What I do

Making business with Japan easier.

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Click here for full testimonials

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About KANBAY

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Portfolio

Some businesses / brands I was fortunate enough to work with to date…

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Testimonials

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Paul Chesterton – Former owner, Metalmart 

A deal brokered by Yuki Saito, who researched and secured a buyer in Japan. It was a great result for Metalmart, achieving a much higher price than expected. This was largely due to the drive and determination of Yuki in establishing a relationship with the buyer, securing the sale and ensuring a seamless transfer of material from Canberra to Tokyo. I have full confidence in recommending Yuki. He is a delightful young man possessing the best of Japanese/Australian education, Japanese attention to detail and determination combined with an easy going Australian nature. 

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Denis Brown – Regional President North Asia Pacific, Bacardi International

I was looking for an external consultant who could provide extra resource to help our Japanese team on a Value Chain and Route To Market project. Yuki was fantastic, working with the local Japanese team, in Japanese, as a Japanese worker who understands Japanese corporate culture and translating his understanding of global organisations to deliver the project. The local team were happy for the support, the global team were complimentary of Yuki’s professionalism and ability to translate from Japanese into the corporate terminology and back again. And as the projector initiator, I was very happy to have all stakeholders aligned with great data and insights, as well as knowing that Yuki quite uniquely understands Japanese business and global FMCG cultures. He was very easy to work with, and I have no reservations recommending him as a bridge between two very different cultures.

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Akiko Ono – Owner/CEO, Empapilio & International Business Advisor, SME Japan

Mr. Saito assisted a Japanese SME looking to expand its business in Australia with a local feasibility study. Thanks to the prompt and courteous response to our research from various aspects such as laws and regulations, employment, business practices, and marketability, we were able to gain a clear understanding of the business opportunities and issues. There are many great products and services in Japan that can be used overseas, but when it comes to expanding into the local market, you often run into barriers to business practices, decision-making processes, and communication styles that are different from those in Japan. While there are many wonderful Japanese consultants living overseas, some of them do not understand the business practices and ways of thinking of Japanese companies as they spend more time living there, and as a result, they do not lead to good support. Mr. Saito’s great points are his ability to deal with local businesses based on his long time living overseas and corporate experience, as well as his personal connections and communication skills, and at the same time, he can deeply empathize with the sensibilities and mindset of Japanese companies and respond in a detailed manner. I am proud to recommend Mr Saito’s services to Japanese companies looking to expand their business in Australia and other global markets.

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Isamu Ozeki – Owner/CEO, Anzen Pax

The value of meeting Mr. Saito of KANBAY was that he opened the door to the possibilities of our company, which has been in business for 88 years. Our company was founded in 1932 as one of the oldest confectionery packaging manufacturers in Japan and has been in business ever since. The company now has more than 3,000 customers across the country and is involved in packaging for long-established companies such as Toraya and Yoshinobu Tsuruya. One of our clients was planning to open one of the largest Japanese stores in Paris, France. That’s when I met Mr. Saito as our consultant. Not only did he accompany us on our market development trip, but he also organized the necessary materials and core competencies. Despite the unknown market, we were able to successfully navigate the hard schedule of a business trip thanks to his guidance. After that, along with the Japanese company and the French company, we were able to achieve the sales target, and succeeded in less than one year to be the only confectionery packaging company to export Japanese quality. Mr Saito’s ability to understand not only the language, but also the nuances of both cultures and businesses is one of his strengths. I would like to confidently recommend Mr. Saito for his practicality and ability to execute.