“DISRUPTION®” is the mindset and philosophy of TBWA\HAKUHODO. In order to promote DISRUPTION to the world and drive more meaningful changes in society, we started an open innovation project called “Open Disruption®”. As part of this, we invite Disruptors who are constantly making Disruptions in his/her own field to the “Disruption® Lounge“ to discuss ever-changing business actions and cultures.

【Disruption Lounge vol.001 Guests】

HAL – Founder and CEO of XXXXTH

After graduating from Bunka Fashion College, he worked as a freelance web and graphic designer, and later as an Art Director at digital agency OPT. In 2019, he founded KIDOKU.inc, specializing in creativity, of which he is currently the president. He has designed communication and story writing for the digital fashion brand XXXXTH, primarily utilizing web3, as well as assisting companies in entering the web3 market. XXXXTH has received article referrals from established VCs in New York, as well as sneaker collaborations with Balenciaga designers and speaking engagements at NonfoungibleTOKYO.

Ryo Iwamoto – Tea Master & CEO of TeaRoom 　　　　　

Born in 1997. At the age of 21, he founded TeaRoom Inc. After taking over a Japanese tea factory in the Honyama Area of Shizuoka Prefecture he also founded THE CRAFT FARM, Inc., a farmland-owning qualified corporation. In order to change a declining industry, he is committed to developing a vertically integrated model that handles everything from tea production to sales, creating new demand both domestically and internationally. He was selected as one of the “Forbes Japan 30 Under 30 2022,” and “Forbes ASIA 30 Under 30 2023,” as well as a member of the Global Shapers of the World Economic Forum ”Davos Forum”.

【Moderator】

TBWA\HAKUHODO \ Disruption Strategist　Masakazu Tagai
Worked for an IT platformer and at a digital agency before the current position. Supporting clients of all sizes and industries to realize their visions. Based on the idea that “good strategies come from good questions,” he is committed to pursuing “Question and Dialogue”. An awardee of the Japan Advertising Agencies Association Essay Contest.

Each Disruption Lounge features two themes from the EDGES – the cultural shifts that are expected to have a significant impact on future society and business – compiled by TBWA\Worldwide’s cultural intelligence team Backslash. The theme of this session was “Discovering the seeds for Co-Creation,” focusing on “NEO-COLLECTIVISM” and “ROOTS REVIVAL” from EDGES.

To get hints for meaningful co-creation from the two Disruptors who have been making co-creation with various people transcending the fields, we picked three topics for the session: “Inevitability of Co-Creation,” “Transcending Borders,” and “Co-Creation made from Japan”.

HALー “Aiming upward by complementing each other”

If you try to only dig deeper into what you can do, you will end up with areas of weakness that will not produce the results you are looking for. This is where co-creation to complement each other becomes inevitable. Also, in creating new value from the bottom up, what you cannot do on your own, you can multiply with the power of those around you to create something better.

Iwamoto ー “Changing society while combating the speed of industrial decline”

One is that in order to increase contact with society while combating the speed of industrial decline, we needed to co-create with partners who could work together with us to foster demand. By asking those who have the technology we want and exchanging technologies, a new realm can be created.

HAL ー “Generating empathy for the roadmap under the absence of the good”

In WEB3, where there is no final output yet, funds are collected through information and investors and users pay attention to what values they can gain by investing. Investment is obtained by presenting a roadmap on a proposal basis before the output is ready, and by having people empathize with it. Such a flow is essentially similar to tea parties, but the tea party is provided as an experience, which I envy about.

Iwamoto ー “Detailed story-telling through words and experiences”

If we can raise the resolution of the company’s vision/purpose for the consumers or users, so they can clearly imagine how we want the service to look like and where we are heading, they will show understanding of our vision. We tell the story in our own way with words, but when it is more effective to tell the story non-verbally, we sometimes invite them to a tea ceremony to immerse them in the story through the actual experience.

HAL ー “Non-verbal communication born from culture”

In the NFT and WEB3 communities, Japanese anime and games are respected around the world and have a high affinity. These cultural aspects give Japanese people an advantage, and because we are Japanese, we can fully understand the culture and communicate non-verbally as well to the full potential. The “cool” image of Japanese culture is widely accepted and from there, co-creation through non-verbal communication can be born.

Iwamoto ー “Breaking through Japanese way of co-creation by introducing a foreign element”

Even foreigners have a clear image of the context of tea. However, Japan has a culture of “hibutsu-ka,” or keeping tea in the back of the house, so co-creation in the Japanese style is usually naturally filtered out. In order to make the most of legacy industries on a global scale, I would like to consider introducing a system in which different elements are brought in from the outside to improve them, and I would like to be a person who always maintains awareness as a participant.

【Comments from the Speakers】

HAL ー Together with Mr. Iwamoto, we talked about WEB3 and the tea ceremony, which transcended time and space from traditional culture to high technology. It was a session where I felt that “Open Disruption” is about discovering the common denominator of the essential parts of human nature, and that this leads to finding a deeper meaning that is more essential than focusing only on new technological information. For me personally, I think I have gained the very creation of “Disruption” that I can apply to my future works.

