Realpacking Story

Global K-Pop Merchandise Shipping Challenges: How a Japanese Logistics Hub Solves Them

July 3, 2025

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Recently, we've seen a surge in inquiries about video recording solutions from brands considering overseas expansion and logistics companies with global operations. This trend stems from the growing challenges in international customer communication as the content industry, particularly K-pop, continues its global expansion.

Consumer behaviors like ordering multiple albums or photocards and then returning unwanted items after cherry-picking favorites, combined with the inherent complexities of global shipping—language barriers, time zones, shipping costs—have created demand that goes beyond simple fulfillment to require comprehensive "video-based documentation."

Japan is no exception. With the global spread of fandoms for idols, characters, and sports stars, merchandise shipment volumes through Japanese logistics centers have grown dramatically. The unique consumption patterns of merchandise create real operational challenges in customer service, returns processing, and quality control workflows.

Our recent visit to a Japanese facility originated from precisely these challenges.

Global comprehensive logistics company: "We would like to utilize video more in our existing system."

A leading integrated logistics company, actively expanding in the global logistics market, recently implemented a video recording system at their Japanese logistics center.

Interestingly, this company already had built-in video capture functionality within their proprietary fulfillment system. Their existing process involved filming items that required video inspection before proceeding to the next step.

However, as their global operations expanded and the operational standards and customer communication requirements at their Japanese facility became increasingly sophisticated, the demands on their video system intensified. Managing video quality, upload speeds, and storage methods flexibly across different facilities while maintaining their proprietary system began consuming significant resources. This led to an internal consensus that outsourcing the video recording system to a specialized provider would be more efficient.

Ultimately, the decision was made to implement a professional solution for video recording to simultaneously improve operational efficiency and quality—a choice that led to the installation at this Japanese facility.

Video recording solution quickly established in Japanese logistics center

When considering video recording solutions, companies often first think of the burden of equipment replacement, line adjustments, or process changes. However, in practice, these systems are implemented in collaboration with professional consultants in ways that integrate naturally with existing infrastructure.

At this facility, we were able to implement the system without touching the existing packing processes, maintaining all current camera settings while simply installing the necessary software for immediate operation. The new video recording system seamlessly replaced the built-in filming functionality, preserving the existing fulfillment workflow while creating a more streamlined data flow. Field workers didn't need to add any extra steps or actions, and efficiency actually improved thanks to faster video upload speeds.

Given that the Japanese center required relatively long-term video storage, they opted for a hybrid cloud model. This approach—using cloud-based services while storing video data on on-site servers—balanced both cost considerations and management efficiency.

To configure this server setup, the RealPacking team traveled directly to the Japanese facility. After thorough domestic consultations covering server equipment, network environment, and installation locations, the team traveled according to the local schedule. Installation was completed within parameters that didn't disrupt daily center operations. The system was operational in the live environment immediately after installation, worker training was completed quickly, and all preparations were finalized within a single day.

The flexible architecture that didn't require changes to existing system structures, combined with ease of use, generated positive feedback from the facility regarding both speed and usability.

Smoother workflow with customized video recording system

The first noticeable change after implementing the video recording solution was in the workflow. By configuring the video recording solution and existing management system as separate but communicating entities, the facility could maintain high-quality video documentation without disrupting existing management system workflows.

Management also improved significantly. Since RealPacking was already in use across multiple domestic centers, the Japanese center could be managed within the existing account structure. Regardless of country or center differences, multiple workspaces and groups could be created within a single account, enabling convenient video and data monitoring and management.

This particular installation faced tight scheduling constraints and the challenge of simultaneously setting up servers and software without stopping ongoing center operations. The RealPacking team prepared everything to be immediately operational in the actual usage environment based on pre-agreed facility equipment and configuration values. The on-site implementation maintained existing fulfillment flows while achieving high satisfaction levels from workers to managers.

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For companies seeking to establish logistics competitiveness on the global stage, simple fulfillment automation is no longer sufficient. Organizations must build foundations that can demonstrate service quality within complex headquarters-subsidiary-partner operational structures while managing international customer communications. This has become both a logistics operational strategy and a source of brand competitive advantage.

<div style="border:0px; border-radius: 3px; background-color: #e9fbff; margin: 0px; padding: 24px; font-size:0.85rem; line-height: 1.8;"><strong>👨🏻‍💼 Expert Consultant Insights:Key Requirements for International Logistics Center Video Recording</strong> </br>Interest in video recording systems continues to grow among overseas logistics facilities. Beyond simple installation feasibility, the critical criteria have become operational structure capabilities and seamless integration with local environments.</br></br>For example, in multilingual environments like Japan or the United States, having operational environments that match the languages actually used by workers (English, Japanese, etc.) is essential. Additionally, since local infrastructure and network conditions may differ from domestic standards, it's crucial to verify whether the system can be used immediately after installation without additional development.</br></br>Since video retention periods and operational methods vary by company, it's important to evaluate whether the solution offers flexible options—not just cloud-based structures, but also hybrid models that can incorporate on-site servers alongside cloud operations.</div>

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