Dear Members and Friends:
Once again we had an enthusiastic turn out for our meeting on June 29. The
principal activity was receipt of Kei's report from Yamagata, and
acceptance of action items by participants in preparation for the Yamagata
"trade-fair." We really appreciate the flow of good ideas from you
all, and look forward to hearing about progress you have made.
Our understanding of this event is still unfolding, but here is where we are
now:
- Yamagata City's objective is to bring a greater understanding of
what Boulder is like to Yamagata.
- They are willing to buy some "To Be Determined" amount of
goods from Boulder, which they will then sell to Yamagata people.
- These goods should sell for less than about $50 and contribute to their
understanding of Boulder.
- It is important that they meet some people from Boulder face-to-face as
well. This would seem to be an auspicious marketing opportunity for anyone
wanting to sell anything in Japan.
We need to continue to work on:
- Identifying goods that Japanese people would want and can afford that
the City can sell to the people.
- Developing agreements with local businesses to obtain the
products.
- Assembling the products for coordinated shipping and packing them.
- Obtaining the customs clearances.
- Arranging the shipping and receipt in Yamagata.
Insurance would have to be obtained to protect against loss or damage of the
products during shipping, and at Yamagata.
So, we would like to discuss how to proceed.
See you at the meeting,
Charlie and Yoko