From Web Marketing to Exporting Japanese Used Vehicles: My 20-Year Journey

From Web Marketing to Exporting Japanese Used Vehicles: My 20-Year Journey

When I started EVERY in 2006, our business was very different from what it is today.

We began in web marketing.

At that time, I was focused on how the internet could connect businesses with people, how information could reach customers, and how new opportunities could be created online.

Looking back now, that experience became an important foundation for what came next.

Over the years, our business evolved from web marketing into Japanese used vehicle export. Today, EVERY TRADING works with customers in more than 100 countries, exporting Japanese used trucks, buses, farm tractors, machinery, passenger cars, and other vehicles from Japan.

This change did not happen because I had a perfect plan from the beginning.

It happened because we continued learning, adapting, and listening to what customers needed.

Watch the video: From Web Marketing to Exporting Japanese Used Vehicles | EVERY CEO's 20-Year Journey

My Starting Point Was Not Vehicle Export

People who know EVERY today may think we have always been a Japanese vehicle export company.

That is not how the story began.

My early business experience was in web marketing.

That work taught me how quickly technology could change business and how important it was to understand what customers were actually looking for.

The internet was becoming a powerful way to connect Japan with people overseas.

Later, when our business moved into vehicle export, I realized that many of the same lessons still applied.

Customers needed useful information.

They needed fast communication.

Most importantly, they needed to know that there were real people behind the website.

Moving into Japanese Used Vehicle Export

As our business changed, we began connecting Japanese vehicles with customers overseas.

At first, the vehicle itself was naturally the center of the transaction.

However, I gradually learned that international vehicle trading is about much more than simply finding a car and sending it overseas.

Every customer has a different purpose.

Some need transportation for daily use. Others need working vehicles that become part of their business.

That difference became increasingly important as our customer base grew.

Today, customers can search our Japanese used vehicles for sale from anywhere in the world.

But the real work begins when we understand why they need a particular vehicle.

From Cars to Trucks, Buses, Tractors, and Machinery

One of the biggest changes over the years has been the types of vehicles our customers request.

Passenger cars remain part of our business. However, working vehicles have become increasingly important.

Japanese used trucks are used by transport companies, construction businesses, distributors, farmers, and many other industries.

A truck is often more than transportation. It may generate income every day.

The same is true for Japanese used buses.

They may support schools, tourism businesses, companies, public transport, or private passenger services.

For agricultural customers, Japanese used farm tractors can become essential tools for daily work.

Meanwhile, Japanese machinery supports construction, logistics, agriculture, and infrastructure projects in many markets.

These vehicles taught me to look beyond the transaction.

I began thinking more about what happens after a vehicle arrives.

Understanding the Customer Became More Important

The more countries we worked with, the clearer one lesson became: there is no single vehicle that is right for everyone.

Road conditions differ.

Import regulations differ.

Fuel availability, maintenance conditions, shipping routes, and business needs also differ.

A truck that works well in one country may not be ideal in another.

A tractor may need different horsepower or 4WD depending on the land and type of work.

A bus may need a specific seating capacity or body size for local routes.

This is why our role gradually changed from simply offering available stock to helping customers think about suitability.

Technology Helped Us Grow, but Trust Helped Us Continue

My background in web marketing made me comfortable with technology and change.

Digital tools have always played an important role in our business.

They allow customers to search vehicles, view photos, compare specifications, communicate quickly, and receive documents from anywhere in the world.

Today, our customers can also access a much wider Japanese market through dealer stock and auto auction vehicles across Japan.

However, technology alone cannot build a long-term business.

Trust comes from what happens after the first contact.

It comes from giving clear information, responding honestly, keeping commitments, and continuing communication when a transaction becomes difficult.

That is something I have learned repeatedly over 20 years.

The Business Became More Than Vehicle Sales

As our experience grew, customers began needing support beyond vehicle selection.

They needed help with sourcing, export documentation, shipping arrangements, and logistics.

That changed the way we thought about our role.

A customer's goal is not simply to buy a vehicle in Japan.

The real goal is to receive a useful vehicle and put it to work in their own country.

For that reason, our team now looks at the entire process rather than only the sale.

EVERY TRADING officially supports vehicle sourcing, export documentation, and shipping arrangements from Japan.

Connecting Japan with More Than 100 Countries

Over the years, we have built relationships with customers in more than 100 countries.

That number is important, but what matters more to me is what it represents.

Each country has taught us something.

Each customer has helped us understand a different market.

Each vehicle has shown us another way Japanese products can support businesses overseas.

This is why I still think of EVERY not only as a vehicle exporter, but as a company connecting Japan with the world.

Our official mission today is to build trusted businesses worldwide, and our core business focuses on trucks, buses, tractors, and machinery that support daily life and industry.

Change Has Always Been Part of EVERY

When I look back over 20 years, I see many changes.

Our industry changed.

Technology changed.

The vehicles our customers needed changed.

Our sourcing network expanded.

Our support became broader.

But I do not see these changes as a problem.

Change is part of business.

The important question is whether we continue learning from it.

My experience in web marketing taught me to adapt.

Vehicle exporting taught me responsibility.

Working with customers around the world taught me the importance of trust.

Right Vehicle, Right Value, Right Support

After 20 years, I do not believe our job is simply to sell more vehicles.

Our job is to understand what each customer is trying to achieve and support that goal in a practical way.

For EVERY, that means continuing to focus on three things:

• Right Vehicle — a vehicle or machine that matches the customer's actual purpose and local conditions.
• Right Value — value based on suitability, condition, cost, and long-term usefulness.
• Right Support — professional assistance from vehicle selection and sourcing through export documentation and shipping.

Our business today looks very different from the web marketing company I started in 2006.

But one idea still connects everything we have done.

Business begins by understanding people.

Technology can help us reach them. Vehicles can connect industries and markets. But trust is what allows those relationships to continue.

That is the journey that brought EVERY from web marketing to exporting Japanese working vehicles around the world.

Yuichiro Watabe
President & CEO
EVERY TRADING Co., Ltd.
Niigata, Japan

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