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Design with high level of craftsmanship & Thai business partnerships, focus of Japan Pavilion at Bangkok International Gifts Fair at BITEC.

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Quintessentially Japanese

Fair showcases craftsmanship of latest design products from the Land of the Rising Sun
29/10/2012
Thanida Tansubhapol

The recent Bangkok International Gifts Fair and Bangkok International Houseware Fair 2012 (BIG+BIH)... at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC), was a huge success.

...business operators from Thailand and around the world [presented] their latest lifestyle and design products....

One of the displays that drew a lot of attention was the Japanese Pavilion ... by the Japan External Trade Organisation (Jetro Bangkok) and the Japanese Institute of Design Promotion (JIDP)... [which displayed] lifestyle products that showcased unique Japanese craftsmanship.

...Jetro's mission is to promote bilateral trade and investment between Japan and Thailand...The Japan Pavilion works as a centre to connect Japanese companies seeking potential partners in Thailand, and Thai lifestyle and design companies seeking Japanese partnership with a view to exporting....

[The] Daruma project was initiated in order to restore Thailand and Japan businesses affected by last year's flood and earthquake, presenting Thai SME products and services to Japanese business partners, ... not only bringing Japanese products in, but also taking Thai products to Japan as well.

....One item which caught the attention of fair-goers was the G-Mark nail clipper by Suwada, a company founded seven decades ago in a small village. Some 450 years ago this village, governed by a famous samurai leader named Uesugi Kenshin, was famed for producing knives, blades and samurai swords
The Suwada nail clipper is 100% handmade in an open factory where tourists are welcome to visit and observe the production process. What distinguishes the Suwada nail clipper is its sharpness derived from traditional sword-making methods.

"Many customers have asked me how long they can use the Suwada nail clipper; my answer is 70 years because the nail clipper that my grandfather first produced 70 years ago is still working," said Mr Suwada [the owner of the company]. "Our main markets are Japan and Europe, mostly high-class nail salons and barber shops. For instance, the oldest barber shop in London uses our nail clippers.

The Suwada nail clipper is not yet available in Asia but the company is currently looking for a distributor in this region.

Another interesting design product from Japan is the "Holding Cushion" by Accent Co Ltd. The cushion is a perfect blend of soft toy and huggable pillow and comes in four different characters - Loris (monkey), Rab (rabbit), Sloth (bear) and Korat (cat) - available in different sizes, colours and patterns.

Using a special material the pillow is designed for holding and hugging, acting as a "healing doll" that makes users feel as if they are being hugged back.

The initial target group for the holding cushion was working women stressed from work and needing company or something to hold on to and relax. Another creative Japanese design product for women is the exquisite Koyudo make-up brush. The brushes, which are made from mountain goat hair, are crafted according to traditional techniques used to make Japanese calligraphy brushes in Kumano, a city famed for its brush-makers since the Edo period (1603-1868). The make-up brushes are handmade by craftsmen who pay attention to the details that machines are not capable of. As a result, the brushes are perfectly soft, smooth and gentle on ... facial skin....

(Source: Bangkok Post, Shopping, Quintessentially Japanese, Fair showcases craftsmanship of latest design products from the Land of the Rising Sun, 29/10/2012, Thanida Tansubhapol, link) 

 
Product Design Vocabulary

design - the way that something is made so that it looks a certain way (appearance or form) or works in a certain (function) (See Wikipedia)

industrial design - "the use of a combination of applied art and applied science to improve the aesthetics [beauty], ergonomics [easy to use and comfortable], functionality, and usability of a product, but it may also be used to improve the product's marketability and production" (See Wikipedia)

quintessentially - serving as the perfect example of a country, person or kind of thing
quintessentially Japanese

craftsmanship - skill at making things ฝีมือ
Japanese craftsmanship

craftsman - 1. a person who is skilled at making things; 2. people who make beautiful or practical objects using their hands ช่างฝีมือ

showcase – to show the best qualities or parts of something แสดงจุดเด่นของสิ่งของหรือคน
fair showcases craftsmanship

calligraphy - fancy writing; handwritten letters and alphabet as an art form ศิลปในการคัดลายมือ (See Wikipedia)
Japanese calligraphy - (See Wikipedia)

Land of the Rising Sun - another way to say "Japan"

Bangkok International Gifts Fair and Bangkok International Houseware Fair 2012 (BIG+BIH) - (See website)

Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC) - "a convention and exhibition hall in Bang Na district, Bangkok, Thailand. It opened in 1997 and has a total floor area of 50,400 square metres. Among the events it hosts is the annual Bangkok International Motor Show" (See Wikipedia)

Japan External Trade Organisation (Jetro Bangkok) - the Japanese government agency that promotes exports with offices in many countries (See Wikipedia)

