// Knowledge Base

Japan Vendor Playbook

Practical guides for overseas AI, data engineering and cybersecurity vendors building a business in Japan. These 38 articles cover pre-sales evaluations, deployment, technical support and commercial terms. Use them to prepare the work your team and StrategyCore will carry out together.

Cybersecurity12 Data Engineering7 AI / ML13 Market Entry6

Cybersecurity

12

Cybersecurity2 min read

DMARC in Japan: explain the protection and its limits

A practical basis for evaluating email authentication with Japanese prospects.

Cybersecurity2 min read

IoT and OT security evaluations in Japanese manufacturing

Show how device intelligence fits the plant’s inventory, safety constraints and remediation process.

Cybersecurity2 min read

Reviewing a move from DMARC monitoring to enforcement

Establish sender ownership, test indirect mail and plan recovery before tightening policy.

Cybersecurity2 min read

Email authentication for Japanese financial-services buyers

Connect domain protection to customer safety, operational continuity and the buyer’s actual requirements.

Cybersecurity2 min read

BIMI for Japanese organisations: requirements before logo display

Treat the logo as a provider-dependent feature, with authentication and certificate work behind it.

Cybersecurity2 min read

DMARC evaluation for organisations using Microsoft 365

Check the whole sending estate, including custom domains and applications outside the tenant.

Cybersecurity2 min read

Comparing agent, network and inventory-based device security

Choose by the evidence required and the equipment’s operating constraints.

Cybersecurity2 min read

Reconciling device records before prioritising vulnerabilities

Keep source evidence, confidence and unresolved conflicts visible.

Cybersecurity2 min read

Planning a medical-device security evaluation in Japan

Work with clinical engineering, information security and the equipment manufacturer.

Cybersecurity2 min read

Finding the business owners of unknown email senders

Use authentication reports as leads, then confirm who owns and approves each service.

Cybersecurity2 min read

Evaluating a Valimail mailbox connector

Check the current connector architecture, permissions and data handling before approving access.

Cybersecurity2 min read

Comparing DMARC tools by operating requirements

Assess coverage, change control and support rather than treating price as a capability score.

Data Engineering

7

Data Engineering2 min read

Evaluating real-time data architecture for Japanese prospects

Define freshness, consistency and recovery before choosing CDC or database consolidation.

Data Engineering2 min read

Evaluating embedded analytics for a product sold in Japan

Test the integration, permissions and Japanese user experience before committing to a platform.

Data Engineering2 min read

CDC or batch: match the pipeline to the workload

Freshness is one requirement alongside source impact, recoverability and operating cost.

Data Engineering2 min read

Testing transactional and analytical workloads on one platform

Evaluate consolidation with realistic concurrency, isolation and recovery requirements.

Data Engineering2 min read

Keeping retrieval data current in a RAG application

Measure source updates, embeddings, permissions and generated answers as separate parts of the system.

Data Engineering2 min read

Adding AI capabilities alongside systems of record

Choose the integration and retrieval pattern from the task, while preserving clear data ownership.

Data Engineering2 min read

Choosing a retrieval strategy by testing the workload

Compare search, structured queries, graphs and long context with representative questions.

AI / ML

13

AI / ML2 min read

Evaluating AIOps and GPU resource management in Japan

Establish a baseline, test the control loop and measure the result against service requirements.

AI / ML2 min read

Improving GPU use without losing service quality

Investigate idle time and compare supported sharing and scheduling options on the actual workload.

AI / ML2 min read

Evaluating LLM inference serving on Kubernetes

Test model readiness, memory demand and latency under realistic traffic.

AI / ML2 min read

Planning LLM deployment and model portability in Japan

Define data flows, operating responsibility and the tests required for a model change.

AI / ML2 min read

Hosted or self-managed LLMs: compare the actual service

Evaluate quality, data handling, capacity and total operating cost for each workload.

AI / ML2 min read

Operating an open-weight LLM on customer infrastructure

Check licensing, memory, network dependencies and change control before deployment.

AI / ML2 min read

AI data handling in Japan: what APPI does and does not require

Map personal data, recipients, overseas access and service terms before choosing a deployment.

AI / ML2 min read

Model versions, quantisation and reproducible evaluation

Record the full inference configuration and test changes against the application’s requirements.

AI / ML2 min read

LLM guardrails: test inputs, outputs and tool permissions

Keep sensitive records and privileged actions protected even when a model follows a hostile instruction.

AI / ML2 min read

Evaluate LLM answers against the work users need to do

Combine task tests, human assessment and production monitoring; report errors as well as averages.

AI / ML2 min read

LLM gateways: model routing, fallback and data handling

Centralise provider calls where useful, while testing permissions and model behaviour in each application.

AI / ML2 min read

Prepare evidence for an AI governance review in Japan

Bring the data flow, task tests, approval rules, incident procedure and exit plan.

AI / ML2 min read

Human approval in AI applications: make the decision specific

Choose the actions a person must approve, show the evidence and enforce the result in code.

Market Entry

6

Market Entry2 min read

ISMAP: preparing a cloud service for government procurement in Japan

Identify the service, registration route and evidence needed for the proposed contract.

Market Entry2 min read

Selling enterprise software in Japan: plan the buyer’s approval process

Identify the budget owner, technical reviewers, purchasing route and evidence needed for a decision.

Market Entry2 min read

Pricing and contracts for software sales in Japan

Agree the seller, currency, usage charges, support scope and renewal terms before quoting.

Market Entry2 min read

Government AI deployment: compare on-premise and private-cloud proposals

Use the procurement specification to define hosting, registration, access and operating responsibilities.

Market Entry2 min read

AI vendor diligence: what to establish before a Japan proposal

Verify product limits, data handling, evaluation evidence and support responsibilities before making commitments.

Market Entry4 min read

Preparing your Japanese product, sales and support materials

Prepare Japanese presentations, product literature, website and support pages, with an agreed plan for UI localisation.