Kiichiro Katsumata

Photography by Hiromi Iguchi

One of the primary hurdles facing foreigners doing business in Japan are the major differences in corporate culture. Acting as a kind of cultural liaison, Kiichiro Katsumata has made it his mission to translate the mission and message of Microsoft to the PC industry in Japan.

An 18-year veteran of Microsoft’s Japan effort, 11 years as a salesperson, Katsumata is also involved in a volunteer organization called the Wagokoro Company, a group focused on educating the foreign community on Japanese business culture through a series of workshops and events. As the relationship between the U.S. and Japan matures in the shadow of a major global economic shift, Katsumata discusses his passion for connecting the future business interests of the two nations.

Journal: How would you describe your role at Microsoft?

Kiichiro Katsumata: My role is to execute marketing sales for Microsoft operating systems such as Windows 7, Vista, XP, Windows Server 2008 and many other products. My work also involves licensing Windows to personal computer makers including NEC, Fujitsu, Toshiba, HP and a few others. I play a leading role in the planning and sales division in order to promote Windows to companies manufacturing computers.

Right now, Windows 7 is doing very well in this market. One of the big features of computers bundled with the Windows 7 operating system is the multi-touch function. This function allows people to touch the computer screen and have direct control of the operating system.

I encourage my partner vendors to create and develop software, hardware and content that takes advantage of the multi-touch system. I also work with our partner vendors to get the message across that the multi-touch platform enables consumers to understand and use their computers much more easily. Our aim is to make the consumer’s digital life better.

J: What was your most challenging moment in terms of marketing in Japan?

K K: I have to say that it was probably when we released Windows 3.1 in 1993. Windows 3.1 became the base for Windows 95 although Windows 95 has become very well known. If you buy computers now, nearly all of them come with Windows except Apple.

Today it is very common to see computers using the Windows operating system; this process started when Windows 3.1 was released. But the marketing and sales jobs I did around that time were the most challenging. Now the Windows operating system is nearly ubiquitous, so consumers can use many different kinds of software packages for use on the operating system, and easily connect various printers, digital cameras and peripherals. Until Windows 3.1 was released, people had to buy different types of peripheral equipment for each computer and the related software. My job was to negotiate with several software and peripheral equipment companies, as well as PC manufacturers. I carried out many different types of marketing strategies in order to make Windows 3.1 a standard in Japan.

I executed various marketing approaches to make sure our overall message was heard. For example, when Bill Gates visited Japan, we held major press conferences and events. Our marketing efforts were primarily directed toward influential individuals in the political arena, the financial community and in academia. After these press conferences and events, we distributed strategy updates to the major CEOs of the computer industry. Subsequently, we used this information and access to convince the top computer, peripheral and software manufacturers to implement Windows in their products.

J: Please explain the concept and meaning behind your volunteer work with the Wagokoro initiative.

K K: Wagokoro refers to the Japanese spirit, which is focused on the prosperity and welfare of others. This is a traditional value that has been espoused by the Japanese for many years. I now believe that we have entered a new age in which this wagokoro will become a new core value to us. For example, we have ukeireru kokoro, which is the spirit related to accepting something good coming from outside of Japan, such as Christmas or Valentine’s Day.

Another traditional spirit-based notion is that of tekiou suru kokoro, which refers to adaptation. Japanese people often adopt external things, allow them to evolve and then make their own versions of these things. This routine has been present in the Japanese mindset since the Edo period, and possibly even before that time.