EASTERN MARKETS

Hokitika Guardian, 10 July 1935, Page 2

EASTERN MARKETS

A TRADE EMISSARY. VIEWS OF -JAPANESE PRESSMAN. WELLINGTON, July 8. The potentialities of Japan as a market for New Zealand primary produce were discussed by Mr Ken Sato, assistant managing editor of the Osaka “Mainiclii Shmiiun,” a Japanese journal with a large circulation. He arrived from Sydney by the Maunganui to-day, In an interview. Mr Sato said he had been in Australia to conduct a number of goodwill enterprises, and he was visiting New Zealand for a similar purpose. “We are organising an exhibition oi Australian and New Zealand products,” he continued, “to be held at Osaka. Tokyo, Kyoto, and other leading cities in Japan, to introduce those products to the Japanese people. We expect that about 6.000,000 people will visit thp 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 Tokyo. I have come to Now Zealand to enlist the support of the Government and people towards participating in the exhibitions.” If possible, said Mr Sato, he also wished to arrange for exhibits depicting the customs and habits of the Maori race. “We are very much interested in New Zealand, because New Zealand is our customer. We sell more to your country than we huv, and naturally wo prize highly the Now Zealand market as an outlet for our manufactures. Ro-

sides sample exhibitions, we propose publishing an elaborate goodwill volume dealing with .Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. It is intended that this volume, 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 solidly backing the enterprise. \ have come to see if the Government, people, and institutions in New Zealand will have ample representation in the publication.” Mr Sato said 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. He thought it high time Japan established a consular service in this country, because Japan had so much to do in a business way with New Zealand. When lie returned to Japan, lie intended to agitate to that effect. The Japanese Government, said Mr Sato, was sending an official goodwill mission to Australia and New Zealand, headed hv a former Ambassador to the United States, Mr Katsuji Debuchi. The party would be leaving Japan on July 15, and its purpose would be to strengthen further the friendship and economic relationship existing among Japan. Australia, and New Zealand. The relationship among Asutralia, New Zealand and Japan was bound to be extended in the future, because the natural centre of the world’s markets l had begun to shift from'Europe to the Pacific. Close co-operation tonhbng the j three nations was necessary,” if'They j wore to derive the utmost benefit from | this movement. Japan’s goodwill en- | tei'prises. exhibitions of produce, and I its goodwill volume' were intended to moot the new need arising from the

great shifting of the world’s markets from the Atlantic to the Pacific. He hoped the Government and people of New Zealand would not be slow to realise the magnitude of the possibilities ahead, and so derive the maximum benefit from them. “1 think Australian and New Zealand business people are conservative,” saief Mr Sato. “'They stay at home and wait until customers come and buy. That is not the way we conduct • our The Japanese |go out and sell. Little effort has been made so far bv the pcpole of New Zealand to come to our country and develop markets. You have wonderful product#; to sell. Why not send representatives to Japan and cultivate markets there for your goods?” Mr Sato remarked that the population of Japan was nearly 100,000,000 people, whose power of consumption was tremendous. In his opinion there was a big enough market in Japan to take the whole of Now Zealand’s produe, if a proper effort were made to meet the needs of the Japanese people.