Transformationof the “Sogo-Shosha”
in the IT Age/ strategies forthe successful eMarketplace— Summary of the final reportfrom Japan Foreign Trade Council, Inc. (JFTC)Special Research Project,“The IT Revolution and Tomorrow’s Trading Firms”

Behind the expression “that’s not howwholesalers do business” is the implication that
good business deals cannot be made without
the cooperation of wholesalers. This derives
less from vested interests or power
relationships and more from the nature of the
trading firm as a total solution provider whichholds many cards and is in a position to add
value to transactions for all parties to them.
In short, it makes little sense to ask whether
trading firms belong to the old economy or the
new one. The IT revolution may be anticipated
to weed out not intermediary businesses per sebut only those which fail to add sufficient value
in the transactional chain.
The point is, instead, to make a fundamental
redefinition of the role of intermediaries or gobetweens in network transactions so that itmatches the new digitized schemes, reclarify
the kind of value they can add to thesetransactions, and reproduce this value-adding
function within the total value chain of
tomorrow’s cyber trading market.

Foreword
Established in 1947, shortly after the end of World War II, the Japan Foreign
Trade Council, Inc., is Japan’s leading association of trading firms. In 1997, aspart of its activities to mark the 50th anniversary of its founding, it
implemented a special research project to view the outlook for trading firms
for the first 50 years of the 21st century. Under the leadership of Professor
Iwao Nakatani, the project findings were compiled into a written report which
was published in April 1998 under the title “Shosha no Miraizo” (Portrait ofTomorrow’s Trading Firms).
This report was widely acclaimed for its on-the-mark reading of external
trends and its picture of new types of trading firm business for the 21 century
painted by the industry itself. Comparison with the actual situation today,
three years later, reveals that the forecasts contained in its pages wereremarkably accurate in orientation.
However, over the last few years, the world has been changing at a pace far
exceeding even the expectations of the report. Application of the Internet has
been spreading at a particularly rapid rate. In the spring of 1998, when thePortrait was published, there were already signs on the horizons that theInternet would set in motion landmark change, but few foresaw the“revolutionary” developments it is igniting in the political, economic, andsocial spheres alike.
Under these circumstances, the Council decided to compile a sister editionof the Portrait upon taking another look at the recent currents in the “ITrevolution,” and instituted another project of special research under the title“IT Kakumei to Shosha no Miraizo” (Transformation of the “Sogo-Shosha” in
the IT Age/ strategies for the successful eMarketplace) in May 2000. The
findings are presented in this document, whose publication is, needless to say,a highly gratifying event for all members of the Council.
Looking back, just the year in which the project group was in action alone
saw a dizzying succession of developments including the plunge of stockquotations for the so-called “dot-coms,” and some observers went as far as tosay that the IT revolution was over. There also surfaced some myopic opinion
to the effect that it would render trading firms useless because they were
essentially middleman businesses. Meanwhile, hardly a single day went by
when newspapers did not carry articles about the development of IT businessby trading firms.
In light of this situation, the publication of a book probing the implicationsof the IT revolution and trading firm approaches to coping with them isindeed a timely one.
Trading firms have an abundance of diverse experience and know-how
accumulated through their worldwide network of locations, ongoing
communication with an immense pool of clients, and long years of real (asopposed to virtual) business operations. They have built on this foundationby also equipping themselves with sophisticated capabilities in the areas of
information technology (IT), logistics technology (LT), financial technology(FT), and business creation.
As the IT revolution proceeds, the role of trading firms as the links between
virtual and real business is bound to assume increasing importance. On
numerous occasions to date, trading firms have used their wealth of humanresources and superb capacity for adaptation to turn changes in the businessenvironment into chances for further strides. We hope that this new
publication will serve to show how trading firms are taking new leaps
forward by using IT as a powerful tool for boosting their level of capabilities
even higher.
I would like to express our deep gratitude to Professor Nakatani, whoagain agreed to provide his able leadership for the preparation of this reportas he did for the Portrait, and to the members of the group, whose enthusiasm
and dedicated efforts were steadfastly brought to fruition in the form of thispublication.

Kenji Miyahara
Chairman, Japan Foreign Trade Council, Inc.

Transformation of the “Sogo-Shosha” in the IT Age/ strategies for the successful eMarketplace
Published by Japan Foreign Trade Council, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2001 by Japan Foreign Trade Council, Inc.
This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part,by mimeograph or any other means, without permission.
ISBN4-931574-03-3 C0033 ¥500E
Domestic price: ¥500 (consumption tax & postage excluded)
Address to contact:
Japan Foreign Trade Council, Inc. (JFTC)World Trade Center Bldg., 6th Floor, 2– 4–1, Hamamatsu-cho,Minato-ku, Tokyo 105–6106, JAPANURL: http//www.jftc.or.jp
e-mail: mail@jftc.or.jp

Members of the JFTC Special Research Project,“The IT Revolution and Tomorrow's Trading Firms”.
Iwao NAKATANI, Ph. D Director of Research, Sanwa Research Institute & Consulting(General Manager)
Corporation
Professor, Tama University, School of Management &Information Sciences
Director, Sony Corporation
Seiichi SHIMADA(Executive Adviser)

Vice President, Mitsui & Co., Ltd.

Akio OKAWARA(Manager)

General Manager, Information Analysis & Research Dept.,
Sumitomo Corporation

Kotaro SHIOMI

General Manager, Information & Policy Analysis Dept.,
ITOCHU Management Consulting Co., Ltd.

Tetsuhide MIKAMO

Chief Economist, Economic Research Institute, Marubeni
Corporation

Tomohiro OMURA

Senior Economist, Global Economics & Industry Analysis
Dept., Mitsui Global Strategies Studies InstituteShigetoshi INUKAI

Deputy General Manager, Corporate Strategy & Research
Dept., Executive Director Center For Economic &International Affairs, Mitsubishi Corporation

Satoru TAKABAYASHIManager, Secretarial Office, Tomen Corporation

Tetsuro ITOH

General Manager, Corporate Planning Dept., Toyota Tsusho
Corporation

Yasuhiro HAYASHI

Director, Nichimen Intelligence & Research

Kunio NOJI

General Manager for IT Strategy, IT Promotion Dept., Nissho
Iwai Corporation

Keisuke TAKANASHI

Executive Managing Director, Japan Foreign Trade Council,
Inc.

Hisao IKEGAMIManaging Director, Japan Foreign Trade Council, Inc.

Satoshi ISHIMOTO

Deputy General Manager, Information & Policy Analysis
Dept., ITOCHU Management Consulting Co., Ltd.

Miyoshi KAMIJOManager, Research & Intelligence Group, Tomen Corporation

Toshihiro KAIBARA

Group Leader, Corporate PR & IR Group, Toyota Tsusho
Corporation

Yutaka TAKAHASHI(Chief Coordinator)

Director of Board, General Manager-Planning &Coordination, Japan Foreign Trade Council, Inc.

Yukio HIRAO(Coordinator)

Deputy General Manager, Planning & Coordination Group,Japan Foreign Trade Council, Inc.

Akiko YASUDA(Coordinator)

Senior Staff, Planning & Coordination Group, Japan Foreign
Trade Council, Inc.
As of April 1, 2001.

Table of contents
Foreword(by Kenji MIYAHARA, Chairman, Japan Foreign Trade Council, Inc.)
Prologue Taking up the challenge of the eMarketplace
1. How real is the IT revolution? ････････････････････････････････････････ 1
2. Historical significance of the IT revolution ･････････････････････････････ 2
3. Four phases of the IT revolution ･･････････････････････････････････････ 3
Chapter 1 What the IT revolution means to trading firms
1. Trading firms joining the IT revolution ････････････････････････････････ 7
2. The truth about trading firms emerging from history ････････････････････ 8
3. Trading firm perspectives on the IT revolution･････････････････････････ 11
4. “That’s not how wholesalers do business”— importance of distinctive trading firm capabilities ･･･････････････････ 14
Chapter 2 Business models for the Internet Age
1. Dawn of an age breaking with the past ･･･････････････････････････････ 17
2. Business process streamlining and information synchronization ･････････ 18
3. “Disintermediation” and “Reintermediation” ･････････････････････････ 19
4. New mediating functions of trading firms ････････････････････････････ 20
5. A bright future for trading firms — the rise of e-trading firms････････････ 20
Chapter 3 Approaches to IT — innovation of trading firm capabilities
1. Trading firm approaches to IT･･･････････････････････････････････････ 23
2. Taking up the challenge of new business models･･･････････････････････ 24
Conclusion Strategy for transformation into e-trading firms
1. Evolving capabilities of e-trading firms ･･･････････････････････････････ 27
Appendix List of Sogo-Shosha’s established e-commerce sites････････････････ 31

Prologue: Taking up the challengeof the eMarketplace
1. How real is the IT revolution?
Some say the “IT revolution” is a “bubble” that will soon burst. In fact, thecrash of Internet business stocks in 2000 suggested that the IT revolution wasitself blown way out of proportion. However, it would be jumping to thewrong conclusion to say that this means the IT revolution is over. On thecontrary, it has still just begun, and merely completed its first phase.
It was also said that the IT revolution would eliminate the “middleman”
enterprises linking buyers and sellers, but it has since been seen that actual
business is not so simple. The steep decline in the value of dot-com stock
showed that middlemen would not be eliminated so easily and that,conversely, purely cyber business-to-business (B2B) or business-to-consumer(B2C) operations are, with few exceptions, not particularly profitable. In
reality, business transactions require a staunch credibility in society as awhole, a customer base carefully built up over many years, “high-touch”
services that cannot be offered through networks alone, and the organizing
abilities to bring together a host of principals. Herein lies ample room for thesubsistence of mediating businesses.
Nevertheless, this does not mean that trading firms will be able to survive
even with business as usual. The age of broadband Internet links among the
majority of the Japanese populace is going to arrive in the relatively near
future, and is bound to have an immense impact that goes beyond thebusiness world and reaches right down to the level of daily life and culture.
As a result, business paradigms will undoubtedly be in for major revision,and trading firms will naturally have to undertake sweeping adjustments of
their activities.
In response to these needs, all trading firms have busily set about the taskof developing new business. This activity has just gotten under way and it is—1—still too early to see its specific direction and nature. This is only to be
expected, seeing that the IT revolution is still in its infancy and cannot yet beseen clearly in its entirety. As such, the approaches described in this report
should be considered nothing more than the products of tentative attempts toarrive at full-fledged business models that will generate high levels ofadditional value. But it is precisely because of their character that we findthese attempts so intellectually stimulating.
While it discusses the future of trading firms, this report is consequently
thought to have a certain universal or general dimension making it fairly
applicable to studies of business models adapted to the IT revolution in otherindustries as well. This prologue revolves around discussion not on trading
firm business per se but on topics that are more general in scope, such as thenature of the IT revolution and the reconversion of business models it will
demand. It also touches upon the question of the kind of role to be played bytrading firms in the new landscape and the kind of new business models towhich they should aspire.

