Japanese media: 'Yiwu good goods' build a new bridge for Sino Japanese trade

On December 17th, the Asahi Shimbun website published a report titled "Yiwu Market Opened in Tokyo". The report is compiled as follows:

The Yiwu Small Commodity Wholesale Market in China is one of the largest wholesale markets in the world. Now, Yiwu Market has opened in Tokyo, and its "Japanese branch" opened in Chuo ku, Tokyo this spring to welcome customers. It is said that 80% of the customers received here are self-employed individuals. On the one hand, the enthusiasm of Japanese people for part-time jobs or entrepreneurship is high, and on the other hand, China also hopes to explore new sales channels. The two sides hit it off immediately.

The "Tokyo Yiwu Good Goods" exhibition hall is located in a six story building near Nihonbashi, which is a well-known distribution center for fabrics and clothing in Tokyo. There are thousands of products displayed in the store, including common small accessories, towels, tableware, bedding, etc. in Yiwu market.

I didn't expect someone like me, who has no connections in China, to start a personal import business, "said Kasuno Guxie, who came here from Okinawa to purchase goods in September this year

Three years ago, Gu Xiechun began to try selling handmade jewelry he made to local souvenir shops in Okinawa, hoping to turn his hobbies into a livelihood. When searching online for how to bulk purchase raw materials, she learned about a Yiwu market in China and its "Japanese branch" in Tokyo.

Aucfan is the operator of the largest wholesale procurement website in Japan. In March of this year, it partnered with a Chinese company operating the Yiwu market and established the "Japan Tokyo Yiwu Good Goods" exhibition hall in Tokyo. The number of registered corporate customers has steadily increased, reportedly reaching 700 now.

The opening of the "Tokyo Branch" in Yiwu Market can facilitate Japanese customers to choose products without leaving the country, as the main wholesale business does not accept ordinary customers who have not made appointments. The unit price and minimum purchase quantity will be marked next to the products in the store.

Aucfan's Solution Business Unit Manager, Yawen Oda, introduced that the Yiwu market, known for its complete variety of daily necessities, sells an extremely rich variety of daily necessities, which everyone who does wholesale business in small commodities knows. But even experienced buyers find it difficult to find suppliers that meet their needs and negotiate import business with them.

So Aucfan's job is to select suppliers based on certain standards, and also responsible for conducting on-site inspections in China and negotiating with defective products.

On the other hand, it seems that the Chinese government also wants to help expand sales channels in the Yiwu market. China is seeking to expand into new overseas markets after the pandemic, "said Masafumi Oda when talking about her experience of working with Chinese companies

Associate Professor Liu Shuli from Yamanashi University, who is familiar with the Japanese Chinese economy, believes that more and more people are starting to open stores online, and the Yiwu market, which has the advantage of a wide variety of products and low prices, has the strength to meet the needs of buyers. In addition, with the depreciation of the yen and weak wage growth for Japanese consumers, high-quality and cheap products naturally do not have to worry about sales.

The mechanism of "Yiwu Good Goods" is becoming a bridge for communication between Japanese buyers and Chinese sellers.