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[Entrepreneur Interview #09] Yume Oki (The Salons Japan) – Part 2

  • Interview
2025.02.17

Aiming to Improve Services to Solve Problems in the Beauty Industry While Supporting Two Founders

Last year, our company entered into a strategic capital and business alliance with The Salons Japan, Inc., which leases private salon studios for professional beauticians, and we began our journey together as partners in the Venture Ecosystem.

☆You can see the press release regarding this strategic capital and business alliance with The Salons Japan Inc. on the following page:
https://d-pops-group.co.jp/en/column/the-salons-japan/

For this article, we interviewed Yume Oki, the first employee at The Salons Japan supporting the company’s two founders. (This interview was conducted in January 2025.)

This is the latter part of the interview. To read the first part, click the link below.
https://d-pops-group.co.jp/en/column/the-salons-japan-interview2-first-part/

◆Changes Since the Company’s Founding

Sugihara:
As the longest-serving employee, what changes have you observed from THE SALONS’ initial launch to now?

Oki:
This is something that our founders (President Shimizu and Director Kuboshima) have also mentioned, but for a while, we definitely went through a period of what you might call stagnation—a time when things just stayed the same day after day.

This was partly because we hadn’t focused on increasing our staff and were operating with a bare minimum team. Another possible reason that we were not changing anything was due to the lack of competing services emerging. Recently, the increase in team members has been a really significant transition for me.

With more people, I have the strong sense we are now able to tackle things that were previously just out of reach. They all only just joined us, so I truly hope they continue to stay in our company.

Although we had a period of stagnation, we continuously focused on solving problems as we opened each new location, as I mentioned before. We steadily fixed issues, so if something didn’t work at one location, we made sure to change it when opening the next location. We were proceeding slowly, but surely.

The timings for our recent fundraising and our increase in staff were almost simultaneous. Since then, the way we take on challenges and our mindset itself have suddenly transformed.

◆Changes After the Strategic Capital and Business Alliance

Sugihara:
D-POPS GROUP and The Salons Japan entered into a strategic capital and business alliance in June 2024. Have you felt any changes since the investment?

Oki:
Yes, of course, there was a lot of buzz at the outset of this investment. But since this was our first time to receive investment after operating solely as a private company, I felt like saying “Finally!”, and at the same time, I had a sense that everyone was placing high expectations on us.

Furthermore, although I’m still just a general employee, I do participate in board meetings as a secretary. I highly appreciate the chance to hear the opinions of those from different industries regarding aspects of our business that we, from an internal perspective, haven’t seen the need to change. Their positive evaluations of our strengths are also a big confidence boost. So, getting to participate has been a truly enriching experience.

I have also started to be involved in meetings with banks, and I genuinely feel that their assessment of us has changed. In addition, D-POPS GROUP’s President Goto has introduced some real estate companies to us, and when they showed us some of the properties, I was able to accompany them. He showed us how to see them from a different angle, which has allowed us to increase the number of our parameters we have for finding potential properties. I feel our perspective on business growth has definitely shifted as a result.

Sugihara:
Speaking of buzz, since the rest of our group’s companies are in different industries, we didn’t feel the impact directly. Was there a buzz in the beauty industry?

Oki:
Yes, after the press release was published, we received congratulations from a lot of different people, including some who are quite prominent in the beauty industry. Some were even surprised, as they hadn’t realized we had been operating purely on our own until that point.

Also, the fact that D-POPS GROUP was the company that backed us was also a bit of a sensation, and I heard that some of President Shimizu’s business leader acquaintances even asked him to introduce them to President Goto.

◆On President Shimizu and Director Kuboshima

Sugihara:
Your two founders are quite rich in personality! President Shimizu is a beauty professional, a boxer, and a licensed real estate agent, while Director Kuboshima happens to be a long-time friend of mine. What are your impressions of them?

Oki:
Their personal airs and ways of thinking are different. President Shimizu is the type who immediately sees the problems in front of him and fixes them quickly. Director Kuboshima is usually calm and has a very cool-headed perspective, always thinking about the long-term. I often feel that the reason they are so successful is precisely because they have these two different ways of thinking.

However, outside of work—for instance, when they go out for a drink—they both seem to genuinely enjoy themselves. The fact that they can clash at work but maintain a strong personal friendship seems to be the secret to their success. In meetings with them, I’ve personally heard President Shimizu say “I’ll let Director Kuboshima manage our finances,” and Director Kuboshima say “I’ll leave the beauty professional matters to President Shimizu, because he understands them best.” It’s amazing that they have that level of mutual respect and trust.

