DOLA JAPAN

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Company Overview

Parent Company Location: Australia
Japan Office Establishment: 2024
Address: Higobashi Hotta Building 102, 1-6-13 Edobori, Nishi-ku, Osaka
Business Activities: Custom-made insole solutions
Website: DOLA

Interview

DOLA was founded in 2000 on the Gold Coast, Australia, by podiatrists Claire Nichols and Luke Sinclair. The company provides custom-made insole solutions and educational programs for medical institutions.

In 2024 Daniel Wiendl established DOLA JAPAN in Japan to expand the company’s philosophy into the Japanese market. Along with the founders, DOLA has assembled an international team of podiatry experts with extensive experience in Germany and Australia, aiming to bring their expertise in insoles to the Japanese market.

For this interview, we spoke with CEOs Mr. Shimamura and Mr. Kitagawa, both of whom are leading podiatric specialists in Japan. With international experience from Germany and years of teaching experience in Japan, they play a key role in advancing podiatric knowledge in the Japanese market

Expansion into Kansai

In Australia, podiatrists are known as "foot doctors" and are the first point of contact for issues related to the feet, knees, hips, and other musculoskeletal concerns.
In Japan, however, it’s more common to visit orthopedic specialists, and people often hesitate to seek treatment until their pain becomes severe. As a result, mild foot pain and fatigue are often overlooked in daily life.
Recognizing these trends in Japan, CEO Daniel Wiendl aimed to introduce a podiatric approach that enables individuals to easily address foot-related concerns by using insoles to enhance their natural foot function. His goal was to establish and integrate this method into Japanese society.

Since this is an untapped market in Japan, we saw an opportunity to pioneer an innovative business. To take on this challenge, we believed it was strategic to begin in a region where we had local knowledge and could easily identify our target customer base. Given his prior experience living in Kansai, Wiendl selected this region as the starting point.
After further considering market size and the concentration of our target audience, we ultimately determined that Osaka was the best location for our expansion.

The Attractiveness of Kansai

We were pleasantly surprised by the number of customers who visited us, which made us realize once again that many people in Japan struggle with foot-related issues. With its excellent access from across western Japan, Osaka is an ideal location for hosting training seminars and attracting participants.

Moreover, people in Kansai tend to be friendly and direct, which makes it easy to communicate with customers when they try on insoles to assess comfort. This open communication has been incredibly helpful.

The convenience of Kansai International Airport is another significant advantage. With more direct flights between Australia and Kansai, traveling to and from the region has become even more convenient.

Public Support Utilized During Our Expansion

JETRO Osaka(*): Support for business startup procedures
(Bank account opening, registration procedures, property introductions, PR support, etc.)
(*)Please check the JETRO Website for details.

When expanding into Japan, challenges faced by foreigners living abroad, such as opening a bank account and registering a company, were relatively smooth to navigate thanks to our CEO, who is both Australian and Japanese. However, it still took some time. Similarly, real estate contracts presented another significant challenge.
To address these issues, we first consulted with JETRO's Sydney office and received support from JETRO Osaka. Specifically, when searching for commercial properties, we communicated our target customer base, and based on that information, they helped us find suitable locations.

Message to Companies Considering Expansion

CEO Daniel Wiendl

When living overseas, it can be difficult to gather information about the characteristics of the target region, its population composition, and the local demographics, yet these are crucial factors for business success. Therefore, it's important to reach out to support organizations that are knowledgeable about the local market and seek advice on these aspects.
Companies considering expansion should take full advantage of the available support organizations and take the first step toward success.

Contact Information

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Kansai Bureau
International Investment Promotion Division
Address: 1-5-44 Otemae, Chuo-ku, Osaka, 540-8535
Phone：+81-6-6966-6033
E-Mail：invest-japan-kansai@meti.go.jp