No 152


Dear Customers & Friends
Hello from Japan! This is Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News LetterNo.152.It has been quite hot days, and 'Ochugen' season has come also this year.In Japan, people present gifts ('Ochugen') each other for thankingusual commensality. Department stores are the most popular shops forOchugen because of their status. I had worked for a department store for19 years, and we had been very busy during Ochugen season every year. At this season, not only the sales staff but also all up-front staffcome out from the office and sell 'Ochugen' gift at shop. Many customers came to Ochugen Gift center, included 'yakuza'( Japanese gangster).When they came to order, we should never made mistake. Ordinarilymanagers were called and meet them. When I was a sales promotion manager,I was often called to receive them. I had to write long address sheetfor gift sending with seeing their recipient list. Lists were written invery unreadable characters, and I could recognize some famous yakuza'sname and other famous people names in them. Some fingers on the table ofthe customer were missing ( yakuza often cut their finger for theirbosses'forgiveness ), and I asked them fearfully. In addition, calculation forgrand total was very difficult and comlocate with various kinds ofdiscount and other rules. My fingers to push an accounting machinewere almost trembling!
Ordinary people have approx 10 persons to send Ochugen gifts, and somepeople like freelance or business owners have huge Ochugen list.Presenters consider the situation of the recipient - their fondness,family makeup and others, and how many gifts they will receive. When wesend Ochugen to the powerful person, we must think his house must be full of samekind of 'Ochugen' gifts. We prefer common food gifts, because even ifrecipients receive the same items, they will not become useless.Best popular gift items are as below. The first : Beer The second : Western Confectionery The third : JuiceThe fourth : Ham and SausageThe fifth : Coffee and TeaThe sixth : NoodlesThe seventh : Japanese Confectionery The eighth : FruitThe ninth : Cooking Oil The tenth : Cleaning Material
About Ochugen gift, we must have a hang-up over to whom we should send.Especially for the salaried employee, its problem is very serious. Somepeople like me don't send 'Ochugen' to their boss, but I imagine mostsalaried employee must send 'Ochugen' to their boss, previous boss andsuperior boss(boss of the boss). I disliked such 'Ochugen Politics' atthe company and didn't send Ochugen to them, but now I feel it had to be notgood for employee. Later I heard an 'Ochugen' rule from a person, and I convinced his wayis best. He says, ' You don't need send Ochugen to many people, anddon't need send precious gifts. Three thousand yen ( approx 25USD) isenough, and approx 15 persons are enough. You have to choose therecipients carefully with focus on the person you really thank fortheir help and commensality. However, once you send 'Ochugen' to theperson, you never quit sending till he dies. Because the debt nevervanishes.'
By the way we thank you very much for participation to our 'Customers SelectionPage'. We thank you very much for wonderful and knowledgeable comments our ouritems. We determined to make new 'Customers Selection Pages' systemnear future. The pages will be more user-friendly and easily viewablewith newly built system. Selected items also can be seen at usualcategory pages, and only customers buy from the presenter's page, feewill be paid. Anyway presenter will be able to make their page easilyand automatically without Ichiro's work. New system will launch about two month later. Before the new system, wewill upload the special pages made by a customer. Pages are almostcompleted, and we will be able to show you within a few days.
Soba restaurant which I wrote in our previous mail news had opened a fewdays ago. We went the restaurant - soba is very delicious! However, theowner looks not so eager to advertise his new shop. We hope his shopwill be crowded in future!
Today we will list kimono, Obi design sheet, geta, bolt and rare woodblockprint books. We hope you could find your favorite items among them!
We wish you a genkina(cheerful) week!domo arigato gozaimashita
Ichiro & Yuka WadaKimono Flea Market "ICHIROYA"http://www.ichiroya.com
e-mail: info@ichiroya.comaddress: Asia-shoji Bldg.301 1841-1 Nishi 1 chome Wakamatsu cho Tondabayashi city Osaka 584-0025 JAPANTEL&FAX ****( international number ) - 81-721-23-5446