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Journal
How the Japanese market actually works, written for people who make things. Specific about money, deadlines and what goes wrong — because general encouragement about Japan is easy to find and useless.
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Selling art in Japan — how the market actually works
Why cold approaches fail, the four routes in, what Japanese buyers pay for, and how long it realistically takes.
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What Japanese buyers look for — and what they quietly reject
Visible process, material provenance, functional intent, packaging and reliability. And the four things that fail to travel.
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Japanese department store exhibitions — the route nobody tells you about
Continuous one and two-week selling shows on dedicated gallery floors, invisible from outside Japan. How they work and how to get scheduled.
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Japanese trade shows that actually accept foreign exhibitors
Which shows accept overseas exhibitors, what each is for, lead times, and the customs and pricing decisions to make before booking a stand.
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Design Festa — the easiest way for a foreign artist to show in Japan
Open submission, no selection committee, any nationality. What it costs, who it suits, and how to make it produce more than sales.
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Japanese galleries — how representation actually works
The introduction problem, what a Japanese gallery wants to see, commission structures, rental galleries, and realistic timelines.
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Approaching Japanese shops — what works and what gets ignored
What to send, what the buyer is assessing, wholesale versus consignment, and the one line that removes the barrier to a first order.
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Pricing for the Japanese market
Work backwards from the shelf. What the chain adds, why discounting damages you, and why the bottom of the market is the wrong place to compete.
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Finding a Japanese agent — and what to agree before you do
How to find one, how to assess one, why exclusivity should never be unconditional, and the trademark trap that catches foreign brands.
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Shipping work to Japan — carnets, customs and the decision that changes everything
ATA Carnet versus permanent import, duty and consumption tax, packing for international freight, insurance and realistic timings.
Japanese business etiquette that actually matters; what a Japanese buyer means when they say it is difficult; setting up payment from Japan; and translating a maker statement without losing the voice. Suggest a topic through the enquiry form.
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What about your work?
General guidance only goes so far. Send a link and we will tell you which route fits what you make, and what it would cost.