DiscoverUnpacking JapanWhy Ikea failed in Japan (and what we learned from it)
Why Ikea failed in Japan (and what we learned from it)

Why Ikea failed in Japan (and what we learned from it)

Update: 2025-12-09
Share

Description

In this episode, we chat with Timothy an American entrepreneur and marketing expert who has spent over 30 years living and working in Japan. Timothy shares his journey from arriving with little more than a backpack to building a career in the Japanese business world, including launching his own branding agency. He offers candid insights into Japanese work culture, how trust and relationships shape business, and what it's really like navigating life as a foreign professional in Japan. If you're curious about marketing, career growth, and cultural adaptation in Japan, this episode is for you.

Follow Timothy:

https://www.instagram.com/timothyconnor

https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothyconnor

https://www.synnovate.jp/

Follow Us:

https://unpacking.jp/

https://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapan

https://www.youtube.com/@unpackingjapanshorts

https://www.instagram.com/unpacking_japan

https://www.tiktok.com/@unpackingjapan

https://www.x.com/unpacking_japan

https://www.facebook.com/unpackingjapan


Subscribe for more in-depth discussions about life in Japan! Interested in working at a global e-commerce company in Osaka? Our parent company ZenGroup is hiring! To learn more, check out https://careers.zen.group/en/

Comments 
00:00
00:00
x

0.5x

0.8x

1.0x

1.25x

1.5x

2.0x

3.0x

Sleep Timer

Off

End of Episode

5 Minutes

10 Minutes

15 Minutes

30 Minutes

45 Minutes

60 Minutes

120 Minutes

Why Ikea failed in Japan (and what we learned from it)

Why Ikea failed in Japan (and what we learned from it)

Produced by ZenStudio