{"id":8005,"date":"2026-06-25T13:55:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T04:55:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.standage.co.jp\/?post_type=jirei&p=8005"},"modified":"2026-06-26T15:44:47","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T06:44:47","slug":"leocorp-cnt","status":"publish","type":"jirei","link":"https:\/\/wp.standage.co.jp\/us\/jirei\/leocorp-cnt\/","title":{"rendered":"Leo Corporation"},"content":{"rendered":"

What challenges did you face when you first implemented it?<\/h2>\n

Our company took over the Hanawa Distillery, which had been operated for many years by Satsuma Shuzo, after the earthquake and tsunami, and restarted it as the Okukuji Hanawa Distillery. When we introduced it in 2024, our domestic sales were still in their early stages, and we had absolutely no experience in overseas expansion. However, while attending trade shows, the idea of "We don't know if it will sell, but we'd like to try overseas sales someday" naturally came up. From there, we gradually began to focus on it.<\/p>\n

When we tried to take action, we ran into obstacles such as "insufficient manpower" and "no experience in doing this ourselves." Although we had opportunities to receive proposals for overseas expansion, we couldn't imagine being able to handle the practical aspects on our own. Our honest desire was to borrow support, and ideally, to have a place where we could "leave it all to" them. We learned about "Omakase Trading" through a financial institution's recommendation, and the fact that they have a system in place that truly allows us to leave everything to them, along with the earnest attitude of the person in charge that was evident from the start, was the reason we decided to adopt them.<\/p>\n

Could you tell us the reasons and background behind your decision to continue for five years?<\/h2>\n
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Our main products are HIMARI, KUROMARI, and MIZUMARI.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A buyer with sales channels in multiple countries, including Taiwan, actually came all the way to our distillery in Fukushima, and hearing their firsthand feedback was a huge boost. It was because of that accumulation of experience that we were able to feel like we wanted to "sow the seeds and water them with a longer-term perspective." You can really feel how hard the person in charge is working, which makes you want to "run alongside them as a partner." We don't have enough staff at our company to handle trade in-house right now, so I feel that doing it through a "hands-off trade" service, even if it costs more, is the right decision at this point.<\/p>\n

Please tell us about the results you achieved over the past two years and the details of your initiatives.<\/h2>\n

In terms of quantitative results, the biggest achievement was winning two double gold awards at the San Francisco competition. This was largely due to obtaining FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) registration in advance, based on advice from our staff. We truly feel that "getting it done beforehand was a great advantage." We've also received inquiries from Spain, Canada, and Southeast Asia, and negotiations are ongoing with buyers who have sales channels in multiple countries, including Taiwan.<\/p>\n

In terms of qualitative achievements, the past two years have been spent steadily building the foundation for overseas sales, including preparing for international product exhibitions, creating promotional materials, exhibiting at export expos, participating in the Taiwan trade show in January 2026, and shipping samples to Taiwan. Then, in June, STANDAGE hosted a trade show in London, and they handled our PR activities there. Even though we couldn't go there in person, we feel that it was a big step forward that STANDAGE brought our products to an overseas market. Also, when we shipped samples to Taiwan, we were confused by the details of practical matters such as how to attach case marks. That's when we first realized that "exporting is so much more difficult when you try to do it all on your own."<\/p>\n

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In June 2026, we will exhibit at the London trade show organized by STANDAGE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Please tell us about anything you've noticed while using it, and any changes that have occurred within your company.<\/h2>\n

The biggest change from two years ago is the mindset within the company. Previously, when we consulted with JETRO, we panicked just at the mention of technical terms, showing how distant we were from overseas. But now, as we've repeatedly sent out samples, our staff have become accustomed to the procedures, and they've developed a sense that "we can sell overseas just like any other company." The hurdles to going overseas, at least from the perspective of "sending," have clearly lowered. We have various translation tools for English, but there are still some areas where we feel uneasy, so having support available is still very reassuring.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, through regular information sharing, I learned about "common sense" I hadn't realized before, such as the requirements for export labels and the differences in regulations from country to country, which was a valuable takeaway. I also learned for the first time that labels used in Japan cannot be used directly for overseas markets. These past two years have given me a visceral understanding that "you'll be in big trouble if you don't always keep these things in mind."<\/p>\n

