.
Delivery & results
How fast can our first release go out?
As fast as two weeks from your first email, depending on how ready the announcement is.
Do you translate our English release?
No. We rewrite it in Japanese. A translated release reads like one, and Japanese editors stop reading. You approve the Japanese text before it goes out.
How many media outlets will pick it up?
Typically 30–40 Japanese outlets republish the release, and in our experience rarely fewer than 20. Original articles depend on the news and our outreach — nobody can guarantee a specific outlet.
How will we know it worked?
A clipping report in English showing which outlets published, where the coverage ran, and what to change next time.
Contracts & payment
Will you sign an NDA?
Yes, before any detailed discussion if you prefer.
What are your payment terms?
For a first engagement, 50% on order and 50% on delivery of the clipping report. Retainers are invoiced monthly in advance. Bank transfer in Japanese yen; sender covers intermediary and receiving bank charges.
Contact
Tell us what you want to announce in Japan.
A few lines is enough to start — but the more you can tell us about your goals, timing and budget, the fewer rounds it takes and the sooner we can launch. We reply the same business day (JST, UTC+9). English only is completely fine.