Interview
Business Regards croisés – Airstar Japan: When French Lighting Expertise Illuminates the Japanese Events Industry
In this new episode of Business Cross Perspectives, we meet Sébastien Phal, Managing Director of Airstar Japan. Having lived in Japan for many years, he leads the Japanese subsidiary of the world's leading manufacturer of lighting balloons, bringing French technological innovation and creativity to one of the most demanding markets in the world.
"It is a very unique industry and clearly a 100% French expertise."
Founded on a technology developed in Grenoble more than 30 years ago, Airstar has since expanded internationally. In the Asia-Pacific region, its growth has been supported in particular by Partex International, a company based in Singapore since 1993. Beyond its iconic illuminated balloons, Airstar designs lighting, decorative, and spatial solutions for events, exhibitions, and the film industry. Its expertise was notably used during the production of James Cameron's Titanic in the early 1990s.
From Major International Events to Entrepreneurship in Japan: A Demanding Yet Innovation-Friendly Market
Sébastien Phal's journey in Japan began in the wake of the major sporting events that marked the turn of the millennium. Following the Sydney Olympic Games, several major events took place across the Asia-Pacific region, including the America's Cup in New Zealand and the FIFA World Cup in Korea and Japan. Drawn by the region's dynamism, Sébastien Phal decided to settle in Japan. Over several years, he gained firsthand experience of Japanese corporate culture and the local events industry as an employee. It was during this period that he met Airstar's representatives in Asia and helped establish the company's Japanese office.
According to Sébastien Phal, the Japanese market combines high barriers to entry, strong domestic competition, and growing demand for original experiences. While lighting is often approached from a purely functional perspective, the luxury, events, and immersive experience sectors are increasingly seeking more creative solutions. In this context, Airstar Japan differentiates itself through a combination of technology, design, and lighting expertise, delivering projects that include the temporary illumination of historic temples and shrines in Kyoto. Airstar's event engineering capabilities are rapidly evolving toward modern technological solutions. While LED technology now forms the technical foundation of its products, the real added value lies in connectivity and digital tools, enabling remote control of lighting effects, colors, and atmospheres.
From the Olympic Torch to Cinema, Including Titanic
The applications of this technology span an exceptionally wide range of industries. Historically linked to the film sector, the company notably contributed to the production of James Cameron's Titanic in the early 1990s. Today, in Japan, it continues to be involved in other prestigious projects. During the Tokyo Olympic Games, Airstar was selected to illuminate the Olympic torch relay and its convoy, lighting more than 200 meters of roadway within Toyota Group's headquarters complex in Aichi Prefecture. The company has also created scenographic installations for international artists, including the recent Japan concert of singer Bad Bunny. Sébastien Phal also highlights his participation in the Opus project, the final work of composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, for which Airstar's teams developed a dedicated lighting solution to support the film production process.
Although Airstar's expertise extends to film production, construction sites, and emergency response operations, its Japanese subsidiary primarily focuses on the corporate and B2B events market. Luxury brands, fashion companies, and major product launches represent its core business. For these clients, events are above all communication platforms where the creative design of space plays a crucial role, even for highly temporary operations whose effective duration may sometimes last only a few hours.
Next Steps: Meeting Regulatory Challenges and Expanding the Rental Model
The Japanese market presents a significant challenge for foreign technologies due to its stringent certification requirements and technical standards, which are designed to protect the domestic market and favor local solutions. Whether related to electrical standards, safety regulations, or technical compliance, import barriers remain substantial. To overcome these challenges and establish a strong market presence, Airstar Japan has developed a business model centered primarily on equipment rental and temporary installations. The company owns a substantial fleet of equipment that it deploys across approximately one hundred operations each year—effectively launching a new project every two or three days. Sébastien Phal relies on in-house teams capable of managing the entire value chain, from planning and installation to technical programming and dismantling. While decision-making is largely concentrated in Tokyo, Japan's highly efficient logistics network enables the company to operate nationwide, from Hokkaido to Okinawa.
Looking ahead, several major upcoming events are already expected to serve as significant growth drivers for the company.
