Chapter 173: The Other Side of the Ocean
The land in Kawasaki City had just been finalized, and Shirakawa Kaede immediately boarded a plane to the west coast of the United States.
Because it crosses the Pacific Ocean, it takes at least 16 hours to travel from Tokyo to Los Angeles.
So, after getting on the plane, Shirakawa Kaede took out a champagne gold SFM-01 Walkman from his mouth, put on headphones and began to enjoy the music leisurely.
Asuka Kobayashi, who was sitting next to him, couldn't help but curl the corners of her mouth when she saw him acting like this.
This guy really doesn't miss any opportunity to advertise his products.
And the sight of Shirakawa Kaede enjoying music with headphones on really attracted the attention of several blond-haired and blue-eyed foreigners around him.
Especially the golden Walkman placed on his legs, the brightness of the clouds made the metal body inadvertently reflect an eye-catching brilliance.
"Hey man, are you listening to music? Sorry to bother you, but it's really cool."
Sure enough, a bearded foreigner sitting next to him in the aisle couldn't help but express his curiosity and asked Baichuan Feng about this mysterious machine.
Baichuan Feng casually took off one of his headphones, but before he could say anything, the foreigner on the opposite side exclaimed again.
"Oh, Jesus! Is this a headset? It's not even as big as my little finger, it's unbelievable..."
Seeing the tiny headphones in Shirakawa Kaede's hand, the foreign friend lost his composure completely.
"Yes, it's a headset. Would you like to try it?" Baichuan Feng greeted the bearded man in fluent English.
"Really? That's awesome. Bro, I'm James, from Los Angeles."
The bearded man started chatting with Baichuan Feng very enthusiastically.
"Call me Bai, here, it's called Flashman, a portable music player."
Baichuan Feng handed the Walkman in his hand to the foreigner named James.
"Oh, Bai, its name is as great as your English!" After James took the Walkman, he first pinched the earphone and looked at it curiously.
He had never seen such headphones before; they were so delicate and so mini.
Not only headphones, but even a Walkman has never been seen before. In his understanding, the only way to enjoy music is through the vinyl record player at home.
This small machine that can be taken out of the house can actually be used to play music?
Oh my god, are you sure today isn't April Fools' Day?
With curiosity and anticipation, James put on his headphones and pressed the play button at Baichuan Feng's suggestion.
"Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
"God~" John Lennon's familiar singing made James open his mouth involuntarily.
Baichuan Feng smiled and did not disturb him. Instead, he turned around and glanced proudly at Asuka Kobayashi who was paying attention to this place.
Just kidding, since they are going to Europe and the United States to develop the market, of course they have to replace the music singers familiar to the American people.
Soon the song ended, and James took off his headphones with a shocked look on his face. "Bai, this machine is definitely the greatest invention of the 20th century."
"Thank you." Baichuan Feng generously accepted his exaggerated praise.
“Is this machine called Flashman a Japanese product? Where can I buy it?
Oh my god, what a shame I missed out on such a great product.”
James was traveling in Japan, and the short one-week trip did not allow him to have the opportunity to come into contact with this new product which had just been on the market for less than a year.
"James, please don't worry, I believe you will be able to see it in Los Angeles soon."
Seeing how much people in Europe and America like Walkman, Baichuan Feng is more confident about this trip to the United States.
"Bai, are you saying that this machine will be available in the United States soon ?
If that’s the case, that’s awesome. Trust me, people are going to go crazy for it.”
James was immediately delighted when he heard Baichuan Feng's solemn promise.
"I'm honored that you like it. James, if you don't mind, please accept it."
"Wait, Bai, are you saying give it to me?" James said in disbelief, pointing at the Walkman in his hand.
"That's right," Baichuan Feng nodded affirmatively.
"But..." James hesitated.
"Don't worry, I have a lot more." Baichuan Feng handed him the business card in his hand.
James took the business card and scanned the information on it. Hmm, this logo looks familiar.
He looked at the Walkman in his hand again, and then a look of sudden enlightenment appeared on his face.
"Bai, I have to say today's experience was truly amazing."
“Thank God”
"Yes, thank God" James gave him a thumbs up.
The next two people started chatting freely on the devices in their hands, from Japan to the United States, from music to technology.
Before they knew it, an hour or two had passed. The two tired people said good night to each other, and when they opened their eyes again, they had arrived at the Los Angeles airport.
"Bai, please call me when you are free, and I will definitely take you to enjoy the scenery of Los Angeles.
As a truck driver, no one knows Los Angeles better than me.”
"No problem, goodbye then." Baichuan Feng waved goodbye to him.
"Are we going to the hotel or to Hasegawa-san's place?" Asuka Kobayashi, who was beside him, asked him about his next itinerary while carrying her luggage.
"Let's go to the hotel first." It was already afternoon, and Shirakawa Feng saw that Kobayashi Asuka looked tired again, so he decided not to rush for half a day.
