In 1992, TRU decided to try and enter the Japanese toy market, but faced many challenges if they were to be a success. In the 1980's annual retail sales in Japan grew by 94% and children's products accounted for a significant proportion of this. It showed that the desire for products that TRU produced was there, but they needed to find a way into the localised and fragmented toy market that was present in Japan at that time. …show more content…
After this setback McDonalds realised that a relationship with local businesses or organisations with local knowledge was necessary and worked with businessman Den Fujita who made McDonalds Japan a great success. TRU followed suit and made a strategic alliance with Den Fujita, as he appeared to be the only business leader who had succeeded in bringing foreign retail business into the restrictive market. With very restrictive laws on the size of retail outlets in Japan, this alliance would prove useful in order to build the large TRU warehouse's that were part of the TRU