R2 Insights provides the experience and expertise you need
to make your qualitative research a success in Japan
Nationwide experience means we can help you understand the
markets and cultures of different regions all around Japan
We don’t simply project manage the research,
we deliver insights and help unravel the often complex and misunderstood Japanese market for you.
Experienced, flexible, and always plugged into the Japanese market, providing our clients with qualitative research services and real insights is not simply what we are great at, but it is also our passion.
We are always out on the streets conducting our own research too, not only to ensure that our team are locked in on the latest trends, but also to provide our clients with insights that go beyond the market research brief.
Over 20 years experience in the Japanese market, combined with a small team of talented researchers and moderators, we don’t simply project manage the research, we deliver the type of insights that are critical for success here, and help unravel the often complex and misunderstood Japanese market for you.
R2 Insights provides the experience and expertise you need to make your qualitative research a success in Japan. In fact, when it comes to qualitative research, you name it, and the chances are we have done it.
From more traditional focus groups, in-depth interviews, and ethnographic methodologies, to UX research and using digital tools to expand our understanding, we pride ourselves on being able to use a diverse range of approaches to achieve the outcomes that our clients desire.
For those of you that have been told ‘that methodology won't work in Japan!’, or ‘you can't ask that of Japanese consumers’, we are here to show you otherwise.
While Japan is a very different market and a very different culture, the idea that methodologies used in other markets can't be done in Japan is at best a tired old myth, and in some cases little more than an excuse for a lack of expertise and flexibility. Consideration of cultural differences is (of course) often needed, but in our experience nearly anything can be done here, given the right approach and the right team. If on the other hand, you are looking for ideas on how best to do your research here, we offer an extensive range of services to cater to your needs.
Furthermore, bi-lingual staff ensure that all project communications and reporting can be done to the same high standard in both English and Japanese.
Feel free to reach out to us with any enquiries that you have about how research can be done here!
Extensive experience is a wide range of categories, including all things technology, social media, digital content, home appliances, food and beverage, medical, sports, seniors, and much more.
The usual facilities aside, we also do research in the more relaxed surroundings of cafes, bars and restaurants.
With lifestyles and values diversifying in Japan, ethnographic research now represents close to half of all research we do.
From teens to seniors, in-home and ethnographic research allows us to attain insights that you just can’t get in-facility, and to develop a deeper understanding of how changing lifestyles are reflected in consumer needs and behavior.
For international clients in particular, it is also a fantastic way to understand the unique customs and living environment of Japanese consumers.
Wide range of usability and UX experience with smartphone apps, websites, games and online shopping. We also regularly conduct medical-related UX research, working with patients to test devices for conditions such as diabetes and hearing loss.
While most of our usability and UX work is done in-facility, we also do interviews in-home and in other locations where devices and products are actually being used.
To get the insider’s view of the everyday lives of consumers and how they are using products in them, we frequently utilize digital tools (their smartphones, wearable cameras etc.). We also have extensive experience with a wide range of platforms and apps for pre-interview tasks.
A great option for some projects, allowing participants to participate when they want, where they want, and in a manner similar to how they use their favorite social media.
It also represents a great way to reach people living outside of the main research locations, and provides several chances to engage with participants over an extended period of time, rather than just a one off interview.
■Technology
・Smartphone, tablet, peripherals and other devices
・Social media
・Apps, websites, software, games
・Digital content (books, manga, music, movies etc.)
・Online shopping
■Food & Beverage
・Eating out, fast food
・Confectionery, chocolate, snacks
・Beverages（soft drinks, alcohol, coffee etc.)
■Medical
・Wide range of conditions including diabetes, hearing loss, heart disease, lung cancer etc.
・HCP and patient interviews and ethnographies
■Sports goods (shoes, wear, accessories)
■Finance & Insurance
■Travel
■Fashion
■Cosmetics etc.
Tokyo is rightly the first market that our clients think of when planning research. With 37 million plus in the Tokyo Metropolitan area, it accounts for around 30% of the total population. After Tokyo, Osaka is normally the next market of choice, with both researchers and clients often giving little consideration to other areas.
In the last year alone however, we have conducted research in Kyushu (Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Kagoshima and Miyazaki) regularly, Hiroshima, Kyoto, Nagoya, Shizuoka, Sendai and Hokkaido multiple times, and even in areas such as Kanazawa, Yamagata and Wakayama, all of which were firsts for us!
The more we do research outside Tokyo, the more we understand that there are important differences that can be critically important to our clients. Whether it be different purchase behavior, access to retail and other services, uptake and usage of technology, how information is shared and found, or even regional culinary differences, all of these have the potential to affect the marketing and product development of our clients.
Take Fukuoka as an example. Located over 1000km / 620 miles west of Tokyo, Fukuoka is the fastest growing of Japan’s designated major cities, with the highest percentage of teens and young adults in their 20’s. All this, while the population in Japan is both shrinking and the oldest in the world.
Tokyo and / or Osaka may be enough in many cases, but if you are interested in looking at other markets in Japan, let us know! Our experience showing our clients other parts of the country is unmatched.
With 27.7% of the population aged 65 or above, Japan has the oldest population in the world. With declining birth rates and next to no immigration, not only does Japan now have a shrinking population, the number of people aged 75 or above (13.8%) outnumber those aged 14 or under (12.3%).
This means that the fastest growing consumer segment is seniors, making research into their behavior, attitudes and needs all the more important.
Whether it be medical, lifestyle, travel and interest, technology adoption and usage, or shopping behavior related, the last few years in particular have seen us build on our portfolio of experience in senior research. Not just in-facility, but also through spending time with seniors in ethnographic research, we have developed a level of understanding that allows us to offer unrivalled insights and strategic advice for this growing segment.
COMPANY NAME
R2 Insights Co.,Ltd.
TEL
+81-3-5311-1266
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Julian Reid
LOCATION
5F Musashi Building, 7-4-4
Nishi-shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023
URL
http://www.r2-insights.com/
For any enquiries regarding research and/or quotes, or simply if you would like to learn more about us, feel free to call or email us anytime.
Owner of R2 Insights, Julian has been working in marketing in Japan for close to 20 years, using this experience, with native level Japanese, to deliver his clients the highest quality research services.
After success as a co-founder of another research agency in Tokyo, Julian launched R2 Insights in 2015 to provide his clients with a smaller, but highly experienced and specialized team. Whether it be planning, fieldwork or analysis, Julian is deeply involved in all phases of research we do, working hand in hand with our internal moderators to deliver the insights that our clients need.
Not one to rest on his laurels, Julian also drives our commitment to adopting new research approaches, and to conducting internal research into trends and areas that are of relevance to us and our clients.
Outside of work, Julian has two teenage kids, and counts among his interests coffee roasting, running, cycling and in recent years, Japanese sake!
R2 Insights is simply meant to convey that we are a company focused on providing a comprehensive service, from Research 2 Insights.
Our logo design in based on the idea of a ‘kamon’ (family crest), the origins of which can be traced back to the Heian Era commencing in 794 AD.
Beyond this very Japanese element, the design also incorporates the R of R2 in the Round, something that reflects our well rounded and balanced approach. The 2 (as II) and Insights (as an ʻ‘iʼ’) can be found within the logo -‑ look at the dark green part, not the white!
