{"id":9799,"date":"2026-05-14T13:30:22","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T04:30:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uism.co.jp\/?p=9799"},"modified":"2026-05-14T13:30:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T04:30:23","slug":"sanpo-yoshi-in-the-digital-age-the-importance-of-the-good-of-the-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uism.co.jp\/en\/blog\/sanpo-yoshi-in-the-digital-age-the-importance-of-the-good-of-the-community\/","title":{"rendered":"Sanpo-yoshi\u00a0in the Digital Age: The\u00a0Importance of the Good of the Community\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"background: #f8f9ff; border: 2px solid #e0e7ff; border-radius: 12px; padding: 2em; margin: 2em 0;\">\n<h3 style=\"display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 0.5em; margin: 0 0 1.5em 0; color: #1f2937;\"><span style=\"color: #4f46e5; font-size: 1.5em;\">\u2736<\/span>Article Summary<\/h3>\n<ul style=\"margin: 0; padding-left: 1.5em; line-height: 1.3; list-style: none;\">\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 1em; position: relative; padding-left: 0.5em;\"><span style=\"position: absolute; left: -1.2em; color: #4f46e5; font-weight: bold;\">\u2022<\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW99730037 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW99730037 BCX0\">The Japanese philosophy of\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW99730037 BCX0\">Sanpo-yoshi<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW99730037 BCX0\">\u00a0illustrates the value of\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW99730037 BCX0\">mutual<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW99730037 BCX0\">\u00a0trust and explains<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW99730037 BCX0\">\u00a0the boom of the<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW99730037 BCX0\">\u00a0influencer economy\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW99730037 BCX0\">in<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW99730037 BCX0\">\u00a0digital communities.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW99730037 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 1em; position: relative; padding-left: 0.5em;\"><span style=\"position: absolute; left: -1.2em; color: #4f46e5; font-weight: bold;\">\u2022<\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW204198398 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW204198398 BCX0\">Prioritizing community (<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW204198398 BCX0\">seken-yoshi<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW204198398 BCX0\">) strengthens business trust, driving sustainable growth in online markets.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW204198398 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 0; position: relative; padding-left: 0.5em;\"><span style=\"position: absolute; left: -1.2em; color: #4f46e5; font-weight: bold;\">\u2022<\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW241360464 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW241360464 BCX0\">Businesses should\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW241360464 BCX0\">leverage<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW241360464 BCX0\">\u00a0authentic influencers or connect directly with audiences to build meaningful ties.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW241360464 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>I, like many others, spend a lot of time online. Whether&nbsp;it\u2019s&nbsp;scrolling through photos and stories on Instagram or enjoying livestreams and videos on YouTube, I spend&nbsp;a significant portion&nbsp;of my free&nbsp;time consuming&nbsp;new content, learning new things, and&nbsp;purchasing&nbsp;new products from my favorite creators. For that last&nbsp;point, I&nbsp;would say I have viewed and bought more items that were directly recommended by an influencer I follow than any product pushed directly on me via some algorithm. This is not a unique case; in&nbsp;a recent qualitative&nbsp;study (n=13) we conducted last year&nbsp;looking at online shopping&nbsp;trends, Japanese participants of all ages preferred to buy products that had been recommended to them by a creator they follow on social media, with the Gen Z participants especially favoring it. The logic behind the \u201cinfluencer boom\u201d is neither recent nor complicated. In fact, it can be explained very succinctly by a Japanese philosophy used more than 150 years ago, a philosophy that, in the smaller, online world, is more important than ever for businesses to&nbsp;leverage&nbsp;in order to&nbsp;ensure their long-term success.