The state is promoting Hawaii-made products for the sixth year in a row through a Hawaii pavilion at the 2017 Tokyo International Gift Show (TIGS).

The gift show runs Sept. 6-8 at the Tokyo Big Sight venue. The Hawaii pavilion will be home base for up to 70 Hawaii companies seeking to export locally made gift products. TIGS is the largest international trade show in Japan, with more than 4,100 exhibitors showcasing personal gifts, consumer goods and decorative accessories. Show organizers expect more than 200,000 buyers, wholesalers and distributors to attend the three-day trade show.

“The Tokyo International Gift Show provides the opportunity to showcase Hawaii’s unique products to an international audience,” said Luis Salaveria, director of the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. “This helps us grow our trade sector and add value to the Hawaii brand, which is recognized around the world, especially in Japan.”

At last year’s Tokyo International Gift Show, 62 Hawaii companies reported projected sales of more than $15 million. Export-ready Hawaii companies interested in participating in the show should email dbedt.tigs@hawaii.gov to receive an exhibitor’s packet or apply online at invest.hawaii.gov.

The deadline to submit application forms is April 7.

Bank of Japan continues to prop up economy

TOKYO >> Japan’s central bank retained its ultralax monetary stimulus Thursday, citing U.S. policy changes as among the risks for the global economic outlook.

The Bank of Japan gave no indication it was leaning toward cutting back on the massive purchases of government bonds it is using to support the world’s No. 3 economy by injecting hundreds of billions of dollars into the economy every year.

The BOJ said, as usual, that Japan’s economy was on a “moderate recovery trend.” But it lacks the dynamism seen in the U.S. economy that led the Federal Reserve to raise the federal funds rate Wednesday by 0.25 percentage point to a range of 0.75 to 1 percent.

As expected, the BOJ kept its benchmark policy rate at minus 0.1 percent.

ON THE MOVE

>> Cheryl Kunimoto, a leader in Hawaii’s residential property management industry, has been awarded the Residential Management Professional (RMP) designation from the National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM). She is among 750 people nationwide who have earned this designation.

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