Iwamoto ー Even though “tradition” and “the latest technology” are completely different terms, by looking into the history, background, philosophy and context, a story of collaboration was created. I believe that many Japanese companies should create a place for co-creation that leads to “Open Disruption”. I hope that this philosophy will expand and that we can discuss future developments to promote collaboration not only stays as words but leads to actual practices.

【Comment from the moderator】

Let me summarize my findings on the question, “What would the place for co-creation emerging from Japan look like?” based on today’s disccusion.

First, Convention. There is the famous management strategy proposition that “organizations follow strategy.” If we replace this strategy in the context of co-creation, we can see the convention of “co-creation follow colleagues” – in other words, “colleagues are the means of co-creation.” People with various backgrounds come together under a common objective, collaborate to achieve it, and disband when the objective is achieved. The “guild-type organization,” which has been increasingly discussed recently is also based on this concept. This efficient, yet somewhat ephemeral, community seems to be at the root of this conventional view of co-creation.
However, as I listened to Mr. HAL and Mr. Iwamoto, I could see the places of co-creation in Japan take the form of a “community that continues to co-create,” where people continue to create and pursue new goals even after achieving the original goal. Having colleagues who you want to be with leads to new objectives and new co-creations. We could say it is the new point of view of co-creation that believes “colleagues are the purpose of co-creation.”
Then, why can we see the continuation of co-creation in Japanese-style places? I think it is because we have a culture of “sharing sensitivities,” where people share experiences and sensations before they are verbalized. What is constructed with language and logic can be denied with language and logic. On the other hand, a community that gathers together by sharing the same senses will find it difficult to grasp the significance of its existence through logic, and it will be difficult to criticize it through logic. This is similar to the structure that makes it difficult to deny the feeling of “like” with logic.
There is one characteristic of Japanese-style places that must be overcome in order to continue co-creation. It is the “homogeneity trap” that Mr. Iwamoto pointed out. The attitude of becoming conservative and rejecting new values by gathering with others who share the same values is also known as a “community bubble”. To avoid falling into this homogeneity and stagnation, Mr. Iwamoto said that we need to have an attitude of accepting alien elements (i.e., values from different positions). In other words, sharing the experience and sensation of being in a space with beings who are different from ourselves at all times is a place for co-creation that overcomes the weaknesses while maintaining the strengths of Japanese-style places.

Finally, about the possibilities of Japanese culture. In the world that seeks sustainability, I believe in Japan, which has the largest number of century-old companies in the world, can suggest hints for the culture of “continuation.” One hint that emerged from today’s conversation was the attitude of “sharing sensitivities.” In an increasingly divided world if we can expand our awareness of respecting each other’s sensitivities, we may be able to stay together even if there are areas in which we cannot compromise. And if we continue to be together, a shared purpose will emerge and co-creation will be born, making a peaceful yet progressive world.
The philosophy of Tearoom, founded by Mr. Iwamoto, “Aiming for a kind world without conflict,” is a perfect example of such a peaceful world, while the vision of “increasing the protagonists” of KIDOKU, founded by HAL, conjures up an image of a progressive world where people gather to co-create while stimulating each other. As one who empathizes with their vision, I would like to continue to co-create with them toward the realization of their vision.

【Comments from the attendees】

Participants commented that the session was so insightful and that the moderator had a good grasp of the two speakers’ areas of expertise to dig deeper into their works and philosophy. Some of the comments also said the dialogue between people from very different industries was thought-provoking.

■ About Disruption Lounge vol.002

From EDGES 2023, we picked “TRAVEL RIGHT” and “MIND MAINTENANCE” to talk about the theme of “From “Sightseeing” to “Sightdoing”〜The New Possibilities of Travel〜”. We will explore the new possibilities of travel that could also lead to solutions to local issues from both practical and academic perspectives.

＜Date and Time＞　August 9th 2023 18:00～19:30
＜Guests＞
Ms. Rina Nagaoka, Representative Director and CEO, Otetsutabi, Inc.
Professor Takao Imon, Kokugakuin University

＜Theme＞ From “Sightseeing” to “Sightdoing”〜The New Possibilities of Travel〜
TBWA\HAKUHODO has been conducting joint research with JTB Research Institute since 2021. As part of this effort, in November 2022, an experimental tour in the Mogami region of Yamagata Prefecture embodied the new normal era’s travel standard – “comfortness”. As a result, the project team found that travel is not just about spending “leisure time” or sightseeing as in the past, but is becoming finding a “comfortable place” for oneself by giving value to the community – “sightdoing”. Based on the results of these projects, “Disruption Lounge vol. 002” will invite Rina Nagaoka, founder of Otetsu Tabi Inc., and Professor Takao Imon of Kokugakuin University to explore the new possibilities of travel that could also lead to solutions to local issues from both practical and academic perspectives.