In the three years since Kai Ishiguro took the helm of the satellite shop Kochi-ya in Kichijoji, western Tokyo, the 29-year-old representative has managed to turn its sluggish business around.
The shop is expected to achieve an 80 million yen annual turnover in the current business year ending March 31, by far the best among all shops representing outlying prefectures.
Unlike satellite shops of other prefectures, "our goods are all authentic products from Kochi Prefecture," Ishiguro said, adding that representatives of other satellite shops often visit him for advise. "Ninety percent of all our 800 items are labeled with the producer's name."