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"color: #4c9f87\" class=\"sme-text-color\">Sanpo-yoshi: An Introduction&nbsp;<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\u4e09\u65b9\u826f\u3057, read as&nbsp;<em>sanpo-yoshi<\/em>&nbsp;and translated&nbsp;literally as&nbsp;\u201cthe good for 3 sides,\u201d is a business practice and philosophy primarily attributed to the merchants of Omi. These merchants&nbsp;resided&nbsp;and&nbsp;operated&nbsp;out of central Japan in modern-day Shiga prefecture, reaching their heyday during the Edo period. As the name would suggest,&nbsp;sanpo-yoshi\u2019s&nbsp;\u201cgood\u201d refers to the benefit and prosperity of 3 distinct parties:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-658170e2 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column has-border-color has-sm-lighter-gray-border-color is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"border-width:1px;border-top-left-radius:30px;border-top-right-radius:30px;border-bottom-left-radius:30px;border-bottom-right-radius:30px;padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"wp-rich-text-font-awesome-icon wp-font-awesome-icon\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-prefix=\"fas\" data-icon=\"cart-shopping\" class=\"svg-inline--fa fa-cart-shopping \" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 576 512\" style=\"font-size:2.5em\" color=\"#f28c0b\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M0 24C0 10.7 10.7 0 24 0H69.5c22 0 41.5 12.8 50.6 32h411c26.3 0 45.5 25 38.6 50.4l-41 152.3c-8.5 31.4-37 53.3-69.5 53.3H170.7l5.4 28.5c2.2 11.3 12.1 19.5 23.6 19.5H488c13.3 0 24 10.7 24 24s-10.7 24-24 24H199.7c-34.6 0-64.3-24.6-70.7-58.5L77.4 54.5c-.7-3.8-4-6.5-7.9-6.5H24C10.7 48 0 37.3 0 24zM128 464a48 48 0 1 1 96 0 48 48 0 1 1 -96 0zm336-48a48 48 0 1 1 0 96 48 48 0 1 1 0-96z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong><span class=\"sme-font-size has-sm-l-font-size\"><strong>\u58f2\u308a\u624b\u826f\u3057 (urite-yoshi) <\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">The good of the <span style=\"background-image: linear-gradient(transparent 60%, rgba(251, 221, 145, 0.5) 60%)\" class=\"sme-highlighter\">seller<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column has-border-color is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"border-color:var(--_lighter-color-gray);border-width:1px;border-top-left-radius:30px;border-top-right-radius:30px;border-bottom-left-radius:30px;border-bottom-right-radius:30px;padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"wp-rich-text-font-awesome-icon wp-font-awesome-icon\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-prefix=\"fas\" data-icon=\"coins\" class=\"svg-inline--fa fa-coins \" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" style=\"font-size:2.5em\" color=\"#f28c0b\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M512 80c0 18-14.3 34.6-38.4 48c-29.1 16.1-72.5 27.5-122.3 30.9c-3.7-1.8-7.4-3.5-11.3-5C300.6 137.4 248.2 128 192 128c-8.3 0-16.4 .2-24.5 .6l-1.1-.6C142.3 114.6 128 98 128 80c0-44.2 86-80 192-80S512 35.8 512 80zM160.7 161.1c10.2-.7 20.7-1.1 31.3-1.1c62.2 0 117.4 12.3 152.5 31.4C369.3 204.9 384 221.7 384 240c0 4-.7 7.9-2.1 11.7c-4.6 13.2-17 25.3-35 35.5c0 0 0 0 0 0c-.1 .1-.3 .1-.4 .2l0 0 0 0c-.3 .2-.6 .3-.9 .5c-35 19.4-90.8 32-153.6 32c-59.6 0-112.9-11.3-148.2-29.1c-1.9-.9-3.7-1.9-5.5-2.9C14.3 274.6 0 258 0 240c0-34.8 53.4-64.5 128-75.4c10.5-1.5 21.4-2.7 32.7-3.5zM416 240c0-21.9-10.6-39.9-24.1-53.4c28.3-4.4 54.2-11.4 76.2-20.5c16.3-6.8 31.5-15.2 43.9-25.5V176c0 19.3-16.5 37.1-43.8 50.9c-14.6 7.4-32.4 13.7-52.4 18.5c.1-1.8 .2-3.5 .2-5.3zm-32 96c0 18-14.3 34.6-38.4 48c-1.8 1-3.6 1.9-5.5 2.9C304.9 404.7 251.6 416 192 416c-62.8 0-118.6-12.6-153.6-32C14.3 370.6 0 354 0 336V300.6c12.5 10.3 27.6 18.7 43.9 25.5C83.4 342.6 135.8 352 192 352s108.6-9.4 148.1-25.9c7.8-3.2 15.3-6.9 22.4-10.9c6.1-3.4 11.8-7.2 17.2-11.2c1.5-1.1 2.9-2.3 4.3-3.4V304v5.7V336zm32 0V304 278.1c19-4.2 36.5-9.5 52.1-16c16.3-6.8 31.5-15.2 43.9-25.5V272c0 10.5-5 21-14.9 30.9c-16.3 16.3-45 29.7-81.3 38.4c.1-1.7 .2-3.5 .2-5.3zM192 448c56.2 0 108.6-9.4 148.1-25.9c16.3-6.8 31.5-15.2 43.9-25.5V432c0 44.2-86 80-192 80S0 476.2 0 432V396.6c12.5 10.3 27.6 18.7 43.9 25.5C83.4 438.6 135.8 448 192 448z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong><strong>\u8cb7\u3044\u624b\u826f\u3057 (kaite-yoshi) <\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">The good of the <span style=\"background-image: linear-gradient(transparent 60%, rgba(251, 221, 145, 0.5) 60%)\" class=\"sme-highlighter\">buyer<\/span>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column