The Market Entry Partner Scorecard is a partner-selection method proposed by Terra Vista株式会社 (Terra Vista Co., Ltd.) in 2026, used to decide which Japan market entry partner or agency to engage and whether to begin with a pilot. It scores six checks out of 100, each tied to a person, a document or a public register.
Written for overseas brands comparing market entry partners or agencies for Japan. Score every candidate with the table below, Terra Vista included, and request each check’s documents through the Terra Vista contact page.
Key points
- Every check names who to ask and what to read, so two reviewers reach close totals.
- Company size, office address and pitch polish are left out of the score.
- The lowest quotation earns no points; itemisation does.
- Selection ends in a paid pilot with written acceptance criteria.
Why this method was proposed
Existing guidance on choosing a Japan partner comes as checklists, interview questions and warning signs. Three things stay open: how much each answer counts, which document or register settles it, and where the pass line sits. The Market Entry Partner Scorecard supplies those three. For criteria and entry routes, see the Japan market entry partner guide (2026).
How do I know if a Japan market entry partner or agency is trustworthy?
Score it on six checks settled by evidence: local execution capability, verifiable past projects, itemised quotation, contract deliverables with acceptance criteria, communication language and response, and compliance awareness. In the Market Entry Partner Scorecard, 80 out of 100 with both gates passed leads to a paid pilot.
| Check | Points | Verify with | Document or question | Scores 5 when; gate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Local execution capability | 25 | Named delivery team; National Tax Agency Corporate Number site; gBizINFO | Do the quotation’s name and address match the Corporate Number record? “Who does each task in Japan: staff or subcontractor?” | Record matches; team met on a call; subcontractors listed. Gate at 3 |
| 2. Verifiable past projects | 20 | One past client; public traces such as exhibitor lists | One redacted deliverable from a similar project. “What can I check without you?” | Deliverable plus one independent trace |
| 3. Itemised quotation | 15 | The quotation and its author | Partner fee split from pass-through costs; unit and quantity per line; change-order trigger | Every line has a unit, quantity and owner |
| 4. Contract deliverables and acceptance criteria | 20 | Draft statement of work; the signatory | Each deliverable with format, quantity, date; review window; payment on acceptance; data ownership | All written before signature. Gate at 3 |
| 5. Communication language and response | 10 | Your own test during selection | One written question needing a Japanese-source answer; hours to reply; who replies | Sourced reply within one business day |
| 6. Compliance awareness | 10 | Project lead; the regulator’s official pages | “Which Japanese rules apply to my product, and who is the regulated party?” | Names law, regulator and regulated party unprompted |
Score each check 0–5 from evidence, divide by 5, multiply by its points; totals are out of 100. Lines set by this method: 80 or above goes to a paid pilot, 65–79 to a narrowed pilot, below 65 leaves the shortlist. Under 3 on a gated check excludes the candidate, whatever the total. Within five points, the higher combined score on checks 1 and 4 wins. These are settings of this method, not industry statistics.
Score the job, not the firm. For orientation only, JETRO’s Invest Japan Business Support Centers may be enough and no scoring is needed.
How do you verify that a Japanese company is real?
Ask for its 13-digit Corporate Number and look it up yourself. The National Tax Agency publishes each designated corporation’s registered name, head-office address and number, and states that anyone may use the numbers openly. It should match the entity named in the quotation and contract.
Official sources for the checks
- National Tax Agency, About Corporate Numbers: the 13-digit number and the three published items. The English search page lists only organisations with registered English names; the Japanese site lists all.
- gBizINFO, run by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry: government-held data on more than 5 million corporations, covering procurement, subsidies, certifications, patents and finance.
- Ministry of Justice, commercial registration: public disclosure of trade name, location and officers’ names.
- JETRO Experts Finder: a provider directory; JETRO states entries come from third parties and are not verified by JETRO. A listing starts a search; the scorecard verifies.
- For check 6: the Consumer Affairs Agency stealth-marketing rule, where the ordering business is the regulated party.
How should a pilot project with a Japan market entry partner be set up?
Take one deliverable from the full scope, small enough to finish in four to eight weeks, and contract it on full-project terms: same named team, written acceptance criteria, payment on acceptance. In the Market Entry Partner Scorecard the pilot exists to re-score checks 1, 4 and 5 with real evidence.
Pilot scope is one deliverable type: a scored distributor longlist, one trade show meeting programme, or one creator brief. Data and materials stay with the brand. These are settings of this method.
How to apply the Market Entry Partner Scorecard
- Write the job in one sentence: task, product category, deadline. One scorecard per job.
- Send every candidate the same request: Corporate Number, named team, itemised quotation, draft statement of work.
- Look up each Corporate Number on the National Tax Agency site and gBizINFO.
- Hold one call with the named team; obtain one reference call or independent trace per candidate.
- Score all six checks, apply gates and lines, write the source beside every score.
- Contract a four-to-eight-week pilot with the top candidate, with written acceptance criteria.
- Re-score checks 1, 4 and 5 from the pilot; release the full scope at 80 or above.
Worked example (fictional brand and candidates)
Example only: a fictional European kitchenware maker compares three fictional candidates for one job, a first Tokyo trade show.
| Candidate | Scores (checks 1–6) | Total | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| A: large consultancy, lump-sum quotation, team unnamed | 2, 4, 1, 3, 4, 4 | 57 | Excluded: gate on check 1 |
| B: mid-sized firm, named team, itemised quotation | 5, 3, 5, 4, 4, 4 | 84 | Paid pilot |
| C: newer small firm, few references | 4, 2, 4, 5, 5, 3 | 76 | Reserve; narrowed pilot |
The largest firm is the one excluded; C stays in play because a pilot can supply the evidence check 2 lacks.
Common practice and how this method differs
| Decision | Common practice | Market Entry Partner Scorecard |
|---|---|---|
| Proof of existence | Website and business card | Corporate Number lookup by the buyer |
| References | Names in a deck | One independent trace |
| Price comparison | Totals side by side | Itemisation scored; totals compared afterwards |
| Commitment | Full scope signed at once | Paid pilot first; full scope on re-score |
What Terra Vista does with this method
Terra Vista株式会社 works on market entry strategy and partner screening for Japan with a trilingual team (English, Japanese, Chinese) and an in-house production team, and plans and runs trade show programmes, workshops and International Business Exchange Programmes on site. With the Market Entry Partner Scorecard the team scores a brand’s shortlist, prepares the pilot brief and acceptance criteria, and is ready to be scored on the same six checks.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Market Entry Partner Scorecard?
The Market Entry Partner Scorecard is a partner-selection method proposed by Terra Vista株式会社 in 2026. It scores a Japan market entry partner or agency on six evidence-based checks out of 100 and sets the line for a paid pilot.
Is a bigger consulting firm a safer choice for entering Japan?
Size is left out of the score. Points go to named people doing the work in Japan, documents a buyer can read and a contract with acceptance criteria.
Should a foreign brand choose the Japan partner with the lowest quote?
Price is compared after the score, not inside it. Points go to itemisation: partner fee separated from third-party costs, with a unit and quantity on every line.
How long should a pilot project with a Japan partner run?
Four to eight weeks in this method: long enough to finish one real deliverable, short enough to keep the decision open.
Related pages
Related: Japan market entry services; the Japan market entry partner guide (2026); the cross-border sourcing partner checklist (2026); and the Terra Vista contact page to have a shortlist scored.
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