To understand the sake industry, Japan’s history and the Japanese business market, students toured a sake brewery, conducted live market research at Expo 2025 and learned from their Japanese teammates.
Students from both universities also participated in workshops to develop their business ideas, pitching skills, teamwork and cross-cultural communication.
Key lessons learned
Three insights stood out to Chen during the learning process.
“Building a great product is only half the battle. Being able to clearly communicate its unique value is just as important,” said Chen, who starts her third year in business technology management this fall.
She also discovered the importance of designing open-ended market research questions that uncover real insights rather than steering people toward expected answers.
“Cultural differences shape everything,” she says. “I gained a deeper appreciation for how business values and consumer expectations vary between Japan and Canada, and how that impacts product positioning and marketing.”
For Grewal, the experience highlighted the importance of cultural intelligence in entrepreneurship.
“We had to think beyond just business and consider emotional connection, tradition and storytelling,” he says. “Being in a group with Japanese students, I was able to learn more about the culture firsthand, ask questions and enhance my personal and professional growth. My Japanese teammates were terrific. They were very kind, caring, curious and possessed a high level of intercultural sensitivity.”
