Back in 2015 when I had a business mentor she asked me if I would be interested in supplying a Japanese company “Hero”. I was of course up for the challenge. We sent a couple of handbags to Hero who took them to the British Fair in Osaka they sold which was all very exciting.
Bags and scarves in Japan before I went
That was great, I never in my wildest dreams expected to be invited there a couple of years later. Yes to Japan to the British Fairs in Osaka and Hakata. To meet customers and demonstrate scarf making. How exciting and terrifying is that mainly because I had not ventured out of the country for 25 years and now were expected to go alone!
Before any of this happened an advert was to be made to advertise the British Fair for Japanese Television. Many other companies were also heading off to Japan too. Those who had won best fish and chip shop of the year and best cream tea and various others.
A Japanese film crew came to St Boswells, lucky for them my garden studio had just been completed and I was no longer working from smallest room in my house.
It was the most surreal day of my life. Being filmed with an interpreter huge cameras and a Japanese TV celebratory. The interviewer parading down our village high street and coming into my home. I definitely was not prepared for how difficult communicating through an interpreter would be.
It was quite amazing and chaotic and then they were gone. Leaving me quite stunned by the whole experience More about this in part 2 next month.