Building the no-brand brand
Muji, which is synonymous with functional, pared-down design, is ramping up its repertoire with plans for its own hotel and even a Muji car.
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 on hand who can dole out advice.
For the Muji hotel, Mr Kanai envisions it to be functional, simple and clean. "Instead of Bentley cars parked outside, we will have Muji bicycles so that guests can hop on them and cycle around," he says. The company is planning for such a hotel, but there's no indication of when it will happen. As for a Muji car, Mr Kanai says that is still in conceptual stage. But if it becomes a reality, "it will be an electric vehicle that runs automatically. Farmers would find it useful. They can just call the car to drive them to the rice fields, or to the onsens," quips Mr Kanai.
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