About JST Standard
JST Standard is a Japan-centered market development consultancy helping organizations build business between Japan and North America. It combines hands-on experience across strategy, business development, enterprise sales, partnerships, marketing, localization, PR and communications, with specialist capabilities brought into engagements as needed.
Why JST Standard exists
Building a market and building an organization are related, but they do not have to happen at the same time.
Companies can begin understanding the opportunity, developing partners and customer relationships, adapting positioning, and building market presence before determining the complete long-term structure of a Japan operation. This creates a more informed basis for deciding which capabilities should ultimately be built internally and which can continue to be supported externally.
JST Standard helps lead that process across strategy and execution. For companies already established in Japan, the same cross-functional experience can help connect global objectives with local execution, strengthen market-facing capabilities and support initiatives that cross organizational boundaries.
Translation and production remain part of the work when required, alongside marketing localization, PR, sales and partner materials, training and other market-facing execution.
Founder & Principal Consultant
Jason Sakata-Thompson
Jason Sakata-Thompson's career spans the commercial and market-facing functions organizations need to coordinate when developing international business: strategy, enterprise sales, business development, strategic partnerships, commercial and operational enablement, marketing, localization, PR and communications.
His experience is concentrated in AI and enterprise technology, including partner ecosystem development, complex enterprise sales, technology implementation and cross-border go-to-market work. His broader experience includes healthcare technology, biotech and research commercialization, automotive, manufacturing-related enterprise environments, and Japan-U.S. business development.
He has worked across Japan, the United States and Asia-Pacific with global enterprises, technology providers, strategic partners and multidisciplinary teams. That breadth informs JST Standard's approach: understand how the market should be developed, put the right capabilities in place, and build the organization around the market opportunity.
Experience that shapes the work
Jason's career covers the commercial and market-facing functions that Japan market development depends on.
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AI & enterprise technology
Japan market development, enterprise sales, partner ecosystems and cross-border go-to-market work.
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Commercialization
Product and market development across enterprise technology, healthcare technology, biotech and research-related environments.
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Enterprise systems & enablement
Technology implementation, training and operational enablement involving complex organizations and large user groups.
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Marketing & communications
International brand strategy, market localization, PR and cross-border communications.
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Japan–U.S. business development
Experience developing commercial opportunities and connecting organizations across both markets.
Education
- MBA, Global ManagementThunderbird School of Global Management
- B.A., International Studies, Japanese and East Asian StudiesUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison
- Study at Keio University, TokyoAs a Japanese Ministry of Education (Monbusho) scholarship recipient
Languages
- EnglishNative
- JapaneseNative-level business Japanese; Japanese Language Proficiency Test Level 1
- Mandarin ChineseAdvanced business-level Mandarin Chinese
How JST Standard works
Commercial goals first
Every engagement starts from the business objective (partners, accounts, pipeline, visibility) rather than from a fixed menu of deliverables.
Strategy connected to execution
Plans are written to be carried out, and JST Standard can stay involved in the execution: partner meetings, account planning, messaging and communications.
Senior leadership supported by specialist capabilities
Clients work directly with senior JST Standard leadership. When an engagement requires dedicated capabilities such as PR, media relations, localization, translation, voice talent or marketing production, JST Standard can bring in specialist resources from its Japan-based network.
Clear communication in both languages
Work happens in English with U.S. teams and in Japanese with Japanese partners and customers. Context and decisions carry across both sides.
Planning for Japan? Start with a conversation.
Tell us where you are: evaluating Japan, developing the market, or connecting an established Japan operation with global strategy. We'll suggest a practical next step.