Connecting Japan and the World Through Food, Business and Ideas
Farul Inc. is a Japan-based advisory company specializing in international food business and cross-border business development.
We work with international food companies seeking to enter or expand in the Japanese market, as well as Japanese importers, manufacturers and trading companies working with overseas partners.
Our support covers the entire business process — from market research, product development and localization to regulatory compliance, import operations, commercial negotiation, contracts, quality management, claims, marketing, sales and promotion.
Rather than treating these as separate issues, we look at international business end-to-end.
A decision made at one stage can affect many others: a product specification may influence regulatory compliance and importability; localization may affect cost, production and positioning; and a quality issue may quickly become a contractual, commercial and relationship issue.
Our role is to help clients understand these connections, make informed decisions and find practical ways forward.
OUR MISSION
Farul’s mission is to help valuable products, ideas and businesses cross borders without losing what makes them distinctive.
International business is not simply about translating languages or moving products from one country to another.
Different markets have different regulations, commercial practices, expectations and ways of making decisions. Even when both sides speak the same language, they may not necessarily understand the reasoning behind each other’s decisions.
We help bridge these gaps by combining practical business experience with an understanding of both Japanese and international perspectives.
The name Farul means “the lighthouse” in Romanian.
For centuries, lighthouses have helped people navigate unfamiliar waters. We chose the name to reflect the role we want to play: helping businesses navigate international markets, identify risks and opportunities, and make better decisions about the way forward.
WHAT WE DO
Farul advises companies when international food business requires more than routine execution.
Our work often begins when a company faces a difficult decision, a cross-border problem, or a situation where regulatory, quality, contractual and commercial considerations are closely connected.
We work with both international companies doing business in Japan and Japanese companies working with overseas partners.
For International Food Companies Working in Japan
We advise food manufacturers and brands entering Japan, developing an existing business, or dealing with problems in the Japanese market.
Our work may include:
- Japan market and commercial feasibility
- Product assessment and localization
- Japanese food regulations and import readiness
- Import structure and practical requirements
- Importer and distributor relationships
- Product specifications and documentation
- Quality issues and claims
- Commercial negotiations
- Contracts and business conditions
- Difficulties between overseas suppliers and Japanese business partners
- Independent second opinions before important decisions
- Troubleshooting when business does not develop as expected
Our role is not simply to find a Japanese distributor or introduce potential buyers.
Before deciding who to sell to, we help companies understand whether, why and how a product can build a sustainable business in Japan.
And when a problem arises, we help identify what the problem actually is before deciding how it should be solved.
For Japanese Companies Working Internationally
We advise Japanese importers, food manufacturers and trading companies on complex issues arising from international food business.
Our work may include:
- Product development and sourcing
- Import feasibility and regulatory matters
- Product specifications and related documentation
- Overseas supplier communication
- Quality problems and claims
- Cross-border negotiations
- Contracts and transaction terms
- Problems involving responsibility between parties
- Important supplier or business-partner decisions
- Independent second opinions
- Troubleshooting of difficult international transactions
- Development and training of international business teams
We are often asked to become involved when a situation is no longer straightforward — for example, when specifications change, quality problems occur, negotiations stall, contractual and commercial interests conflict, or the parties involved interpret the same facts differently.
Sometimes the question is not simply:
“What can we do?”
It is:
“What should we do in this particular situation?”
That is where experience and independent judgment become particularly important.
INTERNATIONAL FOOD BUSINESS TROUBLESHOOTING
Problems in international food business rarely fit neatly into one category.
What first appears to be a quality problem may involve product specifications, manufacturing, Japanese regulations, contractual responsibility, communication or different commercial expectations.
For this reason, Farul does not look at problems in isolation.
We examine the facts across the business process, identify what is actually happening, clarify the risks and priorities, and help the client determine an appropriate course of action.
Consumer Safety Comes First
When a food-related issue may pose a risk to consumer health, protecting consumers takes priority over short-term commercial considerations.
From there, our role is to help establish the facts, understand the applicable regulatory requirements, address the immediate issue appropriately, identify its cause, prevent recurrence, and work toward the best possible outcome for the client.
Protecting consumers and protecting a company’s long-term credibility are not opposing goals. In food business, they are closely connected.
Troubleshooting does not mean finding ways around regulatory requirements or minimizing a problem for commercial convenience.
It means understanding the problem correctly, respecting the appropriate priorities, and finding a practical and responsible way forward.
HOW WE WORK
Diagnose Before Acting
Before deciding how to solve a problem, we first determine what the problem actually is.
A regulatory issue, a quality issue, a specification issue, a contractual issue and a commercial disagreement may initially appear similar, but they do not necessarily require the same response.
Not every issue has the same level of urgency, risk or business consequence.
Our role is to distinguish between them, clarify what requires immediate action and what requires further investigation, and consider each issue within the broader context of the business relationship.
An End-to-End Perspective
International food business involves many interconnected decisions.
Product development, manufacturing, specifications, regulations, import operations, logistics, pricing, contracts, quality, negotiation, distribution, marketing and sales cannot always be considered separately.
Farul approaches them as parts of one business process.
