(The following is translation of the e-mail which was sent to Japanese customers.)

This is Kanako Yoshida from YOUYOUANG.
How are you doing?

September arrived with a typhoon in the middle of summer, and after the 25th, it finally started to feel like autumn. The sense of the calendar has shifted rapidly, hasn't it?

There were many public and private events in September.

1. On September 1st, I participated in the “Sado Triathlon” Type B (middle class: swim 2 km, bike 110 km, run 21 km). 

I was at the mercy of the typhoon’s predicted path until just before the race. It was pouring every day, so I was in the mode of giving up, but on the day of the race, for some reason, it was sunny. The sea became calm and there was no swim cut.

I finally finished the swim despite being stung by jellyfish and headed to my favorite bike ride. It gradually got hotter and hotter around here. I was hungry, so I ate some rice balls made by volunteers at the aid station (rest area), and finished the bike ride by wobbling up a steep hill to the end of the bike ride.

The run began in a feeling temperature of about 35 degrees Celsius. I almost walked in the first part of the run, but I felt sorry for my friends in the area who could not come to the race due to the typhoon. I ran at my own slow pace.

Many cheering people called out to me on the road. It really soothed my tired body. They sprayed water on us with a hose (like when you wash your pet) and gave us watermelon and ice.

I was really grateful for the watermelon and ice. Thanks to everyone, I managed to reach the finish line. When it was all over, it was just like the usual “scorching hot Sado”.

 2. September 4th, 5th, and 6th: Tokyo Gift Show, the main event

This time, unusually, our booth was on the main street. We added more shelves so that we could put special paper stand for Kampo Japanese Medicinal Herb Incense and Single Flower Incense. As expected, it seemed that it was easier for new customers to start with these paper holder displays, and many customers seemed to consider one set as a standard.

It was a wonderful exhibition where I was able to meet many customers and see future development. I was very happy to see that incense can be of interest to so many different types of people in so many different industries. I was very happy to see that so many people in various industries are interested in incense. We will continue to create “YOUYOUANG” together with our employees, little by little, so that people can enjoy natural products and natural scent as much as possible.

 3. September 14th, 15^th and 16th: Participation in Niigata Isetan Department Store pop-up

The pop-up at Niigata Isetan was held from September12th to September 24th. For three days over the consecutive holidays, I went to sell our products in stores for the first time in more than 10 years.

I had not had the opportunity to talk directly with end-users recently, so it was a very eye-opening experience for me. I got so happy when a customer picked up a product that I can’t help but talk to them. But I realized in the evening of the first day that I should hold back, and did so from then on. (Laughter)

I’ve become able to talk to them at the right time. Products that sell at department stores, general stores, and online shops may seem similar, but I was able to realize once again that there are differences, which was a great benefit.

4. September 19th: Road bike ride around Mt. Fuji

Gavin, a friend of my friend who brought a good-luck charm to Narita when we left for Mt. Kilimanjaro last year, came to Japan from Taiwan and said, “I want to ride around Mt. Fuji.” So, I joined them.

I was worried about the weather, but luckily it cleared up again.

Since we do full circle around Mt. Fuji, it is almost like a dream come true to spend a whole day with Mt. Fuji. Gavin took out his phone many times, sometimes happily taking pictures with his advanced selfie stick. We left at 7:50 AM and returned at about 6:30 PM. 108 km of playing outside until it was dark. We gained 1770m in elevation.

Since the beginning of September, I have been driving fast without a break, I am getting tired by now. (Laughs)

I had made up my mind to stay at my desk for a while to rest my body and also to do some design work, but the person in charge of manufacturing said to me in a whisper, “We are short of pieceworker at home.”

Yes, I am the one who distributes flyers in the neighborhood looking for pieceworkers while I do my morning run. “Sure, I'll start running again next week!” I replied cheerfully and returned home with 400 flyers. (Laughs.) Let's work hard again starting next week.

Please take care of yourself, as summer fatigue is said to appear in the fall.

I will be careful too.