Message From the CEO
The Potential of Japan I Sensed Whilst Working for a Trading Company
My childhood dream was “to travel around the world,” thus I joined a general trading company and visited many countries on overseas business trips. I had a particular connection to the U.S., and in addition to the numerous business trips I was stationed at the Chicago office. During my time there I realized anew that even in the U.S., the world’s leading country, Japan’s delicate and high-quality products and services have appeal.
An Encounter with an Artisan Led to the Start of a Business
After returning to Japan I engaged in launching overseas businesses at a start-up company, and at one point I was asked to assist a company with artisans who have been manufacturing traditional daily necessities for over 50 years with their overseas business expansion. As part of the expansion we conducted a test sale in the U.S. and locals actually purchased the products. In addition, we also received wonderful responses such as “I have never seen products like this before” and “I definitely would like to also gift this to my friend.” I felt a connection between the potential of Japanese products that I originally sensed and experiencing the actual appreciation of Japanese products overseas, and thought that I would like to use my own experience and know-how to assist more Japanese companies in expanding their business overseas. It was then that I decided to start my own company, a business in the area of overseas expansion support.
How to Realize Overseas Expansion
Even when the quality of the product is good it is not necessarily easy to just sell it as it is overseas. In order to enter local markets customized sales strategies (which markets to choose, which partners to work with, etc.) and business approaches thought out by personnel well versed in the local markets and business culture will become essential. At our company, in addition to our abundant support-related achievements and know-how, we are able to support the overseas expansion of excellent Japanese products due to our bases of operation in both Japan and the U.S., our extensive domestic and international network, and the skills and experience of our team members. In the mid- to long-term our goal is to create a “winning pattern” for overseas expansion through our experience assisting many companies, and to return this know-how to more Japanese companies.
CEO/Founder Masataka Iwasaki
CEO/Founder’s Profile
Born and raised in Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, my childhood dream was “to fly around the world.” Ultimately, this dream which I had vaguely envisioned during my childhood had a major impact on my career choice. In addition, experiences in overseas research projects in Canada and Mongolia during my time as a graduate student at Kyushu University strengthened my passion for working in a global environment.
After graduating from graduate school I started my career at a trading company. Working in Kanematsu Corporation’s Aerospace department I engaged in a wide range of business activities, including the expansion of the aircraft sales business, the Asian market expansion of European subisiaries, and the launch of a private drone business. Especially during my assignment in Chicago I was deeply involved in the management of U.S. operations and new business development. Here I gained experience in international business development.
After this I wanted to jump into a more challenging environment in the business start-up phase, thus I ended up joining a start-up company. Here I was in charge of setting up overseas operations and promoting partnerships and alliances with major global companies as a senior manager of the overseas promotion group. Through my experience here I feel that I have learned a lot about how to expand businesses overseas with limited resources.
Then in June 2023 I established Glosperity Corporation. By putting my past experiences to good use the company has been supporting Japanese companies in their overseas business expansion, especially advancements in the U.S. market, by assisting them in the development of sales channels. I am grateful we are receiving an increasing number of requests for our services, and to this date we have helped over 30 companies in expanding their businesses overseas.
Team Introduction
Masataka Iwasaki
CEO/Founder
Born in Fukuoka Prefecture. After graduating from Kyushu University’s graduate school he worked at Kanematsu Corporation where he was engaged in import/export operations between Japan and the U.S., launching new businesses, and managing U.S. operations in Chicago. Upon returning to Japan he experienced setting up overseas businesses at a start-up company. Based on his skills and experiences he founded Glosperity Corporation in 2023 with the goal of assisting more companies in expanding their businesses overseas.
Daniel Nelson
Sales Director
Born in Canada. He has experience working as an engineer, project manager, and sales representative for an energy company and general contractor in North America. Related to the sales field, after planning and closing a large contract with a major U.S. business corporation he started specializing in sales. At Glosperity he is in charge of sales activities in North America (U.S. and Canada).
Miguel Banaga
Sales Executive
After majoring in marketing at a university in the Philippines he has engaged in inside sales and field sales in the U.S. market for several years. He has sales experience in a wide range of commercial products from harwarde to software. At Glosperity he is in charge of sales activities for the English-speaking market including North America (U.S. and Canada).
Kenji Ōta
International Logistics Specialist
Customs broker. After graduating from a university in New Zealand he worked in customs clearance. He then engaged in starting up a ventury company providing customs clearance services in Shimonoseki. In 2015 he founded Tradinate Corporation, and since then has been involved in supporting numerous trade operations, including those for the U.S., as well as corporate expansion projects in Asia.
Kurumi Gaisen
B2B Sales & Marketing Specialist
External Advisor of U.S. Logistics Operations
After studying business administration at universities in the U.S. and Japan she immigrated to the U.S. and started her own import agency business over there. Not only does she have extensive achievements in B2B support in the U.S., she also specializes in marketing areas such as social media marketing and branding, and attracting customers through crowdfunding.
Yoshirō Gotoh
fter graduating from an American university with an MBA he worked in sales for a shipping company in New York and as head of international sales and operations at the headquarters of Flying Tiger (now FedEx). In 1980 he founded Gotoh Distribution Service Inc., and since then he has started a warehousing and transportation business centered around Chicago O’Hare International Airport. He has also supported the delivery of emergency parts to Japanese automobile factories in the U.S.’ Midwest and Canada, and supported the construction of JIT logistics.
Trevor West
North America Sales & Business Development Specialist
Born in the U.S., he is an English and Japanese bilingual. He has business experience (sales, business development, government and public office affiliated) in both Japan and the U.S.
Huang Meiyu
EC & Inbound Development Specialist
Born in Taiwan, she is a Chinese and Japanese bilingual. She has experience in starting and scaling her own e-commerce business targeting Asians in the U.S. market. In the inbound field she also has experience in supporting the attraction and promotion of foreign tourists.
Yasuaki Miura
External Advisor of U.S. Retail Operations
Owner of Super Mira Market, a Japanese-American supermarket located in San Francisco’s Japantown.
Since its establishment in 2000 the store has engaged in retail sales of Japan-made food and daily use products in the U.S. market.
Takuya Tsuruga
External Advisor in the Real Estate Domain
He currently serves as the President and CEO of one of Kyushu’s largest developpers, Daiei Sangyo Corporation’s main sales subsidiary, Daiei Estate Corporation.
Other Members
In addition to sales administration members we also have members who can build and operate EC businesses for the U.S., and members who carry out the packing and shipping operations on the U.S. side.
Company Information
| Company Name | Glosperity Corporation |
|---|---|
| Representative | CEO/Founder Masataka Iwasaki |
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| Affiliations & Associations |
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| Legal Adviser | Shuntarō Yoshihara (Bengoshi Hōjin Takumi Law Offices) |
| Access |
[Japan] Headquarters: 7th floor, iGS Hakata Building, 2-29 Tenyamachi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, 812-0025 [USA] Sales office (San Francisco): 1790 Sutter St., San Francisco, CA 94115 Inventory and distribution center (Chicago): Streamwood, Illinois, USA *Located 30 minutes by car from Chicago International Airport Areas where pop-up stores can be exhibited: New York, San Francisco, Los Angels *We would appreciate your understanding that acceptance of exhibitors differs depending on the products. |