What brings you to Rotterdam?

‘We are students and we are researching global marketing in the Netherlands.
Three days in Amsterdam, three in Rotterdam.’

That’s not even a week…

‘Yes, it’s too short. We’ll go back to Japan afterwards. We are in the middle of our semester and we have to get back for our lectures.’

What does this research entail?

‘We visit Japanese companies here, such as Yamaha Motors. We do this in the Netherlands because it is the gateway to Europe. We ask companies how they manage to sell more products and how this differs from Japan.’

And what differences are most striking?

‘The consumer interests are very different. For instance, in Japan we love brands such as BMW, AUDI and Mercedes; it’s all about image. We love exceptional designs, while for Europeans, the practical aspect is more important. Above all, it has to be useable.

Do you prefer certain brands?

‘Yes, I for instance have an iPhone and not some other Japanese brand that might also do. And I have an Apple MacBook. It looks good!’

So what do you do at the university of applied sciences?

‘We, the Meiji University, have a partnership with Rotterdam Business School, which is part of the Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences. Student exchanges are quite common.’

How do you like it here at the university of applied sciences?

‘The building is very great , it is smart and stylish. People in Rotterdam are interested in architecture and design and it shows. Our university building in Japan is boring…

You don’t like Japanese products and you prefer the buildings here. So is there anything Japanese to be proud of?

‘Well, we don’t really have an identity and we are quite shallow, that’s the tendency of Japan. But, in 2020, the Olympic Games will be held in Japan and that certainly is special. That’s definitely something to be proud of!’

Jos van Nierop