Opinion
Beyond bushrangers and geishas
John Corleto and Michelle Schneideman explain how a new wave of brands are shifting Japanese perceptions of Australia, and how Japan’s brands are changing Aussie cities.
A sprawling metropolis, neon lights and the rattle of packed subway trains. Or an expanse of orange desert, vast mountain ranges, pristine beaches and a rumbling ute (A pickup truck for those who don’t know). The straight talking larrikin with a sense of humour. Or the geisha whose words are chosen carefully, whose gestures are controlled gracefully. A slab of steak on the barbie (read: Barbeque), or a sliver of salmon, embracing an exact-mouthful sized bed of sushi rice.
The contrasts between stereotypes are stark and endless when it comes to Australia and Japan. The former, seen to be a free, natural paradise and the latter, a neon fantasy city.
The sheer sense of difference is the cause for many plane trips, boosting education and tourism industries and strengthening ties between businesses, sister cities and governments.
But as these two parts of the world strive to break-free from the stereotype and go on their own trajectories towards growth and prosperity, it’s the similarities that are bringing them closer together – as much as travel and government efforts are shaping perception, it is brands that are spreading the word, and acting as drivers for growth.
Only a decade ago, the streets of Tokyo and Osaka were very different. Coffee chains like Doutour and Tullys kept everyone caffeinated, and legendary cosmetics and skincare brands like Kao and Shiseido kept everyone’s skin feeling young and nourished. Nitori provided access to accessible furniture. There was nothing like domestic quality, and of course, the pride of ‘Made in Japan’.
However, an increasing openness to foreign brands in key categories where previously a non-Japanese brand was not an option, plus an increased sensibility towards sustainability, as well as an overall willingness to go outside the trodden brand path has opened up the way for many brands from Oceania. Australian brands have begun to make waves in Japan.
Brands from down under are seen as providing a grounded elegance, an effortless and natural cool look, elevated by perceptions of pristine, natural resources.
Want a wallet for shopping in Shibuya? Bellroy provides a functional simplicity with a Cradle to Cradle approach to sourcing and manufacturing, as well as a pride in wearing things out so they become yours, an aesthetic that some Japanese people with wabi-sabi sensibilities wouldn’t be a stranger to.
Need a boot? Amidst the Red Wing resurgence, the Tasmanian favourite Blundstone Boots is attracting a cult following in Japan – stocked in esteemed retailers like Beams and taking people into a world of farms, paddocks and deserts that people on the streets of Tokyo could only imagine. They last forever too – a quality that many Japanese consumers wouldn’t want to compromise.
Want a better sleep regardless of the size of your Tokyo apartment? Australia’s Koala mattresses can get you sorted – formulated so you can rest well at home rather than stop at a capsule hotel from a long day’s work, only to start all over again the next day.
And the flow is going the other way. The streets of Sydney also used to look very different.
Thongs (flip-flop slippers), barefoot walkers, singlets (sleeveless shirts) were possibly more common than they used to be – and for many, Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese food were quite sadly interchangeable.
But the entry of Uniqlo, and subsequently Muji began to change the feel of the general area and strengthened the sense of a shift towards a trendy, cosmopolitan and global city. Muji taught Aussies that stationery was more than functional – beauty could go hand in hand with efficiency. Uniqlo proved that clothing wasn’t just practical – a sense of style and finesse could go along with technology that kept you warm along with your ugg boots on a cold winter’s day.
And you didn’t need to be a fashionista to dress in American Traditional either.
Even Boss Coffee – Japan’s ubiquitous vending machine coffee was able to make its way into coffee-discerning Australia – connecting to a segment who already loved their giant milky tetra-pak iced coffees and cans of V and Monster.
Brands are shaking up the dominant narrative of Australia as a happy go-lucky nation with a rural twist – showing that we can craft and create as well as we can flip a steak.
The perception of Japan as a polarity between craft and technology, temples and towers, is also being reshaped.
And as always, the most interesting areas are how this flow of brands is influencing life in both countries. Imagine Aussies pulling out a cold, fruity Suntory Strong Zero from your Bunnings chilly bin, paired with calamari straight out of the fryer. Or drizzling beer-battered barramundi with some Kewpie Mayo. In Japan, wait for close to an hour to get into the ‘Bills’ to eat the very same scrambled eggs and avo on toast that are the staple of a Sunday Sydney brunch – rather than the classic miso soup, salmon and rice combination.
Japanese people are also accompanying their regular SK-II ritual with a dose of Aesop skincare – nature and story meeting science and history.
We are moving beyond Bushrangers and Geisha, and our brands are becoming our cultural ambassadors too.
It’ll be interesting to see how our brands continue to shape the cultural landscape in these two poles of the Asia-Pacific and most importantly, how we can bring these two poles, ever-closer. Arigatou and G’Day.
Michelle Schneideman
John Corleto
Senior strategist John Corleto and strategic analyst Michelle Schneideman, Landor & Fitch.