◆Team Atmosphere

Sugihara:
I hear the team has grown recently. How is the team atmosphere now?

Oki:
Since I joined in the company’s early days, I feel like one of my roles is to convey my opinion when the situation calls for it. However, I really appreciate that our newly-joined members are generally calm, soft-hearted people, who aren’t the type to jump into conflict.

But rather than being just kind and gentle, they all have a strong sense of responsibility, too. They believe that what they are doing is their personal duty, and they fully commit to it. I am so glad that we have attracted people with those qualities.

Sugihara:
Indeed, everyone seems to have a quiet and peaceful aura, but I can tell that they also have a highly professional business-sense.

Oki:
Exactly. They take total ownership of the tasks they are in charge of, so I can confidently entrust things to them. Our SNS manager, for instance, noticed a problem after having a simple, casual conversation with me, and immediately updated our social media without me having to say anything. Another member noticed my workload was heavy and told me, “I can handle this part myself, so don’t worry about it.” The strength of our team is definitely improving!

Sugihara:
The potential for expanding your company is certainly increasing. We just talked about how your two founders are highly individual, and you yourself possess many talents. I heard that along with keeping a busy work schedule, you are a Frescoball player, as well!

Oki:
Yeah, I play Frescoball. Most people might not be familiar with it, but it’s a beach sport that originated in Brazil. Despite being a ball game where players face off against each other, your opponent is not an enemy, but a partner with whom to keep a rally going, so it’s a very peaceful sport. The competition lies in accumulating points, and you’re judged subjectively on your level of cooperation and aesthetic quality, among other things.

Sugihara:
That sounds like a wonderful sport. Do your practices also take place on the beach?

Oki:
Where there’s no beach, we practice in parks or gyms. The tournaments, however, are held on the beach.

Sugihara:
There are tournaments, too??

Oki:
Yes! There are international tournaments, and this year, it will be held in Japan! Our company’s Director Kuboshima is actually the president of the Japan Frescoball Association.

Director Kuboshima is also the president and CEO of RYOGEISYA Inc., an IT culture company that does many different things. Despite doing so many different things, they aren’t scattered. Rather, they dedicate focus and delegate workers to each area of business.

◆On THE SALONS Shinjuku, Opened in January 2025

Sugihara:
Well, the Shinjuku location opened in January 2025. Have you been receiving tenant applications?

Oki:
We sure have! Out of the total 17 salon studios, 8 studios are currently filled (as of February 17, 2025). The actual viewings only started yesterday, but there were people who had already decided to move in before seeing the location.

Sugihara:
It’s surprising that so many people decided to move in before viewing the facilities themselves.

Oki:
Yes, it is. Those contracts are already confirmed, and when we started to show the studios yesterday, two or three groups already came and are considering whether to move in. There has recently been a trend of people deciding before construction is even finished, which we are very grateful for, but I think most people prefer to decide after seeing the actual location. We hope to finalize more contracts through in-person viewings, ideally by the time we start operations around February.

By the way, for the first time, two of the studios we prepared are designed for manicure services, and both of those studios are already contracted.

Sugihara:
In addition to the manicure studios you just mentioned, do beauty professionals in THE SALONS provide any other services besides hairdressing?

Oki:
Yes, we also have tenants who focus on the eyebrow and eyelash business. Of course, there are also aesthetics salons, and some salons do other beauty-related businesses like chiropractic whole-body treatments and Korean Golki massage. Since we have various types of salons on one floor, not just hair salons, I think some customers may very well look at the different shops and signs and encounter a kind of space they’ve never seen before but find interesting.

◆On THE SALONS Shinsaibashi, Opening Spring to Summer This Year

Sugihara:
After Shinjuku, the Shinsaibashi location in Osaka will be your first expansion outside the Kanto region, opening sometime this spring or summer. What is the location like, and what clientele are you targeting?

Oki:
We’ve always considered expanding to thriving major cities outside Kanto, such as Fukuoka in Kyushu, and Nagoya in Tokai or Osaka in Kansai. We are very pleased that we were able to secure such a great location in Osaka.

Shinsaibashi is an area that already has many hair salons, and we have been receiving inquiries from people in that area even before the opening announcement. I look forward to telling them about the opening we have planned and asking for them to place an official inquiry.