This end-to-end perspective is particularly important in troubleshooting because the apparent problem and the underlying cause are not always the same.
Decision Support & Independent Second Opinions
There is not always one correct answer in international business.
Our role is to clarify the facts, identify risks and options, understand the perspectives of the parties involved, and help clients make decisions they can act on.
For important contracts, negotiations, supplier issues, market decisions and difficult business situations, we provide an independent perspective when management or project teams want a second opinion before proceeding.
Confidential Advisory
Many of the matters brought to Farul involve commercially sensitive information, including product specifications, quality issues, contractual relationships, negotiations, internal decisions and problems that companies do not wish to make public.
Confidentiality is therefore a fundamental part of our advisory work.
Public articles and examples are intentionally generalized and do not disclose identifiable client matters.
Case-specific recommendations are made within the context of each client’s situation, taking into account the product, documentation, regulatory requirements, contractual relationships, commercial history and people involved.
Practical Experience
Our advice is grounded in more than 25 years of hands-on international food business experience.
We have worked directly across product development, manufacturing, sourcing, import operations, regulations, quality management, contracts, negotiations, distribution, marketing and sales, with manufacturers, importers, distributors, retailers and other partners across international food supply chains.
This experience allows us to understand not only what should work on paper, but also what may happen in practice.
FOUNDER & CEO
Naoko Tamura
Japan Business Development Advisor / Food & Beverage Specialist
End-to-End Advisor for International Food Business
Naoko Tamura is the founder and CEO of Farul Inc. and has more than 25 years of experience in international food business, particularly between Japan and Europe.
Her experience covers the entire business process — from product development, market research, branding and regulatory compliance to import operations, localization, commercial negotiation, contracts, quality management, claims, marketing, sales and promotion.
Having worked on the development and import of more than 500 products and visited over 300 food manufacturing facilities worldwide, she brings a practical, end-to-end perspective to international food business.
Before founding Farul Inc., Naoko spent a total of 14 years with Japanese and international specialty trading companies, working in food and wine imports, product development, overseas supplier negotiations, quality management, sales and marketing.
She became an independent international trade consultant in 2012 and founded Farul Inc. in 2021.
Today, she advises both international food companies seeking to enter or expand in Japan and Japanese companies working with overseas partners. Her work ranges from hands-on support for individual projects to independent advice on important commercial decisions and problems, as well as training and development of international business teams.
Having worked extensively with both Japanese companies and overseas manufacturers, Naoko is particularly experienced in situations where the two sides understand each other’s words but not necessarily the reasoning behind them.
She works to identify the commercial, cultural and organizational context behind each side’s position and to find practical ways forward.
Publications & Speaking
In 2020, Naoko was invited to speak at the Glocal Business Seminar organized by NPO ZESDA in collaboration with the Okuyama Seminar at Meiji University.
She subsequently contributed Chapter 6, “Learning from Successful Imported Foods: Developing Overseas Markets without Taking the Long Way Around,” to Glocal Business no Susume (Shidzu Shoin, 2021), a book based on the seminar series.
International & Creative Activities
Alongside her food business career, Naoko has been involved in international creative and cultural events for many years.
In 2013, she represented Japan at the World Cosplay Summit (WCS). She has since participated in international cosplay and creative events as a judge, guest and organizer.
Since 2023, Farul Inc. has organized the Japanese national selection for the World Cosplay Summit.
Although food business and creative events may appear to be very different fields, both reflect a common theme in Naoko’s work: connecting international products, brands, people and ideas with Japan while respecting the value and context that make them distinctive.
Read Naoko Tamura’s full profile →Naoko Tamura (Japanese Biography)
COMPANY PROFILE
Corporate Name
FARUL INC.
Japanese: ファルール株式会社
Representative Director
Naoko Tamura
Established
9 April 2021
Head Office
Nihonbashi-Mizuno Bldg. 7F
1-11-12 Nihonbashi-Muromachi
Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0022
Japan
Capital
JPY 3 million
Correspondent Banks
MUFG Bank, Ltd.
Sumishin SBI Net Bank, Ltd.
BUSINESS ACTIVITIES
Farul Inc.’s registered business activities include:
- Planning, development, production, manufacturing, sales, import/export and mediation of food products, alcoholic beverages, cosmetics and other products.
- Consulting related to product development, import/export, regulatory compliance and sales channel development.
- General business consulting.
- Sales, market research and import/export agency services.
- Planning and development of promotional, branding and sales strategies for products, regions, organizations and individuals.
- Business coordination.
- Planning, organization and management of seminars and events.
- Provision of speakers and professional personnel for seminars and other activities.
- Planning, production and photography of visual media, including photography and video.
- Planning, production, provision, sales, distribution and management of websites and digital content.
- E-commerce and other online sales activities.
- Other activities related or incidental to the above.
WORK WITH FARUL
International business often becomes most difficult at the points where there is no obvious answer.
If you are considering entering the Japanese market, reviewing an existing business in Japan, facing a difficult issue with an international partner, or simply want an experienced independent perspective before making an important decision, we would be pleased to hear from you.
Contact Farul →
If you are interested in collaborating with us, please feel free to contact us from contact form.