2. Historical significance of the IT revolution
The industrial revolution freed humankind from physical labor. Before it
occurred, most of the population had all they could do to earn their dailybread even if they worked from sunrise to sunset, due to the low level ofproductivity. Mechanization swiftly progressed with the successive inventionof the steam engine, electricity, and the internal combustion engine. In theprocess, levels of productivity increased dramatically. With more time at theirdisposal, people were able to direct more of their energy to the development
of better goods and services. Ultimately, this led to the emergence of today’smature consumer society.
The IT revolution appears to have a similar story. It is freeing people fromthe drudgery of information processing. As society became increasingly
complex in the wake of the industrial revolution, the task of information
processing evolved into a serious struggle. In fact, today’s white-collar
employees may spend most of their time engaged in the job of information—2—

processing in the broad sense. This is because activities such as the filing ofslips, collection of payments, customer management, labor administration,and communication with clients are all varieties of information processing.
Viewed in this light, it can be seen that the bulk of work in modern companies
is taken up by information processing.
The spread of computers and the Internet has been joined by thedevelopment of electronic information systems which have made information
processing much more efficient. For example, cyber-based supply chain
management (SCM) has facilitated the internal sharing of information andb rought about a steep reduction in the time that must be spared forcommunication. In addition, the Internet itself is a sea of countless websites
offering all kinds of information; companies can now have application service
providers (ASP) perform the various services which they used to performthemselves.
Thanks to the streamlining of the task of information processing throughIT, the productivity of corporate business processing has jumped, and many
employees no longer need to spend so much time processing information. Asa corollary, they can spend more time on creative work only human beings
can do. In the 21st century, we may expect to see individual and corporate
entities that have been freed from the chore of information processing engage
in competition keyed by items on higher levels such as capabilities forknowledge creation and innovation. If so, the society of 20 or 30 years in the
future is sure to be far more creation-oriented than the contemporary one. In
addition, the people freed from the chore of information processing should be
able to set out in search of more human, analog-type value.
As viewed from the historical perspective, all of this is part of thesignificance of the IT revolution.

3. Four phases of the IT revolution
The year 2000 might be remembered as the year when the IT bubble burst.
The metaphor certainly seems apt enough, considering the plummeting of
NASDAQ stocks in the United States and of quotations for information- and—3—

communications-related firms on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. But it would bemuch to rash to conclude from this evidence that the IT revolution is winding
down; on the contrary, the real revolution still lies ahead. (The IT revolution isthought to be unfolding in phases, as follows.)(1) First phase
The first phase of the IT revolution was led by venture firms developing
network business. By the spring of 2000, however, it became obvious to allthat simple e-commerce, be it B2B or B2C, was not such a money-making
proposition.
The reason has to do with the revolution in information power. Clientsand consumers, who had formerly been utterly dependent on the supply sidefor information, suddenly found huge quantities of the stuff at their fingertips.
The information initiative consequently shifted from the supply side to thedemand side. This, in turn, caused a swift narrowing of price spreads forcommercial products toward the floor price. In many fields, merchandisecame to be treated as commodities (for which there are single uniform prices
and margins approach zero). Many dot-coms became saddled with huge
deficits as a result. They made the fundamental mistake of forgetting that theInternet is a variety of public infrastructure, like roads, which are essentiallypublic facilities and of value because they can be freely traveled at little or no
charge. The same is true of e-commerce; the notion of trying to make money
off the Internet itself, which is but another public infrastructure, was wrong
from the start.
(2) Second phase
In the second phase of the IT revolution, the big traditional firms in asuperior position as regards customer base and credibility in society as awhole will come to full grips with Internet application. All sorts ofmarketplaces will be launched to make transactions more efficient, and deals
will probably be greatly simplified in an increasing circle of areas. This would
raise the level of productivity in society and provide power for higher rates of—4—

economic growth. The second phase should also see extensive construction of
information systems around the Internet among the big (“old-economy”)
firms finally going on the IT offensive.
Cisco Systems is a first-rate firm that can boast what is by far the largest
share of the Internet router market. Particularly noteworthy is its information
system. It is centered around the Internet, which is utilized for a wide sharing
of information with not only clients, the production division, component
firms, logistics division, settlement division, and employees but also outside
sources of parts and materials.
In other words, information about orders received from clients is
instantaneously shared by all concerned principals inside and outside thecompany. In response, the component firms, for example, immediately
embark on production of the necessary items, while the logistics division
makes preparations for shipment based on estimates of the date ofcompletion. The work for settling accounts likewise proceeds in parallel andcan be finished at the same time.
As such, all steps from order receipt to shipment and settlement are
executed in a single stretch and with almost no extra communication costs.
This enables Cisco to hold its general sales administration costs to very low
levels and to enjoy high rates of profit. There are as yet no companies in Japanmaking such masterful use of the Internet, but there can be little doubt of
movement in this direction.
(3) Third phase
The third phase of the IT revolution will presumably set in with the arrivalof broadband Internet. In essence, it will amount to the fusion of e-businessand “t-business,” i.e., the traditional, conventional business. Typically, ebusiness has new business models but is lacking in respect of social credibility
and customer base. In contrast, t-business is by definition of an establishedstyle not actuated by IT, but has a much more solid credibility and customer
base. The skillful melding of the two could engender some formidable
business models.
—5—One real-world development foreshadowing the third phase was themerger of America Online (the world’s top Internet provider) and TimeWarner (a contents maker with a history of roughly 100 years). The marriage
is breeding a new business model resting on distribution of musical andcinematic contents by new methods.
The arrival of broadband Internet holds the prospect of a similar fusion ofcommunications and broadcasting.
(4) Fourth phase and beyond
Obviously, the fourth and further phases of the IT revolution are far fromclear, but may be expected to bring new paradigms that will change the faceof the market economy. For example, the fledgling peer-to-peer (P2P) models
devised by Napster and Gnutella could induce the formation of a diverse
Internet communities whose members exchange music, movies, books, andother such contents with each other through files at no charge.
As regards the character of communities, the broadband Internet also
could spur a return from the “dry” contract-bound bent of modern society toarrangements that are fundamentally “wetter” and give more play to thehuman element. People who share the same priorities and values will be able
to join hands in single communities that transcend constraints of distance andtime and cross national borders. This might very well induce an evolution ofhuman personality itself, from the detached “homo economics” type of thepresent to individuals who are more inclined to take action in the frameworkof close-knit associations built around volunteer work.
These remarks naturally do not go beyond the realm of speculation. The
world may very well experience fifth and sixth phases of the IT revolution.
Only if it goes far beyond the level of Internet diffusion and e-commerce will
the IT revolution deserve to be considered a landmark historical and cultural
phenomenon of the type that unfolds over a long period of time.

—6—Chapter 1 What the IT revolution means
to trading firms
1. Trading firms joining the IT revolution
Can trading firms cope with the tremendous change ushered in by the IT
revolution? What are their options as regards strategy and orientation to thisend? These questions are central to the overall theme of this study. To answer
them, however, first requires a good understanding of what trading firms are.
Considering that the socioeconomic system as a whole is entering upon aphase of momentous change, it also demands a clear positioning of trading
firms in the context of Japan’s economy and industry. In this connection, it
may be noted that the website of the Japan Foreign Trade Council(http://www.jftc.or.jp/sogo.htm) contains the following passage.
“‘Sogo shosha’ (integrated or all-around trading firms) are a unique,Japanese-born type of corporate enterprise. Starting out in trade, they now
engage in all sorts of business on an international scale. They may be likened
to bridges for goods, services, and information from continent to continentand continent to island.
“In other words, trading firms fulfil the function of needs-matching aroundthe world. The word ‘sogo’ refers not only to the comprehensive nature of
their fields of activity but also to their marshalling of diverse expertise.
“The term is applied to the 18 companies which are currently members of
the Council. Taken together, they have more than 2,000 locations inside andoutside Japan and a yearly business volume of about 100 trillion yen. The
composition of this combined amount of transactions is 12 percent for export
from Japan, 15 percent for import to Japan, 24 percent for transactions
between foreign countries, and 49 percent for transactions within Japan. In
monetary terms, some 30 percent of Japan’s total export and 50 percent of its
total import go through their hands.”
These are the facts of today’s trading firms. But any study, however—7—careful, could not afford a solid grasp of the nature of trading firms if itconsidered only their current shape. In essence, trading firms are not static
entities that can be properly apprehended at a certain point in time, but
exceedingly dynamic ones that only come clearly into focus within the flow ofhistory. Before proceeding to the main topic, this chapter therefore begins
with brief look back at the history of trading firms.

2. The truth about trading firms emerging from history
The birth of trading firms could be traced back in the early part of the Meiji
era (1866–1912). Mitsui and Mitsubishi, the two big “zaibatsu” conglomeratesof the prewar period, both began with export of coal from their own mines.
The profits from this trade were invested in further industrialization, and theresulting expansion in import of raw materials and fuel and in export ofproducts bred even higher profits. The firms therefore succeeded in setting
up a spiral of expanding trade and production.
This spiral was stalled by the Showa financial panic and depression in thelate 20s and early 30s, and broke down completely in World War II. With
Japan’s defeat, the country’s industrial development was sent right back to thedrawing board.
The period of postwar reconstruction was a kind of second flowering ofindustry. The trading firm presence was only a shadow of what it was during
the Meiji and Taisho (1912–1926) eras. The dismemberment of zaibatsu aspart of the reconstruction compelled the breakup of the Mitsui and Mitsubishi
conglomerates and contraction of the business scope of all major trading
firms, leaving a mass of small operations, all scrambling for a piece of the pie.
Trading firms again came to center-stage in the 1950s, when Japaneseindustry recovered its productive strength due to the placement of priority on
chiefly coal and steel, and began to seek markets for its output overseas in its
pursuit of further advancement. Now that they had been completely
reorganized, with the support of official policy, trading firms were again in aposition to lead Japanese trade. In the process, they rapidly extended their
network of information-gathering nodes and business locations around the—8—world.
Meanwhile, trading firm activities widened from commercial goods to
production facilities and the latest industrial technology. This was linked toincreased industrial production and the rise of new industries in fields such as
petrochemicals. These developments provided critical drive for the booming
economic growth recorded in the 1960s.
In this atmosphere, the business of trading firms also grew by leaps andbounds, but the mood of upswing was dampened by the surfacing of talkabout trading firms being headed for decline. Besides pointing out the rise of
independent capabilities for trade and technology import among
manufacturing firms, the proponents of this pessimistic outlook mused thatthe knowledge of trading firms would not be able to keep pace with theadvancement of the petrochemical and consumer goods industries, and thatthe growth of retail industry through franchise chains managed by larger
companies would eliminate the need for wholesaling capabilities in domestic
distribution.
As things turned out, of course, the prediction was off the mark. Trading
firms were able to retain their value in commercial transactions by refining allsorts of skills that come into play in business, in the areas of logistics,
settlement, information-gathering, and credit. However, it must be said that
their value is now a relative thing resting on comparison with manufacturers
and firms in other industries. The structural problems cited in the theory of
trading firm demise persist today, albeit in latent terms.
In the 1970s, trading firms found increasing openings for involvement inhuge investment projects both inside and outside Japan. Moreover, theseprojects rapidly grew in terms of scale, type, and number, and included
resource development in other countries, infrastructural improvement (bothdomestic and foreign), and establishment of offshore production locations forJapanese manufacturers.
The trends of increasing scales of investment and overseas expansion werehardly confined to trading firms; on the contrary, they were exhibited by
Japanese companies in many fields. Nevertheless, trading firms had certain—9—

