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SOURCE: USDOC, International Trade Administration
SOURCE KEY: IT
PROGRAM KEY: IT MARKET
PROGRAM: Market Research Reports
UPDATE: Monthly
ID NUMBER: IT MARKET 111108630
TITLE: JAPAN - PLEASURE BOAT MARKET - IMI911008
DATA TYPE: TEXT
END YEAR: 1992
UPDATED: 09/15/92
KEYWORDS 1:
| 9110
| CC588
| IMI
| IMI9110
| JAPAN
| SPORTING AND RECREATION GOODS
| SPT
COUNTRY:
| JAPAN
| ASIA
| EAP
| EAST ASIA
| EAST ASIA & PACIFIC
| EAST ASIAN COUNTRIES
| EAST ASIAN GROUP
| FAR EAST
| FAR EASTERN COUNTRIES
| FAR EASTERN GROUP
| OECD
| ORGANIZATION FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION & DEVELOPMENT
| ORGANIZATION FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMET
| PACIFIC
| PACIFIC RIM
| PACIFIC RIM COUNTRIES
| PACIFIC RIM GROUP
TEXT
JAPAN - PLEASURE BOAT MARKET - IMI911008
SUMMARY
This article is derived from a telegraphic report of 8 October 1991 from
the American Embassy in Tokyo discussing Japanese press reporting on the
country's market for pleasure boats. The article consists of 2 pages.
08 OCT 91
AMEMBASSY TOKYO
SUBJECT: MARKET INSIGHT INFORMATION -- PRESS ARTICLE ON
PLEASURE BOATS MATCHMAKER
1. INTRODUCTION: THE FOLLOWING ARE PARTIAL EMBASSY
TRANSLATIONS OF TWO ARTICLES THAT APPEARED IN THE
SEPTEMBER 27, 1991 RYUTSU SERVICE SHIMBUN (DISTRIBUTION
SERVICE NEWSPAPER). THE ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS THE RECENT
MATCHMAKER MISSION FROM THE US, AND DISCUSSES U.S.
ATTEMPTS TO INCREASE EXPORTS TO JAPAN IN THE PLEASURE
BOAT AND MARINE PRODUCTS AREA. END
INTRODUCTION.
2. RYUTSU SERVICE SHIMBUN (PAGE 15) SEPTEMBER 27, 1991
BEGIN TEXT: "POSITIVE OFFENSIVE BY US, TARGETING MARINE
MARKET; ONE OF FEW FIELDS WHICH ARE IN BLACK; TO BE
MADE BREAKTHROUGH FOR EXPANSION OF TRADE"
TARGETING AT OUR COUNTRY'S MARINE MARKET, THE US
MARINE INDUSTRY HAS LAUNCHED A POSITIVE APPROACH. IT
INTENDS TO SELL MARINE-RELATED COMMODITIES, CENTERING
ON PLEASURE BOATS, IN AN AGGRESSIVE WAY, TO OUR
COUNTRY, WHERE THE MARINE LEISURE MARKET IS EXPECTED TO
GROW IN THE FUTURE. THE BACKGROUND OF THE US SIDE'S
DEVELOPING THE OFFENSIVE IS THAT (1) THE MARINE
INDUSTRY IS ONE OF THE FEW FIELDS WHICH ARE IN BLACK IN
THE US IN TRADE WITH JAPAN, AND THERE IS THE FOUNDATION
OF THE SCOPE OF TRADE EXPANDING; AND THAT (2) DUE TO
TROUBLE IN INCREASING DEMAND, THERE IS THE SPECULATION
THAT IT WANTS TO FIND AN OUTLET ON OVERSEAS MARKETS;
THEREFORE, IT IS TRYING TO STRONGLY STIMULATE OUR
COUNTRY'S POTENTIAL MARINE DEMAND. HOWEVER, ALTHOUGH
THERE IS A MARINE BOOM IN JAPAN, THERE IS A REALITY
WHICH PREVENTS THE MARKET FROM EXPANDING, SUCH AS A
SHORTAGE OF MARINAS, ETC., AND SO, THERE IS A COOL VIEW
APPEARING AS TO WHETHER MATTERS WILL DEVELOP AS THE US
SPECULATES.
RECENTLY, THERE WAS AN ATTEMPT CALLED "MATCHMAKER
MISSION" AT THE US TRADE CENTER AT IKEBUKURO, TOKYO.
THIS MISSION WAS A FORUM FOR SO-CALLED "MEETINGS WITH A
VIEW TO MARRIAGE," AT WHICH US MARINE MANUFACTURERS
WERE INTRODUCED TO OUR COUNTRY. PROMOTORS WERE THE US
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND THE US NATIONAL MARINE
MANUFACTURING ASSOCIATION (NMMA). TWELVE "PLEASURE
BOAT-RELATED MANUFACTURERS, WHICH HAVE A FIXED
REPUTATION FOR THEIR UNIQUE MEDIUM-RANKING
COMMODITIES," WERE PICKED IN THE US, AND THEY CAME TO
JAPAN.
