Vapouround magazine Issue 08 | Page 44

FEATURE
FEATURE
We caught up with Tsutomu in Birmingham where he attended Vaper Expo UK - The Return in October . The event was his first Expo in the UK and he was a memorable figure , dressed in a traditional black Japanese kimono . Tsutomu set up his e-liquid company BI-SO in 2014 and has not looked back since . While he was very excited to be in England for his first vaping expo , an experience he said he very much enjoyed , this was not his first time in the UK . He attended middle school in England as a young boy and has very fond memories of his time here . Like many others in the vaping industry , he is an ex-smoker who managed to kick the habit after switching to e-cigarettes . He began making his own e-liquids as a hobby but soon realised that he could turn his new pastime into a successful vaping business . The entrepreneur was fascinated at the endless possibilities of different flavour combinations and he got to work to produce different combinations which would work well together . After months of experimenting with flavours , Tsutomu launched BI-SO in 2014 and since then , the company has continued to customise and personalise their flavours . He said he was proud to be part of a
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global vaping community with such a strong sense of unity and a desire to help as many people as possible quit smoking . When asked about his clothing , Tsutomu replied that he would like to introduce Japanese traditions into Europe as well as branch out his e-liquid lines . Tsutomu ’ s choice to wear the traditional kimono is inspired by the Japanese culture . He said : “ Like many industries the vaping industry has its own challenges , obstacles and difficulties to overcome . “ This is especially true in an industry which is as fast-paced as the vaping industry . For me the biggest challenge is to stand out and remain unique when it comes to creating e-liquids .” He said he does not want to simply copy the current trends such as the many sweet and savoury flavours that a lot of manufacturers go for . Instead he has focused on producing e-liquids with a unique Japanese flavour . From ‘ Sakura Tea ,’ ‘ Dorayaki ,’ ‘ Matcha Caffe Latte ,’ all three e-liquids are infused with Japanese flavour and fragrance to epitomise the traditional Japanese culture . Tsutomu and the rest of his 20 employees in Japan plan to see their business expanding further into Europe and possibly into the USA too . Elda LTD , a leading e-liquid manufacturer in Europe , are helping to promoting BI-SO in Europe but Tsutomu would like to see this success
progress further . One of his main reasons for attending such a big UK event such as Vaper Expo was to allow international vapers get a taste of the Japanese culture via his e-liquid range . Tsutomu believes that a lot of people treat vaping as a strict tobacco product but he emphasises this is not the case . He hopes that from expanding into the wider market , BI-SO will receive positive feedback on e-cigarettes and e-juices . Tsutomu was very pleased with the outcome for his business at The Vaper Expo and he mentioned that many people shared a keen interest in their e-liquids as well as admiring his Japanese attire . His black kimono grabbed the attention of many vapers at the event . Due to government regulations in Japan , the market in Tsutomu ’ s home country is much smaller in comparison to Europe and USA . This is one of the main reasons why Tsutomu and his 20 employees wish to expand their business in Europe and USA .
To find out more about BI-SO ’ s liquids , visit https :// bi-so . sakura . ne . jp /