Century Brands Project

Expanding the Reach of Japan’s Long-Established Companies with World-Class Products and Services

Japan is renowned for having the largest number of companies with over 100 years of history, commonly referred to as “Century Brands”. Many of these Century Brands are known for producing high-quality, reliable products supported by exceptional craftsmanship and are in high demand globally. However, despite this demand, not many of these brands have achieved significant international success.

By April 2025, WTC Tokyo/Osaka plans to select 100 companies in that support the "Century Brands" project (see next page for product examples). These companies are only required to express their support for the project, and at this stage, they are not obliged to commit to exporting their products or publicly disclosing their company names.

If you or your acquaintances know of any business partners or contacts whose companies or products have been in existence for around 100 years and are looking to expand into global markets, we would greatly appreciate your recommendations. (It does not have to be strictly over 100 years. Additionally, we also welcome introductions to young companies with advanced technologies)

Sales Channels

1. Duty Free Store in Hainan Island (Sanya)

Hainan Province is China's southernmost province, consisting of Hainan Island and its attached islands. The entire Hainan Island is scheduled to become a special economic zone like Hong Kong by the end of 2025. It is the best gateway to the Chinese market as it connects with the largest number of consumers in China (especially those in the higher income brackets) through its duty-free system. The company is able to sell its products in brick-and-mortar stores through its duty-free store in Hainan Island (Sanya), which boasts annual sales of approximately 100 billion yen.

2. E-commerce for Mainland China

China's e-commerce market is huge, with about half of the global market share, and live commerce, which combines live streaming and e-commerce, has been attracting particular attention in recent years. WTC Tokyo/Osaka aims to reach all of China with live commerce.

3. other overseas WTC networks

In addition to the above, WTC Tokyo/Osaka has an extensive network of WTCs around the world. Utilizing this network, we can sell products of "Century Brands" to all over the world.