UNITED ARROWS | 25th Anniversary: Osamu Shigematsu Special Interview (Part 1)

UNITED ARROWS 25th Anniversary Special Interview (1)

Osamu Shigematsu Reflects on UNITED ARROWS

In October 1989, UNITED ARROWS Ltd. was established in Jingumae 2-chome, Shibuya-ku, with a capital of 50 million yen.──UNITED ARROWS will celebrate its 25th anniversary on October 2nd (Thursday). At the general shareholders' meeting held on June 24th, Osamu Shigematsu, the founder of UNITED ARROWS, stepped down as director and became Honorary Chairman. Mr. Shigematsu, who has led UNITED ARROWS to this point, looks back on these 25 years.

Photographs by SUZUKI SimpeiText by KAJII Makoto (OPENERS)

25th Anniversary Site Features Conversations with "Benefactors"

UNITED ARROWS has launched a special website to commemorate its 25th anniversary. Within it,Conversations with the "Benefactors" Who Supported Us for 25 Yearscan be found. The first installment features a conversation between Mr. Shigematsu and Hiroyoshi Hatsusaki, who was then President of World Co., Ltd. (and is now Chairman of the Hatsusaki Foundation).

"Mr. Hatsusaki is a benefactor to UNITED ARROWS. He provided backing for our founding. Mr. Hatsusaki is a genius; his intuition is sharp, he's strong with numbers, and possesses an exceptionally high level of business acumen. He was a leader who thoroughly pursued what customers wanted, delved into the market, and created new markets," says Mr. Shigematsu.

"My primary impression of the 25th anniversary is how quickly it's passed. When UNITED ARROWS reached its 10th anniversary, I had been with Beams for 13 years, so I said, 'Beams has been around longer, hasn't it?' Now, another 15 years have gone by."

Go Out and Become President Yourself

The year UNITED ARROWS was established, 1989, was right in the midst of the bubble economy (the bubble burst is generally considered to have begun in March 1991). He describes the era as "the best timing for us." We asked him about the reasons behind his decision to start the company.

"It began with a sense of inadequacy within me at the time, a desire to change something. Even during my time at Beams, I enjoyed self-improvement seminars. At one seminar, my one-on-one session partner was a female executive in her 60s. I was 38 then, essentially a right-hand man, and I confessed that I was struggling daily, wanting to change something. She told me, 'That's easy for you. Go out and become president yourself, then you can do what you want.' Hearing that cleared the fog for me."

Subsequently, with the support of World (Mr. Hatsusaki), the company was established in October 1989. The following year, in July 1990, the first store, "UNITED ARROWS Shibuya Store," opened along Meiji Dori in Jingumae 6-chome, Shibuya-ku.

"We planned for the Harajuku flagship store (designed by architect Ricardo Bofill, opened October 1992) to take three years to complete, so the Shibuya store opened first as a pilot shop."

At a time when the term "select shop" didn't even exist, the Shibuya store opened with the concept of a "department store of ten thousand items," making a spectacular debut.

"Of what we wanted to propose, about 90% was unnecessary compared to existing department stores of the time, leaving only 10%. The word 'Jukkaten' (ten thousand items) expressed that. The start at the Shibuya store was incredibly good. It opened on July 20, 1990, and sales for August reached 50 million yen. That was an exceptional sales figure for a first store on a main street at the time.

There were no expectations or pressure from those around us. We just did what we wanted to do. I didn't feel any risk. I went on business trips I had always wanted to take but couldn't, and saw things with my own eyes. I frequently visited exhibitions for furniture and architecture, beyond clothing, related to lifestyle. I believe this is connected to the "food, clothing, housing, play, and knowledge" lifestyle that UNITED ARROWS proposes."

To Part 2: "Hearing About What Sparked UNITED ARROWS' Leap Forward"

UNITED ARROWS
http://www.united-arrows.co.jp/

UNITED ARROWS 25th Anniversary Special Site
http://www.25th.united-arrows.co.jp/