Building the no-brand brand

IF all goes to plan, fans of Muji could be staying in a Muji hotel or even be driving a Muji car. Masaaki Kanai, chairman and representative director of Ryohin Keikaku, the parent company of Muji, says that these ideas could be a reality. When he travels, Mr Kanai says that he does not really enjoy staying in luxurious hotels, because "they feel somewhat pretentious". But staying at cheap hotels could also mean a compromise on cleanliness, and also safety issues.

"When we feel that a part of our daily lives is not comfortable, we come up with our own Muji concept," he says. Muji Home, for example, is a set-up done within the stores, to showcase how an entire apartment can be filled with Muji products, and there are also interior consultants…