On and after May 11, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) will be ready to receive applications from consumer products manufacturers for participation in overseas trade fairs under the Consumer Products Industry Brand Development Program for FY 2009 (commonly known as sozo_comm). The program is a METI-subsidized project aimed at helping Japan's excellent consumer products to build an internationally recognized brand for sales expansion overseas.

The project provides the consumer products industry with assistance to have their products, which are publicly invited and selected under a unified concept, on display in a "Japan Exhibition" performed at renowned overseas trade fairs (e.g., France's interior decoration fair "Maison et Objet" and Italy's furniture fair "Salone Internazionale del Mobile"). Their exhibition at such international fairs will serve to show the world how attractive their products are and develop sales channels overseas.

1. Since FY 2007, METI has continued with the Consumer Products Industry Brand Development Program (commonly known as sozo_comm) as a subsidized project designed to help Japan's consumer products industry to develop sales channels overseas by showing the world the attractiveness of their products and of the industry itself, thereby building an internationally recognized brand.
The project principally seeks to exhibit consumer products selected across the country in a "Japan Exhibition" held at prestigious overseas trade fairs, and thereby help them to find sales channels overseas.

2. Over the past few years the products selected as eligible for the project were exhibited at Frankfurt international consumer goods fair "Ambiente" in February 2008, Milan's international furniture fair "Salone Internazionale del Mobile" in April the same year, and Paris' international interior decoration fair "Maison et Objet" in January 2009. Their exhibition led to various outcomes, such as the signing of contracts with overseas retailers and media publications.

Schedule for FY 2009 Project

For calendar year 2009

• May 11 : Opening invitations and explanatory meeting
• June 30 : Closing of applications
• Mid-July : Notification of the primary (paper) screening result
• August 7 : Secondary screening (product examination)
• Mid-August : Notification of the secondary screening (product examination) result

For calendar year 2010

• January
  Exhibition at a major European fair (e.g., the international interior decoration fair "Maison et Objet" in Paris, France)
• April
  Exhibition at a major European fair (e.g., the international furniture fair "Salone Internazionale del Mobile" in Milan, Italy)

* If you want to participate in the explanatory meeting due to be held on May 11, please visit this project's website (http://sozocomm.jp/ *Japanese only) for further information. (No prior registration is required.)

Application guide

On and after May 11 you can download an application guide from this project's website (http://sozocomm.jp/ *Japanese only).

April 14, 2009

Consumer Goods Office, Manufacturing Industries Bureau