TOPIC:
What do we think about our workplace?
We interviewed four key members who support “ZenPlus,” a cross-border e-commerce platform operated by ZenGroup, and its pre-owned luxury division, “ZenLuxe.” The ZenPlus team shared personal insights about their duties, team atmosphere, and what makes their work rewarding.
Can you describe your role and duties?
[Marketing & CS]
Mikael: I am the Marketing and Customer Support Team Leader for ZenPlus. Together with management, I set the team’s direction and oversee our daily work. My role covers everything from setting goals, budgets, and target markets, to overseeing our influencer strategies, SNS, ad campaigns, website management, and email marketing. To me, every customer interaction is marketing, including customer support, and I intentionally focus my daily efforts on anything that involves a customer touch point.
Amanda: I am a Digital Marketer for ZenLuxe, the pre-owned luxury division of ZenPlus. My primary focus is managing our Instagram and YouTube presence, where I create engaging and helpful content for our community. My role also involves overseeing international influencer collaborations, writing our bi-weekly fashion newsletter, and serving as a technical resource, like answering product-related questions and resolving any luxury-specific inquiries for both our team and our customers.
[Sales & Store Support]
Mukoyoshi: As a sales representative for the cross-border e-commerce platform “ZenPlus,” I approach domestic companies looking to expand their sales channels overseas. My main role involves selecting target companies, making contact, and providing concrete proposals and problem-solving support toward opening a store. As a frontrunner connecting Japanese products to the global market, my mission is to present optimal store-opening plans tailored to fit each company’s needs and build a foothold for overseas expansion.
Tokuda: I am in charge of store support for ZenPlus. My main responsibilities include following up with companies that have recently opened a store on ZenPlus. Usually I create various materials, conduct seminars, and draft newsletters to help our store partners. I also conduct interviews with companies wishing to open new stores (excluding major accounts), explaining the overview of the ZenPlus service l and guiding them through the store-opening process.
What is the atmosphere of your team like?
Mikael: We are a very relaxed but goal-driven team. I am not a fan of micromanagement, so everyone is trusted to run their own corner and manage their own schedule. We synchronize regularly to make sure we’re aligned with our targets, but day-to-day, our atmosphere is about ownership. To me, giving people the freedom to take charge is the best way to drive results and build their skills at the same time.
Amanda: Compared to other departments at ZenGroup, our team is relatively small, which allows us to be agile and respond quickly when launching campaigns or resolving internal challenges. As a team with five different nationalities represented, we’ve built a truly diverse environment over the last two years. I believe our unique backgrounds complement each other perfectly, making us an incredibly dynamic and energetic team to be a part of.
Tokuda: As a whole, the team has a well-balanced atmosphere where each member has their own expertise, naturally compensating for what others might lack. The team also respects each other’s distinctive roles. Marketing brings high-level expertise and attention to detail, while CS’s strength lies in their polite, hospitality-driven responses. Sales steadily builds trust, and store support acts as a coordinator—sharing potential issues so the whole team can function better together.
What are the appeal and rewards of your position?
Amanda: I find the most rewarding aspect of my job to be helping Japanese sellers reach customers all over the world. Since I’ve lived in Japan for over half my life, I feel a deep connection to this country. It has provided me with opportunities I never could have imagined in my home country, and I see my current role as a way of giving back to Japan after all these years.
Mukoyoshi: The greatest joy is being able to help a Japanese partner company make their first overseas sale. Every time I receive words of gratitude from clients who are anxious about expanding overseas, I gain a huge sense of accomplishment. Another fascinating part of this job is witnessing the moment when unexpected products, which we take for granted in Japan, become top sellers somewhere else in the world. I feel that my daily proposals help push the valuable products of Japan globally.
Tokuda: The rewarding part of store support is being able to feel the growth of our stores through numbers and reactions. I feel very happy when sales increase compared to the previous month, or when products that previously went unnoticed start being searched for and purchased thanks to the suggestions we give to our store partner.There is a great sense of achievement in the moment our daily proposals lead to tangible results.
What items are popular at ZenPlus/ZenLuxe, and what was the most surprising item you encountered?
Amanda: Since ZenLuxe specializes exclusively in pre-owned luxury products, handbags are by far our best selling category, with Louis Vuitton as our top-performing brand. Working at ZenLuxe, I’ve encountered many rare and unique pieces, but the most remarkable so far was a limited-edition panda plush from the iconic Louis Vuitton x Takashi Murakami collaboration back in 2001. With only 150 pieces ever produced worldwide, it was incredible to see ZenLuxe list two of them, each valued at an impressive $30,000 USD! Showing how amazing the variety of luxury products is in the Japanese second-hand luxury market.
