2015.07.22
Nanjo business group reaches out to U.S. Military community
13 Southern Okinawa business operators including Chinen Fisheries Cooperative Association and Nanjo City Tourist Association, have joined forces setting up ‘Discovery Nanjo,’ a Facebook-based community that aims to strengthen the promotion to sell local products of the city to 60,000 foreigners that live on Okinawa. The group’s Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/discoverynanjo
On their Facebook page participating businesses provide information in English about their business activities, services and products. As a part of their activities, the member companies have set up booths at U.S. military base festivals. The group says that it sold ¥300,000 worth of their products at a recent festival on MCAS Futenma besides promoting Nanjo City as a place to visit to the U.S. Military community.
A spokesman for the group explains, “Our activities will lead to a countermeasure for what we call ’bumper-poor’ image of Nanjo City. We would like to create new customers and attract more visitors.”
As their first direct sales venture, the group sold 300g fish steaks with sauce and bread packed in lunch boxes for ¥1,200 at a festival held on MCAS Futenma in June, and acquired a good reputation for their product. They also took part in an event at Kin Blue Beach last weekend and are scheduled to have a sales booth on Torii Station Caribbean Party in Yomitan Village this weekend.