Small is also

beautiful

Most people studying the enormous econo mic power-house that is modern-day Japan do not get past the huge zaibut su the massive conglomer ates, based on and around a bank, and spread out into trad ing, manufacturing and many other enterprises.

But Japan is also a country of smaller, specialised, business houses which bring to com merce a very personal sort of service which fits very well into the ’’Pacific way” that the island countries find comfortable.

One such is the Unitrade Company, Ltd., founded and still owned by Mr Koji Kikkawa, who was stationed in Fiji from 1960 to 1964 as the director and general manager of Banno

Oceania trading company. He has spent most of his life in volved with the South Pacific islands and, while Fiji business men particularly still recall his name, products handled by his company have become house hold names there. His Master A 1 brand of canned fish is to be found in almost every trade store in the islands.

Unitrade was registered in Fiji in 1977 as a trading company to develop sale of products like Master A 1 brand but has since branched out into local enter prise, establishing the Aquacul ture Company (Fiji) Ltd., to develop a prawn farming pro ject now under feasibility study with the approval of the Fiji government.

Unitrade is also a major ele

merit in trade from the southern islands into Japan, handling a wide range of products, from Fiji: pine logs, sawn timber, trochus shell, and green snail shells. Their return trade from Japan to the islands includes steel products, hardware, buil ding materials, chemical pro ducts and foodstuffs.

Mr Kikkawa is not only an expert trader with the Pacific but has considerable experi ence in shipping, having been with Daiwa Navigation Com pany in Japan from 1964 to 1977. Daiwa was at that time the only firm operating freight liners into the area. Mr Kikkawa was managing director of Daiwa when he resigned in 1977 to set up his own com pany and maintain his links with the South Pacific.