From your brief to the last carton
The person who reads your brief is the person who telephones the makers, chases the sample and opens the finished boxes in Tokyo. Nothing is handed on.
- Your briefA sample, a photograph or a drawing; the quantity you have in mind; a target unit price; your brand and how it should be packed; the country it is going to. Rough is fine. I tell you what is missing.
- Maker shortlistI look for makers who do this kind of work and narrow them down to the ones worth asking. Most do not advertise OEM in English, or at all.
- Questions in JapaneseBy email, telephone, or fax where that is still how a company works: do they take outside orders, at what minimum, for an overseas buyer, and with which materials.
- Quotes in writingFor each maker that says yes: unit price, minimum lot, lead time, one-off setup costs, sample cost and payment terms, side by side in your language. You see each maker's name and location here.
- SampleA first sample to check the idea. Changes happen here, and each change usually means another sample.
- Pre-production sampleMade with the real materials, logo and packaging. You approve it in writing, and it becomes the reference the production run is checked against.
- Production orderPlaced on the terms you approved. I follow it with the maker until it is finished.
- Inspection in TokyoThe goods come to me. I open the cartons, count, compare against the approved sample and photograph what I find. Nothing ships until you have seen the result.
- ExportPacked for the journey and shipped with export papers, by post or courier for a small lot, by freight for a larger one.
What it costs
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Maker search, questions and written quotes | Free |
| Commission, agreed in writing before anything is ordered. Towards 10% for larger, repeat or single-maker orders; towards 40% for small, multi-maker or hard-to-find work | 10–40% of the Japanese production price |
| Samples handled and dispatched to you | €25 per shipment, plus carriage |
| Basic inspection on arrival in Tokyo | Free with any order |
| Detailed inspection, item by item against the approved sample | €1 / US$1.10 / C$1.50 per item |
| Storage while a run is completed or consolidated | Free for 30 days, then €84 per m³ per month |
| Review of a Japanese contract or terms sheet (commercial, not legal advice) | €240 per document |
| Online call with the maker, interpreted (minimum one hour) | €100 / US$110 / C$150 per hour |
| Visiting the maker with you | €400 full day, €250 half day |
The maker's price, setup costs, sample charges and freight are separate from my fees and are shown as the maker states them. Payment by Payoneer invoice or bank transfer; PayPal and card also work, with their processing (roughly 4%) shown as a separate line.
Who pays for samples, plates, dies and moulds
You do. Anything made specifically for your product is a one-off cost charged by the maker, and samples are often charged too. Every one of these costs is quoted in writing before you commit. Agree in writing what happens to plates, dies and moulds afterwards: who keeps them, whether they can be reused, and for how long the maker holds them.
What I will not promise
- That any maker will accept your order, or at the quantity you want.
- A minimum lot, price or lead time before the maker has quoted it.
- That a sample will be free.
- That the production run will match the sample in every detail; handmade and natural materials vary, and I report what varies.
- That your product meets the rules in your own country. Labelling, safety and import rules there are yours to confirm.
- That your brand is protected. Registering it in your market is your step.