A bridge in Vietnam-Japan trade.

- Sir, Senkyu is a well-known company in exporting Vietnamese agricultural and aquatic products to Japan. Why did you choose these products?

Since 2019, when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, most sectors slowed down, and tourism came to a halt. Coming from a background as a biology student and having spent time in Japan, I realized there was a huge demand for goods from Vietnam, as well as from other countries like ASEAN nations, Nepal, Bangladesh, etc.

The Japanese place great emphasis on quality, so the goods sold in Japanese supermarkets are subject to extremely strict requirements. Some people from other countries living in Japan always prioritize cheap goods. But for the Japanese, besides price, product quality is also a top priority.

Therefore, to win over discerning customers in the high-end segment, we conducted market research, product research, and sought out reputable partners in Vietnam, including partners specializing in seafood products such as basa fish, catfish, snakehead fish, carp, etc., as well as partners with fresh fruits like mangoes, durians, longans, lychees, and fresh spices like lime leaves and galangal.

All fresh products are transported frozen from Vietnam to Japan. Thanks to our expertise in ticketing and air travel, our products are transported quickly, safely, and with the highest quality guaranteed.

We were also the first to experiment with bringing Vietnamese lychees to Japan.

- Could you share more details about your journey in bringing lychees to Japan?

Lychees have the unique characteristic of not lasting long, so they need to be sold very quickly when brought to Japan. To sell them quickly, a large customer base is necessary. Therefore, instead of selling directly to Japanese supermarkets and setting quantity requirements, we allowed them to register the quantity of lychees they wanted.

For our part, leveraging our expertise in the aviation sector, we mobilized all our resources to ensure that once the lychees cleared customs in Japan, our staff would immediately transport them to supermarkets and directly to consumers. This guaranteed the fastest possible delivery time and immediate transportation. It is thanks to this that we have achieved initial success with lychees in Japan.

Businessman Le Nguyen (far left) and his booth showcasing airline tickets and Vietnamese goods at a trade fair in Japan.

- The Japanese are quite meticulous in their food choices, so I assume the products in Senkyu's catalog are also carefully selected, sir?

That's right. To ensure strict quality control, we have selected reputable product suppliers in Vietnam. We also used trade attachés to choose trustworthy companies.

Once we select a supplier, we also directly inspect, analyze, and test the products in both Vietnam and Japan to ensure they meet export standards.

- So, how are imported products from Japan to Vietnam selected, sir?

Through meetings with the embassy, trade attachés, or Vietnamese business delegations visiting Japan, we have the opportunity to listen to the product requirements of Vietnamese businesses and partners. In Japan, we will then search for suitable partners. Afterward, we will meet with businesses from both countries to jointly explore products, consider pricing, quality, and the services offered.

"One person tells ten, ten tell a hundred," Senkyu became a company that partners recommended to each other, becoming the main point of contact for importing Japanese products into Vietnam.

In Japan, there's a very distinctive feature: companies are extremely strict in selecting exclusive distributors. You have to convince them how far you will go in developing their product and what your target customer base will be. If you do well, you'll gain their trust and be chosen as their exclusive distributor.

To date, Senkyu has become the exclusive distributor for eight Japanese manufacturing companies and a partner with many other companies in various fields and product lines.

- Currently, there are quite a few companies specializing in importing and exporting goods between Vietnam and Japan. What strengths does your company have to win over customers, sir?

In Japan, Japanese consumers are quite hesitant to buy Vietnamese products. When bringing products to Japan, they undergo rigorous testing. However, as I've shared, Senkyu's strength lies in air freight, so products arrive as quickly as possible, and their quality is comparable to products from other countries, thus significantly enhancing the value of Vietnamese products.

Currently, we distribute our products to several leading supermarkets in Japan.

Thank you, sir!

Bao Anh

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