ENTERPRISES WHICH PARTICIPATED IN THESE BUSINESS
TALKS ON OUR COUNTRY'S SIDE ARE THOSE WHICH ARE
CHECKING INTO THE IMPORTS OF PLEASURE BOATS, THOSE
WHICH WANT TO INCREASE THE SCOPE OF THEIR COMMODITIES,
IN ADDITION TO HOME-MANUFACTURED COMMODITIES, OR THOSE
WHICH ARE AIMING AT TAKING PART IN THE MARINE MARKET,
SUCH AS AUTOMOBILE COMPANIES OR REAL ESTATE COMPANIES.
THESE BUSINESS TALKS WERE THE FIRST ATTEMPT, AND SO,
THE SPONSOR SIDE THOUGHT, "IT WILL PROBABLY BE ALRIGHT
EVEN IF WE DO NOT RUN RIGHT UP AT A STROKE," BUT THEY
WERE SO ENTHUSIASTIC THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL
MANUFACTURERS WHICH EVEN MANAGED TO CONCLUDE
NEGOTIATIONS.
AS FOR THE FUTURE, A "PURCHASE AND INSPECTION
TOUR TO THE AMERICAN MARINE INDUSTRY," INCLUDING A TOUR
TO THE AMERICAN SAN DIEGO BOAT SHOW, IS PLANNED FOR
NOVEMBER UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE NMMA, FOR THE
PURPOSE OF THE CONCLUSION OF NEGOTIATIONS. ABOUT 30
COMPANIES WILL BE COLLECTED FOR THIS TOUR, AND THE
PURPORT OF THE TOUR IS TO SET UP OPPORTUNITIES FOR
BUSINESS TALKS, WHILE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT COMMODITIES.
END TEXT. (US&FCS COMMENT: THIS IS A REFERENCE TO A
FOREIGN BUYER MISSION THAT US&FCS/JAPAN IS PLANNING.)
3. RYUTSU SERVICE SHIMBUN (PAGE 15) SEPTEMBER 27, 1991
BEGIN TEXT: "MANY TASKS IN OUR COUNTRY'S PRESENT
SSITUATION; CONSOLIDATION OF MARINAS DELAYED"
PLEASURE BOATS MATCHMAKER
OUR COUNTRY'S MARINE MARKET IS RECEIVING A WARM
GLOW FROM THE US MARINE INDUSTRY, BUT THERE ARE TASKS
WHICH MUST BE CLEARED.
ONE OF THEM IS THE CONSOLIDATION OF MARINAS WHERE
PLEASURE BOATS ANCHOR.
AT PRESENT, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF MARINAS IN THE US
IS 8,300. IN CONTRAST TO THIS, THAT OF OUR COUNTRY IS
370; FURTHERMORE, MOST OF THEM ARE SMALL-SCALE MARINAS
WITH AN ANCHORING CAPACITY OF LESS THAN 50 BOATS.
ALTHOUGH THERE IS A DIFFERENCE IN AREA BETWEEN THE TWO
COUNTRIES' NATIONAL LANDS, EVEN UNDER THE PRESENT
SITUATION, (IN JAPAN,) THERE IS AN OVERFLOWING OF
PLEASURE BOATS WHICH CANNOT ANCHOR (IN A MARINA). THE
MOST DIFFICULT POINT IS EQUILIBRIUM WITH FISHING
RIGHTS, AND ADMINISTRATION HAS BEGUN TO VIEW THIS
PROBLEM SERIOUSLY.
HOWEVER, JAPANESE PEOPLE'S SENSE OF LEISURE HAS
BEGUN TO CHANGE, TOO.
W. OFFUTT, WHO RUNS A CONSULTING COMPANY FOR
BUSINESS BETWEEN JAPAN AND THE US, SAYS, "IT SEEMS THAT
JAPANESE STILL HAVE A STRONG SENSE OF GUILT TOWARD
ENJOYING THEMSELVES, BUT WITH THE AGE OF AROUND 35 AS
DEMARCATION, YOUNG(ER) GENERATIONS DO NOT SPARE
INVESTMENTS TO ENJOY THEMSELVES. HE ALSO LISTED
PLEASURE BOATS AT THE TOP OF LEISURE GOODS WHICH WILL
BECOME POPULAR IN THE FUTURE. IT IS SAID THAT IN THE
US, PEOPLE BUY A PLEASURE BOAT WITH THE SAME SENSE AS
WHEN PURCHASING AN AUTOMOBILE. END TEXT.
PREPARED BY I. KASOFF OF THE US&FCS OFFICE AT THE U.S.
EMBASSY IN TOKYO, JAPAN.
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