advantages over the rest, including the capital needed for assuming enormous
risks, the ties of trust forged with all sorts of companies over long-standingtransaction relationships, and extensive locations overseas to assist
involvement in foreign projects. Thanks to these advantages, they often led
projects themselves or played the role of coordinating the participation offirms from other industries.
With the immense risks and the long time required for retrieval of funds,
these investment projects represent quite a difference from the usual tradingbusiness. When risks turn into realities, the impact can be devastating. This isgraphically illustrated by the cases of Ataka Sangyo (Ataka & Co., Ltd.),
which was merged with C. Itoh & Co. (the current Itochu Corporation) to save
it after the failure of its crude oil venture in the United States, and Mitsui &Co., whose petrochemical project in Iran was aborted in the wake of theIslamic Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War.
In spite of such jolts, investment projects have come to rank alongside salesof goods in domestic and foreign markets as key sources of profit for trading
firms.
As the heirs to this historical build-up, today’s trading firms organicallycombine a host of heterogeneous capabilities, in areas such as pro x y
performance of trade, sales, distribution, and settlement work for Japanesefirms; provision of overseas locations for information-gathering and businessactivities by Japanese firms; investment for cultivation of new technologies
and industries; and coordination of large-scale projects bringing together
companies from mutually different industries and/or competitors in the same
industry.
More importantly, a look back at their history shows that trading firms
have, in essence, always been at the vanguard of Japan’s economic
advancement, constantly spearheaded constructive change, and continually
supported other industries.
Naturally, just because they have done so thus far, there is no guaranteethat trading firms will lead change in Japanese industry in the future. Theirability to play this role in the past derived from the monetary muscle to— 10 —

shoulder huge risks, their lack of fixed management resources such as plants
and stores, and, above all, their recruitment of first-rate personnel and flexible
application of their energies in ways attuned to the times.
Will trading firms be able to adapt accurately to the times without losing
these strengths? The answer to this question is the key one as regards theirprospects for playing a leading role even in the new age being opened up by
the IT revolution.

3. Trading firm perspectives on the IT revolution
In the eyes of trading firms, what kind of change is the IT revolution goingto bring? At present, its future course is, in itself, uncertain, and it would be
impossible to present a systematic account of all of its implications for trading
firms. This reservation being noted, the following paragraphs take up
assorted movements that are liable to have a great bearing on the future of
trading firms.
(1) Management innovation harnessing IT
Efforts to harness IT for higher levels of efficiency in management andpower in sales are already widespread. Various concepts and tools have been
introduced for such purposes, including enterprise resource planning (ERP),
supply chain management (SCM), and customer relationship management(CRM).
None, however, can deliver the expected benefit merely thro u g hincorporation of the system as a complete package. To make the most of theirpotential requires not only a good understanding of their nature and mode ofuse but also a corresponding modification of the organization and corporate
culture.
Trading firms could participate in this process and furnish valuable
support for the incorporation of such systems. System vendors andconsulting firms are already acquiring a solid position in this field. And it
may be true that the advantage lies with them when it comes to customizing
systems and imparting the related know-how.
— 11 —

Nevertheless, trading firms could offer support backed by their wealth ofexperience gathered from diverse business development in product sales andproject investment. Furthermore, they could go beyond consulting andsupply the right mix of functions from the assortment for their own business.
By making the most of these strengths, they should be fully capable ofcompeting with the consulting firms and other businesses running ahead ofthem in this field, or at least of carving out niches for themselves in it.
From a trading firm perspective, a business that began and ended with
consulting would not be very attractive. The domain could be injected withmore appeal by constructing schemes for a sharing of the gains from
improvement of results at the client companies or for mutual benefit throughcloser transactional relationships.
(2) A host of promising new fields and firms
The IT revolution is accompanied by innovation in systems of technology
premised on industrial activities. As it proceeds, it will alter the division ofroles between industries and companies, and give birth to new industries aswell. We are already seeing a burst of activity aimed at starting up firms
around novel ideas depending on utilization of the Internet and other new
technical assemblages.
This trend represents a dramatic expansion of investment opportunities for
trading firms. The practice of investing in new ventures and helping new
firms and industries to grow has traditionally been a mainstay of trading firmbusiness alongside sales of goods. The subjects of such activity are rapidly
proliferating due to the IT revolution.
Although it is sometimes made for launching their own enterprises,
investment by trading firms is often aimed at starting up businesses withpartners, whether domestic or foreign. That involving IT is highly varied incharacter; the object ranges from development of business in Japan together
with a forerunning firm scoring success in foreign markets to the unearthingof growing ventures inside or outside Japan for capital participation andcollaboration in management, and further to a coordinating role in projects— 12 —

spanning two or more industries. By the same token, this means that trading
firms are expected to play different roles depending on the project.
(3) Heightened contact with consumers
The IT revolution is going to alter relationships not only between
industries and between companies but also between companies andconsumers.
Conventionally, direct contact with consumers was limited to firms incertain industries, such as retailers and service suppliers. However, thespread of the Internet into homes has removed some of the most fundamental
prerequisites. To communicate with consumers, it is no longer necessary tohave stores or equivalent facilities and sales forces.
With the right use of the Internet, even firms that are not retailers can build
business models targeting the general consumer that are completely different
in kind from those applied in the ordinary retail business, which is now
struggling in the recession.
Various approaches are already being made along this line. Somemanufacturers have launched sites to give consumers information on
products of their own make and those bearing their brand. Others have sites
for sales directly to the consumer, without going through retail stores. Stillother sites were established to absorb the views and preferences of consumers
for feedback into programs of new product development.
Trading firms are by no means standing by idly; many of them are setting
about the development of e-business of this B2C format linking them directlywith the consumer. Closer collaboration with convenience stores, which arecoming to the fore as distribution centers in schemes of sales via the Internet,
is an agenda item among many of them.
(4) More efficient commercial transactions
The IT revolution could also work a fundamental change in the very wayof doing business, and particularly in the mechanism of intercorporate sales ofgoods. The normal approach, whereby goods are delivered from the— 13 —

manufacturer or other supplier to the end-user only after passing through thehands of intermediaries such as trading firms and layers of wholesalers, is on
the way to being succeeded and overshadowed by direct meeting and dealing
between buyer and seller on the web.
The construction of such new schemes can also open up vital business
opportunities for trading firms. However, the intermediary business which it
is going to replace is now one of the major fields of trading firm activity. The
spread of the new setups therefore could spell the loss of their conventional
business–and the profit accruing from it.
This is why the IT revolution has been termed a doubled-edged sword for
trading firms. And, as was noted above, to the extent that the resulting
change makes good economic sense, they would be better able to secure theirposition for the future by taking it upon themselves to lead it than by making
vain attempts to stop it.

4. “That’s not how wholesalers do business”— importance of distinctive trading firm capabilities
There is a Japanese expression which literally translates as “that’s not howwholesalers do business” and means the equivalent of “that’s what you
think” or “you’re expecting too much.” In his latest work entitled “IT
Kakumei–Shinseiki e no Chosen” (The IT Revolution—Taking up the
Challenge of the New Age; published by Asahi Shimbun), Professor Heizo
Takenaka of Keio University asserts that it is an excellent indication of theimportance and character of wholesaling in commercial transactions in Japan,
and that, beneath its droll exterior, it has extremely profound connotations.
Indeed, the “tonya” wholesalers of the Edo period (1615–1867)
undoubtedly had to be able to catch all kinds of information about producers
and consumers in the distribution process. As such, they were not mereintermediaries, but what might be called “info-mediaries.” They had to know
everything from the financial position of the producer and quality of the
product to the personality of the client and the wants and needs of theconsumer.
— 14 —

Conversely, they would not be able to stay in business as wholesalers
unless they had a keen appreciation of the worth of such information andhow to use it to best effect. In this sense, they truly embodied the infomediary functions of trading firms.
Smart wholesalers were therefore essential to sound business. They linked
sellers with buyers and producers with consumers, put mercantile creeds into
practice while serving as producers and innovators for the entire distribution
process, stayed closely attuned to their customers, and came up with ideas for
new business models and products solidly grounded in their needs.
It may also be observed that the financing furnished by trading firms is notjust a matter of lending funds. From early on, they have been offering a wide
range of financial functions and services, including some that have come into
vogue with web auctions and dealing, such as escrow (whereby a party with
the necessary credibility stands between owner and bidder or buyer and seller
and manages the flow of money and goods; to ensure the safety oftransactions, the party may also confirm product content and delivery,transfer payments, and facilitate product hand-over) and electronic billpresentment and payment (EBPP), as well as extension of funding and credit
to fill gaps between buying and selling payment sites, and warehousing toassume risks associated with commodity price fluctuation.
Behind the expression “that’s not how wholesalers do business” is theimplication that good business deals cannot be made without the cooperationof wholesalers. This derives less from vested interests or power relationships
and more from the nature of the trading firm as a total solution provider
which holds many cards and is in a position to add value to transactions for
all parties to them.
In short, it makes little sense to ask whether trading firms belong to the old
economy or the new one. The IT revolution may be anticipated to weed out
not intermediary businesses per se but only those which fail to add sufficientvalue in the transactional chain.
The point is, instead, to make a fundamental redefinition of the role ofintermediaries or go-betweens in network transactions so that it matches the— 15 —

new digitized schemes, reclarify the kind of value they can add to thesetransactions, and reproduce this value-adding function within the total value
chain of tomorrow’s cyber trading market.
Paradoxically enough, when viewed from this perspective, there appear to
be no opportunities as attractive as this for intermediaries equipped with therequisite expertise, flexibility, information capabilities, and credibility.
The burning questions here are how the setup for both transactions per seand the entire transaction chain in cyber versions of conventional transactions
should be modified, and how trading firms can add value in the process.