The location is also close to Midosuji and the luxury brand district. I've heard from people operating in the Kansai area that Shinsaibashi is a great town, so I believe it is a superb location. It faces a main street, is close to two stations, and the ability to put up a large sign on the 3rd floor was a key point. The Shinsaibashi location will also open nail units, just like Shinjuku, so we encourage inquiries.

Sugihara:
Do you have any ideas for future services you’d like to launch?

Oki:
The background behind me joining The Salons Japan was my attraction to a service that could solve the problems faced by beauty professionals in the industry. So, the core premise is to continuously create better services for problem-solving.

The most common issues are related to managing a business and opening street-level storefronts. They are professionals in the beauty industry, but they naturally lack knowledge of real estate and business management in the beginning. I personally hope we can create an actual system that allows our tenants to seek advice from us more easily.

I also hope our services can evolve so that after our tenants build up their acumen at THE SALONS and open a street-level shop on their own, they will say “I’m so glad I came from THE SALONS”, or “I was able to open a shop like this because of THE SALONS”.

Actually, when some of our former tenants have decided to leave THE SALONS to open up their own shops, they’ve run into real estate problems, so I would also like to make a support system to help them avoid such troubles.

◆“Realizing a Venture Ecosystem”

Sugihara:
D-POPS GROUP has a vision of “producing numerous growing startups that bring transformation to society”. In short, we aim to realize a Venture Ecosystem. What are your thoughts on building this Venture Ecosystem?

Oki:
Well, until these investment discussions began, I personally was unfamiliar with the term “Venture Ecosystem”, but after this conversation and reading your website, now I know about it.

As I mentioned, we are already feeling the impact of the investment, so my hope is that by actively incorporating the input we receive, we can establish a positive feedback loop.

Since we haven’t formed many connections with the other group companies yet, I also would like to see some initiatives that foster deeper relationships between The Salons Japan and everyone else in D-POPS GROUP. Even though we are a unique entity within the group, I hope there will be more chances for us to connect.

◆5-Year and 10-Year Goals

Sugihara:
Yeah, let’s work on those kinds of initiatives! Now, could you share the ideal vision for The Salons Japan—and for you personally—10 years in the future?

Oki:
I believe that THE SALONS is a good service, and I believe it is beneficial for the beauty professionals who have moved in.

Since I cannot recommend a service that I personally do not believe is good, my vision for 10 years from now is that THE SALONS’ services will have further improved and become a system that leads to solving problems within the beauty industry.

Looking 10 years out is difficult, but President Shimizu has a goal of opening 30 locations in the next 5 years, so I hope we can work together as a team to achieve that. I believe that the investments in our company have increased our strength, and we want to continue working hard to make our services even more desirable to our customers.

◆Message to Readers Visiting Our Website

Sugihara:
30 locations in 5 years. A goal like that is quite aggressive, but also excellent. Finally, could you share a message for our online readers?

Oki:
I guess most people who read this interview will be unfamiliar with THE SALONS. THE SALONS is a service that can solve the issues within the current beauty industry, which is often perceived as demanding and having poor working conditions.

Also, the beauty professionals who move in are truly good human beings, and there really isn’t much trouble in our salon studios. Our tenants are independently minded and successful in sales. As I mentioned earlier, they’re also very dedicated to learning, and I personally feel that they are all great people.

I would love for you to look up THE SALONS and visit one of our locations. Wherever you visit, you will find wonderful beauty professionals at every salon!

 

Interview conducted by D-POPS GROUP’s advisor Genta Sugihara.

 

The Salons Japan

Company President and CEO: Hidetoshi Shimizu
Address: 2F Kid Ailack Building, 2-43-11 Matsubara, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
Established: November 30, 2018
Website: https://www.thesalons.co/

