Need Help finding Skateboard Shops in Japan

[rynow]

Hello,

Can someone help me find some skate (skateboard) shops in Japan?

I've tried using google, but i think the language barier is creating a problem.

I have a t-shirt company in Canada and I'm looking to try and find some skate lifestyle shops in Japan or some other retail opportunties for my products.

Can anyone give me some direction? Where to look...if any of them have web sites with english on them. I know I shouldn't expect it.

Anyone wanna be my translator for correcpondance.

At least ehlp me out with some links?

thanks:note:

[thomas]

Hi rynow, welcome aboard! :wave:

I found the online edition of a Japanese skater magazine, Transworld Skateboarding Japan

=> http://www.twj.to/skateboarding/

There's also Sk8boarding Japan

=> http://www.japanreference.com/cgi-bin/jump.cgi?ID=764

Try to run their pages through an online translation tool, we have mentioned a few here

=> http://langsupport.japanreference.com/translation.shtml

[rynow]

Thanks Thomas,

Not much luck with those.
Tha babbel fish ..sort of worked but not really.
Most of the translated text came up as gibberish. damn!

What I really need is some direct links to some independent shops in Japan that have web sites so I could try to contact them in an effort to get them to look at my product lines.

Both the skate magazines you gave me links to are just mirrored versions of the english on-line mags. PLus all the links are to more North American companies.

I'm still looking, any more help would be great.
Thanks

[eimik]

you could just go to Japan

[rynow]

Yeah.... Good One!

Sorry ..I'm not made of money.

anybody else got any Good and affordable ideas?

[eimik]

why dont you find other companies that have a market in Japan?

Perhaps talk to a rep from NFA/Option

lalalala

[arnadstephen]

Isn't ghettocities -->
http://www.ghettocitiesclothing.com

a big skateboard guy.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
"He is simply a d*ck on wheels, rolling infinitesimally close,
but never reaching, the object of lust." CS, 3/1/03


Josh
http://www.ghettocitiesclothing.com
http://www.illustrASIANS.com

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

[rynow]

Thanks, arnadstephen.

But again this guys company is American, and doing some sort of promo tour in Japan.

I'm starting to think that nobody in Japan owns a skateboard shop.

Is anyone on this site actually in Japan?

eimik why dont you find other companies that have a market in Japan?

I would rather find an independent shop because then I have a better idea of who I'm dealing with. Rather than negotiating a deal with some big company (that has a market in Japan) that's got their own prorities, I'd rather deal one-on-one with the owner cus the owner will still remember what it was like getting started and hopefully have an interest in small independant labels that aren't saturating the market already.. Plus dealing with big established companies would mean we'd have to rely on the popularity/prosperity of big company.

My company is still in it's infancy, so I'm looking for overseas markets to persue early on.

I may e-mail Josh and see if he has any shop connections he might be willing to pass along. Is he a member on this forum? I'll search the list.

Anyone got anymore ideas?
Thanks.

[thomas]

Josh's membership has been revoked due to his offensive behaviour.

[rynow]

Uhh yeah I noticed.


I'm not interested in people like that!

I'd like to get help from others before resorting to someone who has no respect for the country / culture he's emersed in.

anyone got ideas as to other forum headings i should look/post under to try and find what I'm looking for?

Help

[Twisted]

These guys sell a lot of skate-merchandise:
http://www.skateboards.jp/

Here's a directory on the Skateboard scene:
http://skateboarddirectory.com/srch/?qt=Japan

Hope this helps.

[rynow]

Thanks Twisted,

But... I already knew about the skate directory.com and they don't have any asian shops listed.

I'll check out the other link and let ya know.
Thanks again.

[ben]

OK. heres one of my favorites. The people there are pretty cool.
www.bronx.co.jp
Its a sk8/snow shop in nagano city.

[rynow]

Thanks, that was a good link.

Anyone else?