Public Address | Cafe | Field Theory: Japan Part Two: It's business time

recordari

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 14:30:16 +1300

Didn’t arrive until I was 22. Was fortunate to travel back several times for work in my 30s with a ‘badass best friend’ to show me around. ’twas indeed a different place.

Mind you, same badass friend was there at 22, and the trouble we got into then was much…

Hadyn Green

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 13:09:41 +1300

I was a 16 year old boy in Tokyo and did spend a lot of time in Roppongi bars (and riding bikes in Osaka suburbs). But now I've been to better ones, and loved it more. Though I wish I had a badass best friend to show me around the…

shawker

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 12:01:29 +1300

Joanna

Fri, 28 Jan 2011 22:53:47 +1300

I know we were in Tokyo at the same time, and we’ve talked about this and stuff, but what made me fucking bawl like a bullied little 12 year old when I watched Lost in Translation was the fucking smell of Tokyo that came from the TV. It was unbelievably…

Jim Cathcart

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 14:13:04 +1300

I'd also like to point out that the traditional approach to doing business in Japan is changing. The interview offers the traditional approach to dealing with large institutional partners. For example, you're more likely to find smaller food distributors sourcing their own products from abroad as opposed to being "sold"…

Jim Cathcart

Sun, 23 Jan 2011 16:37:09 +1300

The interview was interesting in that it highlights the importance of introductions for building business in Japan. While that may hold true, I know of one NZ distributor who cold-called a Japanese manufacturer and secured a contract to distribute products in NZ. While I'm sure the interview was focused on…

linger

Sun, 23 Jan 2011 00:58:47 +1300

*nods* I avoid Roppongi for other reasons (too far out of my way, and too crowded: I found out about the NZ Travel Cafe on my last excursion out there for the NZ Trade Expo, over 3 years ago) – but you're right. If you want to market more directly…

Hadyn Green

Sat, 22 Jan 2011 18:30:40 +1300

Quick note about the beer... there is more to come. And sneakers. And rock and roll.

@linger I generally prefer to avoid Roppongi as it seems to be the place that caters solely to foreigners so they don't have to experience anything Japanese.

@Joff yes, Little Creatures is really good.…

Jacqui Dunn

Sat, 22 Jan 2011 12:18:53 +1300

Seems strange the story is so hard to find, and I’m starting to wonder if I dreamt it

Or just sat musing, saying to yourself, "But...but...if it had a glass bottom, wouldn't people be able to.....????

recordari

Sat, 22 Jan 2011 10:57:19 +1300

Entranced…
Reminds me of the story, which I can't find, about the lifts in the Kansai Airport.

It only dawned on the (probably male) designers the obvious flaws in having a glass bottom lift raising above waiting passengers when they opened it. They skirted the problem by putting cardboard on…

Ian Dalziel

Sat, 22 Jan 2011 10:41:15 +1300

Entranced...

So it was a lift, masquerading as a wee shop? Fantastic.

very Timelord-like marketing behaviour
or perhaps the Clock Shops of Isher...

unless, of course, it's a wind-up...
;- )

Jacqui Dunn

Sat, 22 Jan 2011 09:53:30 +1300

The doors closed and the whole ‘shop’ started moving downwards.

So it was a lift, masquerading as a wee shop? Fantastic.

linger

Sat, 22 Jan 2011 03:18:32 +1300

I would note that it is already possible to get some NZ beers (Monteiths, Tui) at the New Zealand Travel Cafe in Roppongi – which seems to be trying to be the sort of NZ-specialist outlet you discuss a need for in your interview (& is clearly DB-affiliated).

More generally, there…

Max Call

Sat, 22 Jan 2011 00:06:54 +1300

I visited tokyo about three and a half years ago for a couple of weeks. We were blown away by how amazing it was and had a fantastic time.
One day, while out and about, we wandered into a small 'Swatch' watch shop that was located just inside an inside…

JackElder

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 14:29:36 +1300

I spent most of my adolescence in Tokyo, and loved it. I attribute my ongoing love of hellishly crowded futuristic megalopoli to this. As a tech-mad 15-year old, spending the weekends wandering around Akihabara was awesome fun. I still get a great frisson in weather like we're currently having in…

Jeremy Andrew

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 13:37:21 +1300

Sounds like a good plan for one of these lunchtimes. Any other Ham-Towners want to get in on the action? A wee PA get-together perhaps. I'll add my email details to my profile, drop me a line.

recordari

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 12:23:26 +1300

But then, I guess it's not all Japanese who can't take alcohol, or there wouldn't be sake, would there?

In my 14 months there I met few people who couldn't outlast me, although you wouldn't try to drink anyone under the table, as many of them have gas heaters built…

Geoff Lealand

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 12:17:42 +1300

@ Jeremy. We should meet up some day soon, for a cuppa and a chat (as fellow Hamiltronians)

Jacqui Dunn

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 10:30:13 +1300

I did enjoy this post, but while reading about beer and Japan, I got to wondering a little about it, mainly because of my cousin's Japanese wife, and her hilarious description of her father's fruitless efforts to practise drinking so he could "have a beer" with his son-in-law-to-be (after half…

Jeremy Andrew

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 10:20:17 +1300

Sounds like leftover scenes from a William Gibson novel – especially the homeless sararimen.

& Geoff, now I'll have to go back to Shinjuku, and not just because the owners live next door to me...

BenWilson

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 09:47:25 +1300

So envious. I've always wanted to go to Tokyo, but never found an excuse. The epitome of modernity dropped square in the middle of a very ancient culture strikes me as post...well...post-everything.

Geoff Lealand

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 20:41:42 +1300

A excellent piece to read, after a good meal at the Shinjuku restaurant (to celebrate my daughter's Excellence in NCEA Japanese), and feeling slightly pissed after a bottle of saki.

joff

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 20:12:16 +1300

Loved this writeup.. as an ex-pat Kiwi about to travel from Melbourne to Japan for three weeks, it's nice to get some impressions.

Also, if you can, try Little Creatures Pale Ale or (especially) the Bright Ale... seriously one of the most delicious beers in existence.

Public Address

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 20:12:16 +1300

Discussion from blog post.