has-border-color is-layout-flow wp-container-core-column-is-layout-f07b7ac0 wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"border-color:var(--_lighter-color-gray);border-width:1px;border-top-left-radius:30px;border-top-right-radius:30px;border-bottom-left-radius:30px;border-bottom-right-radius:30px;padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"wp-rich-text-font-awesome-icon wp-font-awesome-icon\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-prefix=\"fas\" data-icon=\"users\" class=\"svg-inline--fa fa-users \" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 640 512\" style=\"font-size:2.5em\" color=\"#f28c0b\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M144 0a80 80 0 1 1 0 160A80 80 0 1 1 144 0zM512 0a80 80 0 1 1 0 160A80 80 0 1 1 512 0zM0 298.7C0 239.8 47.8 192 106.7 192h42.7c15.9 0 31 3.5 44.6 9.7c-1.3 7.2-1.9 14.7-1.9 22.3c0 38.2 16.8 72.5 43.3 96c-.2 0-.4 0-.7 0H21.3C9.6 320 0 310.4 0 298.7zM405.3 320c-.2 0-.4 0-.7 0c26.6-23.5 43.3-57.8 43.3-96c0-7.6-.7-15-1.9-22.3c13.6-6.3 28.7-9.7 44.6-9.7h42.7C592.2 192 640 239.8 640 298.7c0 11.8-9.6 21.3-21.3 21.3H405.3zM224 224a96 96 0 1 1 192 0 96 96 0 1 1 -192 0zM128 485.3C128 411.7 187.7 352 261.3 352H378.7C452.3 352 512 411.7 512 485.3c0 14.7-11.9 26.7-26.7 26.7H154.7c-14.7 0-26.7-11.9-26.7-26.7z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>\u4e16\u9593\u826f\u3057 (seken-yoshi)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">The good of the <span style=\"background-image: linear-gradient(transparent 60%, rgba(251, 221, 145, 0.5) 60%)\" class=\"sme-highlighter\">community\/society<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The first is self-explanatory, if&nbsp;the seller cannot make a living in their trade, they cannot sustain their services for the individual buyer or community at large. The second point is well within the realm of traditional UX\/UD, providing a product or service that meets the needs of the buyer at a price they are willing and able to&nbsp;purchase. It is the third part that was considered a unique practice for the time. By giving back to the community through the patronage of art, donations to local temples, or even development of infrastructure like bridges and roads, the Merchants of Omi directly attributed to the wellbeing and prosperity of the areas they conducted business while generating recognition and positive influence for themselves.&nbsp;In essence, these&nbsp;traveling&nbsp;salesmen&nbsp;<span style=\"background-image: linear-gradient(transparent 60%, rgba(255, 240, 151, 0.5) 60%)\" class=\"sme-highlighter\">operated&nbsp;as an active member within every community they visited<\/span>, and their products and influence spread&nbsp;all across&nbsp;Japan. Several modern corporations such as Takashimaya (department retail), Itochu (trading and investments), and the Seibu &amp; Saison Group (railways and real estate) directly trace their founding to Omi with several other businesses adopting the philosophy for their own purposes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These 3 ethics read similar to modern design principles.&nbsp;Urite-yoshi&nbsp;equates to designing a sustainable business while&nbsp;kaite-yoshi&nbsp;is the measurable&nbsp;goals&nbsp;of&nbsp;improving user satisfaction.&nbsp;The third,&nbsp;seken-yoshi&nbsp;is the area often put aside or deprioritized&nbsp;in digital spaces, but where the greatest potential for&nbsp;additional&nbsp;value lies.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"color: #4c9f87\" class=\"sme-text-color\">The Evolution of&nbsp;Sanpo-yoshi&nbsp;<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The door-to-door&nbsp;salesman&nbsp;is long dead; replaced by a new kind of merchant. With the ubiquity of social media, influencers can reach in a few minutes an audience that would take Omi traders days, or weeks, to contact. While the methods have changed, the philosophy behind the methods has endured.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-snow-monkey-blocks-step smb-step\"><div class=\"smb-step__body\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-snow-monkey-blocks-step-item-free smb-step__item\" style=\"--smb-step--number-background-color:#4c9f87\"><div class=\"smb-step__item__title\"><div class=\"smb-step__item__number\"><\/div><span><span class=\"sme-font-size has-sm-l-font-size\"><span style=\"color: #4c9f87\" class=\"sme-text-color\">Urite-yoshi: The Good of the Influencer&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div><div class=\"smb-step__item__body\"><div class=\"smb-step__item__summary is-layout-constrained wp-block-snow-monkey-blocks-step-item-free-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p>Online icons and micro-celebrities still need to make a living. Whether as a full-time online content creator or as an amateur hobbyist, influencers will congregate where there is an audience to reach and money to be made. For Japan, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok stand as the pillars of content platforms. All succeed by providing a low barrier to entry with a high&nbsp;possible ceiling&nbsp;of viewership within any potential genre of content, no matter how niche.