— 16 —

Chapter 2 Business models for the Internet Age
1. Dawn of an age breaking with the past
How will business in Japan have changed by the year 2010? This is aquestion that must be addressed if we are to paint a portrait of tomorrow’s
trading firms. In this connection, it might be noted that, in the United States,
the number of Internet users reached the “critical mass” about five years after
the start of commercial application of the Internet around 1995. According to
the “law” formulated by Dr. Robert Metcalfe (founder of 3Com), the term
“critical mass” as used in this way indicates the number of participantssufficient to induce a dramatic increase in network value. In the United States,
e-business was triggered by the growth of the Internet population, and began
to take off around 1997. One of the grounds for this interpretation is the sharp
increase in IT investment around the same time. After staying on the order of
18 percent in 1996 and 1997, the rate of growth in U.S. IT investment jumped
to over 20 percent in 1998 and 1999. As if in response, labor productivity
recorded a steep rise in the late 1990s, and has grown by 2.8 percent since 1998
in particular. In Japan, circumstances conducive to an analogous e-businesstake-off are expected to be in place around 2005.
Just what does it mean to speak of e-business as “taking off?” To put it in anutshell, it refers to the stage of virtually universal participation in the IT
revolution. In Japan, too, some pioneering firms are already developing ebusiness through the Internet. This trend is anticipated to gather momentum
and rapidly draw in almost all firms. The information and communications
advances driven by the Internet constitute technical chance that is noncontinuous, in the sense that of not being on a continuum with the past. This
will bring about a remarkable rise in business process efficiency throughinnovative technology and methods that are completely different from theirpredecessors. The industrial revolution that started in the 18th century in
Britain brought a revolutional improvement in business process efficiency
through mechanization. The IT revolution that began in the United States is— 17 —

business process innovation through information intensification. Just as theindustrial revolution pushed a lot of craftsmen with pride in their manual
skills out of jobs in the knitting and weaving industries, so the IT revolution
will make the skills of many business persons who think it has nothing to dowith them obsolete and narrow their scope of usefulness. The same
approaches will no longer work. This is why the IT revolution may be
regarded as a break with the past.

2. Business process streamlining
and information synchronization
In the United States, the big traditional “old-economy” companies arepromptly reforming their business process by applying the Internet.
Then, what is “the business process”? The term “business process” refers
to the sequence of steps that must be executed before a product is delivered toconsumers. There are at least seven. Automobiles, for example, cannot be
assembled without the components. To manufacture these components, inturn, requires all sorts of materials, from steel sheet and plastic to artificial
leather. And in almost all cases, the crude substances needed for manufactureof these materials are imported from production sources in other countries.
Furthermore, assembly must be preceded by design, development, andpublicity among consumers. Once assembled, the automobiles must be soldby dealers and finally shipped to buyers. Altogether, there are consequently
at least seven business process steps (development and import of crude
substances, manufacture of materials, manufacture of components,
design/development/publicity, assembly, sales, and shipment). This chain ofvalue creation beginning with the development and import of cru d e
substances and ending with delivery of finished products to customers iscalled the “value chain.” The IT revolution is setting in motion a conversion
and shift in value chains from confinement to a single company or corporategroup to linkage with other companies and groups in outsourcing networks.
In reality, value chains are not about the flow of materials only; the flow of
information also plays a vital role. Besides the relay of ordering information— 18 —

and data needed for accounting, there must be close communication between
the development and production divisions, for example. All sorts of
information must be processed and exchanged among the various stages ofthe business process, and among the employees manning them. The IT
revolution will synchronize this information processing and exchange withthe business process and thereby greatly streamline the overall value chain.

3. “Disintermediation” and “Reintermediation”
As described above, the real thrust of the IT revolution clearly lies in value
chain innovation. This is behind predictions that, as the IT revolution
progresses, B2B transactions will achieve a fast-paced expansion and come toaccount for the lion’s share of the overall e-business market. However, thisrearrangement of the value chain through a switch to out-tasking is at thesame time a movement to exclude the middleman. Companies withspecialized capabilities will handle the corresponding stage of the businessprocess value chain and construct a new pull-type sequential system thattakes customers linked directly to them by the Internet as its starting point.
The aim is to raise levels of efficiency and speed in the value chain as a whole,and to select the right resources at each for intensive allocation to the corebusiness.
Nevertheless, this trend toward external networking in the value chain,
while being one of “disintermediation” (departure from mediation) is also a
process of “reintermediation” (return to mediation). Trading firm employees
assigned to business with General Motors used to complain that there wasvery little they could do for GM because it was such a gigantic company andhad just about all the capabilities of trading firms itself. But with the onset of
the Internet age, it is obvious that GM will need new online intermediaries topromote out-tasking in its value chain. Therefore, amid this value chain
reengineering, trading firms could very well find a widening field of activity
as middlemen providing new, IT-based intermediary functions.

— 19 —

4. New mediating functions of trading firms
What new capabilities must trading firms acquire to function as
middlemen in the Internet age? At the very least, they would probably haveto be able to play the following four roles: 1) e-market maker, 2) e-marketplace
manager, 3) value chain integrator, and 4) e-business portal.
The term “e-market maker” refers to the ability to plan and build emarketplaces as open virtual markets. As described above, an e-marketplace
is a forum for encounter and transaction between plural numbers of buyers
and sellers. Trading firms have already begun to launch B2B markets in thisfield and to invest and participate in them. The second function listed aboveis that of managers who operate and run the e-marketplaces that have beenplanned and made. The value chain integrators smoothly coordinate theentire value chains of clients. Finally, e-business portals link consumers andthe companies whose brand is on their purchases as well as the value chainsreorganized through outsourcing.

5. A bright future for trading firms —the rise of e-trading firms
The IT revolution is therefore both a disintermediation process andreintermediation process. Because all stages from the discovery of partners
and negotiations to the conclusion of deals will be executed entirely in the
cyber e-marketplace, intermediaries that cannot wield new capabilities
harnessing IT will find no openings for their participation in the business.
Conversely, however, e-trading firms, i.e., trading firms armed with such newintermediary functions, could unearth new business opportunities byremaking value chains which have been confined to individual companies orgroups and quickening the out-tasking of steps in the business process. A
further strength of trading firms is their ability to fuse e- and t-transactions. In
the United States, there have arisen a lot of Internet-based business models,
but many are hampered by a lack of such ability. This is partly because theUnited States does not have the equivalent of Japanese-style trading firms.
Nevertheless, now that they have entered the Internet age, U.S. businesses as— 20 —

well have begun to awaken to the need for intermediation services like thoseoffered by Japan’s shosha.
This is because, even if products and services are purchased on theInternet, physical transaction acts off the net must be performed to receive thegoods and services in reality. Customers and consumers are only satisfied
once they actually have the goods and services at their free disposal. If
websites are unable to furnish adequate t-transactions, they are liable to findtheir clientele swiftly shrinking. The reintermediation needed in the Internet
age amounts to the synchronization of the flow of goods or services and thatof information. As described above, forerunning trading firms that are versed
in handling these two flows will be the ones exercising leadership in the wakeof the IT revolution.
What kind of socioeconomic impact will result from the value chain
rearrangement triggered by the IT revolution? The outsourcing of work thathas thus far been accomplished in-house will presumably eliminate the needfor a commensurate number of employees. This raises the question ofwhether it will spawn large numbers of jobless and create a labor mismatch.
The answer is “no” if trading firms fully discharge the reintermediation
function. In his book entitled “Business @ the Speed of Thought,” Bill Gates
states that, although jobs are lost when companies down-size, they merely
move when companies out-source. The work outsourced as a result of value
chain re o rganization in the IT revolution will go to other companies
commissioned to perform it. The employees who lose their jobs due to outtasking could be absorbed by these other companies along with their whole
departments and so be reemployed. Those of an entrepreneurial bent mighteven establish their own companies for performance of outsourced work.
To m o r row’s trading firms will supply business portals for seamlessconnection via the Internet between these new companies and clients wanting
to outsource work to them. If it increases overall efficiency, value chain
streamlining will be not a zero-sum game, but a plus-sum one.
By leading and supporting the IT revolution in this way, futuristic trading
firms could help to pave the way for further socioeconomic advancement.
— 21 —

Chapter 3 Approaches to IT — innovation of
trading firm capabilities
1. Trading firm approaches to IT
With the lifting of the ban on Internet business in 1993 and the steadyprogress of the IT revolution thereafter, the U.S. economy and industry haveachieved sustained growth on a long-term basis and driven worldwide
economic advancement. The wellsprings of their vitality lie above all inhigher levels of productivity thanks to IT and the invention of new business,particularly in the service sector.
The IT revolution is now unfolding on a global scale and is, in essence, anInternet revolution (e-revolution). From the perspective of industry, it means,
first and foremost, the emergence of new business models based on B2B andB2C schemes.
The innovation ignited by the IT revolution may be summarized in the riseof the networked society and the further globalization of economic activities.
It will demand of companies greater speed and powers of decision in their
management. Because it facilitates the sharing of information, the Internet
will induce a shift from the conventional infrastructure for one-to-one
communications as a general rule to a new one for many-to-many
communications. This, in turn, will set in motion a fast-paced shift in thelocus of power from the supply side to the demand side. The shift will
obviously lead to the elimination of (ordinary) intermediaries in distribution.
In fact, this is already happening in the United States, where the e-economy is
more developed than in Japan.
In spite of this movement to get rid of middlemen, value-creatingintermediaries will become increasingly needed principals in the e-economy;
it is the intermediaries with a low level of capabilities that stand to be
bypassed.
Trading firms are approaching IT from two directions. One is cultivation of— 23 —

the information industry as a new growth field and source of earnings (i.e.,
the industrialization of information). The other is translation of the businessprocess into information systems for pursuit of the ultimate in in-houseproductivity (information intensification of industry).
For trading firms, the industrialization of information began with
deregulation in the information and telecommunications sector, which
commenced in 1985 and continues today. Initially, it was manifested mainly
by project investment in infrastructural fields. While the fields in question
varied somewhat depending on the trading firm, the main ones weretelecommunications (long-distance, international, and regional), satellite
communications, and cable TV. In the 1990s, the scope expanded to include
mobile communications, satellite broadcasting, Internet and other network
business, and business in contents.
As for information intensification of industry, the former systems centeredaround large hosts were supplanted by distributed ones beginning in thesecond half of the 1990s. More recently, companies have been actively
incorporating enterprise resource planning (ERP) schemes offered by SAP
firms and quickly putting the in-house information infrastructure into theshape needed for

e-commerce with transaction partners and execution of

supply chain management (SCM).

