NemosLab Brings Digital Innovation to Japan’s 'Physical Collection' Market [K-Content Japan]

Sujin Jeon: "Not Replacement, But Integration of Physical and Digital"

Winning Over the Market with NFC and QR Platform Albums

Forming a Partnership with LDH Japan and Establishing a Japanese Subsidiary

Even as the compact disc (CD) market continues to shrink, the Japanese music market maintains its unique 'physical collection' culture. Korean enter-tech companies are capitalizing on this trend by expanding their presence with local platforms that integrate physical and digital experiences. These platforms, which combine near-field communication (NFC) and QR codes, meet both the Japanese fandom's desire for tangible ownership and the intellectual property (IP) holders' need for digital transformation—rather than simply pushing aside physical packages.

Soojin Jeon, CEO of Nemos Lab / Korea Creative Content Agency Tokyo Business Center.

Sujin Jeon, CEO of NemosLab, met with The Asia Business Daily during the 'Korea-Japan Content Co-Production Week' hosted by the Korea Creative Content Agency in Tokyo on September 30 and stated, "Instead of just asking Japanese fans if they would buy a digital album, we found that new markets are created when we combine rich digital experiences with the physical products they love."

Although digital music streaming has grown significantly in Japan, there is still a strong preference for purchasing packaged products. CEO Jeon explained, "If you approach the market as if digital will replace physical products, it won't work. We chose a reverse approach—maintaining the full value of physical products while adding the advantages of digital."

NemosLab did not simply transplant proven methods from Korea. Instead, they completely redesigned their products to meet the design and packaging standards required by Japanese artists and fans. Unlike the Korean industry, which values fast execution, in Japan, everything from rights management to customer response is thoroughly tested and verified before launching a service.

CEO Jeon commented, "In Japan, trust is built not with one good proposal, but by consistently keeping small promises. By working with TV Asahi’s Fruits Zippar Project and entertainment agency Horipro, we learned the Japanese approach to decision-making and quality standards."

The trust accumulated in this way has led to collaborations with major Japanese agencies. NemosLab formed a partnership with LDH Japan to jointly build the exclusive platform 'LDH Cross NEMOZ (LDH x NEMOZ),' going beyond simple album production. As part of this process, they suspended operations of their own online store, NEMOZ Shop Japan, and delegated all physical product sales to existing local distribution channels such as Amazon and Tower Records.

CEO Jeon added, "We established a clear division of labor by completely trusting product sales to robust existing distribution networks, while focusing solely on the role of a digital content platform through our application."

Sujin Jeon, CEO of NemosLab / Korea Creative Content Agency Tokyo Business Center.

They supplement their team and resource management through public support and their own AI technology. NemosLab moved into KOCCA CKL TOKYO, operated by the Korea Creative Content Agency, securing an initial office space and business networking opportunities. Through the agency’s startup acceleration program, they developed 'NEMO AI,' a multilingual K-pop data-based solution, and deployed it into their operations. The AI handles tasks such as translating lyrics and album information, allowing core staff to focus on value-added endeavors like partner negotiations and product planning.

Currently, 80% of NemosLab’s members are international users. Unlike users in North America and Southeast Asia, who value mobile accessibility and multilingual support, Japanese consumers prioritize package finishes and whether a product is a limited edition. NemosLab addresses these differences by providing regionalized platform features. The company sees Japan as a key market for global expansion in the long term. Leveraging investment raised in December last year from Korea Technology Finance Corporation (KIBO), NemosLab established a local Japanese subsidiary this year, focusing resources on local hiring and IP collaboration.

CEO Jeon stated, "Through the Korea-Japan Content Co-Production Week, I want to combine not only music, but also Japan’s powerful character and animation IP with NemosLab’s platform technology. Our goal is to become a core content infrastructure company—not just distributing Japan’s excellent IP for local consumption, but directly connecting it to fans in North America, Europe, and around the world."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.