The charm of Japanese culture, from traditional culture to pop culture, is widely recognized overseas, such as "WASHOKU" as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage for its Japanese traditional food culture, "SUSHI" widely known all over the world, and "ANIME" cartoon familiar to Westerners from their childhood. While our impressive culture and services are appreciated, it is rare to find real ”IIMONO (great products) from Japan" living in Europe. For example, many Japanese restaurants and grocery stores in the city are in fact operated by non-Japanese and deployed at low price, without the value of particular deliciousness, safety/security, and hospitality.

However, it is also true that there are various obstacles for Japanese to expand business into Europe and convey Japanese culture. First, we have grown up in a society where harmony and uniformity are valued so that it is not so easy to take a step into markets with different cultures, habits, and languages. Second, it is unexpectedly difficult to deal with issues unique to Europe such as legal regulations, taxation, and logistics. Furthermore, the key for success is to understand local consumers and to deliver marketing strategy and sales promotion for them.

With the aspiration to bring our proud Japanese culture globally not by ‘me’ but ‘we’, Kometiamo was established to be a catalyst* in fulfilling dreams of business owners who have a passion for European markets.

The brief of the founder, based on personal experiences in studying in the US and working in Italy, is that the differences in culture, habits, and business environment are obstacles only at the beginning. Eventually the differences expand your point of view, make your life more colorful, then give power to your life and business. Centered on ‘Made-in-Japan’ consumer goods of pride, Kometiamo actively plays a catalyst to bring ’More Japan to the world’.

(*) A catalyst is something that helps trigger events and promote further developments.

Keiko Yamamoto, Chief Catalyst & Founder

With intensive experiences in financial investments at Sumitomo Corporation and Deutsche Trust Bank, she joined Japan business unit of The Coca-Cola Company in 2005. As Strategic Initiatives and Competitive Intelligence Director, she played the instrumental role in investments and M&As of consolidating Japan Coca-Cola bottling System as well as other key business projects. In 2017, she moved to Italy, as the first ever Japanese within The Coca-Cola Company, to lead strategic business planning and marketing insights identification as Strategy Director of Central Europe & Italy franchise unit (7 countries) followed by Strategic Planning Director of Central Eastern Europe business unit (26 countries). She started her entrepreneurial career in 2020, establishing Kometiamo Inc. based in Tokyo and Milan, where she plays a catalyst role for Japanese small businesses to go beyond Japan markets focusing in Europe. BA in Aoyama Gakuin University (Tokyo Japan), MBA in University of Southern California (Los Angeles, USA). Trilingual of Japanese, English, and Italian.