Japan's makers,
open to the world's buyers.
3,626 makers across all 47 prefectures, written up by Value Village from public sources: breweries, kilns, weavers, smiths, confectioners, small factories. Little known outside their region, but real.
Overseas companies browse here. Value Village acts as the trading intermediary — interviewing the maker, translating, arranging terms, contract, payment and delivery. The maker never has to do overseas sales.
Names and descriptions are Value Village's translations of our Japanese write-ups. The original Japanese name is shown under each translated name.
Every entry, by prefecture
One page per prefecture with every entry, no filters needed.
How Value Village works
Most makers in this directory have no English materials and no export staff. Value Village visits them, records their strengths and constraints, and — with their consent — introduces them to overseas companies. We handle translation, terms, contract, collection of payment, logistics and handover, case by case, as the intermediary trading company.
Whether VV acts as introducer, sales agent or buyer-reseller is decided per case. Export feasibility is checked per product and destination country.
Deal types and proposed fees
Buyers are overseas companies only; country and corporate identity are verified first. Three deal types:
Proposed fee: VV receives 5% of the transaction value at execution, and the transaction contract provides for a 1% royalty. Royalty base (sales, net sales, licence income), payer, timing, duration and audit are fixed in each contract; whether it is a one-time charge or continuing is not yet decided. These figures are a proposal, not a fixed tariff.
Company / business sales
Public listings show sector, region, business, reason for sale, scope of transfer and desired buyer. Revenue, profit, asking price, staff, debt, customers and exact address are disclosed in stages after buyer verification and NDA. Share vs. asset deal, LOI, due diligence, final agreement, payment, personal guarantees, transfer of employees and contracts, and post-closing operation are confirmed per case.
Technology / rights
Owner, registration and validity, assignment vs. licence, territories, consideration, improvements, confidential know-how. Patent assignments involve registration at the Japan Patent Office; roles are confirmed with specialists.
Ask before anything is decided.
If a maker here interests you, save it and draft an inquiry. Value Village will confirm with the maker whether they wish to be introduced, then come back to you with what can be disclosed. Any fees are stated before a contract. We do not promise results.
The product is the hero. The maker's name stays small.
The five images below are generated concept images, not photographs of real products, and are not used for any real entry.
