j-Grab Inc.

Company overview

j-Grab is a company that supports the overseas expansion of Japanese products through cross-border e-commerce consulting for Japanese businesses. Since we have personnel with experience in the global e-commerce marketplace, we are able to develop comprehensive strategies that increase sales sequentially across multiple regions worldwide. At the same time, our strength lies in being able to support even the finer details such as product presentation and dealing with issues involving e-commerce users. In recent years, we have launched the consignment sales cross-border e-commerce platform “j-Grab Mall,” which sells products on behalf of clients, and we have established local showrooms where products can be tested, taking on new challenges to expand the possibilities of cross-border e-commerce.
The company began hiring overseas personnel in response to changing customer needs. “The overseas markets that were originally mainly envisaged were Europe and North America, as well as East Asia. However, as the number of clients wishing to expand into Southeast Asia has increased, we believed it was necessary to have personnel familiar with the local situation,” said Hiroyuki Yokokawa (Director of j-Grab).
One of the individuals hired for such a reason is Felicia from Malaysia. Felicia was inspired by the landscapes depicted in Japanese anime, so she came to Japan during her university years and started an internship at j-Grab. After completing graduate school in Japan and advancing to a graduate school in Germany, she continued to work on a contract basis as a bridge engineer, linking Japan's business base with offshore development bases. “Since the content ties into my research theme in graduate school, I feel it's a job that suits me,” said Felicia.

Work-life balance initiatives

Yokokawa commented: “Because I want the members to continue working for a long time, I've been committed to creating an environment that makes it easy to balance with family, studies, or other jobs.” One of the innovations is the ability to choose the type of employment according to the place and time of work. When working full-time, including reporting to the office, you can be an employee, while if you work fully remotely with flexible hours, you can be involved with the company as a contractor. There is no wall between employees, and they can work on an equal footing. It can be said that the reason Felicia is able to continue working even after major changes in her environment, such as advancing to graduate school or relocating overseas, is thanks to this kind of flexible employment arrangement.
However, just because it's easier to choose where and when to work doesn't necessarily mean that you can easily balance work and other aspects of life. Therefore, when a new member joins, the company makes a conscious effort to assign them an experienced member as a mentor who can serve as a role model. The aim is to convey not only the way of working but also practical know-how on balancing work with non-work activities.
As a result of such steady efforts, it has become possible to balance work and family, and currently, there are many members who have been working for over 10 years while maintaining this balance. Excursions, trips, barbecues, online drinking parties, and other events are also organized, creating an environment where people can get along regardless of their employment status or job type. This leads to a positive cycle where the number of long-term employees is increasing. Felicia recalls: “During my internship, it was fun to go to various places with the people from the company.” Even now that she is far away from Japan, she continues to communicate with each member online.

Human resource development initiatives

To ensure that members continue working for a long time, it is important to realize the jobs and work styles that they desire. For that reason, at j-Grab, we focus on personalized development tailored to the conditions and needs of each member, rather than a uniform manual. A senior colleague will teach you one-on-one and accompany you until you can work independently. Additionally, through one-on-one sessions with a representative, you can finely adjust the content and amount of work, allowing you to work at your own pace without overexerting yourself. Furthermore, it is said that overseas personnel also have the opportunity to attend meetings with clients, regardless of their job category. “It's based on the representative's belief that 'knowledge of business etiquette will surely be useful someday, even if you don't put it into practice immediately.'” Felicia, who was actually present at such meetings, recalls: “As an engineer, I hardly ever have the opportunity to face customers, so it was a refreshing experience.”
At the same time, accurately evaluating and rewarding the achievements and results of members is essential for achieving long-term member retention. A unique aspect of the company is that some members, regardless of their employment status, are also shareholders. Shareholders can accurately understand the company's management situation and simultaneously receive returns based on performance, which can lead to increased motivation. Additionally, when a member introduces a business that becomes a client, they can receive a certain percentage of the deal amount. Furthermore, if the member's work is recognized by the client and if they are asked to handle another project, they can take on that project individually. We support the growth of our members, not only in their work at the company but also in their activities beyond that.

Message from our top executive

Representative director Akihiko Yamada / Director, corporate sales manager, cross-border e-commerce consultant Hiroyuki Yokokawa

Through cross-border e-commerce consulting, our company has mainly been supporting the expansion of personal goods overseas. However, going forward, we will also strengthen our support for the expansion of corporate goods in response to customer demands. That's precisely why your ability to identify needs from a local perspective is increasingly necessary. If you are someone who takes initiative and challenges yourself as if you are managing your own company, let's work together!

Message from foreign talent

Bridge engineer / LEE HUI MIN (Nickname: Felicia)(Malaysia)

I plan to continue working at j-Grab while balancing my student life in Germany. I have visited many countries so far, but among them, I feel that Japan has beautiful landscapes and many polite people. Moreover, Japan is a country where people with not only talent and skills but also enthusiasm are given many opportunities, so even if you have a passing interest, by all means try working for a Japanese company.