heres-what-its-like-working-in-our-tokyo-office
Sales & Supply
Feb 4, 2020

Here’s What it’s Like Working in our Tokyo Office

Takao Nishina
Regional Manager at Japan

Takao Nishina, regional manager Japan, tells us what brought his career to GetYourGuide. He gives interview advice and tips to those looking for job opportunities in our Tokyo office and shares what a typical day looks like in our office located in the heart of Tokyo.

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What does a regional manager at GetYourGuide do?

My job is to make sure travelers are happy with our product when they visit Japan. Since launching the Tokyo office over a year ago, I’ve been doing everything from onboarding tours and activities to our market platform, to working closely with suppliers to improve the current experiences we offer.

When aligning with the Berlin headquarters, I make sure to discuss the everyday challenges of setting up our office for growth, adjusting our HR policies to the local requirements, and finding ways to implement our positive company culture in the local offices.

Currently, I'm also very focused on looking for talent who share our passion for helping travelers find incredible experiences.

What does an average day look like in the Tokyo office?

No two days are the same, depending on the priorities of the day, month, or year. Some days, I'll be visiting Kyoto and discussing with suppliers how we can add value to their offerings and maximize their sales using our data reports. I also meet with new partners ⁠— most recently, Universal Studios Japan. The best part of the job is testing our travel experiences with the team to make sure they’re in optimal condition for our customers.

You’ve worked for some of the biggest online travel platforms such as Kayak and Agoda, why did you pick this role?

I always believed experiences were a fundamental part of travel and we have so many opportunities in the Japanese market. There are so many destinations rich in history, but they’re not easy to find as a tourist.

Today, travelers are sophisticated and seeking to learn from new experiences, as opposed to just looking for a discount. They're willing to pay a bit more for a better trip, and for us, there's nothing more exciting than the opportunity to build the journey for them.  

So when I found the job posting for my current role, it seemed like a natural choice for me. The company has a strong presence and an excellent reputation in Europe and North America, and at the time, was just entering Japan. The timing was just right.

When choosing a company to work for, there are three things that I think are super important:

  1. The core values of the company: Are you aligned with what the company wants to achieve?
  2. The culture of the company: Will you enjoy working with your peers?
  3. A great senior-level management team: Are they committed to achieving the company goals and can trust its employees?

Having a passionate senior-level management team that trusts employees was the most important thing for me when I decided to join. At this size and stage of the business, their commitment could lead us to success or failure.

Also, many foreign companies entering the Japanese market fail if senior management can't trust local employees because of Japan’s unique business practices.

With its diverse ethnicity and history, European companies understand that there are often differences in culture, and one should question the status quo. This is critical for any foreign company to succeed in Japan, as Japanese culture is so specific compared to other parts of the world.

When I interviewed with Tao, our COO, he was very humble, smart, and sincere about expanding the company. Not merely resting on the company’s recent successes, the leadership team appeared to be incredibly hard-working and dead set on constantly improving the business. It made me feel confident that I would be able to succeed here if the company was led by this type of leader.

Did you have any concerns before starting this role due to the size of the local team?

As the first hire, the small size of the local team didn't concern me. Most businesses these days aren't just about headcount; they're about the quality of the people.

Unlike traditional top-down business culture and not trusting new joiners for initial months, our approach is bottom-up.

I was more excited about building the team from scratch than taking over an already established team because I can take more ownership and experience hiring, and I can grow together with the team I hire as the business develops. I am sure building the team from scratch is a much more stressful and challenging way to go, but also I see this as a learning and exciting process.

What’s it like being employed by an international company in Japan?

Everyone seems to care about the wellbeing of their team. Compared to working in a traditional Japanese company, the relationship with your manager and colleagues is very flat and equal. I feel work is more about what you do and say than what your title is.

One thing I appreciate about working here is that people acknowledge that you raised an issue because you want to make things better. The people I work with are very forward-thinking and happy to help one another make things better.

With its diverse ethnicity and history, European companies understand that there are often differences in culture, and one should question the status quo. This is critical for any foreign company to succeed in Japan, as Japanese culture is so specific compared to other parts of the world.

Do you speak Japanese or English in the Tokyo office?

While we're hiring bilingual Japanese and English speakers, I would say we use English half the time. We mostly speak in Japanese to our partner suppliers unless our partners have foreign employees. All internal conversations with other departments and offices will be in English.

We speak English with the international and regional APAC offices, and co-workers who are visiting and working from our Tokyo office.

What interview advice do you have for someone who would like to work for  GetYourGuide in Japan?

  1. Be clear: Know what you would like to achieve here. Everyone is super passionate about their job and what it enables them to do. If your values align with ours, then you'll feel energized and love working with us.
  2. Be ready to make a difference from day one: Unlike traditional top-down business culture and not trusting new joiners for initial months, our approach is bottom-up. We discuss and listen to your input based on data. This allows us to move fast and succeed in a unique market like Japan and gives you more power to bring the result fast. So don't hold back, express and raise your opinion from the very start.

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