Immerse yourself and proceed by trial and error. That is how we create a new future.

JINS sells functional and fashionable eyewear at affordable prices. It has gained attention with products that challenge industry norms, such as the blue light-blocking "JINS SCREEN" glasses and the wearable eyewear device "JINS MEME." The man who built JINS from the ground up is Hitoshi Tanaka, Representative Director and CEO of JINS Holdings.

This series introduces the future-creating work being done by members of Dentsu Inc. Business Design Square (BDS) with partner companies. Shingo Yamahara, BDS General Manager, who has worked with JINS for over a decade since 2008 and continues to support various business strategies and actions for JINS Holdings, spoke with CEO Tanaka.

Mr. Hitoshi Tanaka of JINS Holdings (left) and Mr. Shingo Yamahara of Dentsu Inc. BDS

By envisioning the future and executing decisively, we created a new standard.

Yamahara: I first met President Tanaka 11 years ago, in 2008. I'll never forget him saying, "JINS will become Japan's number one eyewear retailer." I remember the office buzzing with energy; it struck me as a company with tremendous passion.

The following year, in 2009, you formulated your vision/business strategy: "To continuously provide all eyeglass wearers with glasses that offer both excellent vision and style, at the market's lowest and optimal price, featuring new functions and designs." That's when you launched the lightweight "Airframe" glasses, right?

Tanaka: That brings back memories. But honestly, the reaction to Airframe before its launch wasn't great. We showed it to employees, and most people didn't seem impressed. Only about 20% genuinely said it was good. Roughly 80% gave reactions that clearly showed they didn't think it was good (laughs).

Still, I remained confident because I believed we'd created something truly good, exactly as our vision stated. I realized we just hadn't communicated the product's appeal effectively—we needed to focus on that. That's what sparked the project with Mr. Yamahara, and I remember it accelerating rapidly from there.

Yamahara: 2009 was the year we really went all out, wasn't it? Not just with the TV commercials, but also with the bold renovation of the Harajuku store and the brand name refresh.

Tanaka: Actually, since around 2008, various ideas had been forming in my mind—CMs, brand names, new products, new business formats. But when I considered the risks, a kind of fear inevitably surfaced, and I couldn't fully trust myself to see it through. However, when I thought about "Why does this company exist?" and "Why am I working?", the vision became clear, and I found my resolve.

I told myself, "If this fails, I'll admit I lack business acumen and step down." Making that decision gave me the resolve to do what I hadn't been able to do before. And through the success of that venture, I feel I gained a gut sense of "this is how you win." That was huge, I think.

Yamahara: After Airframe became a huge hit, JINS PC (now JINS SCREEN) garnered significant social attention. It was a groundbreaking product born from pursuing science to its limits, including collaboration with Professor Tsubota of Keio University.

Tanaka: It started with the question: "Are glasses really only for people with poor vision?" For 700 years, glasses had barely changed in form or function. But I thought: if we use science to pursue functionality, couldn't we create new value? That's how I approached product development.

Yamahara: Around that time, we were tasked with creating a new brand tagline. Using what we call the "Visioneering" method, we proposed the phrase "Create New Standard." The president then wrote it large on the whiteboard and asked the employees, "What do you think of this?"

One employee responded, "I think that captures our value, but I'd like something more JINS-like." After discussing it with copywriter Mr. Iwasaki from Sun-Ad, we arrived at the tagline: "New Norms."

Tanaka: Everything connects to "New, Everyday." It's not just about creating change, but making it part of our daily lives. I believe we developed words that fit both our business and the future we aspire to, and by making that our shared language, our employees could run with it.

※ Visioneering

An action to redefine a company's raison d'être and guiding North Star. As the portmanteau of VISION and ENGINEERING implies, it goes beyond mere word definition, analyzing the impact and competitive advantages VISION brings while creating it. To ensure its lasting value, we prioritize a process that involves stakeholders, including employees, in its formulation.
 

Beyond Concentration: What "Absorption" Means, Starting with JINS MEME and Think Lab

Yamahara: Following that, you developed JINS MEME, a wearable device in the form of glasses. Then, based on JINS MEME, you opened "Think Lab," a membership-based workspace themed around concentration, in December 2017.

Think Lab's cafe space

Tanaka: JINS MEME tracks blinks, eye movements, posture, and more, visualizing concentration levels from this data. Professor Ryuta Kawashima of Tohoku University advised us, "A wearable that reads and utilizes information from the brain via the eyes would be innovative," which led to its development.

Yamahara: So the development of JINS MEME and expanding its functionality with various partners led to the opening of Think Lab.

Tanaka: When our employees visited clients wearing JINS MEME, customers remarked, "If you're making glasses like this, everyone at JINS must be incredibly focused at work, right?"

But when we actually surveyed them, it turned out they weren't concentrating much at all (laughs). That's when we started researching, "What kind of space enables concentration?" We began to see certain elements and forms emerge, and decided, "Let's boldly create a workspace dedicated solely to concentration." That's how Think Lab was launched. It's an environment where no one disturbs you, and your senses are stimulated, creating a space conducive to generating creative ideas.

Yamahara: We're also helping Think Lab grow further as a business. What strikes me is that it has a completely different appeal compared to the other shared offices and workspaces that are increasing now. It's developed based on concentration data measured by JINS MEME, and it's also very sophisticated in terms of the space itself. I heard that when Shigesato Itoi visited, he said, "This place is beyond just concentration; it's a place where you can become completely absorbed."

Tanaka: Since opening, many people have visited. It's perhaps less just a place to concentrate, and more a place where you can deeply relax and become absorbed.

Becoming absorbed and creating by trial and error is the source of innovation.

Yamahara: Since last year, in addition to Think Lab, we've been assisting with various business initiatives shaping JINS' future and internal company projects. What strikes me anew is that President Tanaka isn't envisioning a future that's a linear extension of the present, but rather a profoundly discontinuous, grand future. What drives this vision?

Tanaka: I believe any product or service can be evolved. Ultimately, I think the future is shaped by people who believe in what they love and see it through. I myself constantly pursue what I love in my own way. Most failures come from giving up. Effort alone can't beat passion. And it's about becoming absorbed, relaxing your shoulders, and creating step by step, feeling your way forward. That, I believe, is the source of innovation.

Yamahara: These are words all of us involved in business design should take to heart. They could also inspire courage in many aspiring entrepreneurs. President Tanaka personally supports Gunma entrepreneurs through the Gunma Innovation Award and Gunma Innovation School. It would be truly wonderful if Gunma produced more entrepreneurs with the same passion as President Tanaka. We share that same passion and intend to continue working with utter dedication.

Finally, could you share what you expect from us at Dentsu Inc. Business Design Square?

Tanaka: We have this vague feeling of "I kind of want to do something like this." You help us clearly define the outline and turn it into a picture step by step. I don't think anyone can do that. Please continue to help us paint beautiful pictures together. We truly appreciate your support.

Dentsu Inc. Business Design Square Website
http://www.dentsu-bds.com/