2. Taking up the challenge of new business models
Besides striving to strengthen and build up their existing business throughreform of their conventional business models, the key factor for survival of
trading firms as a growth industry in the 21st century is the creation of new
business models. The concrete strategies to this end vary from firm to firm as
evidenced by the case profiles below, but the overall thrust may besummarized as follows.
(1) Launch of new business by mobilizing resources in fields alreadyentered (e.g., information infrastructures, optical cable networks for
CATV, satellite communications, and cellular telephone networks)(2) Reinforcement and enlargement of business territory through e— 24 —transformation of the existing logistics business (intermediation as aproxy mainly for the manufacturing sector)(3) Establishment of e-marketplaces led by trading firms in various
industrial fields, including steel, chemicals, and food products (whereasthat noted in (2) above would be vertically oriented, this e-businesswould be horizontally oriented, and the trading firms would try tobuild a new market around it; in the case of both (2) and (3),competition would surface as the business developed)(4) Operation of B2C sites and cyber shopping malls(5) Operation of e-procurement services for industries including electrical
power, machinery, and textiles and lumber(6) Efforts for the establishment of e-marketplaces across industrial borders(7) New business built around e-provision of capabilities cultivatedthrough their activities to date, in areas such as settlement, credit
investigation, and logistics(8) Construction of VA-oriented capabilities through new business models
making integrated and effective use of IT, financial technology (FT),and logistical technology (LT) as an SCM organizer linking
manufacturing industries with wholesale and retail industries oroffshore production locations.

— 25 —

Conclusion Strategy for transformation
into e-trading firms
1. Evolving capabilities of e-trading firms
In hindsight, the mid 1990s were a kind of turning point for “information
outfitting” among trading firms. In intercorporate transactions before thattime, cyber activity was dominated by electronic data interchange (EDI) for
exchange of mainly ordering data between a limited number ofmanufacturers and users, with the mediation of trading firms. There was nounified protocol for manufacturers or users, and the system did not offer aparticularly high efficiency. In the second half of the 1990s, however,corporate information came to be centrally managed by ERP systems. At thesame time, in step with the downsizing trend, the large hosts were replacedby personal computers in the construction of distributed information systems.
Companies began to exchange data through the Internet, and circumstances
permitting graduation to a much more convenient type of intercorporate EDI
gradually fell into place.
Around the same time, offices were equipped with in-house local area
networks (LAN). Personal computers were installed at a rate of one foralmost every employee and enabled an extensive give-and-take of e-mail,albeit within the company walls. This opened up a new age in the internal
sharing of information. From 1997 to 1998, employees were given access to
the Internet as communications grew out of the closed LANs and provisions
were made for connection with outside entities. The days of the telex wereover, and e-mail became an indispensable means of routine communication
with parties anywhere in the world. The websites established by companies
and agencies grew into powerful tools of publicity and enabled them to collectinformation both quickly and cheaply.
It was around 1999 that the IT revolution really began to make itself felt. In
the world of business, the Internet was assimilated into operations, and the— 27 —

notion that companies which neglect to use the new tool would fall by theway swiftly came to the fore. The Japanese economy still showed no signs ofsolid recovery, and many began to question the value of the role played bytrading firms, whose business prospects seemed fated to dwindle. Among
trading firms, a sense of crisis about this situation is behind mounting
inclinations to stake their future on IT. The Japanese word for “crisis” (“kiki”)
is often said to be compounded from the word for “danger” (“kiken”) andthat for “opportunity” (“kikai”). Although they have been confronted withscenes of serious socioeconomic upheaval on several occasions, trading firms
have managed to remain key supports of the Japanese economy by not
merely meeting these tests but also turning them into springboards foranother leap. Only trading firms possess this degree of vitality.
At present, there is an infectious enthusiasm to apply IT for the creation of
new trading firm capabilities. Trading firms are beginning to remake theirorganizations for speed through priority allocation of human resources to the
IT department. They have instituted interdepartmental committees to pushinformation sharing and positioned IT at the center of the companywide
strategy. Similarly, they have appointed chief information officers (CIO) andplaced top-level management in direct charge of deploying the corporate IT
strategy.
In reality, trading firms are already involved in a diversity of IT-related
business. As was observed above, this involvement can be divided into two
categories: the IT transformation of business, and the business transformationof IT. The former refers to the bolstering of capabilities through the erection of
new business models based on application of IT in traditional mediationtransactions. Cases in point include SCM for the drafting and execution of
proposals for supply chain optimization, open e-marketplaces for smoothpairing among a mass of unspecified buyers and sellers, and e-procurement
for effective sourcing of materials. There is also a movement to develop
business in B2C transactions (in search of wider contact with consumers) andC2C transactions (based on intermediation between the two consumers).
The latter category (business transformation of IT) refers to the— 28 —

development of business around construction of network infrastructures andother elements of the IT industry per se. It includes the areas of corecommunications infrastructure in both the international and domestic sectors,
construction of “last-one-mile” lines to the office and home, and support forthe smooth operation of communications networks through data centers, etc.
Considering these activities, trading firms can be regarded as already solidly
on their way to becoming e-trading firms. Indeed, in no other industry arecompanies engaged in so many dynamic projects.
It has only been about two years since the genuine start of e-business.
Trading firms have been trying out various business models amid general
uncertainty about which will bear fruit, and have begun to feel more
confident about their future while applying IT as a means in their business.
Even in the IT age, people remain the protagonists in transactions; it is they
who are doing the transactions, not the faceless screens of their computers. To
this extent, real (as opposed to virtual) work is still the main factor. Trading
firms are vying with each other in a brain-racking search for ways of making
this work more fluid and endowing it with additional value. Their business
partners, too, have begun to realize that e-business is by no means easy going
without trading firms. The role of e-trading firms is precisely one of a bridge
between the real and virtual business worlds. And they are uniquely
qualified to play it, thanks to their vast store of know-how accumulated
through their real business and their solid credibility. These could very well
be termed the quintessential requirements in all transactions.
To take another look back at history, upon the British-born industrial
revolution and the subsequent appearance of new frontiers in the form of the
New World and the Orient came the heyday of merchant banks from the 18th
to the 19th centuries. While the business of these banks consisted of things
such as the acceptance of bills, exchange operations, and insurance, whatenabled them to achieve a solid position for themselves was their credibility
and their store of trade-related expertise and skill. And in the 20th century,
investment banks arose in the United States, and found a formula for successby combining banking services with the resources and capabilities of— 29 —

merchant banks. The key factors in this success are said to be credibility,
flexibility, expertise, and innovation.
Perhaps this will also apply for trading firms. The combination of
conventional trading firm services with IT will instill them with even greater
power because of their staunch superiority in respect of the businessfundamentals, i.e., credibility, specialized know-how, and an entrepreneurial
spirit that does not shrink from creative destruction when necessary.
Although it was initially seen as posing a threat to trading firms, the IT
revolution has since come to be perceived as an opportunity. Trading firm
capabilities evolve in adaptation to the times. Changes in the surrounding
environment are also chances for further advancement. For e-trading firms,
the future appears to hold boundless possibilities. In the IT age, as in previous
ages, trading firms will undoubtedly continue to have a precious worth.
Today, they are poised to take their place in the very vanguard of businessactivities using IT as a tool.

— 30 —

List of established e-commerce sites
jointly developed by various Sogo-Shosha[trade name • business started since • URL • note from developers • participants]
1

MEDIASEEK • 2000. 3 • http://www.mediaseek.co.jp • Contents and information service
provider transmitted to cell-phone users. • Bandai Networks Co., Ltd., Toei Animation Co.,
Ltd., Trans Cosmos Inc., Orix Capital Corp., Itochu Corp., Nichimen Corp., Goodwill Group,
Inc., Mitsubishi Corp., A.T. Kearney, Inc.

2

MarineNet • 2000. 7 • http://www.marine-net.com • Integrated information provider andon-line trade site for ocean shipping industry. • Itochu Corp., Kaiji Press Co., Ltd., Mitsui
O.S.K. Lines, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd., Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha, Mitsui & Co.,
Ltd., Marubeni Corp., Mitsubishi Corp., Sumitomo Corp., Nissho Iwai Corp., Hyundai Co.,Ltd.

3

Mixcube • 2000. 7 • http://www.mixcube.com • On-line sales of software music, games andagency service for amusement and theater tickets. • Digicube Co., Ltd., Aplus Co., Ltd., JCB
Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Corp., Nichimen Corp., Mitsubishi Corp., etc.

4

e-JAN • 2000. 7 • http://www.e-janworld.co.jp • e-marketplace for chartering business ofmaritime business. • Sumitomo Corp., Nissho Iwai Corp., Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha,
Mitsui & Co., Ltd., Mitsubishi Corp., etc.

5

Cxhub • 2000. 8 • http://www.cxhub.com • e-marketplace for construction materials. •Keplande Hub Ltd., Bouygues Construction, Mitsui & Co., Ltd., Nissho Iwai Corp., etc.

6

JBP • 2000. 9 • http://www.j-motto.co.jp • All round portal site for small businesses
providing support services to develop e-commerce business. • ITX Corp., Nichimen Corp.,
Nissho Iwai Corp., Tomen telecom Corp., NTT Communications Corp., Otsuka Corp., Daido
Life Insurance Company, The Taiyo Mutual Life Insurance Co., Ltd.

7

NC network • 2000. 9 • http://www.nc-net.or.jp • IT support service for small
manufacturers. • ITX Corp., Itochu Corp., Toshiba Corp., Nichimen Corp., Marubeni Corp.,
Mitsubishi Corp.

8

e-zaiko.com • 2000. 9 • http://www.e-zaiko.com • B2B e-marketplace for surplus stock
items. • Itochu Corp., Mitsui & Co., Ltd., Orix Corp., Tokio M. & F. Ins.

9

AT TOKYO Corp. • 2000. 9 • http://www.attokyo.co.jp/ • Data center business with theadministration of the information and telecommunications system. • Tokyo Electric Power Co.,Tokyo Telecommunication Network Co., Inc., INTEC Inc., Mitsubishi Corp., Mitsui & Co.,
Ltd., Sumitomo Corp.

