I want to change society from a business perspective, rather than from a welfare perspective.

Insights - The Shape of the Future
DIALOGUE

Fumito Matsuda, CEO of Heralbony, a company founded by twin brothers to handle art by people with disabilities, operates under the mission of "Unleash your unique brilliance." Akane Yamaguchi, a designer NOMURA Co.,Ltd., has been exploring spatial concept design that foster various forms of communication. What new value are they hoping to create through this collaboration between the two companies? We asked them to share their thoughts.

I was waiting for this kind of value

I've known about Ms. Yamaguchi Heralbony since her days under the name MUKU, but our specific acquaintance began with a seminar.

In 2020, I was in charge of creating the "Taiyo Museum" at "Taiyo no Ie," a facility in Oita Prefecture that helps people with disabilities become independent, to tell the story of their more than 50 years of efforts. I learned so much about coexistence with people with disabilities and concept design for that purpose. It was at a seminar where I was talking about this that a staff member from Heralbony came to visit, and that was the first time I met them.

Matsuda: That's where it all started, and we were invited to events by NOMURA Co.,Ltd. and others. By then, the company was already established, but the reason why my twin sister and I created Heralbony in the first place was because we saw the art at the Runbini Museum in Iwate Prefecture. We were deeply moved, but when you search for "disability, art" on the internet, you keep coming across terms like CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), and social concept design.

My twin brother has autism with severe intellectual disabilities, and what we're experiencing is very similar to how he used to be described as "pitiful" by those around him. There's a ingrained association that "disability" equals "deficiency," and that these are people who need money and support. That's why we launched Heralbony not as a non-profit organization, but as a corporation in the business sector, hoping to be a switch to change society's mindset.

I wanted people to be simply moved when they saw our work. The moment the word "disability" is used, it transforms into something slightly different. I wanted to create a company that could break through that barrier. So, as the first goal of establishing the company, I decided to reach out to people outside the welfare industry. I wanted to create a system where our work would be re-imported into the welfare industry from the outside. However, at first, the business was really tough, and it was people in the welfare industry and parents of people with disabilities who supported and helped us during that time. They said, "We've been waiting for this kind of value system." There was a strong longing and passion there, and realizing that gave meaning and significance to continuing even when things were tough, and I think it also led to our expansion.

Spiritual wealth becomes luxury

Yamaguchi　 Even after we started working together, there weren't any major projects at first, and within NOMURA Co.,Ltd. Ltd., fellow designer Ryo Onishi and I were just helping out on a small scale, like a personal club activity. We'd have heated discussions at izakayas (Japanese pubs). The first time we officially became involved as a company was with the Hyatt Centric Ginza Tokyo project.
 

Matsuda　 It all started when the General Manager of Hyatt Centric Ginza Tokyo contacted us. While searching for a partner that would fit concept design concept of Hyatt Centric Ginza Tokyo, a lifestyle hotel, they found Heralbony.

They resonated with Heralbony's philosophy that luxury is no longer necessarily about extravagance, as it once was, but rather about spiritual richness—how the money you pay will be put to good use, and what value you gain from the experience.

I wanted to change the perception of "disability" to "uniqueness," and thereby bring about a shift in people's perceptions. I was delighted that the general manager shared this view. However, since it's a hotel space, expertise in concept design and interiors construction is required. I consulted with Mr. Yamaguchi and his team, and they joined the project.

Yamaguchi　 Since this was a hotel interior design project, we couldn't do it with the same kind of amateur, club-style approach we'd done before. So I reached out to the members of the company who were in charge of hotel-related work. I saw this as a great opportunity to spread Heralbony's philosophy throughout the company and get everyone to understand it, so I assigned people who understood the significance of this project and could concept design with care. And that's how we got them to come up with various proposals.
 
I was truly impressed by how Matsuda 's art and the interior design were harmonized in the finished product. Multiple pieces were combined to create a sense of unity in the space, while the artist's intentions were clearly conveyed. I think this was due to a deep respect for the artist, and the designer's own concept design philosophy was integrated with the artwork itself and the concept design 's intentions. It was a true "co-creation" in the sense of working together, and I was incredibly happy about that.

Yamaguchi: What was so good about the designer Yoshimura Minehito, who was in charge on Nomura's side at the time, was that he used a lot of art, but for example, he placed art inside drawers and created a mechanism where customers would open them and be delighted. So even though a lot of art was used, it didn't clash. Art appeared with each action of the customer, and there was the joy of discovery. It felt like the individual pieces of art were isolated, yet harmonized as a whole.

