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Graduate Interview: Rei Matsunuma, President and COO, Otumo Corporation
- December 01, 2022
Profile.
Ms. Rei Matsunuma
Born in Paris in 1978. After graduating from Hosei University Junior High School and Senior High School, she entered the Faculty of Law, Department of Law in 1997, and after graduating in 2001, she joined UNIQLO, Ltd. in 2004 as a Graphic Designer, and served as the General Manager of UT Collaboration Business Promotion Department, Global Marketing Department, and in July 2021, she became the Director of Otsumo Co. COO, and in September 2022 as President and COO.
Providing a point of contact with culture to make daily life more enjoyable and enriching
As a student, Rei Matsunuma developed an interest in culture, including art, at a part-time clothing store, and was in charge of "UT" T-shirts featuring artwork at UNIQLO. Now that she is a manager, she says she wants to pass on the benefits she has received from culture to the next generation through culture.
Sending products that enrich people's lives from Japan to the world
He is also the designer of the lifestyle brand "NIGO®", which is designed by world-renowned designer NIGO®.
Otumo's vision is to "make life on earth more interesting from the streets. Our vision is to "make life on earth more interesting from the streets. By mixing street culture born from a unique sensibility with Japanese craftsmanship and the ability to fuse different cultures, an interesting chemical reaction is bound to occur. Through such products, we want people to lead more enjoyable and affluent lives. To this end, what we emphasize in our decision-making is the customer perspective: "Is this exciting for the customer? As a business, we also consider the balance with profit, but I feel that the results will come later.
A scene from an Otumo employee meeting (Mr. Matsunuma is second from the left)
Traveling Abroad and Working Part-Time as a Student Expanded My Perspective
Hosei University Daiichi Junior and Senior High School (at the time) had a laid-back school culture that suited me very well. My desire to excite people was strong even then, and I served as student body president and took the lead in planning the annual cultural festival.
I went to college for Faculty of Law. There was no Internet yet, and overseas information was not as easily available as it is today. With a single-minded desire to see and learn about the world, I saved money from part-time jobs and went backpacking around Southeast Asia, Europe, and North America during long vacations.
In New Orleans, USA, in the middle of the famous carnival, all the hotels were fully booked, so I had to camp in the open on a riverbank. While shivering in the cold, a group of missionaries passing by gave me an apple and a blanket, which saved my life. I experienced firsthand the diversity of people and cultures, and I feel that I acquired a survival spirit that would not be daunted by difficult situations.
At the Harajuku clothing store where I worked part-time, many of the people involved were well versed in art and music, which deepened my interest in culture. The stimulation and sense of fulfillment I gained there was so great that I could not find any meaning in job hunting at that point, so I continued working there after graduation.
The UT collaboration with artist KAWS was a big hit, and people stood in line at UNIQLO's New York store on the day it went on sale (June 2016).
Learning a lot from President Yanai during his 17 years at UNIQLO
Nevertheless, after two years, I began to feel anxious and impatient about the future, so I decided to get a regular job, and fortunately I was able to join UNIQLO. 17 years of working with President Tadashi Yanai has been an irreplaceable experience.
One of the things that has helped me grow tremendously is our "UT" T-shirt line, which features motifs of famous artists' works. The project was to create an opportunity for the younger generation in particular to experience art, and I was so absorbed in the project because it overlapped with many of my own interests and experiences.
President Yanai was the ultimate role model for me as he put his thoughts into words, communicated them, and drew people around him. As I worked on digital marketing, overseas store openings, and other management-oriented work, I came to believe that business, not just design, is a creative activity that creates value, and in that sense, managers are creators, too.
If my college and part-time job years were the first chapter of my life, my time at UNIQLO was the second. I decided to move on to the third chapter in the new environment of Otumo in order to realize my desire to become a creator and manager someday.
I want to create a virtuous circle with a pay-forward spirit
When I was backpacking, I often said to people who bought me meals or extended a helping hand, "I'm not going to let you down, but I'm going to help you get back on your feet.
Living a culturally rich life brings a sense of freedom to the mind and deepens the depth of one's life. I hope that 20 years from now, they will be the ones to pass it on to others.
I would like to encourage everyone to go out into the world, talk to many people, and experience many things while you are still a student. We may not be in the era of earning with our feet, but I think it is a privilege for young people to be able to act without thinking about profit and loss.
I also recommend that you find a role model to aim for. It doesn't have to be a celebrity; it can be a close friend or senior colleague. If you have more than one model, such as this person in terms of the way you go about your work and that person in terms of gaining popularity, it will make it easier to take concrete action.
My goal for the third chapter of my life is to make as many people as possible feel happy to be involved. To this end, as one who lives a "global lifestyle," I would like to keep my mind young and enjoy both my work and my life.
(First published in the November/December 2022 issue of Hosei, a public relations magazine)