10Media Pal • 2000. 10 • http://www.mediapal.net/ • Multiple platform and C2C2B
management. • Tomen Corp., Toyota Tsusho Corp., Yoshimoto Kogyo.

11

Risk Monster • 2000. 12 • http://riskmonster.co.jp • Credit and financial services formember companies. • ITX Corp., Nissho Iwai Corp., Nichimen Corp., Tokyo Shoko Research,— 31 —

Ltd., EBIS TRADE, Inc.
12

Logilink Japan • 2001.4 • http://www.j-logilink.com • e-marketplace for logistics
information. • Sumitomo Corp., Mitsubishi Corp., Mitsui & Co., Ltd., Toyota Motor Corp.,
Nippon Express Co., Ltd.,etc.

13

Shainkenshu.com • —— • http://www.shainkenshu.com/ • Institutional training forcorporate education for member companies. • Nichimen Service Corp., Nichimen Corp.,
Mitsubishi Motors Corp., NEC Corp., Tomen Corp.

ITOCHU Corporation1

arukikata.com • 1999. 10 • http://www.arukikata.com • Sales of discount air tickets, tour
packages. • Diamond Group, Japan Telecom, travel.com (Australia)

2

Autobytel Japan • 1999. 11 • http://www.autobytel-japan.com • On-line support site forpurchasing automobiles. • Autobytel (U.S.A.), GE Capital, Intec, Recruit, Trans Cosmos

3kabu.com Securities • 2000. 2 • http://www.kabu.com • On-line securities brokerage. •Sanwa Bank, JCB, Asahi Life Insurance, JAFCO, Fujitsu, Microsoft

4

Airwalk • 2000. 3 • http://www.airwalk-jp.com • On-line sales of “AIRWALK” brandgoods. • ——5

par 72 plaza • 2000. 3 • http://www.par72.co.jp • On-line service for golf course
reservations. • par 72 club6

ito-ito.com • 2000. 6 • http://www.ito-ito.com • Web business for imported cotton threads
and fabrics. • ——7

mangazoo.com • 2000. 6 • http://www.mangazoo.com • General information site foranimation. • Japan Ad Systems, BANDAI, Art Net, Comics Wave, NEC8

Because • 2000. 7 • http://www.because.ne.jp • Marketing site targeting female consumers.
• Northern Lights Japan

9

Biznavi.net • 2000. 7 • http://www.biznavi.net • General support site for small & medium
sized enterprises. • ——10

Go to school.com • 2000. 7 • http://www.52school.com • General education portal site forapplication for examinations; also provides PR service for universities and institutions. •Kawai-juku

11

Letscard • 2000. 8 • http://www.letscard.co.jp • Business cards creation site. • Inter-pyron

12

Magaseek • 2000.10 • http://www.magaseek.com • On-line sales of goods listed in fashion
magazines. • ——13e-baby • 2000. 10 • http://www.e-baby.co.jp • Mail order of baby goods. • ——14

Farmers’ Portal • 2000. 10 • http://www.nou.co.jp • Farming tools, fertilizer, pesticides, etc.
— 32 —

• shinshin
15

e-guarantee • 2000. 11 • http://www.eguarantee.co.jp • Total financial portal site for intercompany e-commerce transactions. • JCB, Teikoku Databank, Yasuda Fire & Marine
Insurance, Taisei Fire & Marine Insurance, Nissan Fire & Marine Insurance

16

Netcentives • 2001. 4 • http://www.netcentives.co.jp • On-line loyalty program service. •Dentsu, JCB, Cyber Communications, Netcentives (U.S.A.)

Sumitomo Corporation
1

Jupiter Telecommunications • 1995. 1 • http://www.jcom.co.jp • Management CATV
operations. • Liberty Media Group, Microsoft Group, etc.

2

Lycos Japan • 1998. 10 • http://www.lycos.co.jp • Internet search service ‘Lycos’. • Lycos
Inc., Internet Initiative Japan, Inc, etc.

3

Cross Beam Networks • 1997. 4 • http://www.xbeam.co.jp • Sales of cable modems
produced by Terayon Communication Systems, Inc., U.S. and ASP Business. • ——4

Sumisho Computer Systems Corporation (SCS) • 1995. 12 • http://www.scs.co.jp •Software development, information processes, communication networks. • ——5

WAM!NET • 1999. 9 • http://www.wamnet.co.jp • High-speed, large-volume graphic datatransmission for the use of advertising agencies, newspaper, publishers, and printing
companies. • WAM!NET Holdings

6

Vertex Software • 1999. 9 • http://www.vertex-s.co.jp • JAVA software development. •——7@Home Japan • 1999. 9 • http://www.jp.home.com • High-speed internet service for
CATV operators. • Excite @Home Co., Ltd., Jupiter Telecom Co., Ltd

8

VA Linux Systems Japan • 2000. 10 • http://www.valinux.co.jp • Marketing of VA
Linux’s products and related services in Japan including systems integration, operation, andmaintenance. • VA Linux Systems, NEC, etc.

9

ISF • 1999. 5 • http://www.e-phone.ne.jp • Internet telephone service for telecommunications
providers, internet service providers, e-commerce businesses, corporate users and individual
customers. • TransCosmos, Shiseido, etc.

10

BIO-NET • 1997. 4 • http://www.bio-net.ne.jp • Sales of furniture and utensils via internet
• ——

11

Jupiter Shop Channel • 1999. 9 • http://www.shopchannel.co.jp • Mail order services via
CATV and SkyperfecTV. • Jupiter Programming, HSN International

12

Sumisho Home Shopping • 2000. 10 • http://www.e-okaimono.com • Mail orderservices via TV and internet. • ——— 33 —

13

Internet Flower Cupid • 2000. 5 • http://www.i879.com • Flower delivery sales via
internet in partnership with JFTD. • JFTD

14

e87.com.inc • 2000. 4 • http://www.e87.com • Flower delivery sales via internet. • Cross
Beam Networks

15

Eoscare.Net • 2000. 11 • http://eoscare.net • Nursing care service. • SCS, eos, Chihaya T3
Corp.

16

Otto-Sumisho • 2000. 1 • http://www.sumisho-otto.com • Apparel sales via internet. •Otto Versand GmbH

17

Eddie Bauer Japan • 2000. 3 • http://www.eddiebauer.co.jp • Apparel sales via internet. •Otto-Sumisho, Eddie Bauer, Inc.

18

Club Createurs Beaute Japon • 2000. 6 • http://www.ccb-paris.co.jp/jp/ • Cosmetics
sales via internet. • Otto-Sumisho, L’Oreal S.A., Trois Suisse International

19

Summit • 2000. 11 • http://www.summitstore.co.jp • Web site for supermarket chain“Summitstore”. • ——20

Asahi Medix • 2000. 1 • http://www.eeee.net/119/ • Internet drug store. • ——21

Car@ • 1999. 4 • http://www.car-at.com • Auction site for used cars. • ——22

oto.co.id. • 1999. 9 • http://www.oto.co.id • Indonesian automotive loan site via internet. •P.T. Oto Multiartha

23

Logiclinic • 2000. 2 • http://www.sumitomocorp.co.jp/logiclinic • Logistics diagnostic
services via internet. • ——24

Digital Nonbank • 2001. 4 • http://www.digitalnonbank.com • Financing and credit
service for B2B transactions. • Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Sumitomo Trust,
Sumitomo Marine & Fire Insurance, etc.

25

SC Grainger • 2000. 10 • http://www.monotaro.com • Supply of maintenance, repair andoperation products. • Grainger

26

Pleomart • 2000. 11 • http://www.pleomart.com • B2B marketplace for stationery goods,
etc. • NEC, Ariba Inc., etc.

Tomen Corporation
1

Next Generation Chemical B2B • 1999. 10 • http://www.chemcross.com • A market
place for chemical trading in Asia. • Chem Cross.com, Samsung Corporation

2

F i n d b i o v e n t u r e • 2000. 10 • http://www.findbioventure.com/ • To provide theinformation and assistance to approach the biotechnology ventures in the U.S.A. • Tomen
America Inc.

— 34 —

3

Agrofrontier • 2000. 11 • http://agrofrontier.tomen.co.jp, http://agrofrontier.com • To
provide the information of biological pesticides, including solutions based on the use of natural
enemies. To give the guidance how to use the pesticides. • ——4

O’NEILL online • 1999. 10 • http://www.oneill.co.jp • To provide various ideas about
sports life, especially about water sports. • O’NEILL Japan

5

GELANOTSTM • 1999. 10 • http://www.fcc.co.jp/gelanots • To introduce the Gelanots, a
new material developed by Tomen and Komatsuseriren, one of advanced functional materials.
• ——6

PET Bottle Recycling • 1999. 10 • http://www.fcc.co.jp/ecosmile/index.html • To
promote the business of PET bottle recycling, introducing newly developped materials. •Tomen Hotline (Osaka) Co.,Ltd.

7

OGAWATec • 1999. 10 • http://www.ogawatec.co.jp • Introduction, proposal and sales
site as the professionals of sophisticated membrane construction, such as dome, stadium etc. •Ogawa Tec Corp.

8Grand Marche • 2000. 11 • http://grand-m.com/ • Information, communication and sales
site for the professionals and freek about the confectionery. • Tomen Foods Co., LTd.

9

Chicago Market Information • 1997. 7 • http://www.tomenamerica.com/chicago/market/ • Information site about the Chicago grain market. • ——10

EcoEco Net • 2000. 10 • http://www.ecoeconet.co.jp • Market place for industrial waste
disposal service. • KEC, Tokyo Sangyo Co., Ltd.

11

Tomen Machinery Co., Ltd. • 1999. 10 • http://tomenmcn.co.jp • To introduce industrial
machinery and to provide engineering idea, especially about environmental facilities. • Tomen
Machinery Co., Ltd.

12European market creation • 2001. 3 • http://www.mejorocarsion.com • Market place ofused cars in Spain. • Tomen Vehicle Co., Ltd. Tomen Corporation Espana S.A.

13

SUZUKIAUTO MADRID • 1999. 10 • http://www.suzukiautomadrid.com • Sales siteof SUZUKI vehicles in Spain. • Suzuki Motor Corp.

14

SUPER SENTO • 1999. 10 • http://www.fcc.co.jp/tomenindacs • To give the guidance
about Super Sento business (recreation center including public bath). • Tomen Machinery Co.,
Ltd.

15

Tomen Devices Corp. • 1999. 10 • http://www.tomendevices.co.jp • To introduce thesemiconductor memories of Samsung. • Tomen Devices Corp.

16

Tomen Electronics Corp. • 1996. 5 • http://www.tomen-ele.co.jp • To introduce a varietyof new information technology such as semiconductors, network equipments, communicationequipments etc. • Tomen Electronics Corp.

