In this episode, Jarrod and Olivier have a conversation with Thomas Bertrand, CEO of Bento&Co, an online shop based in Kyoto. Originally from France, Thomas and his wife Erico embarked on their entrepreneurial journey by starting Bento&Co from a tiny house in Kyoto back in November 2008. Today, Bento&Co employs a dedicated team in Kyoto, working to bridge the gap between Japanese culture and customers worldwide. During our discussion, we delve into Thomas’s entrepreneurial journey, exploring topics such as starting a business in Japan, the intricacies of e-commerce in the Japanese market, and the positive impact e-commerce has had on local farmers by expanding their opportunities. Please visit our Patreon page where you can sign up for just $2 a month! Your contributions help us with production costs and the time required to record and edit podcasts and organize interviews. We are excited to say that excess profits go toward our startup project in Japan. For this, we thank you always. Links to Resources: * Thomas Bertrand on LinkedIn * Bento&Co Website * Le Podcast E-commerce * Bento & Co Podcast * Thomas on Twitter Get full access to Local Japan Podcast at localjapan.substack.com/subscribe