Insights
Analysis and commentary on the practice of policy and regulatory affairs and on policy and regulatory developments. Our articles are written in Japanese. English summaries are provided below.
Counting meetings does not tell you whether an issue has moved. We explain how to design leading indicators that capture how far an issue has advanced through the policy process.
Read in Japanese →For public affairs staff at multinational companies in Japan, reporting to headquarters is unavoidable. We explain a four-part report structure, how to explain Japan's policy process to readers who assume a U.S.-style model, and how to set the reporting rhythm.
Read in Japanese →Public affairs fees in Japan are rarely made public, so prices have not converged on a single going rate. We break the cost into three components (outside consultants, in-house staff, and activity expenses), outline typical setups by company size, and offer two ways to explain the return to management: creating business opportunities and reducing business risk.
Read in Japanese →Companies often meet policymakers directly even while their industry associations are lobbying the same officials. Drawing on an analysis of 35,781 European Commission meetings (Albareda et al., 2025), we explain what drives this parallel lobbying and why association membership and direct public affairs work complement rather than substitute for each other.
Read in Japanese →Does paying dues to an industry association for lobbying just invite free riders? Drawing on Mancur Olson's theory of collective action, we examine the logic of lobbying through associations and the key points of organizational design.
Read in Japanese →Many practitioners wonder whether to conduct public affairs in the company's own name or through an industry association. This article offers a way of thinking about who should act.
Read in Japanese →Achieving policy change requires knowing not only what to do but when. We organize the long road to a policy decision around three instruments (legislation, the budget, and tax reform) and the annual schedule.
Read in Japanese →Winning on technology and losing on rules. One reason companies with superior technology and products fail to win in the market is said to be a lack of engagement in rulemaking. From a lecture to a seminar at Waseda Business School, we explain why rulemaking matters now and how to build it into business strategy.
Read in Japanese →An explanation of public affairs (PA) from both hands-on experience at global technology companies and academic research, covering when and how companies use it, with concrete cases and working methods.
Read in Japanese →The environment outside the market (regulation, public opinion, government, and the media) can decide business outcomes more decisively than the market itself. We trace non-market strategy from Baron's original framework to its connection with Five Forces analysis and explain how to build it into corporate strategy.
Read in Japanese →Are regulations only ever a cost? Drawing on the Harvard Business School "Note on Rules," we sort the rules that govern business into three types (regulation, standards, and norms) and read how to deal with favorable, adverse, and uncertain rules through cases such as Toys "R" Us and Conoco.
Read in Japanese →Gaps in law and infrastructure, or institutional voids, are both a barrier to entry and an opportunity to shape the rules yourself. From Toys "R" Us and the revision of Japan's Large-Scale Retail Store Law to Uber and Airbnb, we read the essentials of non-market strategy and rulemaking.
Read in Japanese →Our services, areas of expertise, and how we run projects, in a single guide. Available in Japanese only.
Contact