We will participate in the following Business-Fairs
Foodex Osaka (For our Dutch Waffles, Teas.), Shimizu FAZ. We will participate in the following events :
Tokyu Department-Store in Shibuya, Shimizu FAZ, Aoyama Gakuin School-festival, Kagami-ishi village festival, Kichijoji Tokyu Dept Store, Autumn in Kasai (a park), Odakyu Department Store in Shin-Yurigaoka, a 3 week plunge into the heart of Machida city, Oogo- Village festival, Higashi Matsuyama four-days walking Festival, Odakyu Dept store Machida, Design Festa in Tokyo Big Sight, Oita Prefecture(a hotel), Portilon-no-Mori park. A Street-organ-only-ferstval in Nagoya is in the making.

Next year it'll be a very busy year. to date Deshima will be involved in about 100 events

Next year, Deshima will be involved in quite a bunch of festas, as this year commemorates the 400-year relation between Japan and Holland.

We'll be busy with the "Table & coordinate-fair in Osaka, the Gift-Show, the Foodex, Japan Flora 2000, Kiso Sansen-park, Sakura Tulip-festival, Tottori Hanakaido, Dagplein Osaka, Takasaki's Holland Festa,
and -as of this moment- about 90 other festivals
We need musicians to accompany Japanese weddings; to encourage this "romantic-feeling" that you wanne cry of happiness; a basic repertoire of Old timers, Tear-Jerkers" (1-4 people-group)
It's a trial; when successful rather regular work can be promised
Get involved; Stay tuned!

Anybody who has some knowledge of world history knows that that Netherlands and Japan have a special link. The Tokugawa Shogun forbade foreign travel to Japan in 1635 resulting in the closure of the islands for 200 years. Yet, he allowed Dutch (and Chinese) traders to continue their business The Dutch held their base at Nagasaki harbour, on an island called "DESHIMA". Nowadays the prefecture boasts one of Japan's main tourist attractions: "Huis Ten Bosch"; a replica of Dutch architecture, where models perform Dutch traditions in national costume.
The year 2000 will mark the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the Dutch ship "De Liefde" and Japan's link with the Netherlands. This anniversary has incited the organization of a host of events, festivals and enterprises in both countries. ...And you might be able to take part!
Since 15 years Tokyo boasts its own Deshima Co. Ltd.; the gateway to Japan. There is a friendly and intriguing Dutchman who also has a special link with Japan. Ever since Dirk Rebel came here, over 25 years ago, he continued to bring Dutch tradition to this country. With his Japanese company, Deshima, he provides Dutch goods, crafts, and people in national costume to sell them, at festivals and department stores all over Japan. He has quite a reputation and people who have worked with him are very enthusiastic. Now, and especially with the coming celebration year, he needs more staff.

There are different types of work: First of all there's department store work. Here he might sell cheese, waffles or imitation Delfts blue pottery, from a specially decorated section. "Because it's in a Japanese store, there are certain rules that have to be adhered to. Each store has its own culture: what you say to the customer, where you stand, how you arrange your selling point. You have to bow like the Japanese, use the Japanese terminology, be clean and neat," says Rebel. "You'll learn all

Under the organization of Nagasaki Town Hall, in honor of the 400th anniversary, Deshima is organizing a "traveling circus" of department store appearances. With his stands of Dutch goods, staffed with a group of sales "mannequins" he will spend approximately 3 weeks a month in stores all over Japan. The products for sale will be meat products, chocolate, souvenirs and cheese. Selling the cheese is a whole performance in itself, using the same tools as an old cheese monger. The salesperson can live out a performance as extremely as he wishes. The more show the better!

There's one favorite product for example. The "Real Dutch Cheese Waffle" which he invented himself. These waffles are made from scratch, with a recipe including aged Gouda cheese, spiced up with pepper and paprika. Delicious! And when sold with much gusto, they have the Japanese standing around in bewonderment.

The other type of work Deshima organizes is at festivals in the countryside, in villages and in parks. This is even more fun as it is outside. Besides having the stand with souvenirs, Rebel comes along with one of his musical organ (draai orgel), everybody as usual is in Dutch national costume and there's sometimes a big portable windmill so people can pose for the ultimate Dutch photograph. Live performances complete the show: these range anywhere from traditional Dutch crafts (oude ambachten) to pure street performance. "I welcome any kind of trick or talent as long as it's fitting and entertaining," says Rebel. "Next year we hope to organize a group of foreigners performing dances in traditional clothes: a wooden-shoes-dance!"

The models don't necessarily have to be fluent in Japanese. "Sometimes it even works out better if they don't, because it adds to the foreign mystique of the experience. Then the Japanese can go home and feel that they met a real Dutch person," says Rebel. The funny thing is you don't really have to be Dutch at all. "Actually, it works better to have a tall, blond Australian with blue eyes who looks Dutch rather than a true Dutch person who's dark," he says. In truth it doesn't really matter and he says it's ultimately how well you play the role that counts. He recalls how one tall young Dutch man impressed the girls as he explained with actions and mimics, that the little Christmas tree seeds he was selling would grow as tall as himself if they nurtured them as lovingly as his mother did for him.

"The point is," says Rebel, "this job is about meeting people, performing, and the experience. It gives the opportunity to take part in a group. Within a Japanese context. If you come to visit Japan you're always an onlooker and an outsider. By joining in my stands you'll be participating. You see a festival from the inside and work in a team. That's what's so stimulating. We always have a lot of fun together. You learn language and culture by living it. "

One of the upcoming projects for example is Japan Flora 2000. Deshima will have a stand in this festival from 18 March to 17 September on a recently redeveloped flower park on Awajima Island next to Kobe. Staff will be provided with accommodation -and a bicycle - "to complete the feeling and to ride over the longest Suspense Bridge of Japan, which leads to the island," Rebel says enthusiastically. Dutch staff will work with Japanese on the stand. He expects, like at all of his festivals, that the work will be intense. "I'm not going to deny it's hard work, but it's in shifts, and the experience will be invaluable," he said.

There are many jobs to be taken over the next year. 2000 is promising to be a hive of activity. Therefore, Rebel and his company Deshima are asking interested people to join up in the fun and hard work. He wants people from Holland, or who look like Dutch, who happen to be spending some time in Japan or for whatever reason in Japan, or people who want to but need a purpose. The salary is often limited, but expenses, transport and board is paid for. Wives of men who are on foreign assignments are often very interested, because it gives them a job, a possibility to exploit past- and learn by new experiences!

If you are interested please don't hesitate to call Dirk Rebel at his office in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. Tel. +81 (0)3 3988 1740, Fax +81 (0) 3988 5248, Email: rebel@deshima.co.jp