17

Mediatti • 1999. 10 • http://www.mediatti.com/ • To provide a variety of media-mix
information as MSO of CATV. • Olympus Capital Holdings Asia, Pacific Century
CyberWorks, Japan— 35 —

18

Tomen Cyber Business • 1999. 10 • http://www.tomen-g.co.jp • Development and saleof the software, network system, soluion service, internet products. • Astec, Tomen Electronics
Corp. Pioneer Corp.

19

Tomen Information System Corporation • 1999. 10 • http://www.ksi.tomen.co.jp/
tisco • Development and sale of the software, network system, information solution service. •Tomen Information System Corp.

20

TOMEN TELECOM • 1999. 10 • http://www.tpnet.co.jp/ • To provide the information
and recreation service for PHS and mobiles. • Tomen Telecom Corp.

21

Artist Theme Park • 2000. 11 • http://www.unaryu.com/ • To promote independent
artists. • Culture of Asia

22

On-line sales for employees • 1999. 10 • http://www.e-shahan.com/tomen/ • On-line
sales for the employees. • ——23

M a g o k o r o • 1999. 10 • http://www.get.ne.jp/magokoro/ • To support Japanesebusinessmen overseas providing such relocations service as shipping of households belongings,
Japanese food supply educations, etc. • Service Center Co., Ltd.

24

Tomen Business Support Ltd. • 1999. 10 • http://www.tomen-bs.co.jp • Temporary
staff service. • ——25

T-care net • 2001. 3 • —— • sales site of care goods. • Toyota Tsusho Corp. Tokai Corp.

Toyota Tsusho Corporation
1

INDIVISIO • 1997. 7 • http://www.franken.ne.jp • Digital content distribution business,
mainly cartoons. • Hakuhodo, Inc.

2

Ecoline • 1998. 12 • http://www.ecoline.ne.jp • Exclusive website operation gathering andprocessing vehicles for recycling purpose. • ——3

MC-NET • 1999. 10 • http://www.mc-net.ne.jp • Offering personal outsourcing service
community information and other support services. • Toyotsu Telecom Corp.

4

TAS-MAP • 2000. 9 • http://www.tas-japan.com • Real estate appraising and information
service. • Toyota Motor Corp., Aero Asahi Corp., Sanyu Appraisal Corp.

5

Prometric Certification Testing Center • 2000. 9 • http://www2.prometricjp.com/jyukenyoyaku.html • Authorized examination center for software technicians. • Recuit
Co., Ltd., Prometric Co., Ltd.

6

α internet • 2000. 10 • http://www.alpha-net.ne.jp • Internet service provider. • KyodenLtd.

7

e-license • 2000. 10 • http://www.elicense.co.jp • General consulting services for copyrights
of digital contents. • Hakuhodo, NTT-ME Consulting Co., Ltd., Akihiro Mino

— 36 —

Nichimen Corporation
1

Lumber Net • 1999. 7 • http://www.e-lumbernet.com • Internet-based EDI system for
lumber import business. • ——2

Nature’s Net • 1999. 10 • —— • e-commerce supply for foodstuff and other articles forrestaurants. • ——3

Special steel plaza • 2000. 10 • http://www.nm-nuz.com • B2B community site on special
steel that provides various information to create new business relationship, such as industrial
news, products info, member profile and so on. • ——4

Assetline.com • 2000. 11 • http://www.targetsoftware.com/assetline-dot-com.html •World largest matchmaking and auction portal site for used and second hand construction
machinery. • Viventure, Lazard, Leavesley, Dresdner Kleinwort Benson

5

CargoNow.com • 2000. 12 • www.cargonow.com • Website for matchmaking cargo space.
• LSXS AB

6

Stylife Corporation • 2000. 6 • http://www.stylife.co.jp/ • on-line shopping mall andfulfillment services such as logistics, collection and call center functions to the merchants. •Nichimen Media Corp., Sunkus & Associates Inc., Circle K Japan Co., Ltd., ORIX Capital
Corp., Investment-One Inc.

7

Nichimen Media Corporation • 1998. 11 • http://www.looks.new-media.co.jp/ •shopping site for apparel, accessories and cosmetics through the distribution of catalog
magazine–“Look!s”. • ——8

ARCE Corp. • 1998. 4 • http://www.arce.co.jp/ • internet portal site named “LIN” (Ladies
Information Network) for ladies. Has alliance with Stylife. • ICP Inc., Investment-One Inc.,
Fuji Bank Capital

9

JET Securities, Inc. • 2000. 6 • http://www.jetsnet.co.jp • on-line securities company. • Mr.
T. Funai, Japan Information Processing Service Co., Ltd., JAIC

10

BroadOne Corp. • 2000. 10 • http://www.broadone.co.jp • Broadband access provider for
multi tenant unit. • Trustsystem Inc.

11

Toki-meki.com Inc. • 2000. 7 • http://www.toki-meki.com/ • Providing information,
goods and services to customers via internet, mobile phone and multi-media kiosk. • Circle K
Japan Co., Ltd., Sunkus & Associates Inc., UNY Co., Ltd., Fujitsu Ltd., Toyota Motor
Corporation, Sanwa Bank Ltd.

12Navee.com Co., Ltd. • 2000. 7 • http://www.navee.com • Production and information
service for internet contents in the fields of music, drama, publishing, game, etc. • Kato
partnership, NEC, JPEC System, Sunkus, Circle K, Sumitomo Trust Banking Co.

13

Good Morning • 2000. 10 • http://www.goodmorning.ne.jp • Career re-education training— 37 —

consortium for aged employees with the consortium companies. • ——14

okaimono-net.com • 2000. 1 • http://www.okaimono-net.com • Nation’s first realizationof a internet supermarket. • ——15

e-seikatsu Co., Ltd. • 2000. 1 • http://www.e-seikatsu.co.jp • Information service on web(house rent, hotel booking etc.), e-commerce integrated system. • Freebit.Com, Orix Capital,
Tomy Service, Mitsubishi Corp.

Nissho Iwai Corporation
1

BEITSUBO.COM • 2000. 8 • http://www.beitsubo.com • The first web site that ebistradecorporation operates management on. The company aims in the future to expands it’s business
into materials and the general industrial materials. • NTT-X

2

EBISTRADE • 2000. 8 • http://www.ebistrade.com/ • The site which handles the business
operations & the construction of B2B websites. The company has already started a Web tradingsite “beitsubo.com” will follow with other industries web-trading site. • NTT-X, ITX, Sanwa
Bank Ltd., NIPPONKOA Life Insurance Company, Ltd., Orient Corp., Japan Asia Investment
Co., Ltd.

3CYNOMIX • 2001. 1 • http://www.cynomix.com/ • The site which provides the roundservice for eTrade Life Line TM which supports the grown e-business. • Computer Associates

4

INSURANCE NAVIGATION • 2001. 10 • http://www.hokennavi.ne.jp/ • Insurance
agent for automotive, life and other insurance on the web. • ——5

TEXTREAM • 1999. 2 • http://www.textream.ne.jp/ • The site which provides information
related to accommodation and interior. • ——6

ISO 14001 certification accession support service • 1999. 4 • http://www.e21.
nisshoiwai.co.jp/ez_top.nsf/Top?OpenView • The site which srovides know-how of ISO
certification. • ——7

HikkoshiGuide • 1999. 10 • http://www.hikkoshiguide.com/ • The world scale mover’s
web site for relocation of household effects for international businessmen and students who
work and study abroad. • moving monster.com

8

Chemcross • 2000. 7 • http://chemcross.com • e-commerce site for chemical products. •Samsung Corp., Shinarumasu, Japan Zeon, etc

9Fusion Communications • 2001. 4 • http://www.fusioncom.co.jp • A nation-wide
unified system on long distance call service based on a low rate. It provides services on voice
and data combined transmission, such as the VPN, and other means. • NISSHO Electronics
Corp., ITX, Furukawa Electric, Co., Ltd., NTT Data Corp., etc

10Fishround • 2000. 8 • http://www.fishroud.com • An e-market place of marine products. •Samsung Corp., Shinko. JP, Merrill Lynch & Co., Ltd.

— 38 —

11

Site of Semiconductor • 2001. 4 • http://www.chip1stop.com • Sales of semiconductor
and electronic parts. • GLQ Enterpia. Inc, Zuken Corp., Omron Logistic Create Co., Ltd.

12

Wine 21 • 2000. 10 • http://www.wine21.ne.jp • Sales of wine. • ——13

E-COMMON • 2000. 2 • http://www.e-comeon.co.jp • Sales of health foods. • ——14

OISIX • 2000. 5 • http://www.oisix.com • Sales of organically-grown vegetables. • Oisix Co.,
Ltd., etc

15

my-ss.net • 2000. 11 • http://www.my-ss.net • Provides services on sales information at thegas stations. • NISSHOIWAI Petroleum Corp.

16

nifts.co.jp • 2000. 6 • http://www.nifts.co.jp • On-line trade. • NISSHOIWAI FUTURES
Inc.

Marubeni Corporation
1

quick-go.to • 1997. 10 • http://www.quick-go.to • Provides after sales safety check •maintenance systems information and running cost information. • Quick2iron･planet • 1995. 12 • http://www.ironplanet.com • On-line sales of used construction
equipment in the U.S. • Caterpillar, Volvo, Komatsu America

3

4

Sofmap.com Store • 1998. 7 • http://www.sofmap. com • On-line digital shop-“Sofmap”(PC specialty). • Sofmap
Marubeni Direct • 1997. 10 • http://www.marubeni-direct.co.jp • PC software sales. •Marubeni Direct5

Mrs-hanako • 1999. 2 • http://www.mrs-hanako.co.jp • Sale of pasta/pasta sauce,
wheat/malt and wheat flour with bran. • Okumoto Flour Milling

6

Logitec PC Direct • 2000. 4 • http://www2.ld.logitec.co.jp • Sales of “Logitec” brand PC. •Logitec

7

JURLIQUE • 2000. 11 • http://www.jurlique-japan.com • On-line sales of Australian
Jurlique cosmetic and information on its relaxation cosmetic salons. • Jurlique

8

EnplaNet.com • 2000. 4 • http://www.EnplaNet.com • B2B sales of engineering plastics. •——9fine wine club • 2000. 7 • http://www.finewine.co.jp • Internet wine shop. • fine wine

10

SHOES-NAVI • 2000. 5 • http://www.shoes-navi.com • Shoe sales site to find shoes that fit
just right. • Marubeni Footwear

11

SELECT SQUARE • 2001. 2 • http://www.selectsquare.com • On-line clothes/accessories
shopping. • Ships, Bay Cruise Tomorrow Land

