JAPANESE EXPORT MARKETING: STRUCTURES, STRATEGIES, COUNTERSTRATEGIES

Against the success of Japanese exporting companies during the last decade, a brief but comprehensive review of the factors behind their performance is presented. Based on a combination of secondary and primary data, the structures within which the exporting companies operate are spelled out and integrated. The integration is shown to lead naturally to a particular strategic posture dominated by a long‐run perspective and a high quality/price ratio in products meticulously adapted for very specific market segments. Potentially valuable counterstrategies drawing upon the Japanese experiences and military analogies are developed.