A couple of days ago, I headed off to Shizuoka to meet with a soap supplier whose product I was interested in when I was last in Japan.
Although I'm very interested in the soap, I'm still trying to find a way to make it work financially, because their export price will make it hard to offer in a reasonable price range in the U.S. I think some retailers won't mind as long as people buy. The price will work out to be closer to the cosmetic soaps that they tend to sell in department stores. It's unique enough that this may not be a problem, but like many products I am interested in, developing the market may be very challenging and expensive. I suppose, however, if it weren't challenging, I wouldn't be interested... I started planning to leave my last job when it stopped being challenging. Still, I'd be much more comfortable with a price point that would be more compatible with US equivalent markets, and also avoid risk of parallel imports from individuals with friends back home...
I did a little bit of research on sources for a product a customer requested, which bore some fruit, so to speak. If I can establish a connection with the company in question, I may be able to get a much better price for a product of similar quality. At the same time, I found some other interesting products, though I am a little ambivalent about importing them.
Last night I met with Linda of Azuma Gallery, who invited me to join her and the daughter of her one-time host family at a print show and benefit. After the reception and viewing of the prints for sale, Linda rounded up some artists whose work she sells, and Hiromi joined us as we all went out for a light dinner and drinks, overwhelming the waitstaff and kitchen staff by suddenly appearing all at once in a group of 20.
Tomorrow I head off to Kyoto, which is now a slightly different trip than I had originally planned... it should be pleasant... I'll get to see a friend from college and another friend or two, and also have the chance to eat at Del Cook Cuisine de Nose, which is a French restaurant in a woodsy area near Osaka. I may try to do a little ceramics hunting, though the dealer layer will make that much more expensive than I'd like. I've had a few requests for some work that comes out of Kyoto, so I will hunt a bit.