TRADE WITH JAPAN

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 7, 8 July 1935, Page 10

TRADE WITH JAPAN

OUTLET FOR PRODUCE

POTENTIALITIES STRESSED ■ ENTERPRISE NEEDEDThe potentialities of Japan as a ; market for New Zealand primary produce were stressed by Mr. Ken Sato, the asistanl managing editor of the "Osaka Mainichi," a Japan- : e'se newspaper with a very big ' circulation, on his arrival from ; Sydney by the. Maunganui today. ' He made the point that, to develop a good trade connection, it was 150 ■' use those who had the goods to sell to Japan staying at home and waiting for Japanese buyers to cometo ;. New Zealand. "Why not send 'representatives to Japan and cultivate markets there for your goods?'1 ■ he asked. ... i Mr. Sato arrived in Australia from Japan nearly three months ago, and he . acted as ' spokesman of the Japanese good-will and economic mission, members : of which, under Dr. K. " Abe', subsequently visited New Zealand. The "Osaka Mainichi," with which he is associated, publishes a morning and ;an afternoon edition, and the total daily publication, he stated, exceeded ;»the population of Australia. Mr. Sato was a member of the' Japanese delegation to the League of Nations at Geneva,, from 1923 to 1928. He attended the Washington Disarmament Conference and also accompanied Lord Lytton iti the investigations into Manchurian conditions. .•■'.■ EXHIBITIONS IN JAPAN. In the course of an interview Mr. Sato said he had remained in. Australia to conduct a number of goodwill enterprises and he was visiting New Zealand for a similar purpose. "We are organising an exhibition ot Australian and New Zealand products," he continued, "to be held at Osaka, Tokio, Kyoto, and other leading cities in Japan, to introduce those products to the Japanese people. We expect that about six million people will visit the exhibitions. Major Longfield Lloyd, who has been appointed Trade Commissioner for Australia in Japan, will open the first exhibition in the middle of September- at Tokio. I have come to New Zealand to enlist the support of the Government and the people, towards participating in the exhibitions." "If .-possible, said Mr. Sato, he < also wished to arrange lor exhibits depicting the customs and habits of the Maori race. • • ' We are very much interestedI'm New Zealand, he added, because New . Zealand is ■ our big customer.' We sell more to your country than,we buy, and naturally we prize ■ highly , the New Zealand market as an outlet for our manufactures. "Besides the sample. exhibitions, we propose publishing an elaborate goodwill volume dealing with Japan,-Aus-tralia, and New Zealand. It is .intended that this volume, printed;. in rotogravure and containing 350 pages, should present the life, customs, .and economic conditions of the three nations. The Australian Government and people are participating in this volume in a very great way and the Japanese are solfdly backing the enterprise. I have come- to • see ■if the Government, the people, and institutions , in. New Zealand will have 'ample representation in the publication." Mr. Sato expressed the opinion that the' appointment of a Trade Commissioner'for New Zealand; in Japan would bring beneficial "results. -In'return Japan could: consider establishing a consulate in New Zealand.A He thought it was high time that-Japan established a consular service in'this country, because Japan had so much to do in a business way with" New Zealand. When he returned to Japan lie'intended to agitate to that effect1 OFFICIAL GOODrWILL MISSION. I The' Japanese Government,-said Mr. Sato, was sending an official' goodwill mission to Australia and New Zealand, headed by- Ambassador.Debuchi. The party would be leaving- Japan on July 15 and its purpose would be-to strengthen further friendship and eco-. nomic relationship' existing..between Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. Mr.. Sato expressed , trie',. opinion that the relationship between 'Australia, New Zealand, arid; Japan' Was bound, to be extended in the. future. , because the natural centre' of the world's markets had begun-'.to; shift from Europe to the Pacific. Close co-operation between-the three nations was.necessary to derive: the utmost benefit from this movement. That was1 their Conviction and all Japan's good-will enterprises, the exhibtions of produce and the good-will volume, we're intended to meet the new need arising from the great shifting of the world's markets from the Atlantic to ihe Pacific. He hoped the Government and the'people of New Zealand would not be slow to realise the> magnitude of the possibilities aheafr and- so derive the maximum -bene* fit from-them. "GO OUT AND SELL." "I think Australian and New Zealand business people are conservative, said Mr. Sato. They stay- at ■; home and wait until customers come and buy. That, is: not the way we conduct our business. The Japanese ■go out and sell. Little effort has ibeeh made so' far by the people;of New Zealand to come to our country and develop markers. You have.wonderful- products to sell. Why not : send, representatives to Japan and cultivate markets there for?, your .goods? - * : Mr. Sato pointed, out that;the population of Japan was nearly one. hundred million people, whose power of consumption was tremendous... In his opinion there, was a big enough market in Japan to take the whole of New Zealand's1 produce if proper effort was made to meet the needs of the Japanese people. ' Mr. Sato said he;had wanted to stay a month in New Zealand, but he would be able to remain in '■ the Dominion, much to his disappointment, only abou two weeks.