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[hermes]

There is a third option that I am not going to mention here out of respect for using this board.

As regards the two possibilities mentioned in the title consider this...

Context: I have lived and worked in Japan although I do not understand Nihongo. I am an experienced world traveller, having visited almost all of Asia to begin. But, I always, always find Japan (and in fact all of East Asia) EXHAUSTING and expensive. So before you jump on  a plane to fill your suitcase with sex toys in Tokyo and Seoul, I tell you the truth...

It ain't gonna be easy. What you save you will spend on hotels and eating out. I spend something like $300 a day in Japan doing nothing.

Maybe if you truly want to buy a crate of sex toys, and maybe if you speak Japanese, and maybe if you are passing through Japan *anyways* (say, on route to Bangkok...), then *maybe* it pays for itself. Now that the yen is weak and it doesn't cost a billion dollars for a cup of coffee like when I worked in Sapporo in 1990.

However, I remember searching in vain for a niche market erotica store in the suburbs (when times were different, let's just leave it at that) and after a hundred dollar taxi ride I gave up. The Japanese, not counting retailers, and maybe not even them, do NOT want to do business with you (very unlike the Chinese). There are workarounds but everything in Japan is a major pain in the neck.

It took me weeks of emails and phone calls (both before and after my recent trip) to seek out and find some similar products to the Toy Demon line (think life size variations that cost $8000). It is an ongoing project that requires patience, money and more patience.

I will just wait for sales at Toy Demon.

BTW, if I get enough reader interest response I might post here what parts I wish to share about my recent market research in Shenzen SEZ and Tokyo that the management of Toy Demon might be comfortable with.

[jonn]

Interesting information here.  I was aware that Japanese culture is not friendly to foreigners, but really, they don't even want to do business with outsiders?  What do they have to lose?  China sure likes doing business with the rest of the world. LOL

[hermes]

Better minds than me have pondered that question. It's not because Japan is an island. Just look at UK  by comparison. Some say 'historical and cultural reasons' is the reason Japan is so problematic to do business with.

Ask the operators of the Toy Demon, or anyone who does business with Japan.  Note that I am not talking about ethnic Japanese Americans and especially nissei (2nd generation Japanese 'immigrants'), I am specifically talking about doing business with Japanese IN Japan. Japan is a strange and wonderful place. I recommend everyone visit the country. But it makes Taiwan look easy.