アメリカで貿易会社を設立し、はや1年が経過しました。
輸出業をはじめた当初は、
日本が世界に誇ることができる製品は、
家電ではないかと思っていました。
ところが、実際に販売を行なってみると、
日本の家電を購入するのは経済的に豊かな世界の愛好家だけでした。
多くの注文は世界中のOTAKUと呼ばれる、
日本のサブカルチャーファンによるものでした。
また、最近では日本人が思いもよらないような商品が
海外で大ヒットしたりと、日々新しい発見の連続です。
At first, I thought the product Japan should be proud of was consumer electronics.
However, after starting to sell them, only financially wealthy aficionados all over the world purchased Japanese consumer electronics.
Most orders were made by otakus, fans of Japan's subculture.
Also, products that we Japanese never imagine to be popular become hugely successful. Every day I discover something new.
In early days when I started my export business,
I had thought home appliances were what Japan can proudly offer to the world.
However, when I actually started my business, I found that only wealthy enthusiasts could afford these Japanese-made home appliances in the world.
Most orders I received were from people called OTAKU, who loved Japanese subculture, from across the world.
Recently, some items that Japanese people did not expect became a huge hit abroad and I encounter new surprises every day.
I thought at first when I started export business that the products Japan could be proud of to the world would probably be the household appliances.
However, I found in the actual sales scenes that it was rather only the economically rich and the fans of the world who bought Japanese household appliances.
Many such orders came in fact from Japanese subculture fans of the world called OTAKU.
In addition, I also see recently the big hits of the Japanese products that Japanese have never imagined would attract people abroad; things surprise me every day.
当初は1点ずつ商品を直送していましたが、
この業務も外注化して1年が経過。
最近では世界中のアマゾンの倉庫に、
毎回100キロ以上のペースで数百個単位で商品を送り続けています。
段ボール箱にすると毎回10箱から15箱。
この発送も近々外部に委託する予定です。
世界中のお客様から日本の製品はもう充分だと、
そう言ってもらえるまでは
日本の製品を海外で販売することに決めました。
今年はネット小売のみならず、
新興国のリアル店舗にも進出する予定です。
本年度もチャレンジを続けて行きたいと思います!
Now we are sending our goods to the Amazon warehouses worldwide at a pace of more than100 Kg (some hundreds unit items) every time.
Ten to fifteen cardboards every time.
We are going to ask this process to external companies.
Until customers in the world would say “no more Japanese goods”, we will sell Japanese goods abroad.
This year, not only net-shops, we will set up actual shops in developing countries.
We continue challenge this year also.
Nowadays I continue shipping out products to the warehouses of Amazon across the world by several hundred units, at the pace of more than 100 kilos every time.
That is, counting in number of cardboard boxes, 10 to 15 boxes every time. I am going to subcontract this dispatching job also soon.
I have decided to focus on and continue selling Japanese products abroad until I hear they say that they have had Japanese products more than enough.
I am going to go into not only the online retail but also the real stores in the emerging nations this year.
I want to continue challenging this year, too!