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I tried to replicate that at Money Design, but I eventually ran into a dilemma: a single company cannot keep up with the sheer speed of change in the world today. That’s when I decided to pivot. Instead of running a business myself, I chose to build and steer an ecosystem that could support multiple innovators in order to achieve a lot more. ◆Resolving the Gender Gap Sugihara: So, you chose your current path out of a desire to deepen the role of scale-ups (the growth phase following the initial creation of something from nothing). I also remember you being in charge of the Women Will project back in the Google era. Many of my friends were involved in that fantastic initiative. Could you explain for our readers what that project was about? Additionally, the startup world tends to be male-dominated. How do you view the current lack of female entrepreneurs, and what is your approach to changing this? Fujimoto: Women Will was an initiative that started even before women’s empowerment became a buzzword. The core idea was to use the power of technology to empower women. Startups are inherently places where people use technology to drive change, so there should be immense opportunities for anyone to succeed, regardless of gender or age. While the number of female entrepreneurs and investors has grown steadily over the last decade, the lack of balance remains an issue that’s shared across the world. One specific factor is the bias in fundraising. Female founders are often asked questions that men are not, such as “Do you plan to get married?” or “What about children?” While this could be considered as risk-hedging, we must create an environment where we face the business itself, flatly and without bias. Our association is currently working with the Financial Services Agency (FSA) on a survey regarding the gender gap in the ecosystem. Following the increased attention on harassment issues over the last couple of years, the industry’s sense of crisis is very high. Recognizing that unfair practices are unacceptable is the first step toward improvement. Sugihara: In a single company, you can manage this with rules and KPIs, but changing the culture of an entire ecosystem is a massive challenge. Fujimoto: That is the hardest part. Since an ecosystem isn’t managed by one single person, it’s not enough to just chase a quota like “30% women”. We have to ensure true diversity where more people have access to opportunities. Lately, more event organizers are paying attention to the balance of gender, age, and nationality among speakers. This is a great first step. The supporters of international accelerator programs are now being held strictly accountable for the diversity of their cohorts. I hope to see this approach take root in Japan as well. Sugihara: In the past, female entrepreneurs were often “invisible” unless you were intentionally trying to find them. Fujimoto: Exactly. However, from an innovation standpoint, the data is clear: diverse teams grow significantly faster. There was once an unwritten rule in Japan that a homogeneous team with shared values could move faster in the early stages. Recent studies have debunked this. If you don’t build a diverse organization from the very beginning, you won’t be able to scale the company later. Success in scaling up depends entirely on the organizational environment. It’s no longer just a binary of male vs. female. Broad diversity, including nationality, is an essential element for Japanese startups to leap forward. Sugihara: That is a vital perspective. I’ve seen research showing that companies with diverse public relations and branding are more highly valued. Fujimoto: Our gender gap survey showed something interesting: while women feel they are at a disadvantage, men also expressed feeling a sense of suffocation or an inability to speak their minds in the current culture. It’s not about one side or the other being bad. It’s about mutual understanding. When I think back on our time at Google, we were told not to assume that we fully understood the other person. We made sure never to operate under any kind of unspoken understanding, and we communicated clearly through dialogue to move things forward correctly. In Japan, we often proceed with the assumption that others know what we need, and when things go wrong, we get frustrated. We need to move toward a culture where we communicate under the premise that we don’t automatically understand each other. ◆Japan’s Future Strength: Turning Technology into Business and Communicating It Sugihara: Indeed, it is precisely because a diverse range of personalities come together that we can create exceptional services that reach a global audience. On that note, I’d like to ask a final question about the future. From the perspective of entrepreneurship and new business development, which domains do you believe will hold the key to Japan’s growth moving forward? Fujimoto: I’ve traveled the world, and thought about what Japan’s future strength will be. At this point, I am convinced the answer lies in “deep tech”. Japan’s R&D, technical capabilities, and ideas are world-class. However, our ability to turn that into viable businesses hasn’t caught up. Japan’s big opportunity lies in bridging that gap. A supporter in South Korea once told me: “Japanese people think if they make something good, it will be recognized. But you have to tell people it’s good, or else no one will know its value.” That might be Japanese modesty, but it doesn’t work in startups. If we can strengthen our ability to convey our products and our business acumen, we have enormous potential. The same applies to SaaS. Japanese services tend to stay domestic. But if we can break through the international wall and focus on scaling globally, we have a