&nbsp;<span style=\"background-image: linear-gradient(transparent 60%, rgba(255, 240, 151, 0.5) 60%)\" class=\"sme-highlighter\">These social networks are the plazas of online bazaars<\/span>, abuzz with people from all&nbsp;walks of life&nbsp;selling their&nbsp;craft, and&nbsp;evolving their brand into an established name to be subscribed to or followed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-snow-monkey-blocks-step-item-free smb-step__item\" style=\"--smb-step--number-background-color:#4c9f87\"><div class=\"smb-step__item__title\"><div class=\"smb-step__item__number\"><\/div><span><span class=\"sme-font-size has-sm-l-font-size\"><span style=\"color: #4c9f87\" class=\"sme-text-color\">Kaite-yoshi: The Good of the Viewer&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div><div class=\"smb-step__item__body\"><div class=\"smb-step__item__summary is-layout-constrained wp-block-snow-monkey-blocks-step-item-free-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p>The agency allowed the&nbsp;modern&nbsp;buyer&nbsp;cannot be&nbsp;understated in the success of social networks as marketplaces. While townsfolk were at the whims of the local products available to them, audiences on social media are curators, able to choose when to consume which content and how much to consume. More power than ever has been granted to an online consumer to tune in, or tune out, the advertising and product-pushing surrounding them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Furthermore, the mechanisms available to communicate and interact with the selling influencer have improved. Through the public display of views, likes, and comments,\u00a0<span style=\"background-image: linear-gradient(transparent 60%, rgba(255, 240, 151, 0.5) 60%)\" class=\"sme-highlighter\">the viewer\u2019s standing has improved to be on more even footing with more open lines of communication to the influencer<\/span>, compared to the classic connection between consumer and corporation. This empowered consumption allows viewers who\u00a0purchase\u00a0through social media to purchase with confidence; i.e.\u00a0trust in the creator to recommend them a product or service suitable to them, and trust that their voice will be heard should\u00a0the\u00a0it\u00a0prove to be false advertising.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-snow-monkey-blocks-step-item-free smb-step__item\" style=\"--smb-step--number-background-color:#4c9f87\"><div class=\"smb-step__item__title\"><div class=\"smb-step__item__number\"><\/div><span><span class=\"sme-font-size has-sm-l-font-size\"><span style=\"color: #4c9f87\" class=\"sme-text-color\">Seken-yoshi: The Good of the Community&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div><div class=\"smb-step__item__body\"><div class=\"smb-step__item__summary is-layout-constrained wp-block-snow-monkey-blocks-step-item-free-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p>Advancements in digital technology have revolutionized the definition of community and sense of belonging. It is here that the core message of&nbsp;sanpo-yoshi&nbsp;shows its&nbsp;merit, with both influencer and viewer alike&nbsp;operating&nbsp;as an integral part of an online community. An influencer is not considered to be only&nbsp;a salesman, but an entertainer, expert, or even a friend. The products they recommend do not come from the position of a business, but as a person who plays a vital role in the viewer\u2019s lifestyle.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Furthermore, the influencer relies on the health of their community to&nbsp;operate. They are directly invested in seeing their viewers succeed, and thus greatly rely on mutual trust and connection. Moreover, our research in both e-commerce and traditional shopping has concluded on multiple occasions that Japanese customers&nbsp;require&nbsp;high&nbsp;confidence&nbsp;in the product or service&nbsp;before&nbsp;proceeding&nbsp;to purchase.