In the House at Japan House Los Angeles August 2026
ClearTech’s strongest client relationships tend to be our longest ones. We get to know our clients better over time, gaining a richer understanding of their needs and long-term objectives. And in turn, our clients’ trust in us deepens as the years pass.
But relationships don’t flourish in a vacuum. They require constant attention and investment, from both parties. When all those ingredients are in place, great things can happen.
A relationship now in its ninth year
Consider ClearTech’s relationship with Japan House Los Angeles. Mutual respect, commitment, and a truly shared vision for the future have helped us provide the technology platform Japan House relies on to host extraordinary arts and cultural events. But one of our biggest achievements has been simply to provide our client with the peace of mind that comes from knowing they have a technology partner who’s as committed to their success as they are. In return, Japan House has not only given us their repeat business but the opportunity to do our best work.
On our most recent site visit, both Japan House Los Angeles and ClearTech were able to see just what we’ve achieved together.
First, a little background on this amazing facility.
Conceived of and owned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Japan House is described as “an innovative, worldwide project with three hubs – London, Los Angeles, and Sao Paulo [that seek] to nurture a deeper understanding of Japan in the international community. Japan House Los Angeles is a place for new discoveries, offering experiences that showcase the best of Japan through its spaces and diverse programs.”
Japan House’s spaces occupy two floors at Ovation Hollywood and consist of an exhibition gallery and retail outlet (the WAZA Shop), along with a multi-purpose hall known as the Salon, and a library.
Our work with Japan House began in 2017, when we implemented a wide range of technology, including AV, security, POS and IT infrastructure. The showpiece for our work is The Salon, a large, multi-purpose room with an attached demonstration kitchen, integrated audio system, and digital signage. We also partner with Japan House to incorporate AV technology into various exhibits on the gallery floor.
Integration was just the beginning
“After ClearTech integrated the technology initially, Japan House asked us to provide ongoing service and support,” says Maxwell Brown, Director of Sales for ClearTech. “We’re now in our ninth year as their principal technology support resource, but the relationship goes much deeper than that. As technology has evolved and Japan House’s needs have grown, leadership has made us their partner in keeping them at the forefront of what they do.”
Over the years, ClearTech has upgraded the projection equipment and expanded capabilities with enhanced connectivity, more capable control technology, and a new sound processing and mixing system that vastly improves the guest experience in a wide variety of applications. “If they want to bring in live music or additional sound sources or microphones to mix manually, those are all options now,” says Brown. And on the gallery floor, ClearTech has provided projectors, flat panel displays and other technology that can be deployed as needed to make the attendee experience more immersive and memorable.
The benefits of the partnership are both long-term and strategic – and very immediate. “Japan House has provided nothing but positive feedback on our technology consultations and integration, but perhaps our biggest impact has been in the realm of service and support,” Brown explains.
The human touch, with a technology assist
“We’ve had a service contract with Japan House from the very beginning of our relationship. In some ways, the arrangement has evolved significantly. For example, today we provide ClearTech Connect AV Managed Services, which combine 24/7 system monitoring with proactive trouble shooting, live video support, and onsite services. This level of service and support has been very well received. But even as we’ve introduced features like a remote help desk, what Japan House appreciates most is the constancy of our commitment and relationship, which really proves its value in the form of on-site support.”
Says ClearTech Lead Service Technician Alex Navarro, “After I was hired, my very first service call was to Japan House, and I’ve been the client’s principal on-site support resource ever since. We’re talking several years now. During that time, we’ve really gotten to know each other. There’s a lot of mutual affection and trust. And of course, I have an intimate knowledge of their systems and needs.”
These days, ClearTech Connect can do amazing things for Japan House – for example, detecting and resolving problems before anyone is even aware of them. Say there’s a power outage that trips a system. In the past, the problem might not have become known until that piece of equipment was actually needed. Now, ClearTech can detect the failure through its technology monitoring, which involves continuous testing and retesting of gear, and fix it well before the heat of the moment.
But for Japan House, even greater peace of mind comes from having a technology partner who has proven their commitment to the organization and possesses a deep understanding of its infrastructure. The value of that relationship is borne out in ways large and small, says Navarro. “Just recently, it occurred to me that we could wrap various non-AV technologies into the platforms we developed for Japan House, giving them greater convenience and fewer things to worry about. For instance, I was able to integrate curtains and movable doors into an iPad-controlled ecosystem we initially created for AV.”
“That kind of performance improvement might not be a big thing,” Navarro hastens to say, “but the client appreciated having someone on-site who knows their gear, thinks on their behalf, and will be there to get the job done.”