It is said that Asuka Kobayashi was half-pushed and half-forced by him this time. When she heard that they were coming to the United States, she was not excited at all.
I even feel a little bit of rejection. Are there still Japanese people who don’t like the United States these days?
Baichuan Feng took a deep breath. Hey, the air here is not sweet at all.
Well, he kind of understood Asuka-chan.
Sweet air, perhaps only people with special physiques can smell it.
After adjusting to the jet lag at the Hilton Hotel, Shirakawa Feng and his group gathered their energy and headed to the US branch of Shirakawa Electric.
That’s right, Shirakawa Electric has registered a branch in the United States, and its address is in Los Angeles.
The reason why I chose this place is simple.
After Hawaii, Los Angeles is the second largest gathering place for Japanese Americans in the United States.
There are more than 100,000 Japanese people living here. If we include foreign employees of Japanese companies, the number will be even higher.
Many cities in the west have business dealings with Japan, and the reason for this is that the Japanese stick together.
In several cities around Los Angeles, the largest Asian population is Japanese.
Companies such as Hitachi, Panasonic, and Toshiba all have branches or offices here, so Shirakawa Kaede also follows the local customs.
Shirakawa Electric chose Los Angeles as the location for its first branch in the United States.
It might be a good idea to promote the Walkman by gaining a breakthrough among the local Japanese. Of course, this is the most conservative idea.
However, another important factor should be attributed to the Japan Electronics Industry Association.
That’s right, it was the Electronics Industry Promotion Association that I joined through the introduction of Sony.
It also has an office in the United States. Is there any need to ask where it is? Of course it is also in Los Angeles.
Today, a representative of the other party was invited by Shirakawa Feng to meet at the Los Angeles branch of Shirakawa Electric.
The branch is located on Melrose Avenue, a popular fashion center for young people.
Fashionable clothing, boutiques, music record stores and more are all available.
It is also very close to Hollywood, just a short distance southwest of it.
Being so close to the entertainment capital, one can probably foresee the prosperity and fashion here.
The Shirakawa Electric branch is located near the street here, about five floors high.
The entire building has been rented by Shirakawa Electric, and now the logo and other items on the exterior wall of the main entrance have been decorated.
Just looking at its imposing appearance from the outside gives people a sense of reliability.
If you compare it with the offices of Hitachi and Panasonic in Los Angeles, you will find that the branch of Shirakawa Electric is much more upscale than them.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars were invested, so of course it's grand.
Shirakawa Feng is building this place as a branch, not just an office.
Because he knows that if Shirakawa Electric wants to go global in the future, these investments are indispensable.
Moreover, setting up a company locally will be beneficial for the subsequent expansion of sales channels for Walkmans.
Hasegawa, who had been waiting here for a long time, came forward immediately after entering the building and reported to him about the progress made in the United States over the past month.
Since Shirakawa Electric has no exclusive stores in the United States, it can only go through the distribution channel and act as a simple supplier.
So if you want to sell goods in the United States, the first choice is of course chain department stores.
Walmart, Target, Costco, Best Buy, these supermarket chains have been established and developed for many years.
Although the names may not be well-known, the scale is real.
In the United States alone, their chain stores are spread across almost all fifty continents.
However, it is not easy to enter their supply channels, and negotiations with them are still in the development stage.
While listening to Hasegawa's report, Shirakawa Feng got to know the sales manager here, Yuris, again.
This is the sales director that Shirakawa Electric hired through headhunting at a high price. Not only does he have extensive connections in the retail industry, but he is also fluent in Japanese.
If nothing unexpected happens, he will be responsible for Shirakawa Electric's sales business in the United States.
“Boss, my suggestion is to choose one of them and focus all your energy and resources on making a breakthrough.
Rather than dispersing our precious human resources and attacking aimlessly."
Obviously, Yuris has his own ideas about market development, and these ideas may even be contrary to Hasegawa's opinions.
As expected, when Hasegawa heard Yuris making such a suggestion to his president, he immediately wanted to refute it.
Shirakawa Feng raised his hand to signal them to stop arguing. "Let's meet Morishita Yoichi first and make a decision after we understand each other."
Hearing the boss say this, both of them shut up and walked towards the meeting room.
Yoichi Morishita is the representative of the Japan Electronics Industry Association in the United States.
Because the Ministry of International Trade and Industry is the leader behind this association , Yoichi Morishita also has a certain government background.
The reason why the Electronics Industry Promotion Association has an office here is that in addition to its domestic purpose, it aims to deepen mutual exchanges within the industry.
At the same time, it also carries out research and assistance .
In other words, it has its own way in export trade.
This is why Shirakawa Kaede wanted Sony to be his guide and introduce Shirakawa Electric to join the association.
Tax incentives are secondary. My main purpose is to steal your business.
Oh, Norio Ohga is really a good friend of Shirakawa Denki.
