From June Finnair’s Sales Unit in Japan has been led by the long-serving Finnair employee Sakari “Sakke” Romu, who is also one of the company’s foremost experts on Japan. His first name may be an omen, because in Japanese ‘Sakari’ means the top, prime, first class.
Sakari started with Finnair in 1981. Through different sales roles he moved to marketing communications and brand work and from there to Vice President of the Revenue Management & Pricing (RMP) Department. Peter Gabrielsson has now stepped into Sakke’s shoes as head of the RMP Department in Finland.
Challenging yet potential market
According to Sakari the beginning has been full of challenges. A rather big wave of swine flu swept through Japan and the authorities tightened the regulations for flying because of it.
- Scheduled traffic has cut down radically in Japan. Luckily the leisure traffic has recovered quickly for its part and the flights for August and September are looking good, Sakari says.
Japan is Finnair’s number one market in Asia. The most captivating aspect of his new job is, according to Sakari, the possibilities offered by the market.
- The market in Japan is extremely complicated as the distribution goes through various steps, Sakari says and explains that the buying patterns stem from old customs, which cannot be altered easily.
On the other hand he notes that the market is looking very potential especially for leisure traffic. Particularly the elder people represent a good group of consumers, as they want to use their savings themselves instead of sparing them for the next generation and to see the world.
The job description includes strengthening existing customer relationships, but also creating new ones and continuing the fine work that has already begun. The intention is to multiply corporate customer relationships through pure sales work, and cooperation with business travel agencies will be enhanced.
Internet sales will constitute an important part of future sales.
- Japan has made great advances in terms of internet sales and it presents a magnificent opportunity to find new customers, emphasises Sakari.
Nearly half Japanese
In 1963, Sakari’s parents moved to Japan for work reasons and Sakari, as a four-year-old, went along with them for an 11-year stay. The language and culture have remained strongly with him. According to Sakari, the Japanese to a large extent resemble the Finns, for example in terms of their quietness and consideration. In Japanese working life, the emphasis is on reliability and honesty.
Sakari awards the Japanese food culture high marks. In his opinion, it is difficult to find a bad restaurant in Japan! Since his childhood, Sakari has also been interested in Japanese cars and motorcycles. He won’t be taking his old bike to Tokyo, however: buying a new one is at the top of his ‘to-do’ list. Sakari’s other pastimes outside work are close to nature; he loves hiking in the mountains and fishing.
Sakari reminds us old and future visitors to Japan that the country is much more than Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka.
- Everyone should be bold and leave the cities to visit the countryside and the coast, recommends Sakari.
Sakari himself has just started a two week holiday from which the first week will be spent handling practical matters such as setting his home in order. For the second week he will be heading south of Tokyo to visit five beautiful islands. The first of these islands, Oshima, is only two hours’ drive away. The islands are favoured also by locals for their splendid surfing possibilities and crystal clear waters.
Sakari’s TOP 3 travel tips in Japan
1) Kyoto is a mixture of the old and the new. The city is a manageable size and overall very interesting.
2) The countryside and coast of the Ise region. The sea shore and the mountain spas (onsen) offer unique experiences – Japan at its most authentic.
3) The subtropical Okinawa is Japan’s most southern island. The area is interesting even for the experienced Japan visitor; it has a different architectural style, language and culture, offering a relaxing experience.