A company is a public institution.

This series explores the secrets behind vibrant companies with "originality," as uncovered by Dentsu Inc. 'Company Design' team. In the 17th installment, we delve into CAVIN (Cabin), a Fukuoka-based startup leveraging IT technology to innovate the "flower industry." We uncover the underlying thoughts and aspirations driving their challenge.

President and CEO Yuya Roy Komatsu (referred to as Roy-san during the interview, hence referred to as Roy-san hereafter) served as basketball captain throughout elementary and junior high school.
"In basketball, where you play with five people, if even one teammate gets ejected during a game, it's over. No matter how hard the remaining four try, there's no way to win. But that's where I realized the fun of team play back in elementary school."

Hearing Roy's words, a memory suddenly surfaced for me. Though the sport was different, I too had been captain of my high school handball team. Something our coach said back then still sticks with me: "As captain, do you want to build a team that wins? Or a team that enjoys playing?" It's a conversation completely unrelated to flowers (sigh...).

But as the interview progressed, it all started to connect in a satisfying way. Even though the theme of flowers felt somewhat fairy-tale-like, Roy's deep insights made me sigh in admiration each time.

Written by: Ryo Miura (Dentsu Kyushu Inc.)

CAVIN Inc.
"Creating a world where genuine 'feelings' can be conveyed"
CAVIN Inc. is a company that produces the entire flow of flowers: "Producer - Florist - Consumer."
We provide the direct trading platform "CAVIN" for producers & florists. Service area expansion underway.

Happiness cannot be measured by numbers. That is precisely why it holds value.

Flowers bring people happiness. And that happiness cannot be measured by money or numbers. That's how Roy began the interview. Japan is an economic powerhouse with the world's third-largest GDP, yet when measured by happiness indicators, it ranks around 40th globally. It's not something we like to talk about, but Japan also ranks among the world's top 10 countries for suicide rates.

It is also frequently struck by disasters like tsunamis and earthquakes. Every time he witnessed such situations on TV, young Roy, then a teenager, agonized over whether there wasn't something he could do. "While attending the University of California, I lost a close friend. That experience – not being able to cherish someone important – and the regret I felt, is one of the reasons driving me now."

The human heart cannot be truly enriched by things like money or time alone. Entrusting a sorrowful feeling to a single flower. Roy shared the value and meaning behind this. "I think people regret the simple words they could have said but didn't—like 'thank you' or 'I'm sorry.'"

Yuya Roy Komatsu, President and CEO, CAVIN Inc.
Born in Osaka Prefecture. At age 20, after volunteering with an NGO in a Philippine slum, he moved to the U.S. While attending the University of California, he interned at Blackstone LaunchPad, an accelerator established by Techstars—America's oldest prestigious accelerator—and Blackstone, the largest U.S. fund. There, he learned the meta-principles and methods for launching startups. After returning to Japan, he worked at an independent management strategy consulting firm. He has held positions including Director/Chief International Officer at a domestic startup and Japan Manager at an overseas company. He works as an MC and moderator for international events, operating across diverse fields and countries. In 2018, he founded CAVIN, which provides a platform for the floral industry. He leads the company focusing on vision, team building, and branding.

Many people likely rediscovered the charm of flowers during the pandemic—not just the flowers themselves, but the appeal of florists too. When going out was difficult and meeting people was rare, simply passing by a flower shop strangely soothed the soul.

"It's strange, but I feel like we've lost something we once had, alongside economic development," Yes, Roy points out. "In a word, I believe the true essence of richness is 'human connection.' What modern Japan misunderstood was bringing the concept of 'cost performance' into the realm of 'human connection.' Because of this, people became fixated on the 'quantity' of communication and abandoned its 'quality.' At some point, I realized: flowers are what bring that 'quality' back."

Imagination and Creativity

I asked Roy this question: "As communication becomes increasingly digitalized through smartphones and computers, it seems people are becoming worse at speaking and writing. Why do you think that is?"

His answer was clear. "I think we've misunderstood what it means to be 'good at communication.' Simply 'expressing your thoughts' or 'throwing them out there at the world or the other person' doesn't lead to true understanding. Imagination – thinking about how the other person might feel – is crucial. That kind of imagination breeds creativity."

According to Roy, humanity's oldest gift is the flower. "I believe it was over 10,000 years ago. The moment flowers were placed on a grave for the deceased, humans became human beings, distinct from animals."

