~A special lecture by Senator Mitsuru Sakurai and an awards ceremony were also held, and participant satisfaction was 98% or higher~

STANDAGE Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Akinori Adachi) held its annual event "STANDAGE DAY 2025," which supports the overseas expansion of small and medium-sized enterprises, at Station Conference Tokyo on Friday, July 4, 2025. This event, held for the second time following last year's success, attracted 278 applications from across Japan, with 201 attendees on the day. The event was a great success, with many participants interested in promoting exports for their companies.

A variety of programs are offered that allow you to learn practical skills and strategies.

The event included a special lecture by Mitsuru Sakurai, a member of the House of Councillors and a practicing physician, an export promotion seminar by Kenta Omori, COO of STANDAGE, and a panel discussion with partner companies, offering a multifaceted approach to learning about export practices and strategies.

 

 

 

The program also included the STANDAGE Overseas Expansion Awards ceremony and interviews with eight small and medium-sized enterprises that are actively working to expand overseas.

This award recognizes the achievements of companies that have expanded overseas with STANDAGE, and aims to serve as a role model for other companies. Last year, five companies were recognized, but this year the number of categories has been expanded to eight. Eight companies were selected from among more than 300 companies that STANDAGE has supported in developing overseas sales channels, and were recognized in the eight categories: "Grand Prize," "Highest Sales Award," "Sustainable Trade Award," "Online Market Development Award," "Africa Market Development Award," "Sustainable Export Model Award," "Branding Award," and "Regional Revitalization Award."

 

List of companies that received the STANDAGE Overseas Expansion Award

• Award Name | Award-Winning Company Name
  • Grand Prize Winner | Miyata Textile Co., Ltd. (Fukuoka Prefecture)
  • Top Sales Award | Wagyu International Co., Ltd. (Kyoto Prefecture)
  • Sustainable Trade Award | Okamoto Co., Ltd. (Gifu Prefecture)
  • Online Development Award | Lactose Confectionery Co., Ltd. (Tokyo)
  • Africa Market Entry Category Award | Fuji Chemi Trading Co., Ltd. (Tokyo)
  • Sustainable Export Model Award | Aioi Electronics Co., Ltd. (Nagano Prefecture)
  • Branding Award | CUC Co., Ltd. (Okayama Prefecture)
  • Regional Revitalization Award | Mutouya Co., Ltd. (Miyagi Prefecture)

In interviews with the award-winning companies in each category, they discussed what prompted their overseas expansion, their current initiatives, and their future prospects. Many attendees listened attentively to their practical and realistic experiences.

Participant trends and evaluations

According to a survey conducted after the event, 77.71 TP3T of the participants were first-time attendees. Over 30% held management positions such as "CEO" or "Executive," and by industry, "Manufacturing" and "Trading Companies/Wholesalers" accounted for approximately half of the participants. Participant satisfaction was also very high, with 97.51 TP3T reporting being "Very Satisfied" or "Satisfied."

 

Furthermore, in the free-response section, many positive comments were received that seemed to serve as a catalyst for behavioral change, such as, "It was very educational to hear stories from various perspectives. I hope to apply what I learned to my own company's work," "It was very informative to hear the thoughts and future prospects of people from various industries," and "The experiences shared by the award-winning companies were fascinating and very helpful."

Active networking at the exchange event

Approximately 100 people attended the standing reception held after the event. Speakers and attendees actively exchanged business cards and information, providing a valuable opportunity to deepen their understanding of the event's content.

Regarding the future

STANDAGE will continue to hold seminars and events to support the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises by providing the latest information and practical support regarding exports and overseas expansion. We will also further strengthen our trade support services, including "Omakase Trade," which was introduced at our events.

"STANDAGE DAY 2025" Overview

• Date and Time: Friday, July 4, 2025, 13:30 - 17:20
• Target Audience: Business owners and managers of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) aiming for overseas expansion / Business owners and managers of manufacturing and wholesale businesses considering exports / Business owners and managers of SMEs whose overseas expansion efforts are stagnating / All other businesses and stakeholders involved in trade and overseas expansion.
• Organizer: STANDAGE Co., Ltd.
• Venue: Station Conference Tokyo 501ABS (directly connected to the Nihonbashi Exit of JR Tokyo Station)
• Participation fee: Free
• Speakers | Akinori Adachi, CEO, STANDAGE Co., Ltd. / Kenta Omori, COO, STANDAGE Co., Ltd. / Mitsuru Sakurai, Member of the House of Councillors and Physician / Hitomi Yoshikai, President, Miyata Textile Co., Ltd., and Fumihiro Yuasa, Director / Masashi Sawada, Vice President, Wagyu International Co., Ltd. / Masashi Takagi, Sales Executive, B2B Division, Alibaba Japan Inc. / Yasuo Takahashi, Managing Director, Okamoto Co., Ltd. / Hideo Mashiko, Representative Director, Lactose Confectionery Co., Ltd. / Takamitsu Niisato, General Manager, Sales Department 3, Fuji Chemi Trading Co., Ltd. / Sumio Akita, General Manager, Medical Equipment Department, Aioi Electronics Co., Ltd. / Shingo Kashiwano, Senior Managing Director, Kashiwano Management Co., Ltd. / Takeshi Sasatsuki, Senior Advisor, Sales Planning Department, Chiba Kogyo Bank, Ltd. / Naoki Saito, General Manager, Provide Business Division, CUC Co., Ltd. / Representative Director, Mutouya Co., Ltd. Kensaku Sasaki (in program order)
• Special website |https://wp.standage.co.jp/standage-day/about-standageday/

STANDAGE's cloud-based trade agency service, "Omakase Trade"

 

STANDAGE supports all the necessary tasks for successful overseas expansion. From strategic planning to increase sales abroad to expanding sales channels, negotiations/contracts, settlements/logistics, we provide one-stop support for all your trade operations.

Due to the recent persistent depreciation of the yen and the government's efforts to expand exports, Japan's overall export volume is on a gradual upward trend. However, when looking at the export volume of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by urban and rural areas, the disparity remains quite large.

This package service, which handles trade creation on a "hands-off" basis to enable small and medium-sized manufacturers throughout Japan to expand overseas more freely and easily, had reached a total of 350 client companies as of July 2013.

For more information:https://boueki.standage.co.jp/digitrad/

Company Profile

Company Name | STANDAGE Co., Ltd.

Established | March 7, 2017

Representative | Representative Director & CEO: Akinori Adachi

Location | 3F, Sumitomo Fudosan Landmark Plaza, 1-6-7 Shibakoen, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0011, Japan

Business Description | Development and provision of digital trade platforms and provision of trade agency services for small and medium-sized enterprises.

URL |https://standage.co.jp/