During my student years, I was deeply committed to platform diving and even had the opportunity to compete in the National Sports Festival of Japan. In the world of sports, you are constantly required to face yourself, push beyond your limits, and deliver results. I believe that experience became the foundation of my values and the way I approach business today.
Later, I pursued computer science with the goal of becoming an engineer. I had always been interested in technology and systems design, and I wanted to build a career where I could help solve social issues. Rather than simply acquiring knowledge, I was constantly thinking about how existing systems could be improved and how new value could be created.
At the same time, welfare was something close to me personally, and I had many opportunities to interact with parents of children with disabilities. What I heard repeatedly was this deeply emotional concern: “What will happen to my child after I am gone?” Those words stayed with me. I began to feel strongly that if I were to use my knowledge and experience, I wanted to apply them to challenges that are truly needed in society. That realization became the starting point of what I do today.
The reason I founded MATATABI was simple: I wanted to respond, in whatever way I could, to the anxiety and concerns expressed by parents of children with disabilities. Their worries about the future, the lack of environments where their children could continue living safely within their communities, and the reality that necessary support was still not reaching everyone — all of this made me feel that I had to take action in a meaningful way.
That is how MATATABI was born. Rather than simply following conventional models of welfare, we have worked to create a new model by incorporating digital transformation into the field. Welfare services often remain heavily dependent on analog operations, but by combining them with technology, we have focused on improving operational efficiency, increasing transparency, and creating a better working environment for those involved.
Welfare cannot be sustained by good intentions alone. It must also be sustainable as a business, attractive for those who work in the field, and reassuring for those who rely on the services. At MATATABI, we have aimed to create a new form of welfare by looking at both frontline realities and management perspectives.
As I continued working in welfare through MATATABI, I became increasingly aware of another challenge: employment opportunities for elderly people and people with disabilities were steadily decreasing, while wage levels were also becoming more severe. In addition, advances in AI and industrial technology have gradually reduced the amount of light work that once provided meaningful job opportunities.
At the same time, when I looked at Japan’s traditional crafts and regional industries, I saw another serious issue: a shortage of successors and shrinking markets. These industries possess tremendous value that Japan can be proud of globally, yet that value is often not fully realized because of limitations in how it is communicated, delivered, and structured as a business.
When I looked at these two issues, I did not see them as separate. To me, they were both part of the same broader problem: society is losing places where people can contribute, and valuable cultural assets are also being lost.
That is why I came to believe that we need a system that supports both welfare and traditional industries. By reediting Japanese food products, goods, and traditional crafts in ways that fit contemporary lifestyles, and by delivering that value both domestically and internationally, we can create new opportunities. More importantly, within that value-creation process, we can build an environment where diverse people are able to participate, apply their skills and experiences, and work with dignity. HANAYOI was born from that idea.
What we aim to achieve is the coexistence of cultural preservation and social responsibility. It is not simply about protecting culture, nor is it only about creating jobs. We believe there is real meaning in building a business that can sustainably achieve both and carry them into the future.
HANAYOI’s vision is to bring the essence of Japan into everyday life around the world. We do not simply want to preserve Japanese tradition and culture as they are; we want to reinterpret and reconstruct them in ways that resonate with modern lifestyles and global sensibilities, so they can be carried forward into the future.
At the same time, our vision goes beyond products themselves. We want to design systems in which artisans, local communities, and diverse individuals can continue to thrive in a sustainable way. That is what our vision truly means: not only preserving Japanese culture, but creating a living framework through which it can continue to evolve and flourish for generations to come.