real chance. Sugihara: To break through that wall, it seems crucial to have a multinational team from the early stages so that launching simultaneously in multiple countries becomes the standard mindset. Fujimoto: I completely agree. In many other countries, that’s already the norm. We must have a sense of urgency—if we spend too much time thinking “Japan first”, we’ll end up falling a full lap behind the rest of the world. I don’t believe every single service has to expand overseas, but there is simply too much you cannot see if you remain closed off within Japan. When a team includes members of diverse nationalities, your speed and perspective naturally shift, and you begin to notice global changes. I feel that this kind of organizational structure will ultimately dictate the growth of Japanese startups moving forward. Sugihara: That’s a very helpful perspective. Moving on to a question about current trends: we often see discussions in the news or in books about specific professions disappearing due to AI. What are your thoughts on this? Fujimoto: The impact of Generative AI is certainly obvious, but if you look back at history, there have always been certain roles jobs that disappeared and new ones that emerged. However, this time, the feeling of being robbed by AI or being replaced by something non-human is particularly strong, which is causing a lot of anxiety. But the most important premise to remember is that everything is always changing. At the same time, isn’t the rise of AI giving us a chance to re-examine what it is that only humans can do? It’s a great time to realize our unique human value and figure out how we want to contribute and what skills we should master. There’s really nothing to fear. It’s much more exciting to think about how to master these tools. Just try using them first! This isn’t just about AI. We need to change our tendency to reject anything new. A mindset of “just try it, and if it doesn’t work, quit” is perfectly fine. The biggest waste of all is to limit your own potential by disliking something without having tried it first. ◆The Essential Quality of a Supporter: Outgrowing the Startups Sugihara: As the social environment shifts and the future is constantly being rewritten, both individuals and startups must adapt to survive. In this context, what is the role of the “scalerator”, a supporter who focuses on scaling up rather than just accelerating the early stage? Fujimoto: Whether you are an incubator or a “scalerator”, the most vital thing is to ensure you are growing faster than anyone else. If the person supporting a startup’s growth isn’t growing themselves, why would a founder want their help? Unfortunately, there are many “supporters” who have never touched a new tech tool or have stopped studying the latest global trends. Being a supporter doesn’t make you superior or omnipotent. As business models and the nature of startups evolve, it is crucial that the supporter evolves at a speed that exceeds the startup itself. If you keep doing the same old thing, you’ll be seen as out of touch, or simply uncool, and startups will leave you behind. We often say that in three years, we’ll likely be talking about something completely different from today. That isn't flip-flopping, it’s positive evolution. To constantly reinvent oneself without fearing change…that is the essential quality of a modern ecosystem supporter. ◆Defining a Startup Ecosystem Sugihara: Finally, could you share your personal definition of a “startup ecosystem”? Fujimoto: By definition, an ecosystem involves the mutual interaction of organic and inorganic elements. Support often feels like a one-way street, from the supporter to the startup, but a true ecosystem requires reciprocity. The startup should be at the center, but they shouldn’t be treated like a guest or a customer. Everyone must act as a stakeholder and a member of the ecosystem. As everyone influences one another, the ecosystem itself grows. The only way to enrich the ecosystem is for every single member to commit to continuous growth. Sugihara: That philosophy aligns perfectly with the vision of D-POPS GROUP. We aim to build a Venture Ecosystem where we aren’t just managing or investing, but growing together as peers. We reinvest the profits from our 25 group companies into the next generation and learn alongside them. Do you see synergy or potential for collaboration here? Fujimoto: I think it’s a fantastic approach. Whether we call them startups or ventures, we are all part of the same foundation of the Japanese ecosystem. The important thing isn’t who is the boss, but the shared attitude of contributing to society through business and developing together. Ideally, this creates a chain of paying it forward, where those who were once supported by the ecosystem eventually become the ones who support it. To be honest, now that government support in Japan has become quite generous, we are seeing cases where people build businesses solely to get subsidies, effectively capping their own potential. This is a massive information loss…a lack of awareness of the speed of the global market. That is why it’s so important for ecosystems to interact and for rich knowledge to spread. When players with a strong philosophy like D-POPS GROUP join hands with us, that contagious mindset becomes the driving force that will truly keep Japan up to date. Interview conducted by D-POPS GROUP’s advisor Genta Sugihara. Startup Ecosystem Association President: Ayumi Fujimoto Address: 15F Toranomon Hills Business Tower, 1-17-1 Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo Established: March 30, 2022 Website: https://startupecosystem.org/home-en
  • Interview
2026.04.07
[Founder Interview #3] Ayumi Fujimoto (Startup Ecosystem Association) – Part 2