&nbsp;That confidence is instilled&nbsp;through clarity of information, absence of social risk, and&nbsp;social endorsement. Reassurance that a product or service is right to buy often comes online via&nbsp;the good word&nbsp;and&nbsp;expertise&nbsp;of trusted online creators or a few good words by&nbsp;previous&nbsp;buyers in review sections.&nbsp;While the final&nbsp;decision&nbsp;is up to the individual, they often borrow the power of the community to draw their conclusions quickly and&nbsp;expedite&nbsp;their shopping journey, and Japanese shoppers often&nbsp;won\u2019t&nbsp;take action&nbsp;until that level of confidence is met.&nbsp;It is thus in the best interests of businesses to ensure a smooth, self-reinforcing&nbsp;trust within an online community to promote confidence in first&nbsp;purchase, and&nbsp;repeat purchases.&nbsp;<span style=\"background-image: linear-gradient(transparent 60%, rgba(255, 240, 151, 0.5) 60%)\" class=\"sme-highlighter\">When the community comes first, long-standing business follows.&nbsp;<\/span>For a more specific example and detailed breakdown, take a look at our&nbsp;article below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"smk-related-card\" data-url=\"https:\/\/uism.co.jp\/en\/blog\/unveiling-the-trends-of-social-media-usage-among-gen-z-in-japan\/\"><img class=\"smk-thumb\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"smk-thumb-placeholder\">\ud83d\udcc4<\/div>\n<div class=\"smk-content\">\n<p class=\"smk-label\">Related Article<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"smk-title\" href=\"#\">Loading&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"smk-caption\">See how Japan\u2019s Gen Z uses social media to discover products, build trust, and make purchase decisions, revealing why online communities have become essential to modern consumer behavior.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"smk-readmore\" href=\"#\">Read more \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"color: #4c9f87\" class=\"sme-text-color\">How&nbsp;Sponsors can Adapt&nbsp;<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It is important then for a business with any online presence to&nbsp;take into account&nbsp;their&nbsp;relation&nbsp;with their target audience and the communities they claim membership to. From the position of&nbsp;\u5f8c\u63f4\u8005(kouensha) or \u201csponsor,\u201d a business has two major strategies available for best&nbsp;leveraging&nbsp;the online ecosystems.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"sme-font-size has-sm-l-font-size\"><span style=\"color: #4c9f87\" class=\"sme-text-color\">Find representative influencers&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>One method is to utilize pre-established influencers in traditional sponsorship. In this case, the influencer performs similarly to a buyer in connection&nbsp;to&nbsp;the sponsoring business. Some things to consider when choosing influencers to work with:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-snow-monkey-blocks-box smb-box\" style=\"--smb-box--box-shadow:-9px 0px 1px -1px rgba(252, 185, 0, 1);--smb-box--background-color:var(u002du002d_lightest-color-gray);--smb-box--background-opacity:1;--smb-box--border-width:1px\"><div class=\"smb-box__background\"><\/div><div class=\"smb-box__body is-layout-constrained wp-block-snow-monkey-blocks-box-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:24% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/uism.co.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/\u633f\u5165\u753b\u50cf_\u6b63\u65b9\u5f62\uff08500\u00d7500\uff09-6.png\" alt=\"A yellow-orange icon on a green background depicting a person with a speech bubble containing three stars, symbolizing a customer review or rating.\" class=\"wp-image-9553 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uism.co.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/\u633f\u5165\u753b\u50cf_\u6b63\u65b9\u5f62\uff08500\u00d7500\uff09-6.png 500w, https:\/\/uism.co.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/\u633f\u5165\u753b\u50cf_\u6b63\u65b9\u5f62\uff08500\u00d7500\uff09-6-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/uism.co.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/\u633f\u5165\u753b\u50cf_\u6b63\u65b9\u5f62\uff08500\u00d7500\uff09-6-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-sme-list-check\">\n<li>Confirm the influencer\u2019s audience overlaps with your business\u2019 target audience.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check the frequency and quality of engagement they have with their audience.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ensure there is a brand fit. Would the influencer be interested in the product or service if no sponsorship was involved? Would the business want them to recommend the product unprompted?