CEO Profile

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.

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💡 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).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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My mission is to bridge Japan and the world, and to proudly represent Japan on the global stage.