Turning "negatives" into "positives"

Since the Matsuda Hyatt Centric Ginza Tokyo project, we have collaborated with NOMURA Co.,Ltd. on numerous projects. One of them was the "Herabony Art Collection" held at Hankyu Umeda Main Store in 2022. Initially, the department store placed more emphasis on the social significance of the event and didn't expect much in terms of sales, but in the end, we achieved our sales target. Many original paintings were also sold. Some customers even bought several pieces to decorate their overseas villas. Thanks to this, we were able to hold the event again the following year and again achieved our sales target.

Yamaguchi: That was a big event. The entire building was used for an event called "HARMONY FOR THE SMILE," and the key point was how to use the space in such a large event hall. People were not asked to buy it for charity, but because it was a good product. Moreover, people with disabilities and those without disabilities came to the venue in the same way. I think that was wonderful.

Matsuda: At that time, we had a person who could interpret sign language at the sales floor. There was a customer who said that it was the first time they had ever been served by a sign language interpreter and made a purchase. Usually, these people have given up on customer service altogether. There is a possibility that there are a huge number of such people out there.

Recently, as we have collaborated with various companies, I think that HERALBONY's strength is its ability to turn "negatives" into "positives." For a sanitary napkin we collaborated with a sanitary napkin manufacturer, we had them use our art on the packaging. As a result, we have heard feedback from users saying that they no longer have to carry it around hidden in their handkerchiefs.

Also, the plastic bottles of water that we collaborated with a beverage manufacturer have art on the labels, and the royalties go back to the artists. Water is colorless and transparent, but consumers' purchasing behavior has color. So, both are selling well. If consciousness changes, consumer behavior changes.

I want to create a space where everyone can go out

I respect Yamaguchi 's approach to art, not from a welfare perspective, but simply because it's cool and can be sold for a high price. But what has resonated with me the most, ever since I met the twins, is what they said: that Heralbony wants to be a symbol for people with disabilities when they go out. They want to make it easier for people with disabilities to go out without worrying about what others think or feeling hesitant.

This is a bit of a digression, but when my own children were born, I realized that even though I had always worked within society, having children made it difficult to go out, and even taking the bus was a source of dread. I felt a considerable sense of alienation from society. My second child had severe eczema due to allergies when he was an infant, and I felt sorry for him, so I tried to avoid people as much as possible when we went out. At that time, a woman I met while out and about looked into my child's face and complimented him, saying, "He's so cute." The moment I heard those words, I felt like my preconceived notions were dispelled, and the world seemed to brighten. I no longer disliked going out so much.

I'm sure many people with disabilities and their families hesitate to go out for various reasons, such as worrying about raising their voices, or being seen as pitiful or having a hard time. There are indeed survey results supporting this. Therefore, I want to create a space where people can go out without having to apologize to society.

Our mission at NOMURA Co.,Ltd. is to "deliver Delight and Passion to people through space creation." However, there are a great many people in society who have difficulty going out, including people with disabilities, pregnant women, people raising infants, people with sensory sensitivities, people with dementia, and so on. If we can create a society where it is easy to go out, we can deliver "Delight and Passion" to more people. And we want to do this not just from a CSR perspective, but also from an economic circulation perspective.

This is one of the lessons I learned through my work at the "Sun Museum." So many people go out, use public transportation, shop, eat, or use the facilities... They are all consumers, so it can create a win-win situation for businesses and shops. It may lead to economic revitalization, and above all, by putting it on a business basis, its sustainability can be ensured.

Aiming to become a "platform for an inclusive society"
 

Matsuda: The sense of alienation comes from society separating people with disabilities from those without. HERALBONY aims to change that perception, and in fact, in a survey conducted on EC, more than 70% of people said that their image of disabilities had changed in a more positive direction as a result of HERALBONY.

What is needed is knowledge, not separation but coexistence. Although Heralbony was established as an art business, we hope to eventually become a platform for an inclusive society. Recently, we have been thinking about inclusive creators.

Heralbony has deaf members and wheelchair users, and each of them has a unique personality as a creator. I would like to create a framework where these people can co-create together and open up the possibilities. Then, we will implement and spread this system in various places across the country. It doesn't have to be art, any place would be fine. It could be a swimming school that everyone can attend. Our goal is to become a platform that can add that kind of value.

Yamaguchi: Nowadays, when we try to create a space for the blind, we ask them about their needs, but we rarely think of them as designers. But if they could approach it from a designer's perspective, we might be able to come up with a different idea and create a more comfortable space. I think there will be many more things we can do together with HERALBONY in the future.

 

(Recorded in November 2024)
Photo by Kazumi Kiuchi