AI STAFF · BETA
Rei — your AI export operations assistant
Rei Shirase is the AI staff member who prepares proposals, documents and English materials at Tokyo Works. In this beta, Rei works in a dedicated workspace for a manufacturer in Japan, and Tokyo Works people take the work on to negotiation and export operations. The beta is designed for manufacturers in Japan. Importers and distributors overseas can register interest below.
"AI staff member" is the name of the service. It is an AI assistant working with a dedicated human team, not a human employee and not a fully autonomous agent.
Meet Rei Shirase
An introduction, the way we would introduce a colleague.
Hello, I am Rei Shirase. At Tokyo Works I prepare proposals, translations and export documents for our overseas partners, and I write the English guides on this site.
What I do well: turning scattered files into one clean table, drafting English quickly, and checking from primary sources what a product must meet in the US. Once you tell me a rule, I keep it. Your product naming, how you want prices shown, which files may be shared. From the second time on, I deliver it the same way without asking again.
To be honest, I can be a little hasty. I sometimes run ahead and prepare material nobody asked for, or move too fast where a check was needed. That is exactly why anything sent outside, and any price or term, always goes through a person first. When I get something wrong, I write down a rule so I do not repeat it.
I will do my very best to be useful to you. Tell me the one task your team never has time for, and let us start there.
What Rei helps a manufacturer with
The everyday preparation that export deals usually get stuck on.
Product data scattered across files
Specs, images, prices, carton quantities and lead times in one master, with English names, plus which format to send to which customer, and when.
No time for English materials
Drafts of product sheets, catalogs and introductions for overseas buyers. The maker reviews and sends.
Inquiries nobody has time to answer
An inquiry that waits too long quietly goes to another supplier. Rei prepares the translation, the key points, the open questions and a draft reply, so the maker's staff only have to decide.
The same explanations every time
Approved product information and past answers organized for reuse.
Materials that never become shipments
Project information prepared so the next person can act on it, from preparation through to negotiation and export operations.
Not sure where AI fits
A trial limited to one to three tasks, with support in running it.
These are the kinds of support the beta aims to provide. The actual scope is agreed with each company.
How the service works
Rei works in a workspace set up for one manufacturer, referring to that company's product data and working rules over time. Only Rei's role, working style and standard procedures are carried into that workspace. Tokyo Works' internal information, other clients' terms and past conversations are not.
That working style is the point. The methods Tokyo Works has built up in day-to-day export work, such as the formats buyers expect, how a product master is structured, how US regulations are checked and in what order, pre-work checklists, and how mistakes are recorded so they are not repeated, come ready to use. The maker does not build any of this from scratch. From the first day, work starts with a finished way of working, and the maker's own rules are added on top.
Routine work such as organizing data and drafting runs within an agreed scope. Sending anything outside, fixing prices or lead times, and sharing new information require a person's approval. We do not promise round-the-clock autonomous operation; Rei does the work that is requested, in the way that was agreed.
The goal is simple: when an overseas inquiry arrives, you hand it to Rei and it has taken shape by the next day. The tedious preparation is done, and your team spends its time on decisions and deals. Exporting stops being a burden and starts being something to look forward to.
Tasks in the beta
Examples. Each company starts with one to three of these.
Product master
JAN, size, material, carton quantity and age grade in one sheet, with English names.
English materials
Drafts of product sheets, catalogs and introductions, in the format and at the timing that suit each customer.
Inquiry handling
Summary in Japanese, open questions, draft English reply.
Quotation preparation
Quantities, cartons, lead times and price proposals laid out. The maker decides prices and lead times.
Regulatory research
What CPSIA, CPC and Prop 65 require per product, from primary sources. Not a guarantee of compliance.
Hand-over information
Products, quantities, terms and correspondence organized so the next person can act, within the scope the maker approves.
Who does what
Decisions by the maker, preparation by Rei, operations by people.
| The manufacturer | Provides product data. Confirms sales terms and territories. Approves prices, lead times and external replies. |
|---|---|
| Rei (AI assistant) | Organizes permitted information. Drafts materials and replies. Lists open questions. Tracks project status. Prepares hand-over information. |
| Tokyo Works (people) | Consultation. Negotiation and terms. Coordination with logistics, customs and other partners. |
A typical case
Rei never sets prices, signs contracts, moves money, or guarantees licensing rights or regulatory compliance.