From Startup to Scale-up: Mutual Growth and Realization of an Advancing Ecosystem For this article, we interviewed the Startup Ecosystem Association’s President Ayumi Fujimoto, a leader who shares our vision for Japan’s entrepreneurial future. (This interview was conducted in January 2026.) See Part 1 of the interview here. ◆Impact and Diversity: Over 500 Attendees Gather at the “Startup Ecosystem Summit” Sugihara: It’s true that while national and local governments make a big deal about startup support, there are legal complexities that make it difficult for local governments to invest directly in startup equity. However, providing support in the form of recruitment is a very practical workaround. I also find it impressive when financial institutions go beyond just providing capital to actually running alongside startups to assist with sales and business development. Regarding your three courses of action, I’m particularly interested in the second one, eliminating information inequality. Could you share some specific success stories or milestones from your activities overall? Fujimoto: I would say the Startup Ecosystem Summit is our most significant achievement and a prime example of our impact. We have held it for four consecutive years now, and last year, we introduced our first “Global Roundtable”. While many international ecosystem stakeholders were visiting Japan, there were surprisingly few opportunities for them to gather in one room and collaborate, so we created that space for them. Last year, the Summit drew between 500 and 600 participants. Players from every corner of the domestic market mingled together, and I believe that sheer diversity is a tangible manifestation of the ecosystem itself. Sugihara: Just gathering hundreds of people from so many different sectors in a single venue is itself quite a feat. Fujimoto: It really is. I feel like the scope of the event expands every year. We started with about 100 people, mostly just the supporters. From that point, we started to hear feedback like, “Actually, startups should participate too,” “We should exchange information with regional governments,” or “Every single government ministry should attend.” The sense of connectedness is growing, and the diversity increases every year. Our philosophy is that rather than just repeating the same thing, the Summit should be a place where participants can actually experience the growth of the ecosystem. That’s why we aim to challenge ourselves with something different every year. We’re grateful that those who attend can feel that the scale is truly growing and the diversity is deepening. While it’s almost like a kind of class reunion for the industry, our ultimate goal is for it to be a place where you can feel the evolution of the ecosystem and where startups can find every piece of new information they need. One way we are currently expanding our activities is by utilizing the Tokyo Innovation Base (TIB) in Yurakucho, which is supported by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and collaborating with them on the operational side. ◆Overseas Collaboration: Where Supporters Connect on a Global Stage Sugihara: Since the Startup Ecosystem Association is a non-profit, your activities feel very pure and ambition-driven as opposed to being motivated by profit. I also get the impression that your team is incredibly high-caliber, with members coming from prestigious backgrounds like Google. Regarding the previous Startup Ecosystem Summit you held last October, I saw on your website that your association was deeply involved in organizing it together with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Could you tell us more about the global perspective of that event and the reception it received? Fujimoto: Last year’s event was particularly successful in its global focus. While other events hosted by VCs or massive government initiatives like “SusHi Tech Tokyo” attract many international visitors, there are actually surprisingly few opportunities for startup supporters to have deep, substantive conversations with each other. For our event, we invited supporters and people in charge of operating large-scale facilities or acceleration programs from different countries within Asia, the US, Europe, and other places. Hearing directly from them about the current trends among Singapore’s startup supporters or the transitions happening in France was incredibly meaningful. Also, I like trying new things every year, so last year, we introduced the “Triangle Session” format: three speakers and one moderator. We picked specific themes such as legal affairs, accelerators, or entrepreneurship education, and limited the time per session to just 15 minutes, to keep the speakers focused on sharing what initiatives they were undertaking. In previous years, we had larger panels with about ten speakers, but the content often became too broad. Participants told us they wanted to dive deeper into specific niches and hear how three different companies handle the same challenge. When I first proposed a 15-minute limit, neither the speakers nor the Tokyo government officials could imagine achieving anything in such a short window, so they were skeptical. But it turned out to be a massive hit. The goal wasn’t to tell the whole story on stage, but to provide just enough essence to spark a direct conversation or a follow-up later. Creating that spark was the major development of last year’s Summit. Sugihara: That 15-minute format sounds like something that could be applied to many other types of conferences. Fujimoto: Absolutely. I’d love for others to adopt it. Over the past year, our association has been continuously conducting an “Ecosystem Survey”, and we’ve visited roughly 20 countries to study their local scenes. There’s no point in us keeping that knowledge to ourselves. Whether it’s a