I’m working this week to wrap up my last assignment, and then I’ll have a couple of weeks off before school starts again. So I thought I’d post up two ideas that I had this weekend.
Kuniko and I visited a wine shop in Kitano, the ritzy upscale part of Kobe. The wine shop specialized in German wine, and it was a tiny little place filled with bottles and customers. We couldn’t even get to the bar to do tasting it was so packed. We looked around for a while, but left after deciding that we’d come back some other day when it wasn’t so busy.
Which brings me to idea number one. What Kobe needs is a wine shop specializing in California wines. California wines are vastly underrated here in Japan because the current way of thinking is that the French started winemaking so they must be the best at it. There aren’t a lot of great California wines here to change their mind, either. The California section of 90% of the wine shops I’ve visited is filled with Gallo, Kendall-Jackson, and other low end brands. The way it is usually set up is that if you don’t have money, you go over to the California and Australia section and buy the cheaper wines – if you have money you shop the French section.
A wine shop with premium California wines would do well, I think. People in Japan would have more luck reading the labels since most people have studied English in their past, and I think the style of California wines is a little more Japanese-friendly. With a knowledgeable proprietor that spoke Japanese and also had some street credibility (a winemaking degree or an ex-sommelier) you could make some money in the swanky Kitano district.
I know what you are saying – Bryan, you should do that! You have the background, the Japanese language ability, the connections, and the time. No thanks. The last thing I want to do is hob nob with a bunch of people and talk about wine all day. I don’t want to run a store, deal with employees, paychecks, licensing, importing, local governments, etc, etc. Ick. But I think somebody could fill a niche here.
Idea number two is directed at Taco Bell. The time is finally right for Taco Bell to move into Japan. Over the past year, ever since the popularity of Habanero flavored snacks took off, people have been eating spicier foods. I say spicier (not spicy) foods, but it is an improvement. Most of my students are addicted to taco sauce (we’ve killed a bottle of Tapatio and a bottle of Cholula already), and are always begging for more. And besides, what foods at Taco Bell are actually spicy anyway?
It is not a big jump for Taco Bell. They already have Kentucky Fried Chicken places all over Japan, and if I’m not mistaken they are of the same corporation. So I think it is time to open a Taco Bell and see how it does. I think the price point is perfect for getting people hooked on tacos in Japan. A little taco stand opened in Kobe a year ago, and the other day I walked by and it had gone out of business. They were charging 300 yen a taco which I was happy to pay because I miss tacos, but most Japanese could get a big bowl of ramen for that price and be full instead of one dinky taco.
So come on, Taco Bell. Open a store in Osaka first, maybe Kobe and Himeji next. I think now is the time. Just don’t bring any spicy sauce – people here are still pretty wimpy.
