Tanabe Consulting

Tanabe Consulting stands out as Japan’s leading, most established and accomplished consulting firms, boasting a track record of supporting over 17,000 companies. The firm’s industry-savvy consultants specialize in delivering tailor-made strategies and business models, staying informed about industry trends and leading-edge knowledge through industry-specific study groups. This fortifies their strategic consulting with valuable insights and an extensive national industry network.

In organizational strategy, Tanabe Consulting brings a wealth of practical consulting experience to the table. It assists diverse businesses, ranging from large corporations to mid-sized enterprises and listed companies providing customized strategic advice to address unique challenges.

Beyond serving numerous companies in Japan, Tanabe Consulting has successfully tackled global projects. Its international achievements include aiding companies in crafting strategies for entering new markets, conducting thorough overseas research, and developing comprehensive visions for international operations.

A hallmark of Tanabe Consulting’s approach is its team-based consulting.

Addressing a broad spectrum of business management challenges, from business strategy and organizational design to executive functions, the firm deploys specialized teams from various departments—strategy planning, domain expertise, digital transformation, human resources, finance, M&A, branding, and PR—to provide a holistic perspective and deliver comprehensive, optimized solutions for clients.

To unlock the full potential of its clients, the company begins its consulting with meticulous research, including market studies, industry trends, and competitive benchmarking, along with an analysis of the client’s value chain to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses. This forms the groundwork for crafting strategies designed to maximize client capabilities.

“Unlike many consulting firms that conclude their involvement after the strategy phase, we stand by the client, advising and partnering with them throughout the execution and advancement of the plan to ensure their goals are achieved,” says Koichi Murakami, Board Director and Executive Officer in charge of Tokyo, Strategy & Domain Consulting Department. “We deliver an end-to-end consulting service that provides support from the strategic level to implementation and operations.”

This includes developing strategies, translating them into actionable business plans, establishing KPIs, creating management systems, driving projects forward, and providing operational assistance through hands-on engagement at the client’s site. The client-centric consulting approach is embodied through tailored ‘team consulting,’ where a group of professional consultants is handpicked to address the unique management challenges of each client.

For instance, a company grappling with significant fluctuations in performance found stability and profitability after Tanabe Consulting’s team stepped in. The company had always tried to chart a course for the future, but their efforts were hampered by a disconnect between their long-term goals and the plans they put into practice every year, leading to a mid-term plan that was more form than function.

When it was time to craft a new mid-term management plan, Tanabe Consulting’s team consulting approach paid dividends. The company created a unified strategy that bridged the gap from the long-term vision to the mid-term management plan, to annual policies, all while closely involving the CEO and senior management team. Integrating KPIs into a redesigned management system was key to this strategy’s success. The result? The company hit their mid-term objectives ahead of its time and continues to rely on Tanabe Consulting to guide their future management planning and strategic development.

Leading Tanabe Consulting’s dynamic team is Koichi Murakami, bringing extensive venture capital experience to the table. His multifaceted role spans strategy development for invested startups, spearheading marketing initiatives, and managing local factory operations in Australia. A key player in introducing U.S. university-launched startups to the Japanese market, Murakami was instrumental in revolutionizing the business models of American companies for the Japanese market and overhauling the management of Japanese firms’ subsidiaries in China. He excels in driving business model innovation, crafting long-term visions, and conducting thorough due diligence for mergers and acquisitions.

Tanabe Consulting is at the heart of a group comprising five consulting firms, each with its area of expertise. Alongside it is Leading Solutions, a firm that excels in B2B digital marketing; Growin’ Partners, a finance and accounting powerhouse that also delivers M&A consulting and IT solutions on an international scale. Jaythree takes the helm on corporate branding and creative design, while Kartz Media Works specializes in strategic PR initiatives, targeting both local and global markets. These firms collaborate seamlessly, pooling their distinct strengths to tackle client issues and guide them on the path to growth and success. The synergy within the Tanabe Consulting Group not only solves complex problems but also amplifies the value it brings to clients.