Market entry, grounded in evidence.
TDH Frontier is a research‑led advisory firm working across Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan and ASEAN. We help companies understand a market before they commit to it — and find the right partners once they do.
Start a conversationMost cross‑border expansion fails on assumptions, not execution.
Distribution works differently in Tokyo than it does in Kowloon. A partner who looks credible on paper may have no reach in the channel you actually need. Consumer demand in one market rarely transfers cleanly to the next.
We do the groundwork that turns those assumptions into decisions you can defend.
Market Entry Advisory
Feasibility, sizing and a route to market for companies moving between Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan and ASEAN. We map the regulatory path, the channel structure and the realistic cost of entry, then tell you plainly whether the case holds.
Learn more →Industry & Market Research
Commissioned research built from primary and secondary sources — competitive landscapes, pricing benchmarks, distribution mapping and consumer behaviour. Delivered as a decision document, not a data dump.
Learn more →Partnership & Representation
Identifying, approaching and negotiating with partners on the ground. We act as your local presence in‑market, running the relationship in the right language and the right register until it’s ready to hand over.
Learn more →Advertising and Marketing · Travel & tourism · Hospitality · Food & beverage · Retail & consumer brands
Why TDH Frontier
Research first, opinion second.
Every recommendation we make is traceable to a source. When the evidence is thin, we say so rather than filling the gap with confidence.
Built for decisions.
Engagements end with something you can take to a board — a clear recommendation, the reasoning behind it, and the risks we’d watch.
Latest thinking
Notes on the markets we cover.
What Hong Kong outbound travellers actually book in Japan — and what the arrivals data misses
An analysis of booking behaviors versus official statistics across regional destinations.
Why Japanese F&B brands stall in Hong Kong: four structural reasons
Beyond high rents: channel dominance, operational misalignments, and local positioning.
The Taiwan outbound market is not a smaller Hong Kong
Key differences in agency structures, decision timelines, and consumer expectations.
Considering a move into Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan or ASEAN?
A short conversation is usually enough to tell whether there’s a case worth building.
Get in touchWhat we do
TDH Frontier works across three connected areas. Most engagements begin with research, move into strategy, and end with the introductions that put the strategy into practice — though clients are welcome to take any one of them on its own.
Market Entry Advisory
Entering a new market is a sequence of narrowing decisions: whether the demand exists, which segment to enter through, what structure to use, and what it will realistically cost before it returns anything. We work through that sequence with you and produce a written position on each stage.
What’s involved:
- Market sizing and demand assessment for your specific category
- Competitive landscape and the positioning gap available to you
- Channel and distribution mapping — who actually controls access
- Regulatory, licensing and import requirements
- Entry‑mode comparison: direct, distributor, joint venture or licensing
- Cost model and a realistic timeline to first revenue
- A written recommendation with the risks stated
Industry & Market Research
Commissioned research for companies that need to understand a market properly before they act — or that need defensible evidence for a decision already under discussion internally. We build from primary sources where they exist, and we’re explicit about where they don’t.
What’s involved:
- Competitive landscape and player profiling
- Pricing and positioning benchmarks
- Consumer behaviour and segment analysis
- Distribution and supply chain mapping
- Trade association, event and network mapping
- Trend analysis with the underlying drivers, not just the direction
- Custom briefs scoped to your question
Partnership & Representation
Finding the right partner is a research problem. Winning them over is a relationship problem. We handle both. For clients without a local presence, we act as theirs — attending meetings, managing correspondence and moving negotiations forward in‑market.
What’s involved:
- Partner, distributor and supplier identification against your criteria
- Background assessment before you invest time in a conversation
- First approach and introduction, in the appropriate language
- Meeting attendance and representation on your behalf
- Negotiation support and commercial term structuring
- Ongoing relationship management through the early stages
- Trade show and industry event representation
How we work
Scope
A conversation about the decision you’re facing. If we’re not the right fit, we’ll tell you at this stage.
Proposal
A written scope with deliverables, timeline and fixed fee. No open‑ended retainers unless you want one.
Fieldwork
Research, outreach and analysis, with progress updates at agreed intervals rather than at the end.
Delivery
A written deliverable and a working session. Follow‑up questions for 30 days are included.
Insights
Working notes on the markets we cover — Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan, with a bias toward travel, hospitality and consumer sectors. Published when we have something worth saying rather than on a schedule.
What Hong Kong outbound travellers actually book in Japan — and what the arrivals data misses
An analysis of booking behaviors versus official statistics across regional destinations.
Why Japanese F&B brands stall in Hong Kong: four structural reasons
Beyond high rents: channel dominance, operational misalignments, and local positioning.
The Taiwan outbound market is not a smaller Hong Kong
Key differences in agency structures, decision timelines, and consumer expectations.
More articles coming soon.
Recent Events & Activities
A selection of recent talks, events and publications shared on LinkedIn.
For a full list of activities, please visit my LinkedIn profile. View LinkedIn profile →
Built for companies moving between markets that look closer than they are.
TDH Frontier is an independent advisory firm based in Hong Kong, working across the Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan corridor.
The firm was established in 2026 on a straightforward observation: companies expanding across these three markets rarely fail because their product is wrong. They fail because they read the market through the lens of the one they came from — assuming the same channels exist, the same partners hold the same influence, and the same buying behaviour applies. It usually doesn’t.
Our work is to close that gap with evidence. We conduct primary research, build relationships in‑market, and give clients a clear position on whether and how to proceed. We work in English, Japanese, Mandarin and Cantonese, which means we source directly rather than through intermediaries — and that materially changes what we find.
Our background is concentrated in travel, tourism, hospitality and food and beverage, sectors where local relationships and cultural fluency decide outcomes more than capital does. We take work outside those sectors where the same dynamics apply.
We are deliberately independent. We hold no distribution rights and accept no commissions from the partners we introduce. When we recommend someone, it is because we think they are right for you.
Say what the evidence supports.
Including when it argues against the engagement.
Fewer clients, closer work.
We take on a limited number of engagements so each one gets genuine attention.
Confidentiality as standard.
Client work, findings and identities stay private unless you tell us otherwise.
Start a conversation
Tell us the market you’re looking at and the decision you’re trying to make. We’ll come back within one business day, usually with a few questions before anything else. Initial consultations are free and carry no obligation.
Direct Enquiries
- Email info@tdhfrontier.com
- Based in Hong Kong SAR
- Working across Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan and ASEAN
- Languages Enquiries welcome in English, Mandarin or Cantonese.