&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"sme-font-size has-sm-l-font-size\"><span style=\"color: #4c9f87\" class=\"sme-text-color\">Take on the role of influencer&nbsp;<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Another method is to take out the middleman and put effort into direct connection with a business\u2019 target audience online. A direct and interactive line with an online followership means the corporation operates similarly to an influencer with the main objective being to advertise and sell products or services. Some things to consider when creating a more direct and interactive online presence:&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-snow-monkey-blocks-box smb-box\" style=\"--smb-box--box-shadow:-9px 0px 1px -1px rgba(252, 185, 0, 1);--smb-box--background-color:var(u002du002d_lightest-color-gray);--smb-box--background-opacity:1;--smb-box--border-width:1px\"><div class=\"smb-box__background\"><\/div><div class=\"smb-box__body is-layout-constrained wp-block-snow-monkey-blocks-box-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:24% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/uism.co.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/\u633f\u5165\u753b\u50cf_\u6b63\u65b9\u5f62\uff08500\u00d7500\uff09-7.png\" alt=\"A yellow-orange icon on a green background showing a cluster of overlapping social media engagement symbols: a thumbs-up, a heart, and a comment bubble. This represents likes, loves, and comments.\" class=\"wp-image-9554 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uism.co.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/\u633f\u5165\u753b\u50cf_\u6b63\u65b9\u5f62\uff08500\u00d7500\uff09-7.png 500w, https:\/\/uism.co.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/\u633f\u5165\u753b\u50cf_\u6b63\u65b9\u5f62\uff08500\u00d7500\uff09-7-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/uism.co.jp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/\u633f\u5165\u753b\u50cf_\u6b63\u65b9\u5f62\uff08500\u00d7500\uff09-7-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-sme-list-check\">\n<li>Engage like a person, not a corporation.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Utilize the platform and media type that best showcases your brand and products.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have a story that resonates with the target.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Make your social presence known and easily discoverable. Loyal customers will&nbsp;most likely start&nbsp;their journey from a product and e-commerce side, not a social media side.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>If a one-time transaction&nbsp;is the goal, a business is fine to&nbsp;operate&nbsp;with their own interests&nbsp;in mind and disregard&nbsp;their effect on the seller or&nbsp;shared community.&nbsp;But to build rapport and loyalty in a customer, a long-term&nbsp;strategy built&nbsp;on&nbsp;a mutually shared loop of feedback and experience between&nbsp;buyer&nbsp;and&nbsp;seller&nbsp;is fundamental.&nbsp;Whether joining an established community or&nbsp;building&nbsp;a following&nbsp;from scratch, this&nbsp;is the foundation&nbsp;of sustainable&nbsp;growth and success.&nbsp;We touch on and offer some valuable&nbsp;advice&nbsp;for&nbsp;how to&nbsp;best&nbsp;utilize&nbsp;metrics gained from&nbsp;this shared experience&nbsp;below.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"smk-related-card\" data-url=\"https:\/\/uism.co.jp\/en\/blog\/ux-is-not-a-set-of-boxes-but-a-melody-rethinking-experience-through-bergsons-concept-of-time\/\"><img class=\"smk-thumb\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"smk-thumb-placeholder\">\ud83d\udcc4<\/div>\n<div class=\"smk-content\">\n<p class=\"smk-label\">Related Article<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"smk-title\" href=\"#\">Loading&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"smk-caption\">Explore why great UX is built through connected experiences shaped by small interactions over time.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"smk-readmore\" href=\"#\">Read more \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"color: #4c9f87\" class=\"sme-text-color\">Conclusion&nbsp;<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The interconnectedness and communal cultivation capable through social media&nbsp;has&nbsp;enabled&nbsp;tightly-knit&nbsp;clusters of social circles to form. These circles&nbsp;operate&nbsp;on an established social contract between the influencing force and their viewers. Businesses that effectively harness the good of these circles through an emphasis on integration and adding value to a community will build brand loyalty and trust in their audience to not only support a&nbsp;business, but&nbsp;support a friend.