Interview

About Anders Holm

Anders Holm is a strategic and brand consultant and founder of TheCatalyst. He previously served as CEO of Bold Scandinavia, where he worked directly with Japanese companies. In this interview, we spoke about where Japanese and Danish design mindsets meet — and what it actually takes to build a position in Japan.

The mindset of Japanese designers

It is easy to assume Japan is tradition-bound and that Japanese professionals are slow to engage with outsiders. The reality is different. What emerged clearly in Anders Holm’s experience was a genuine curiosity — not just about Danish design, but about the culture and thinking behind it.

The foundation for that curiosity is a shared aesthetic. Both Danish and Japanese design traditions emphasise simplicity and functionality. In both contexts, simplicity is not a visual style — it emerges from function. The same logic applies to craft: in Japan, things are allowed to take time so they can be done properly, as in some areas of Danish design, such as traditional furniture design. Simplicity, functionality, and craft are the three areas where the two design traditions connect most naturally.

Japanese interest also extends beyond aesthetics. The social and organisational dimensions of Nordic working culture draw genuine attention in Japan, where longer working hours remain the norm. The appeal of Danish design is not only visual. It is about the culture that produces it.

Moreover, their interest often runs much deeper. In his experience, Japanese counterparts frequently asked: What is the future of design? In Europe, such a question can sometimes be rhetorical. In Japan, however, the curiosity seemed genuine. In his view, many younger designers were trying to find a way beyond the dominant structures of the industry. They were looking for inspiration and for ways to develop their own design culture further. In that sense, Japanese designers can be strongly future-oriented — grounded in their own identity, yet also looking outward. When given a thoughtful answer, they often responded with reflection and genuine respect. Looking back, he reflects on those conversations as moments of shared passion for design and as exchanges that were deeply inspiring for him as well.

“Many Japanese people are genuinely future-oriented and curious about the future of design, even at an existential level. And when you give a thoughtful answer, they really respect your input. There is a lot of depth in that.”

— Anders Holm

The difficulties of the Japanese market

Even where design mindsets align, the cultural foundations beneath them differ. In business, those differences become visible quickly.

The most consistent challenge was that trust-building in Japan can be both time-consuming and demanding. In his experience, meaningful collaboration emerged after repeated meetings — sometimes over beer and sake. Communication formed part of the same challenge, as Japanese counterparts sometimes preferred more indirect forms of expression in meetings. He would often follow up by email to give both sides time to reflect. A small adjustment, but a necessary one.

This reflects what Japanese business culture describes as nemawashi (根回し): the informal process of building alignment with stakeholders before a formal proposal is made. For Europeans who value directness, it can feel slow. In Japan, it is part of the foundation for trust.

The most unexpected challenge was branding itself. In one project, the client’s questions went far beyond conventional ideas of brand identity. What they were really asking touched on the identities of the business owner and the employees. In Europe, brand work can remain relatively external — a mission or a set of values kept at some distance from the self. In Japan, that separation is often less clear. Work is so central to how people understand themselves that branding becomes tied to broader questions of meaning and identity. As a result, anchoring those values from within may require far more work than many European companies initially expect.

“It was an important lesson: not to assume that expectations around a word like ‘culture’ in Denmark would be the same in Japan. At first glance, the meanings may seem aligned. Once you start digging, the differences can be very significant.”

— Anders Holm

What it takes to succeed in the Japanese market

At this point, the Japanese market may appear complex and difficult. To some extent, that is true. But it is not a reason to give up. While he spoke candidly in the interview about the challenges of doing business in Japan, he also emphasized great value in working with people from different cultural backgrounds — sharing an interest in design, exchanging values, and gaining new perspectives and inspiration through that process.

In fact, when reflecting on one collaboration with a Japanese company, he noted how open they were to his ideas and way of working. As he put it, “They let us be Scandinavian in our design.” Japanese companies are not necessarily closed off to outside approaches. As seen earlier, for companies in Japan that are actively looking outward for inspiration, being a Danish company can be a real advantage — and a source of opportunity.

The question, then, is what it takes to turn that opportunity into something meaningful. When asked, he pointed to four key factors.

Appreciate the complexity.  Japan is different at a depth that is almost impossible to fully explain in advance. It is not about assuming understanding too quickly, but about recognising the many nuances that require careful navigation.

Think relationally, not transactionally.  As seen before, Japanese counterparts place greater weight on trust and the gradual development of mutual understanding. Many European companies may lose patience before projects have even started, simply because they are not used to it. Succeeding here requires setting aside short-term goals and shifting from a transactional mindset to a more relational approach. 

Experience Japan firsthand.  Reading about Japan is not enough. Companies need to encounter it directly — in metro stations, supermarkets, shops, everyday social settings. Research matters, but without direct observation, cultural understanding stays superficial. You cannot create something genuinely valuable for Japanese consumers without first engaging with how they actually live.

Find ambassadors.  Penetrating Japanese networks from the outside is very difficult without someone who can introduce you, vouch for you, and help establish credibility. Ambassadors open doors that would otherwise stay closed. This also requires a certain humility. There can be an assumption that good work speaks for itself. In practice, however, recognition rarely comes automatically. What matters is not only what you do, but who is willing to stand beside you.