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

This is Kanako Yoshida from YOUYOUANG.
I hope you have been well.

Before we knew it, Obon (a traditional Japanese holiday period when many people return to their hometowns and spend time with their families) has already come and gone, and next week will already be September. Time really does fly!

And next week is also the Tokyo Gift Show.

The show will be held at Tokyo Big Sight on September 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. Due to ongoing construction, we will once again be exhibiting in the West Hall.

Our booth number is T34-01, West Hall 2.

We sincerely look forward to welcoming you there.

Last week, I made my first business trip to the Kansai region in quite some time. It was a little journey that took me from Kyoto to Shigaraki, then to Osaka, and finally back to Tokyo, where I had meetings with customers in various places.

The weather had been relatively cool during the summer holidays, but the heat returned just in time for my business trip. I was carrying samples and our new catalogs, so unfortunately, I didn't even have a free hand for a parasol!

After finishing meetings in Tokyo on the first day, I headed to Kyoto early the next morning.

I changed trains at Kyoto and Kusatsu and took the Shigaraki Kogen Railway for the first time.

The single-track railway ran through tunnels of green. The scenery was wonderful, and for a moment, I felt as though I were in a Japanese travel program on BS television—although I wasn't drinking! (Laugh)

My destination was Oogoya, a Shigaraki pottery store that has been one of our customers for more than 20 years. This was my first visit. We usually receive their orders by fax, and their handwriting is so familiar to me that I can tell immediately, just by looking at it, that the order is from Oogoya! I was very happy to finally meet them in person. And I was surprised when I arrived—their large store has become something of a tourist destination in Shigaraki.

They had also displayed our incense beautifully, filling an entire shelf.　For more than 20 years...　I am truly grateful. The spacious and easy-to-browse store was filled with beautiful pottery, carefully displayed by individual kiln and artist.

At Shigaraki Station, I was also seen off by the town's famous tanuki (Japanese raccoon dog)!

After returning to Kusatsu, my next destination was Nagahama. Speaking of Nagahama, many people may think of Kurokabe Glassworks, a shop that has been transformed into a popular tourist destination by making use of its historic buildings.

They have also been our customer for more than 20 years—actually, probably even longer—and they carry our incense in glass bottles.

On the train ride back, I found myself thinking:

"New products are exciting, of course. But in the end, the products that best suit a particular place and store are probably the ones that customers appreciate most."

In Osaka, I also had meetings with some of our long-standing customers. I was grateful to hear that certain products have continued to sell steadily there as well. We talked about how the products that best suit a particular store or sales channel are often the ones that resonate with end customers.

Perhaps that is what it really means for a product to click with people.

It's easy to become especially attached to a newly launched product and want to put all our energy into promoting it, so this was a good reminder for me.

Of course, the trip was about work—but I also found a very comfortable little bistro while walking from my hotel near Shin-Osaka Station.

Because it was in an office district, the area was quiet in the evening, and that night, I was the only customer.

The owner who is a young woman and I started by talking about the Osaka Marathon, and little by little, she began telling me about herself. Over some wonderful sake from Gifu and other delicious drinks, I enjoyed listening to her personal stories.

Today, a heatstroke alert has once again been issued in Maebashi.

The lingering summer heat is still quite severe, so please make sure to drink plenty of water and stay somewhere cool whenever possible.

Take good care, and I hope to see many of you at the Tokyo Gift Show next week!