Future Design Shibuya is entering its 5th season this year. Director Osada once again interviewed Ms. Chiaki Hayashi, who has been participating as a Future Designer since its inception. Mr. Hayashi himself will retire from his position as chairman of Loftwork Inc. in March of this year and will be moving on to a new career. He spoke brightly about his career outlook and his outlook on life.
Taking a new step, I thought about facing the "fear"
In March, you retired from Osada, where you were the founder. But was there any reason for this timing?
HayashiThe first thing is that my child has reached the coming-of-age ceremony. Actually, my child and Loftwork were born at about the same time. I started the company in February of 2000 and found out I was pregnant in June of that year. The child will be an adult in 2021. So, as a parent, I came to think that I should leave my child soon. "I can't live without my parents forever," I think that's just what parents want to think.
Humans have grown so much in 20 years. The company has grown a lot in the last 20 years. Of course, just because my child is an adult doesn't mean I won't have anything to do with him in the future. But he is the one who decides his life. In that case, I thought that it would be the new generation that would decide the next strategy for the company Loftwork.
From now on, I think that Loftwork will change from being a "founder's company" to an "ordinary corporation" and aim to become a company that will continue to exist forever. It may not be forever, but don't you think it's a good company to have at least another 50 years? What kind of development should we do from a long-term perspective in order to make the future of this land more attractive? I think that Loftwork will continue to be necessary for society in order to continue to create interesting things.
Osada made you decide to create Loftwork in the first place?
HayashiI used to work for a company called Kao, and up until that time, I had tried to meet the demands of society. . But I started to think, "This is different. Isn't that what I want to do?" In other words, no matter how much the gap between what society thinks is "good" and what you think is "good", let's live the way we believe. With that in mind, I quit Kao.
Since then, I have come to live with the idea of what kind of future I really want for myself, or for “we,” including myself. Since the establishment of Loftwork, I think it can be said that I have lived to create the future that "we", including myself, want, rather than trying to realize what is socially acceptable.
Osada 's interesting.
After quitting Hayashi Kao, I thought about it carefully for about three months. But in fact, it didn't lead to the establishment of Loftwork right away. I thought about it for a long time and thought, "Yes, I want to be a journalist."
Osada journalist?
I realized that information is more important than forest products, and I thought, "This is not the time to be doing manufacturing." So I became interested in journalism and communication, and started attending graduate school in the United States.
Osada you have any fears about the decision to leave the company and go to a new field?
HayashiIt was scary, really scary. But, precisely because I was scared, I thought about what was scary in my own way. In the end, I'm afraid of failing, but when I tried to imagine what the worst outcome would be if I failed, it wasn't as scary as I thought (laughs).
After all, I thought that if I had nowhere else to live, I should just live in my parents' house, and I thought that anything would really be fine with what I wore. I thought I could make money if I could eat at least 500 yen a day. Rather than living like that, I thought that not being able to live my life right now was the worst and scariest thing. That's why I went to America to study with the feeling that I had no choice but to do it.
The next step for the future you really want
Osada now you are at a major turning point in your career.
HayashiThat 's right (laughs). When Loftwork was created, it was really difficult to get investment because there was no credibility. I had no choice but to get them to sympathize with what I wanted to do in the future. But now that I want to create a new company, many people are interested just by that. I actually thought that was scary.
Osada is that?
HAYASHIMany people don't look at what I really want to do, but look at my past 20 years. No matter what I want to do, I'm sure they'll say, "That's interesting!" That's why I think it's no good if I don't commit myself to what I want to do and think about it.
What I'm thinking about is not short-term profit. However, I think there are many things in the world that require long-term investment. I would like to invest in such things. That's why I say to people who are willing to invest, "It's not profitable, but is it okay?" I would like people who believe that it is important to know the signs of the future, even if it is not profitable, to invest.
So in that sense, I think there are some similarities with partnerships with Future Design Shibuya (FDS) member companies.
Osada Certainly. Fundamentally, it's not a partnership where you just expose your corporate logo and that's it. In that respect, it might be good if we cooperate with each other.
Hayashi Really.
Osada 's hard to fight alone, isn't it?
HayashiIt 's hard, isn't it? I'm with you, so let's do it together!
Osada the way, could you tell us about what you are planning to do in the future?
HayashiThere are a lot of things I can't say yet... but I'm going to create a new company. The company is a company that focuses on "regional" activities. However, the purpose is to create a new relationship between the city center and the countryside.
Until now, Japan has revolved around urban centers, but as the population continues to decline, there will surely be many issues that need to be resolved. First of all, it is from the region, not the city center. In rural areas, the population has been steadily declining over the past five years.
It is said that Japan's population, which has increased over the past 100 years, will return to normal in the next 100 years. I think there is a way to live a happier life instead of returning to the way things were before.
In that sense, we will prototype a new lifestyle in rural areas. While the population is declining and the culture is maturing, what kind of new initiatives are possible now? I want to move to action one by one while finding it. There must be something that can be reflected in life in the city center.
Osada: I would like to hear from you again when the time comes to talk more properly.
HayashiAt first, Akita and Tokyo, and Toyama in between. I think we will be using these three locations as our bases, so please come and visit us.
A new relationship between Osada Akita, Toyama and Shibuya.
HayashiYes. I'm sure you're talking about Shinko, so I'm sure you'll make some new connections when you come.
What you can do as Future Designer
Osada FDS currently has nine Future Designers. Mr. Hayashi has been involved with the company since its establishment, and this year marks the fifth year.
Hayashi: I've always wondered what kind of contribution I can make as a Future Designer within the FDS organization.
On the other hand, if you think of Future Designers as something that will continue to move out of the framework of FDS in the first place, I think we will be able to see what we should be.
Osada Sato, who is also a Future Designer, said the other day that we should think more like Shibuya-ku's Future Designers than FDS' Future Designers.
HayashiThat 's right. The role of designing the future of Shibuya Ward, rather than the future of FDS. I'm working hard on what kind of future we should create now, so there are many things I can contribute in that sense.
Future Designer gathers regularly to report on what activities they are doing now, and the people in the FDS secretariat incorporate it into the project--I think that kind of collaboration will increase in the future. Sounds good.
Osada think so. If you get into each and every project concretely, your field of vision will become narrower, won't it? From the standpoint of Shibuya Ward's Future Designer, I think it's my role to design the future with a broad perspective.
HayashiI have been managing Loftwork until now. And from now on, when I say I'm going to do a new company, I still have the meaning that the place that will be the base is Shibuya. There is something like a magnetic force unique to Shibuya, and in order to contribute to that Shibuya, I would like to continue exploring where I can collaborate like this.
Osada 's right. thank you.