12

Fibregate • 2001. 1 • http://www.Fibregate.com • Member’s marketplace for cotton— 39 —

polyester/polyester fabric. • ——13

FLOWER WISE • 2000. 5 • http://www.wise-system.co.jp • e-market place handling
flowers. • WISE SYSTEM

14Famille Home Gallery • 2000. 4 • http://www.marubenisumai.com • Introducing“Famille” brand housing/apartments for sale (ranked #5 in the Japan) • ——15

Hotel Park Lane • 2000. 9 • http://www.htlparklane.co.jp • Reservations/availability
confirmation portal for Park Lane hotels. • Park Lane

16

iShipExchange • 2000. 7 • http://www.ishipexchange.com • Web site for procurement of
spare parts, stores, and other ship supplies. • Fairmont

17

OceanConnect • 2000. 9 • http://www.oceanconnect.com • Web site for real-time
auctioning of marine fuels and cargoes, and e-procurement for marine goods and services. •Shell, BP, Texaco, Nisseki Mitsubishi

Mitsui & Co., Ltd.
1

MITSUI GLOBAL STRATEGIC STUDIES INSTITUTE • 1999. 10 • http://mitsui.
mgssi.com/ • Total business consulting, and development of promising business models. •——2

Curio City • 2000. 3 • http://www.curio-city.com/ • Management of portal site for
shopping, the advertisement service on the internet, and website building for business. • The
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp., SENSHUKAI CO., LTD., Mitsui Knowledge Industry

3

Food’s Foo • 1996. 10 • http://www.foods.co.jp • Web site for consumers specialized forfood. • ——4

Licene Online • 2000. 2 • http://www.licenseonline.ne.jp • Support for dealing of software
license. • Licence Online

5

Saibai Net • 2000. 4 • http://www.saibai.net • e-marketplace for vegetables and fruits. •Saibai Net

6

i-4S system • 2001. 4 • —— • Support for trade of steel materials with IT. • Nihon Unisys,Ltd.

7

ActionSCM • 2001. 12 • —— • SCM solution service using CPFR system for retailers,
wholesalers, and manufacturers. • Retailer, Wholesaler, Manufacturer

8Procurezone • 2000. 7 • http://www.procurezone.com • e-marketplace for materials ofplant building. • Procurezone

9

e-koubai.com • 2000. 7 • http://www.e-koubai.com • Website for the sale of officematerials. • TOSHIBA Information Systems (japan) corp.

10

e-Plastics • 2000. 8 • http://www.e-plastics.gr.jp • Total solution provider of plastics. • ——— 40 —

11e-bossjapan • 2000. 9 • —— • Logistics and settlement support service. • NTT Data Corp.,
MOSHI MOSHI HOTLINE INC.

12

HYPER WEB • 2000. 9 • http://www.hy-perweb.com • e-marketplace for parts of amachines. • HYPER WEB, INC.

13

SuperNet Solutions Corp. • 2000. 9 • —— • On-line credit service. • NTT
Communications, The Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp., Mitsui Marine & Fire Insurance Co.,
Ltd., Visa

14

QVC JAPAN • 2001. 4 • http://www.qvcjp.com/ • TV shopping. • QVC (USA)15

DoCoMoAOL • 1997. 4 • http://www.jp.aol.com/ • Total internet service provider. • NTT
DoCoMo, Inc., AOL (USA), Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Inc., Nikkei Business Publications, Inc.

16

Cybercash • 1997. 4 • http://www.cybercash.co.jp/ • On-line settlement service. •SOFTBANK CORP., OMRON CORP., Cybercash, ORIX CORP.

17

e-Carnet • 1999. 4 • http://www.e-carnet.co.jp/ • On-line information service specialized for
motor vehicles. • Aucnet Inc., Tokyo Broadcasting System, Inc (TBS), art.net

18

Symix • 1999. 10 • http://www.symix.co.jp/ • Sales of the ERP system for manufacturers. •Symix (USA)19

Money Park • 2000. 6 • http://www.money-pk.com/ • Portal site for the financial services.
• The Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp., The Nomura Securities Co., Ltd., Nippon Life
Insurance Company, Mitsui Marine & Fire Insurance Co., Ltd., The Chuo Mitsui Trust &Banking Co., Ltd.

20

Japan Net Bank • 2000. 10 • http://www.japannetbank.co.jp/ • The bank conducting
business exclusively over the internet. • The Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp., FUJITSU LTD.,
Nippon Life Insurance Company, The Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc., NTT DoCoMo, Inc.,
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone East Corporation (NTT EAST)

21

Link Share • —— • http://www.linkshare.ne.jp/ • Affiliate marketing service. • Link ShareCorp. (USA)22

Vantive (People Soft) • —— • http://www.vantive.mitsui.co.jp/vantive/ • Development
and sales of CRM systems. • Vantive corp. (USA)23

Viador • —— • —— • Sales of the EIP (Enterprise Information Portal) software. • Viador(USA), BSI

24

DMIND • —— • —— • e-business consulting. • DMIND (USA)

Mitsubishi Corporation
1

Web Paddock • 2000. 3 • http://www.webpaddock.com • An advanced businessincubation service which incubates and supports prospective new business schemes before
sending them out to the world. • B-Incubation Japan Inc, EC-One, Inc.
— 41 —

2

e-WeatherClub • 2000. 10 • http://www.mcrc.com • Web site for Weather Derivativeinquiries/quotations. • Tokio Marine, Mitsui Marine, Societe Generale

3e-PropertyClub • 2000. 1 • http://www.mcrc.com • On-line application site for diagnosis
on earthquake resistivity of houses/buildings. • EQE International, Dia Reform, MC InsuranceCenter, Tokio Marine

4

e-milenet • 2000. 12 • http://www.e-milenet.com • Web-mall providing reward points
exchangeable for JAL mileage. • Japan Airline

56eMerchantBank • 2001.4 • http://www.emerchantbank.co.jp • On-line financial service
provider for B2B e-Commerce. • ——e-LogiT • 2001. 2 • http://www.e-logit.com • Logistics service provider for e-Business • eLogiT

7shin-geneki Net • 2001. 4 • http://www.shingeneki.com • Web site for middle-aged andsenior people. • Okamoto Associates, ANA, NTT communications, Toshiba, etc.

8—— • 2001 autumn • —— • B2C life support site providing financial services, information &products. • Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, Mitsubishi Trust & Banking, Tokio Marine, etc.

9

eMATRIX • —— • —— • On-line payment system for B2B e-Commerce. • ORIX, Nippon
Steel, Cosmo Harmony

10

Globe Xplorer, Inc. • —— • http://www.globeexplorer.com/ • Sales of satellite imageries
by internet (for B2B) • Sun Microsystems, Informix software, MAPQUEST.com, Inc

11

Information Warehouse • 1998. 10 • —— • To deal semiconductor materials on virtualprivate network. • Mitsubishi Electric Corp. (and other main semiconductor materials
companies)

12

Spaceterior, Inc. • —— • —— • To provide broadcasting services using a digitalcommunications satellite (CS) situated in the 110 degree-east orbital slot. • TOKYO FM
Broadcasting Co. Ltd

13Sports Navigation Inc. • 2000. 7 • http://www.sportsnavi.com • Portal site of sports
information . • Dentsu Inc., Wit Japan Investment Inc.

14

d-rights, Inc. • 2000. 3 • http://www.d-rights.com. • Producing animation programs, andmerchandising. Rights management. Media buying, and arranging sponsors as an advertising
agent. Domestic and overseas licensing • TBS, TV Tokyo and other terrestrial broadcasting
companies, TAKARA Co., Ltd., Shogakukan Inc. etc.

15

HitPops, Inc. • 2001. 8 • http://www.hitpops.co.jp/ • Broadband content delivery service
for cable television stations. • Space Communications Corp., Tokyo Electric Power Co., etc.

16

PLAT-ONE Corp. • 2002 spring • http://www.plat-one.com/index.htm • To provide
platform service for broadcasters using a digital communications satellite (CS) situated in the
110 degree-east orbital slot. • Nippon Television Network Corp., WOWOW Inc., NTT
Communications Corp., and NTT DoCoMo Inc.

— 42 —

17

AT TOKYO Corp. • 2000. 9 • http://www.attokyo.co.jp/ • Data center business with theadministration of the information and telecommunications systems. • Tokyo Electric Power
Co., Tokyo Telecommunication Network Co., Inc., INTEC Inc., Mitsubishi Corp., Mitsui &Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Corp.

18

TANKER NET • 2000. 9 • http://www.tanker-net.com • shipping • An internet-based
marketplace for the East of Suez AFRAMAX tanker chartering. • ——19

Special steel cyber market “Tecchan” • 1999. 12 • http://www.tecchan.com • emarketplace for selling the stock of special steel. • Ryotetsu

20

Mitsubishi Parts Management System (MPMS) • 2000. 12 • power generating plant• Spare parts procurement for the power generating plant. • Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, LTD

21

Trade-Ranger • 2000. 9 • http://www.trade-ranger.com • The premier Internet-based
global marketplace for goods and services traded in the energy and petrochemical industries. •Joint initiative by 14 companies, bp, Royal Dutch Shell, Dow Chemical, etc.

22

FreeMarkets, Japan • 2001 • http://www.freemarkets.com • Leading B2B global
marketplace and eSourcing solutions provider, delivering average 15% savings on direct goods
for clients. • FreeMarkets, Inc23

Project-Stations • 2000. 12 • http://www.project-stations.com • Service provider for webbased project management & collaboration system (ASP) • Microsoft, HP & Plus-T Inc

24

CHeM-CALS • 2000.1 • —— • Marketing & sales support system mainly for specialty &fine chemicals. • ——25

Commerx.com • 1995 • http://www.commerx.com • ASP (Application Service Provider)for EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) systems between sellers/buyers of plastics products in themain. • MITSUBISHI INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION, NYPRO, CYRO, GRAHAMPACKING CO.

26

Linercargo.com • 2001. 4 • http://www.linercargo.com • Reverse auction site for dry
containers ocean freight. • ——27

Computer Aided Redesign Of Logistics • 1995 • —— • Business solution with ordermanagement and supply chain management for GMS. • ——28

MCvegefru.com • 2000.9 • For any inquiries: vegefru@org.jp.mitsubishicorp.com • B2B
website specialized for fresh vegetables & fruits. Offer growth information to buyers and sales
information to growers. National retail chains and major grower organizations are using it. •major grower organizations and major supermarkets

29

Merchan Town II • 1999. 4 • —— • B2E solution focused on the online sales within thecorporate intranets. • ——— 43 —