Pictured above from left to right: Dr Taka Hirai, Business Link Japan, Yoshiyuki Sato, Business Link Japan, Masataka Yamakawa, General Manager - Japan & Asia, Intelligent Energy, Robin Chilton, MD, CST International, Steve Crane - MD Business Link Japan, Richard Mauger, Director, Mauger Modern Art, Dr Kathryn Walsh, Deputy Pro Vice Chancellor, Loughborough University, Peter Hogarth, International Trade Director, UKTI East Midlands, Jeremy Hill, First Secretary, UKTI British Embassy Japan, Emma Ball, Director, Emma Ball Ltd, Lee Newsome, Export Sales Manager, Panache Lingerie Ltd, Hiroko Tanaka, Business Link Japan, Ken Johnson, Export Manager, Ibstock Brick Ltd, Byron Chatburn, MD, Sea-Band Ltd

Business prospects are set to rise for one Nottingham firm after returning from a UKTI market visit to Japan.

Emma Ball Ltd joined seven other companies from across the East Midlands to take part in the visit, which aimed to encourage growth in their export sales with the world's second largest economy, and help businesses to look at Japan as a potential market for their products.

The company, which produces a range of original watercolour paintings, prints, greetings cards, gift wrap and note books, currently sells its products in the UK, Italy, USA, France, Norway, Denmark and Germany, but is keen to crack the Japanese market.

Watercolour artist and company director, Emma Ball, said: "The trade mission to Japan was fantastic. It's such an amazing place and the people are so friendly. We went with the goal of establishing at least one distributor, but after five company meetings we look set to do business with at least two, which is more than we could have hoped for.

"I am very grateful to UKTI for its advice and support which is really helping us take the business to the next level."

Peter Hogarth, International Trade Director for UKTI East Midlands said: "75 per cent of the companies who visited Japan had used UKTI's Overseas Market Introduction Service (OMIS) to identify potential clients so it was a really good opportunity for them to meet the people who had written the reports.

"On the first working day, all delegates met with UKTI's commercial staff at our offices in the British Embassy, Tokyo, where they were briefed about the current climate in Japan. In the afternoon, delegates were free to do their own thing and many had arranged meetings in advance.

"A reception took place on Tuesday with Japanese guests who were interested in our companies' products and they all went on to a larger event to celebrate two years to go to the 2012 Olympic Games.

"The visit was extremely successful. One company secured a six figure value order, another is set to take part in a joint venture with a Japanese company and a third was able to rebuild three contacts lost over a year ago.

"No one got lost and some delegates have gone on to research business prospects in other Far Eastern markets including Taiwan. "