Where you place the "flag" matters

Regarding the "quality" of communication, Roy explained it this way: "I think where you place the flag—that is, where you set your goals—is crucial. In my mind, it's like pushing your thinking deeper and deeper." For example, behind the act of "earning money" lies the flag (purpose) of "buying a car." Beyond that lies the flag of "using the purchased car to go stargazing with someone important." And beyond that lies the flag of "sharing rich moments together," and so on.

Roy says, "You endure, endure, work hard, and earn money as your reward. Or you gain status. Wow, I'm satisfied. I've achieved my goal. People tend to think that way, right? But don't you think that's a waste?" According to the earlier explanation, that money and status are merely gateways to progress deeper and deeper. "Thinking that way, I believe the act of buying flowers or giving flowers is positioned quite deep within the human heart."

There's an expression about flowers suddenly blooming deep within the heart—I realized it's not just a metaphor.

Doing things you don't have to do. That's what matters.

"Flowers aren't necessities. You can live with or without them. They're, you might say, non-essential luxury items. But that's where their value lies," Roy points out. Now that he mentions it, it's certainly true. For example, baking an apple pie, going camping and making a campfire, or deliberately visiting a hot spring resort even though you have a bath at home. All are things you don't have to do, yet you choose to do them. But that time is unbearably luxurious, richly fulfilling, making you smile from the bottom of your heart and feel warm and fuzzy inside.

Roy says the same principle applies to relationships with employees. "What I focus on most is leaving 'white space' for them. That 'white space' of freedom—to do or not do whatever they choose. Things like a sense of purpose, autonomy, or individuality simply won't emerge without that 'white space'."

The same principle applies to leadership. "Skilled leaders seek out primary information about their team members. That means details like where someone is from, or that they played rugby in college – information that likely shaped who they are. In a sense, this is also part of the 'space' when it comes to assigning work, right? At first glance, it might seem like worthless information. But I believe valuing this is crucial for exercising leadership."

What exactly is a "startup"?

When asked, "What exactly is a startup?" Roy offered an interesting perspective. "When people think 'startup,' they imagine founding a company with an idea no one else could conceive, right? My interpretation is different: Startup = Start + Up."

'Up' means 'the business takes off'. Taking off is that moment when the hearts of consumers, clients, and colleagues unite, leading to explosive growth. "That's what the start is for. While the initial phase of a startup's J-curve is often called the 'marketing phase', I see it as the 'enlightenment phase'." Patiently explaining, "Isn't this great?", until the other person understands and becomes a fan.

The origin of the unique company name CAVIN is "vase." "A company is a public vessel. That meaning is also embedded in it." Flowers are fragile things that wither quickly. But Roy says he patiently explained to all stakeholders that this very fragility is their greatest charm. "Like a baby, you nurture something fragile with care and transport it with care. That's precisely why, when people buy or give flowers, they feel this indescribable sense of happiness."

A handcart is the polar opposite of cutting-edge IT. Yet it has the advantage of letting you see the face of the person pushing it. Flowers are not convenient items, but luxuries. They are meant to be savored slowly. CAVIN believes this very "luxury" is the essence of true affluence. We want to reclaim the richness modern people have let go of. To do that, we need more than just verbal communication; we must arrange and produce every path the flowers take. The starting point for this communication is, of course, the growers and florists. The "handcart" logo embodies the meaning: "We want to deliver the growers' thoughts (flowers) to the florists."

Visit CAVIN's homepage here.

Season 2 of the Dentsu Inc. 'Company Design' team's series exploring the secrets of 'vibrant companies' with 'originality.' Episode 17 introduced CAVIN, a startup based in Fukuoka challenging innovation in the 'flower industry.'

Season 1 of the series can be found here:
The "Company Design" project site is here:

[Editor's Note]

Flowers are truly mysterious things. In terms of sustenance, they hold no value whatsoever. Unlike jewels or gold, they cannot retain their worth for eternity, as Ono no Komachi sang. Yet, for some reason, people find themselves captivated by flowers. During the pandemic, many people likely rediscovered the value of flowers. I am one of them. While staying home, I somehow started growing flowers on my small balcony.

At the end of the interview, I asked: What are your future business prospects? What is your global strategy, President Roy? I expected an answer about the flower industry's untapped potential for growth. Instead, he replied, "I want to give flowers to children who don't receive them." As mentioned in the article, it was a moment like a small flower blooming in the heart.