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As UX researchers, we at&nbsp;Uism&nbsp;are finely attuned to the needs and values of all three sides of the&nbsp;<em>sanpo-yoshi<\/em>&nbsp;philosophy. For businesses seeking counsel on how to reach and understand their target buyers, as well as recognize the contextual background of communities such buyers belong to and identify with, please feel free to reach out to us for&nbsp;assistance.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-sm-lightest-gray-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-sm-lightest-gray-background-color has-background\"\/>\n\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/uism.co.jp\/en\/ux-research-strategy\/\" class=\"service-border-card-en\">\n  <h3 class=\"border-title-en\">UX Research &#038; Strategy<\/h3>\n  <p class=\"border-description-en\">Learn more about Uism\u2019s UX research services.<\/p>\n  <div class=\"border-link-en\">\n    <span>Learn More<\/span>\n    <svg width=\"16\" height=\"16\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2\">\n      <path d=\"M5 12h14M12 5l7 7-7 7\"\/>\n    <\/svg>\n  <\/div>\n<\/a>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-snow-monkey-blocks-section smb-section smb-section--fit\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\"><div class=\"smb-section__inner\"><div class=\"c-container c-container--no-padding\"><div class=\"smb-section__contents-wrapper\"><div class=\"smb-section__body is-layout-constrained wp-block-snow-monkey-blocks-section-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p><strong><span class=\"sme-font-size has-sm-l-font-size\"><strong><span style=\"color: #4c9f87\" class=\"sme-text-color\">Related Articles:<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-wp-oembed-blog-card wp-block-embed-wp-oembed-blog-card\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"F1unOg50Et\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uism.co.jp\/en\/blog\/synthetic-users-how-far-can-ai-go-in-ux-research\/\">Synthetic Users: How Far can AI go in UX Research?\u00a0<\/a><\/blockquote><div class=\"c-responsive-container-16-9\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Synthetic Users: How Far can AI go in UX Research?\u00a0&#8221; &#8212; Uism\" src=\"https:\/\/uism.co.jp\/en\/blog\/synthetic-users-how-far-can-ai-go-in-ux-research\/embed\/#?secret=j0Vj2bOd5z#?secret=F1unOg50Et\" data-secret=\"F1unOg50Et\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Can synthetic users replace real communities, or do they miss the very trust dynamics that drive decisions?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Why do influencers drive sales in Japan? The answer lies in three sides of a 150-year-old business philosophy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":9020,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_locale":"en_US","_original_post":"https:\/\/uism.co.jp\/?p=9018","footnotes":"","wp-seo-meta-description":"","wp-seo-meta-robots":[]},"categories":[374],"tags":[165,190,352],"class_list":{"0":"post-9799","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ux-thinking","8":"tag-ux-research","9":"tag-gen-z","10":"tag-user-centered-design","11":"en-US","12":"c-entry"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uism.co.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9799","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uism.co.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uism.co.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uism.co.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uism.co.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9799"}],"version-history":[{"count":46,"href":"https:\/\/uism.co.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9799\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10200,"href":"https:\/\/uism.co.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9799\/revisions\/10200"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uism.co.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9020"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uism.co.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9799"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uism.co.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9799"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uism.co.jp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9799"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}