theAI — Fractional Japan Market Operator

What I Do

Your person on the ground in Japan.

Hiring a local team is expensive. Agencies are slow and opaque. I work as a fractional operator — you get one accountable person who speaks both languages and knows how Japanese business actually works.

Research

Market Research

Know before you commit. Category landscape, real competitor pricing, regulatory checks, and an honest read on whether Japan is worth your time.

LandscapePricingRegulatory

Sourcing

Sourcing & Procurement

From Uji matcha to machine parts. I find suppliers, verify quality in person, negotiate terms in Japanese, and handle the export paperwork.

SuppliersSamplesExport

Representation

Negotiation & Meetings

I sit at the table for you. Attend meetings, negotiate in Japanese, brief you in plain English, and keep the relationship warm between deals.

MeetingsInterpretingFollow-up

Execution

Local Execution

Boots on the ground. Site visits, sample collection, vendor management, trade shows — anything that needs a trusted person physically in Japan.

Site visitsVendorsLogistics

Why Me

Three reasons this actually works.

Bilingual, not translated

Native Japanese and business-level English. Nothing gets lost in a handoff, and nobody is guessing what the other side meant. You hear what was actually said, including the part that was implied.

Enterprise-grade background

20+ years bridging technology and business at global enterprises — Johnson & Johnson, Merck KGaA (Germany), Thermo Fisher, Nikko Asset Management. I have run vendor negotiations, managed Big-4 consultancies, owned budgets, and worked day to day across US and APAC teams. Your suppliers will notice.

On the ground in Tokyo

Same time zone as your suppliers, same city as the trade shows. When something needs a person in the room tomorrow morning, that is a short train ride, not a two-week trip.

Use Cases

If any of this sounds like you.

Specialty brand

You want authentic Japanese products, not a trading-company markup

I identify producers, visit them, taste and verify the grade, negotiate wholesale terms, and set up a repeatable order flow with export documentation.

→ Direct supplier relationship, verified quality

SaaS / Tech

You are considering Japan but do not want to hire yet

I validate demand before you commit headcount: competitor pricing, localization requirements, partner candidates, and a straight answer on market fit.

→ A go / no-go you can defend

Hiring

You need Japanese talent and cannot read the signals

I screen candidates, interview in Japanese, and translate more than words — what the résumé implies, what the job market expects, and where the risk is.

→ Shortlist with context, not just CVs

About

Two decades of doing this from the inside.

theAI is an independent practice based in Tokyo. The work is deliberately small and direct: no account managers, no handoffs, no layers between you and the person doing the work. For larger jobs I bring in vetted local partners — but you always deal with me.

Founder / Operator

Ena Moriyama

森山恵奈 — Tokyo, Japan

20+ years in AI and digital across global enterprises. Japanese native, business English.

Microsoft AI Cloud Partner

01 — FoundationWeb and IT delivery for Apple Japan, Isetan, Mitsui & Co., Mitsui Fudosan and other large Japanese clients

02 — Enterprise DXCore systems and data platforms at Nikko Asset Management, Thermo Fisher, Merck KGaA (Germany) — including a platform taken from zero to 3M annual page views

03 — AI StrategyLed AI engine development and digital CX at Janssen (Johnson & Johnson), managing a 14-person team and Big-4 vendors

Now — IndependentOperating as a fractional partner for companies with business in Japan

theAI

Contact

Have something in Japan
you need handled?

Send me the details and I'll come back with how I'd approach it. We can set up a call if it helps.

Send a Message

Replies within one business day, Japan Standard Time (GMT+9).