From time to time, we receive direct requests from the headquarters of Western companies—often those that already have well-established branches in Japan—to either translate or review the Japanese version of their websites.
At first, we found it puzzling. Why would the headquarters contact us directly instead of going through their Japan office? These branches often have many Japanese staff members who could, in theory, handle such tasks.
But after several conversations, we began to understand that there are three main reasons behind this.
1. The Japan office is mainly a sales branch
Even though these companies have a legal entity in Japan, the local office often serves primarily as a sales hub, not a marketing or localization center.
In Japan, it’s common for employees to handle tasks outside their direct job description when needed. However, in Western companies, roles and responsibilities are clearly defined, and stepping outside one’s scope is often discouraged. As a result, the Japan branch may not be authorized to manage translation or marketing projects at all.
2. A strong sense of ownership and responsibility
In many Western organizations, departments are protective of their areas of work. It’s not about territorialism in a negative sense, but rather a form of professionalism—a commitment to handling one’s own responsibilities thoroughly and not interfering with another department’s domain.
For example, the global marketing team prefers to oversee all aspects of branding and messaging themselves, rather than delegate that responsibility to another team, even if it’s within the same company.
3. Lack of cross-department connection
In some companies, the headquarters’ marketing division and the Japan sales office have little to no direct connection. While it might seem natural to collaborate with the Japan branch for localization projects, the internal structure often prevents that.
As mentioned above, the Japan office is focused entirely on sales, and the marketing department at headquarters is responsible for everything related to marketing—from planning to execution. That means even consulting the Japan branch about such tasks can be off-limits.
In Japan, we tend to favor the traditional approach of working together across teams, believing that collaboration leads to stronger, more consistent outcomes. And in many ways, that’s true. But at the same time, having every department involved in everything can slow down decision-making and reduce efficiency.
From the perspective of organizational efficiency, clearly defining departmental roles and keeping responsibilities separated—like many Western companies do—may indeed be the more effective approach.