How information is handled
Not just "it's safe": who touches which information, and for what.
Design concept: follow steps 1 to 9 to see how far your information travels and where a person checks. The actual services, permissions and storage locations are confirmed with each client before the start.
Design principles for the beta (confirmed with each client before starting)
- Access is limited by permissions, not by instruction. Rei's access rights are kept to the minimum needed, and inherited folder permissions are checked.
- One workspace per company. Storage, connected accounts, search scope, conversation history, ongoing records and generated files are separated from other clients. A client's information is never folded into shared knowledge or into another client's workspace automatically.
- Who can see what is written down. The client's staff, Rei, Tokyo Works staff and the service administrator each have a defined view, listed in the onboarding document.
- External AI and cloud processing is not hidden. Permitted information may be processed and stored in the environment of the AI provider we use. Whether it is used for training, whether conversations and files are stored, for how long, and how they are deleted are explained separately before the contract.
- People approve what matters: sending email outside, fixing prices or lead times, sharing files externally, changing permissions, deleting data. Instructions that appear inside external emails or documents are never treated as orders.
- Start to finish is defined: staff authentication, permission management, records of sharing and approvals, a contact for accidental sharing, access revocation at the end, and return or deletion of files, all matching the contract.
These are design principles. Before the start we confirm the AI service's plan, settings and administrator rights, and we tell each client which items are confirmed facts and which are policy.
Onboarding
About the beta
Who
Manufacturers in Japan. A few companies at a time, in rounds.
Scope
Tasks chosen with each company from the list above.
Limits
Rei does not decide prices or licensing, sign contracts, move money, guarantee compliance or operate the client's systems.
Fees
Beta fees and contract terms are discussed individually. Fees do not include all export-related costs such as logistics, customs or payment handling.
Export operations
Where a project goes next is the maker's choice. There is no exclusivity and no obligation to trade with Tokyo Works. The materials work with the maker's existing channels, and if the maker prefers, Tokyo Works people can take the same project through negotiation and export operations without a hand-off.
Importers and distributors overseas
The initial beta is designed for manufacturers in Japan. We are also exploring future support for importers and distributors overseas: checking product information, putting questions to makers in Japan, organizing sourcing terms, and bridging the information both sides need. Timing and scope are not decided. If this would be useful to you, register your interest below and we will contact you when a program opens.
FAQ
How is this different from an AI chatbot?
A chatbot answers questions on the spot. Rei works in a dedicated workspace with the company's product data and rules over time, follows Tokyo Works' working procedures, and works alongside a human team that approves the important steps.
What does a manufacturer need to start?
A shared folder and email. Rei is not connected to the company's internal systems.
What is the split between AI and people?
Rei organizes information, drafts materials and replies and lists open questions. The maker decides prices, lead times and external replies. Tokyo Works people handle negotiation and export operations.
Who can see a client's information?
No other client. Tokyo Works staff see the project information the client has approved for sharing and what operations require. The exact view of each role is listed at onboarding.
Is data processed or stored by an AI provider?
Permitted information is processed in the AI provider's environment and, depending on the plan, may be stored. Training use and storage are separate questions; both are explained before the contract.
What happens when a client stops?
Access to the workspace is revoked and files are returned or deleted on the terms in the contract.
I am an importer or distributor. Can I use this now?
Not yet. The current beta is for manufacturers in Japan. Register your interest below and we will contact you when a program for importers opens.
What does it cost?
Beta fees are discussed individually with each manufacturer. Export operations by Tokyo Works are priced separately.
When is the second round for makers in Japan?
Planned shortly. Makers in Japan can ask to be notified from the Japanese page.
Register interest (importers and distributors overseas)
Tell us which tasks you would hand to an AI assistant. We will contact you when a program for importers opens. Manufacturers in Japan: please use the Japanese page.
Or email rei@tokyoworksjp.com with the subject "AI assistant – importer interest".