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As UX researchers specializing in medical devices, we often receive questions from manufacturers outside Japan who are looking to enter the Japanese market. One of the most common is:   “How should we recruit participants for a usability evaluation in Japan?”  While you might be familiar with established practices for usability testing in the U.S. and Europe, […]

What is Required to Market a Medical Device in Japan?  If your company is planning to introduce a medical device to the Japanese market, you may be asking questions such as:  In recent years, the PMDA has placed a clearer and stricter emphasis on usability engineering. They now require manufacturers to demonstrate compliance with JIS T 62366-1:2022, which […]

A Lesson in Usability from My 4-Year-Old Son One afternoon, my 4-year-old son pointed at the TV remote and asked, “How do I make it louder?” I told him, “Just press the volume button.” But instead of pressing it, he looked at the remote in confusion:“What’s ‘volume’? Which one is that?” In that moment, I […]

Introduction: Japan’s Unique Mobility Needs Hidden in Plain Sight  Global automotive trends are racing ahead—electrification, autonomous driving, connected cars. Japan is keeping up technically, but if you glance at the country’s best-selling vehicles, something seems… off. Among all this cutting-edge progress, why are Japan’s streets dominated by boxy, ultra-compact vehicles called “kei cars”?  In 2024, […]

Introduction The trend of young people distancing themselves from car ownership has been a significant topic in Japan since the early 2000s. This phenomenon, reflecting broader changes in economic, social, and lifestyle factors, poses a critical challenge for car manufacturers. To understand and address this issue, we need to delve into the underlying reasons and […]