Mukoyoshi: Popular items on ZenPlus are reused goods like anime merchandise, figures, and branded items. The most surprising item I’ve encountered listed on ZenPlus was a Pokémon card priced at 98 million yen.
Tokuda: We currently operate two malls, ZenPlus and ZenLuxe, but pre-owned luxury brand goods are particularly gaining momentum. Used items that have been in Japan tend to be highly trusted for their quality and receive very high praise from overseas customers. As for surprising items, what left an impression was the commercial Mont Blanc maker from Mont Deco, and Japanese sliding paper from Asumaru Honpo, which allows heavy objects to slide on floors for easy moving. It’s surprising to see how niche products in Japan can gain solid support overseas.
What is a memorable experience you’ve had with your team?
Mikael: It’s hard to pick just one, but my favorite moments are always when we put a team member in charge of something completely new to them, and I’m just blown away by what they deliver. It perfectly captures what I set out to do: giving people real responsibility, encouraging them to learn new skills, and supporting them as they step outside their comfort zone.
Mukoyoshi: I remember when a reel video we created for the official ZenPlus Instagram account was played over 7,000 times! We shared ideas on how to best showcase the appeal of Japanese products to the world, and when we posted before posting that video we all thought “this is the one. We received a response that surpassed our expectations. Taking on the challenge of “building a digital bridge” together as a team gave us a lot of confidence that we can take on any challenge.
Tokuda: In our daily work, roles are often divided between Sales/Store Support handling domestic clients, and Marketing/CS handling overseas customers. However, there are times when we work across departments, such as creating landing pages or preparing outbound materials for stores. When we bring our respective ideas together—sales trends, overseas users’ voices, and campaign info—and shape them into a single form, I really feel that we are building things as a team, which leaves a strong impression.
What is your favorite aspect of your position?
Mikael: Seeing people reach beyond what they thought they were capable of and completely owning it. Being a small part of that is what I enjoy the most. On a personal level, I also enjoy digging into the details to make something work better, or to come up with a solution that wasn’t obvious. But supporting others to achieve new things beats that by a lightyear.
Amanda: What I like the most is the opportunity to research and produce content for a category I’m passionate about. I’ve had a lifelong interest in the luxury fashion world, and as a Fashion graduate, I find it incredibly fulfilling to apply my background here at ZenGroup. It’s rare to find a role that aligns so perfectly with your personal interests and professional training.
Mukoyoshi: It’s the fact that I can touch the outstanding technological capabilities from all over Japan and be the first to witness wonderful products that are not yet known to the world. In particular, Japan-origin content like anime and figures, which have popularity worldwide, has a much higher demand than I imagined. As I approach various companies every day, the surprise and emotion of encountering “Japanese treasures” I didn’t know about never run out. I love this environment because I can rediscover the value of my own country’s culture and technology while sharing its appeal with the world.
Do you have a message for those considering applying to ZenGroup?
Amanda: If you’re thinking about applying, my advice is: don’t be afraid to send in your application, even if there isn’t an open spot for your specific role yet. I actually applied for a completely different position at first! Even though I didn’t make it past the second round of interviews for that role, the HR department remembered me and reached out a few months later to offer me the position I have now. ZenGroup has finally given me the work-life balance I had been looking for for a long time. They offer a flexible work schedule and you can see the company is always looking for ways to take care of their employees. Since work is such a big part of our lives, being able to do what I enjoy for a company like this feels like a real privilege.
Tokuda: True to its venture nature, ZenGroup gives a large amount of autonomy to each individual, creating an environment where you can expand the scope of your work . A positive attitude toward tackling challenges that appear to fall outside of your responsibilities will be reflected in evaluations, so I feel a great sense of recognition. I look forward to working with people who can take initiative, cooperate with those around them, and grow the company together with us.
Mukoyoshi: The challenge of delivering Japan’s amazing technology and content to the world is more exciting than you can imagine, and every day is full of discoveries. Would you like to share the responsibility and joy of knowing that your effort can be the catalyst for rediscovering the value of Japan? Our diverse and positive team members will fully support you!. The entire team is looking forward to meeting new colleagues who can proactively embrace change and help pave the way for the future of cross-border e-commerce!
Mikael: What are you waiting for?