unique conference format, a workshop style, or a specific program we saw abroad, we want to share those ideas. Even if we don’t implement them ourselves, it’s important that someone else is able to do so. Sugihara: I imagine that it must be intimidating to reach out to a lot of very busy leaders for these events, but is that process usually smooth? Fujimoto: I think this is a testament to what we’ve built over the years. Most people seem to trust that “if the association is doing it, it’s going to be worthwhile”. Rather than saying “Hmm, we’ll think about it”, they usually say “Let’s do it!” almost immediately. I believe this is possible precisely because everyone, including our founding supporters, recognizes the necessity of this activity. I also believe the fact that we operate as a non-profit is a major reason why people are so willing to accept our requests. We aren’t looking to turn this into a profitable business, but acting purely for the sake of the ecosystem. Our hope is that the association’s events serve as a catalyst for what each participant is working on to be shared with the wider world. If this were a request for cooperation coming from a specific private company for their own business interests, I don’t think things would go nearly as smoothly. ◆Global Trend: From Startup to Scale-up Sugihara: I’ve read the association’s reports as well, and I’d love to hear about the major global trends you notice during your travels. Among those, you pointed out a transition from startup support to scale-up support. Is this a shift that is happening right now? Fujimoto: It sure is. Over the last two years, the term ‘scale-up’ has exploded globally. Previously, it was lumped into the general category of startups, but now startups and scale-ups are being treated as two distinct nouns. Currently, many countries are discussing startup policies and scale-up policies separately, as well. Sugihara: Why has it become necessary to differentiate the two? Fujimoto: Take France, for example. They began enacting startup policies about ten years ago and have since seen the emergence of rapidly growing companies called ‘unicorns’. From a government perspective, if you are investing tax dollars to maximize employment and tax revenue, you eventually need to help those companies grow to a certain size. While startup initiatives are about broadening the supporter base, scale-up initiatives are about building higher, aiming for the scale of a company like Google. Because the support required for these two phases is entirely different, they are now being discussed as separate entities. Sugihara: Is this a different nuance from what we typically call “growth” companies in Japan? Fujimoto: The term ‘growth companies’ is used in Japan, but the difference between that and the global definition of scale-up lies in the trajectory of the growth. While growth company often implies linear progression, scale-up refers to non-linear, J-curved growth. Rather than just growing slowly over a long period, it’s the argument that we need to create scale-ups that grow at explosive speeds, right now. Over the past year, to the degree that the terms are different, Japan has begun to realize that building higher carries the same degree of importance. While it hasn’t been fully codified into policy yet, Japan is poised to change by following the examples of leading nations. Actually, in one sense, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government was ahead of the curve here. When they announced their strategy last October, they were already beginning to distinguish between the terms startup and scale-up. ◆How a New Company Was Established: Japan’s Globally Competitive Sense of Speed Sugihara: That’s great! To focus specifically on scale-ups, you recently co-founded a new company called FoundersNation with Mr. Nagura. How is this new company segregated from the Startup Ecosystem Association? Fujimoto: The Startup Ecosystem Association does not provide individual support to specific industries or companies. After all, we’re structured to develop the ecosystem as a whole, and focus on the big picture. However, as we were continuing our work, we were receiving more and more requests for help from individual startups or specific industries. From the association’s standpoint, I had to decline these requests because we must remain neutral, but I constantly felt the dilemma about being unable to act on these specific needs. This sense of urgency became even stronger as the scale-up trend took hold. Laying the soil where an ecosystem can grow takes a very long time. While we can eventually build an ecosystem that produces scale-ups organically, I felt that if we simply waited for that to happen, Japan would lose its competitive edge on the world stage. Right now, the number of players we have in this specific niche is overwhelmingly small, and we don’t have the luxury of time. I decided that we needed a separate, for-profit entity specifically dedicated to supporting scale-ups. That is why we established a new company. ~To be concluded in Part 3~ Interview conducted by D-POPS GROUP’s advisor Genta Sugihara. Startup Ecosystem Association President: Ayumi Fujimoto Address: 15F Toranomon Hills Business Tower, 1-17-1 Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo Established: March 30, 2022 Website: https://startupecosystem.org/home-en In the third and final part of the interview, we discuss: ・The Joy of Creating Something from Zero Learned at Google ・Resolving the Gender Gap ・Japan’s Future Strength: Turning Technology into Business and Communicating It ・Defining a Startup Ecosystem ・And other topics Be sure to check it out here: https://d-pops-group.co.jp/en/column/startupecosystem-part3/
  • Interview
2026.04.02
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