Welcome to the first issue of Terrie's Take for 2016. Usually our first Take features predictions about general Japanese business and politics. But we thought we'd focus a bit more on our core expertise, which is tourism.

In this Take, our second-last for the year, we share a collection of observations about how to find distributors for your products even before you commit to setting up a company.

A quick look on Google for the search terms "Japan International Cooperation Agency" (JICA) and "corruption" reveal a broad range of articles from independent journalists around Asia.

How many impressionist works of art are here in Japan? Several of the largest collections are located in and around Tokyo, while there are lots of single paintings spread out all over the country.