Vol.32

Working for a company with few contradictions (Part 2)

There is an interesting company. At a turning point in his life, he jumped into the company he had envisioned, Ikeuchi Towel (at the time), a company with few contradictions. Following the first half of the interview, in which he talked about the significance of spreading the concept of IKEUCHI ORGANIC, a company he trusts, to the world, in the second part he talks about the background of Cotton Nouveau, his proposals for a sustainable society, and his favorite towels.

Representative Director Abe

Behind the planning of Cotton Nouveau

–I think the product that has been the biggest hit since you joined the company, Mr. Abe, is Cotton Nouveau. However, I heard that Representative Ikeuchi was against it at the time of planning.

Cotton Nouveau is a product that was created through a project with an outside designer and friend, Toshiki Sato. Cotton Nouveau was conceived because I am an amateur at making things. （It is common knowledge that the texture (of towels) varies from year to year, and it is the responsibility of manufacturers to produce uniform products, no matter how unfavorable the situation may be.

Craftsmen and other manufacturing professionals look at raw materials and make what is best at the time. From a marketing point of view, it is better to say, “Cotton is the same as food, so it has a different taste. The difference in perspective and the conflict between the producer and the seller is what creates the product, so this is a way of looking at it as a real product.

We want to change consumer awareness toward a sustainable society.

–You said that -cotton nouveau is a real thing, but from the manufacturing perspective of providing uniform quality, it was an impossible product that negates this.

This raises the issue of homogeneity, and what we want to do next (what we want to create a stir about) is to deny the current situation where people can get whatever they want, as much as they want. The next thing I want to do is to negate the current situation where people can get what they want as much as they want. We don’t think about how much stuff is wasted to materialize this.

It is impossible to go to a store anytime and have a product without sacrificing a great deal of waste. We need to know what is being done to make this happen. Our products are also in short supply, but there is a fixed quantity that we can physically supply. For those who sell our products, it is the worst thing that can happen (shortages), but even if our production capacity improves, I don’t think we will be able to eliminate the problem 100%.

The first thing we have to do is break the supply side’s work to have what we want, when we want it, in the quantity we want. I think it is a matter of how to communicate this in the same way as the Cotton Nouveau.

The same is true of the desire for uniformity, and the desire to have as much as one wants, whenever one wants it, is the result of consumers’ desires, so individual consumer awareness must be changed. In the end, I think it is good for a company to make what consumers want, so we, as consumers, need to change our awareness.

Miso soup with rice. Organic 120 after a bath.

–What is your favorite towel?

I knew it would be Organic 120!

–What was it again?　The catchphrase for the Organic 120, given by Mr. Abe.

It’s ” Miso soup with rice. Organic 120 after taking a bath.

120 is the basics!　It is the most basic of basics. If Organic 120 is not consistent, our company will be in trouble. It’s the hardest thing to make. It’s a single yarn, and there is a problem with the glue not sticking, so the loss rate is as high as that of Organic 316.

You might be thinking, “Oh, these are Ikeuchi’s towels? I think the first time people see them, they are like, “Oh, this is Ikeuchi’s towels? Is this Ikeuchi’s towel? “Is this a long-seller?　I don’t understand. But it is just like Ikeuchi that the most important product is the Organic 120. That’s why I like it. It’s ordinary ramen from a restaurant that is famous for its chashu ramen.

–ordinary ramen?

Noodles and soup are the same, aren’t they? If you don’t have a solid foundation, you can’t make chashu ramen. You have to refine them carefully.

I have a lot of things, but I still like Organic 120.

–How do you use the Organic 120 at home?

I have four sheets!　But my wife likes Organic 316. 120 is “too thin. She says, “This is too thin. I like this one.

–Even if you use it for a long time, the texture doesn’t change, does it?

It doesn’t change. I have a lot of different kinds, 120, 316, and 520, and I match them according to my mood on any given day, but I like the Organic 120.

What I am proud of as a member of Ikeuchi

–Last question, what is your impression of Ikeuchi’s people (employees)?

Everyone is honest, no matter what. If you give them a hint, they respond quickly. There have been various discrepancies in consciousness, but I don’t think they have been thrown that way. When you throw a hint like this at everyone, it creates a ripple effect, so you should create an atmosphere in the company where everyone can think about it.

Everyone is serious, so they try to keep it to themselves and don’t want to share (laughs). (Laughs) If everyone can say, “I’m having trouble with this right now,” then they can think about what to do about it. This is probably why, for better or worse, there have been charismatic managers, and other people, including myself, have not thought much about it. We all have the ability to think individually, and I am proud of that.

Interview March 2016
Interview and text by Mutaguchi and Kamio
Photographer/ Yuji Kimura (Kimura Photo Office)