Japanese Institute of Design Promotion (JIDP) - (See website)

business operators - businesses doing some kind of business

lifestyle - the living conditions and things people do everyday (fashion, home decoration, pets, cooking, music, tv, movies, garden, etc) รูปแบบการดำเนินชีวิต

lifestyle and design products

attention - when people are interested in something  
drew a lot of attention - made people interested in it
one of the displays that drew a lot of attention

caught the attention of - when people saw it they became interested in it
one item which caught the attention of fair-goers

pavillion - a building or tent at an exhibition or show
the Japanese Pavilion

unique - very special, unusual or good ที่มีลักษณะพิเศษ เป็นเอกลักษณ์
showcased unique Japanese craftsmanship

mission - an important job that someone plans to do in the future งาน
Jetro's mission

bilateral - involving two groups or countries เกี่ยวกับกลุ่มทางการเมืองสองกลุ่ม สองข้าง,
trade - the buying and selling of goods การค้าขาย
bilateral trade - the buying and selling of goods between countries (exports and imports)

investment - taking your money and putting it into projects to make a profit or earn interest (buying stock shares, bonds, real estate)
promote bilateral trade and investment between Japan and Thailand

partners - people or companies working together on a project; the companies owning part of the joint venture หุ้นส่วน
Japanese business partners

potential - possible ความเป็นไปได้
potential partners

Japanese companies seeking potential partners in Thailand

partnership - working together on a project or business

with a view to - doing this in order to .... ; planning to 
design companies seeking Japanese partnership with a view to exporting

initiated - created; started ริเริ่มโดย
the project was initiated

restore - to cause a particular situation to exist again, especially a good one ฟื้นฟูสภาพ
restore businesses

earthquake - a sudden shaking movement of the ground แผ่นดินไหว

restore businesses affected by last year's flood and earthquake

nail clipper - a small device used to trim and cut fingernails and toenails when they grow long, also called "nail trimmer" or "nail clipper"(See Wikipedia)

decades - periods of ten years เป็นสิบๆปี
founded seven decades ago in a small village

govern - to provide government services (control, manage) an area, city or whole country 
a village governed by a famous samurai leader

famed for producing knives, blades and samurai swords

handmade - made by a person with their hands (not automatically by a machine)
100% handmade

process - a series of actions that you take in order to achieve a result แนวทางปฏิบัติ, กระบวน, วิธีการ
production process

observe - to watch or study someone or something with care สังเกตการณ์
observe the production process

tourists are welcome to visit and observe the production process

distinguishes - being different from other things (of the same kind or type) because of some special unique feature
What distinguishes the Suwada nail clipper is

traditional - things (clothes, music, customs, etc.) that have been part of a country or society for a long time
traditional sword-making methods

derived from ... - coming from ...; produced from ... 
sharpness derived from ...

sharpness derived from traditional sword-making methods

distributor - a company that supplies goods and products to shops (that then sell them to customers)
regional distributor
looking for a distributor in this region.

cushion - a cloth bag filled with soft material such as foam or feathers used to make more comfortable (for example, a seat cushion)
blend - mixture, combining two or more things, putting or mixing things together

soft toy - cuddly toy; fluffy toy; soft toy; stuffed toy ตุ๊กตา

hug - to put your arms around someone or something to show love and friendship กอด (See Wikipedia)
huggable - able to be hugged, can hug it (if you want)
huggable pillow

pattern -
available in different sizes, colours and patterns

heal  - make a sick person better; cure of sickness, make health problem disappear รักษา,  เยียวยา, รักษาให้หาย
healing doll

target - a goal; the amount you are planning to achieve เป้าหมาย
target group - the group a company is trying to sell its product to

initial - early; first;  happening at the beginning of a process ในเบื้องต้น ในเบื้องต้น
initial target group

the initial target group for the cushion

stressed - nervous and anxious about what will happen (in the future, for example)
stressed from work
working women stressed from work

needing company - needing to have friends to be with (companion)

creative - creating and developing new original ideas, especially in art or literature
creative Japanese design product for women

exquisite - very beautiful; delicate สวยงาม, วิจิตร, งดงาม, อ่อนช้อย
the exquisite Koyudo make-up brush made from mountain goat hair

techniques - methods of doing a task or activity เทคนิค
traditional techniques

crafted - done with great skill ประดิษฐ์โดยใช้ฝีมือ
crafted according to traditional techniques

brush - แปรง
calligraphy brushes
Japanese calligraphy brushes

capable - able to do something; very good at a job มีความสามารถ
machines are not capable of this

pay attention - be careful about, spend time doing (do not forget about)
pay attention to details
pay attention to the details that machines are not capable of

handmade by craftsmen who pay attention to the details that machines are not capable of

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