
SETOWORKS: "K-brands drew 1,000 visitors a day and captured Japanese buyers”
SETOWORKS Inc. (CEO Cho Chung-youn), a global GTM (Go-to-Market) infrastructure company and Specialized Trading Company, announced on the 8th that it planned and operated six integrated exhibition booths — its largest scale to date — at the 102nd Tokyo International Gift Show Autumn 2026, held for three days from September 2 to 4 at Tokyo Big Sight in Japan. Through the booths, the company supported 14 Korean small and medium-sized venture companies and startups in entering the Japanese market.
The Tokyo Gift Show is Japan's largest trade fair specializing in lifestyle and consumer goods. It draws concentrated attendance from local distribution buyers, wholesalers, and merchandisers from department store and general merchandise channels. SETOWORKS has participated for four consecutive years since 2023.
According to SETOWORKS, the 14 Korean small and medium-sized and startup brands in its booths attracted more than 1,000 buyers and visitors per day throughout the exhibition period. The company assesses this as a signal that demand for K-brands, previously concentrated in beauty and food, is now spreading into IT accessories, premium outdoor gear, and pet supplies.
SETOWORKS views these results as evidence that the planning capabilities of Korean small and medium-sized enterprises have caught up with the pace of lifestyle change among Japanese consumers. The strengths of Korean manufacturing and product planning — small-lot, multi-variety production, rapid development cycles, and design quality — have aligned with the novelty that Japanese distribution channels are seeking.
The clearest change observed on site was the expansion of categories. K-brands have long been strong in cosmetics and food in the Japanese market. At this exhibition, however, purchase consultations continued across the full range of IT accessories with distinctive design, outdoor gear, healthcare and health functional foods, and pet supplies.
SETOWORKS designed this exhibition not as a one-off appearance but as one segment of an execution process for entering the Japanese market. Beyond booth planning and on-site interpretation and consultation services, the structure extends to post-exhibition buyer follow-up, handling of samples and quotations, connection to local distribution channels, and securing online sales channels.
"We have again confirmed that the product competitiveness of Korean companies works well in the Japanese market," said Cho Chung-youn, CEO of SETOWORKS. "But the stretch where a business card received at an exhibition turns into a signed contract is an entirely different domain of execution. Making a good product and establishing that product in a local market are separate problems, and we are the company that solves the second one on our clients' behalf." He added that the company plans to unveil a service connecting the business cards collected at this week's exhibition to meetings with local buyers.
Meanwhile, building on the results of this Tokyo Gift Show, SETOWORKS plans to continue its entry into Japanese offline distribution channels and its expansion of linked online and offline sales channels. Centered on its Japan GTM Business Division, the company also plans to introduce a range of GTM solutions for Korean startups and small and medium-sized venture companies entering the Japanese market.
Reporter Hwang Ji-hye (jhhwang@segye.com)
Source: Segye Biz & Sports World (segyebiz.com)
SETOWORKS Inc. (CEO Cho Chung-youn), a global GTM (Go-to-Market) infrastructure company and Specialized Trading Company, announced on the 8th that it planned and operated six integrated exhibition booths — its largest scale to date — at the 102nd Tokyo International Gift Show Autumn 2026, held for three days from September 2 to 4 at Tokyo Big Sight in Japan. Through the booths, the company supported 14 Korean small and medium-sized venture companies and startups in entering the Japanese market.
The Tokyo Gift Show is Japan's largest trade fair specializing in lifestyle and consumer goods. It draws concentrated attendance from local distribution buyers, wholesalers, and merchandisers from department store and general merchandise channels. SETOWORKS has participated for four consecutive years since 2023.
According to SETOWORKS, the 14 Korean small and medium-sized and startup brands in its booths attracted more than 1,000 buyers and visitors per day throughout the exhibition period. The company assesses this as a signal that demand for K-brands, previously concentrated in beauty and food, is now spreading into IT accessories, premium outdoor gear, and pet supplies.
SETOWORKS views these results as evidence that the planning capabilities of Korean small and medium-sized enterprises have caught up with the pace of lifestyle change among Japanese consumers. The strengths of Korean manufacturing and product planning — small-lot, multi-variety production, rapid development cycles, and design quality — have aligned with the novelty that Japanese distribution channels are seeking.
The clearest change observed on site was the expansion of categories. K-brands have long been strong in cosmetics and food in the Japanese market. At this exhibition, however, purchase consultations continued across the full range of IT accessories with distinctive design, outdoor gear, healthcare and health functional foods, and pet supplies.
SETOWORKS designed this exhibition not as a one-off appearance but as one segment of an execution process for entering the Japanese market. Beyond booth planning and on-site interpretation and consultation services, the structure extends to post-exhibition buyer follow-up, handling of samples and quotations, connection to local distribution channels, and securing online sales channels.
"We have again confirmed that the product competitiveness of Korean companies works well in the Japanese market," said Cho Chung-youn, CEO of SETOWORKS. "But the stretch where a business card received at an exhibition turns into a signed contract is an entirely different domain of execution. Making a good product and establishing that product in a local market are separate problems, and we are the company that solves the second one on our clients' behalf." He added that the company plans to unveil a service connecting the business cards collected at this week's exhibition to meetings with local buyers.
Meanwhile, building on the results of this Tokyo Gift Show, SETOWORKS plans to continue its entry into Japanese offline distribution channels and its expansion of linked online and offline sales channels. Centered on its Japan GTM Business Division, the company also plans to introduce a range of GTM solutions for Korean startups and small and medium-sized venture companies entering the Japanese market.
Reporter Hwang Ji-hye (jhhwang@segye.com)
Source: Segye Biz & Sports World (segyebiz.com)