Toshimaya Corporation

The origin of Toshimaya Corporation dates back to the first year of the Keicho era (1596) when Juemon Toshimaya established a sake shop and tavern in today's Uchi-Kanda, Chiyoda Ward. With a history spanning over 400 years, it is the oldest sake shop in Tokyo.

Toshimaya Corporation, which continues to sell sake in Tokyo to this day, decided to apply for the Buy TOKYO Promotion Support Program with the aim of strengthening their ties with overseas markets.

President Yoshimura stated that the fact that sake is brewed in Tokyo is not widely known even among people living there. To change this situation, Toshimaya Corporation decided to strengthen its marketing efforts not only within Japan but also overseas, which led them to apply for the program.

Creating a promotional video and fortifying their marketing efforts abroad with the support of grants

As their first step with the grants provided by the Buy TOKYO Promotion Support Program, Toshimaya Corporation embarked on the production of a promotional video.

They were hesitant about this project, fearing the financial burden would be too much if they were to do it by themselves. However, they were able to take on this challenge with the support of grants. This video combines animation with live-action footage. The animation portion features illustrations by the up-and-coming artist Izumi Kogahara, while the live-action segments were filmed at Kanda Myojin, the shrine where their sacred sake is offered to the deity. Once completed, the video was posted on the company's website. With the hope of giving people overseas the opportunity to learn more about Toshimaya Corporation, the video has English and Chinese subtitles.

Their next step was to strengthen their overseas marketing. Generally, expansion efforts abroad involve increased B2B business with restaurants and B2C sales through retail and department stores. But this time, Toshimaya Corporation ventured into new marketing methods using social media.

To target the United States market in particular, Toshimaya Corporation hired specialists living in Los Angeles to upload new posts to Instagram twice a week. The Instagram posts not only promoted Toshimaya's sake and the Japanese culture but also guided viewers to an American online sake store, Tippsy. These posts facilitated a seamless process for customers to purchase sake, which led to an increase in exports.

Also, they could actively participate in PR events overseas by utilizing grants for travel expenses when exhibiting at trade shows. This activity allowed them to boldly strive to find new customers abroad and build a track record of success.

The strengthening of marketing abroad progressed significantly not only due to grants but also thanks to hands-on support

Through hands-on support via dispatching specialists, Toshimaya Corporation received advice on how to boost their overseas marketing, leading to new endeavors being set in motion.

One project they started was promoting Toshimaya Sake Shop using OTA*. Toshimaya Corporation strove to attract tourists by listing their standing bar on Japanticket, an online ticketing website that turns Japanese experiences into e-ticket attractions that tourists use while visiting Japan.

Toshimaya Sake Shop is observing an increased number of customers from abroad. President Yoshimura speculates that it might be because the shop has been posted on websites used by tourists.

Toshimaya Corporation is also listing its products on Japan Shopping Now, a shopping information site for visitors to Japan. They hope to attract even more tourists in Japan by publishing articles in multiple languages.

The guidance Toshimaya Corporation received from dispatched experts significantly influenced the decision to take on these new initiatives. Experts considered that the current in-store touch-points alone are insufficient to get tourists to purchase and use Toshimaya Corporation's products or their standing bar, Toshimaya Sake Shop, located in Kanda Square. They advised Toshimaya Corporation that using online platforms was necessary, introducing them to new plans they could implement.

President Yoshimura said that much of the advice they received from the experts' objective opinions were pointers they would not have been able to find on their own and that the hands-on support helped immensely.

*OTA (Online Travel Agent) is an online-only travel agency

What they gained through the Buy TOKYO Promotion Support Program will continue to be a source of strength for them even after the support ends

The promotional video they were able to create and the knowledge acquired through the Buy TOKYO Promotion Support Program will continue to be a source of strength for Toshimaya Corporation even after the support ends, and can be put to good use in the future.

With the professional eye of experts, Toshimaya Corporation were able to discover their own value that they would not have noticed on their own.

With traditional sake brewing now recognized as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO, Toshimaya Corporation's sake will become more well-known worldwide.