Waka Someno
My name is Waka Someno, a Japanese entrepreneur born and raised in Osaka. I am the CEO of YOUNEEDS Co., Ltd., where I support international companies entering the Japanese market by providing marketing, sales, and legal assistance.
In addition, through SOMENO-YA, I design and produce custom souvenir stamps with a touch of Japanese aesthetics. Through both B2B and B2C services, my goal is to connect with and support people who love Japan.
💡 Work Experience
After graduating from university, I began my career at a promotion agency, where I gained extensive B2B sales experience and worked as a sales manager, supporting advertising, marketing, and sales promotion departments of major corporations (ages 22–28).
Later, I took on a leadership role at a DX solutions company serving large enterprise clients in the advertising and promotion field. There, I built and managed teams across marketing, inside sales, field sales, and customer success, while also taking part in IPO preparation (ages 28–35).
During my corporate career, I spent most of my working life in Tokyo.
In January 2020, I launched 01zero-ichi, a sole proprietorship providing sales consulting services.
In April of the same year, I founded YOUNEEDS Co., Ltd., initially supporting Japanese companies with marketing services.
In 2022, I established SOMENO-YA, a service dedicated to travelers visiting Japan.
In 2023, YOUNEEDS expanded to support international companies entering the Japanese market while continuing to provide marketing services to domestic businesses.
This journey has shaped who I am today.
In short, I am a sales professional who has successfully sold marketing services and systems to major corporations in Japan — and this is both my track record and my greatest strength.
My mission is to bridge Japan and the world, and to proudly represent Japan on the global stage.