About the SIS Division

Introduction

Beginning as a “traditional trading company” serving the Japanese aerospace and defense industry beginning in the late 1980’s, NTK Aviation America (NAA) has evolved into a highly sophisticated professional marketing company earning a strong reputation as a power broker and solid deal maker for American aerospace companies seeking access to mid and high level circles within the civil and defense sectors of the Japanese market.

And as Japan moves into the 21st century, Japan faces an ever-increasing set of challenges to her National Security as well as demands on the nation to play a larger role in self-defense, internal security, international security, and in peacekeeping operations (PKO) as determined by the United Nations and regional security alliances. Always a trend setter, NTK Aviation has formed the Strategic Integration and Sourcing Division (SIS) to focus on these issues and to advance dual purpose technology from Japan to the United States as well as to identify needs in Japan where strategic integration of United States technology can advance the needs of Japan’s growing expectations both at home and in international circles.

U.S. Business Efforts in Japan’s Defense Market

Japan’s defense expenditures ranks top 10 in the world at slightly less than US$48 billion, yet traditionally, American companies have been able to garner a commensurate market share in this vital strategic relative to the programs under development in Japan due to basic misunderstandings between American cultural business tendencies and Japanese cultural business tendencies. A simple breakdown or lack of communication often can result in a “mistrust” between the two parties.

These misunderstandings can often be compounded by American business practices as projected into the Japanese market. The American tendency is to use the “go it alone” approach, no matter the organizational size. After committing enormous resources to the Japanese market by way of offices, personnel, housing, etc., American companies often are then required to justify these costs and often will end up with contracts that are one sided and not profitable to American firms.