“Japan is an attractive market, but will our SaaS actually work there?”

This is the most common question we hear from SaaS companies considering expansion into Japan.

The honest answer is simple.
Japan can be either relatively accessible or extremely difficult, depending on your situation.

The level of difficulty is largely determined by product category, target customer type, security and compliance requirements, and existing alternatives in Japan.

What matters most is not intuition or ambition, but whether you can assess the market potential and validate your hypotheses using effective, practical methods.

A typical Japan GTM process follows this structure:

1. Market research

2. Hypothesis building

3. Hypothesis validation

4. Market entry with minimum effort

In this article, we introduce several hands-on approaches you can consider to assess the Japanese market and test your SaaS hypotheses, before deciding how deeply to invest.

Practical ways to assess potential and validate your SaaS in Japan

1. Online surveys
   Collect quantitative insights on needs, awareness, and expectations through online surveys.
   (Macromill, Rakuten Insight, GMO Research)

   
   

2. In-person surveys and interviews
   Speak directly with local SaaS users and business operators to understand context, language, and real-world constraints. One of Tokage Works’ core strengths.

   
   

3. Buyer interviews
   Interview decision-makers such as department heads and budget owners to clarify purchasing logic, approval processes, and risk concerns.

   
   

4. Focus groups
   Use moderated group discussions to surface shared reactions, objections, and unmet needs.
   (Japan Market Research Association)

   
   

5. User behavior observation
   Observe how users actually work through shadowing and workflow observation to identify gaps between stated needs and real behavior.

   
   

6. Existing tool usage review
   Analyze how problems are currently solved using tools like Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets.

   
   

7. Local competitor research
   Study trusted Japanese SaaS products already adopted in the market.
   (Sansan, Cybozu, SmartHR etc.)

   
   

8. Global SaaS comparison
   Review how global SaaS products position and localize themselves in Japan.

   
   

9. Pricing tests
   Test willingness to pay and acceptable price ranges.
   
   

10. Trade shows and exhibitions
    Gather market signals and direct feedback at major industry events.
    (Japan IT Week, CEATEC, ODEX, Manufacturing World etc. )

    
    

11. Industry seminars and events
    Learn how vendors, buyers, and regulators interact at large-scale industry gatherings.

    
    

12. Local news and publications
    Understand decision-maker thinking and business trends through local media.
    (Nikkei, ITmedia, NHK News etc.)

    
    

13. Press releases and response tracking
    Analyze what types of announcements attract attention and engagement.
    (PR TIMES)

    
    

14. Community monitoring
    Track real user discussions and frustrations in public communities.
    (Qiita, note, X etc.)

    
    

15. Partner meetings
    Talk with local SI partners and IT consultants to understand how SaaS products are evaluated and introduced.
    (Local SI Partners, IT Consultants)

Conclusion

You do not need to execute all of these methods.

Depending on your product, target customer, and the hypotheses you want to test, you can combine one or several of these approaches to efficiently assess market potential and reduce risk.

If you are planning a SaaS launch or expansion in Japan and want to validate these methods efficiently, Tokage Works offers a Japan GTM Diagnostic focused on execution, not theory.

If Japan is on your roadmap, feel free to reach out.