Please tell me which markets and products you would like to target going forward.<\/h2>\n

My top target for the next five years is the United States. I plan to focus on three key products and also enter a competition in India. Shochu, which is relatively inexpensive in Japan, is a high-priced alcoholic beverage overseas, and I think it would pair well with spicy food, so I see potential in the Indian market. It's a large market, so if things go well, I expect to see considerable sales.<\/p>\n

In terms of products, we plan to release a limited edition shochu (approximately 2,000 bottles in 720ml equivalent) aged in barrels from this year to next year, and we intend to promote it overseas as a premium limited edition product. In the future, we are considering expanding into whiskey and gin, but first we want to build a track record with shochu. Our current goal is to have a 50\/50 sales ratio between domestic and overseas markets in five years.<\/p>\n

What are your expectations for STANDAGE over the next five years?<\/h2>\n
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Mr. Tanioka, President of Leo Corporation, is pictured in the barley fields of the Okukuji Hanawa Distillery, holding a bottle of MIZUMARI HIMARI.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We've been connected with buyers, and we've already generated inquiries. What we're hoping for next is to go beyond that\u2014to build a track record in the form of actual sales and revenue. We have inquiries, so the question is whether we can actually translate them into results. I think that's where the next five years will be crucial.<\/p>\n

There are a few things I'd like to see improved. I'd like to request more comprehensive Q&A and glossary resources so that even beginners in international trade can navigate the system without getting lost. For example, it would be extremely helpful for those of us on the ground if basic practical information, such as "where should I affix the case mark?", could be compiled into a knowledge base with illustrations that can be looked up at any time. Having used the system for two years, I've stumbled over these kinds of "things I didn't know" along the way, so I hope that a system will be created that prevents new users from having to go through the same difficulties.<\/p>\n

In one sentence, what was the reason you continued to use it for two years?<\/h2>\n

"The sense of distance from international trade has narrowed"\u2014that sums it up. Both the president and the staff on the ground feel this change. At first, we were bewildered by the technical jargon, but now we accept sending packages overseas as "normal." I believe this change is something that could only have happened because we've been working together for two years.<\/p>\n

The person in charge is wonderful, and our relationship with the buyers is progressing well. I would like to recommend them more once we see results, and since it is difficult to handle trade in-house with our current staff, entrusting it to "Omakase Trade," even if it costs money, is the realistic solution for us. I think it is worth listening to what anyone considering overseas expansion, especially companies that cannot afford to hire specialized personnel, has to say.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":8014,"template":"","purpose":[],"implementation":[205],"jirei_industry":[206],"place":[217],"jirei_product":[267],"country":[],"topic_label":[],"jirei_employees":[287],"acf":[],"topic":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.standage.co.jp\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/jirei\/8005"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.standage.co.jp\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/jirei"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.standage.co.jp\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/jirei"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.standage.co.jp\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8014"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.standage.co.jp\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8005"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"purpose","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.standage.co.jp\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/purpose?post=8005"},{"taxonomy":"implementation","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.standage.co.jp\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/implementation?post=8005"},{"taxonomy":"jirei_industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.standage.co.jp\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/jirei_industry?post=8005"},{"taxonomy":"place","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.standage.co.jp\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/place?post=8005"},{"taxonomy":"jirei_product","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.standage.co.jp\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/jirei_product?post=8005"},{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.standage.co.jp\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=8005"},{"taxonomy":"topic_label","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.standage.co.jp\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic_label?post=8005"},{"taxonomy":"jirei_employees","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.standage.co.jp\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/jirei_employees?post=8005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}