"Do what you like with the one you like" That is the most beneficial to society SANU Founder / Brand Director Takahiro Homma
An interview project "Good Anbee Adults" that focuses on people who enjoy their daily lives on work days and holidays and live a "good Anbe" lifestyle.
This time, we talked about "Nui. HOSTEL & BAR LOUNGE," "CITAN," "toco," "K5," and other popular hotels and guesthouses. Currently, the concept is "Live with Nature." In addition, Takahiro Homma, who launched the brand "SANU" that proposes a lifestyle in which people and nature coexist.
We talked about what "good anbe" is for Mr. Homma in the suite of the hotel "K5" in Kabutocho produced by Mr. Homma.
* Good Anbe is a word used when you feel good in a dialect such as Okinawa.
"Do what you like with the one you like" That is the most beneficial to society
-I'm sorry to trouble you, but please tell us about your current job.
Now I am in a position like the founder and brand director of a company called SANU Co., Ltd. SANU has a concept of "Live with Nature.", Living with nature, but I wonder if people and nature can live in a better balance by changing their lifestyle. It's a brand that tells everyone about it.
-What exactly will SANU develop?
The specific thing to do is "second home subscription", where the wooden cabin is placed in nature, which can be reached from Tokyo in about an hour and a half to three hours. We are currently launching a service that allows you to stay as much as you want from about 50,000 yen per month, and to be able to go to various places when you want.
* From SANU official website
Before SANU, I started a company called Backpackers' Japan for about 10 years. At that time, I went to a hostel called Guest House toco. Or Kuramae Nui., And also a hotel in Osaka, and produced this K5. After that, he just quit the representative of Backpackers' Japan and started a new SANU. It's like making a freshly made SANU.
-It's an exciting service!
We call it a "second home subscription," but you can rent a second home on a monthly basis. I want to work slowly in nature, read a book, or use it as a base for surfing, but it costs tens of millions to buy a villa, but it's a hassle to book a hotel every time, and I want to go. It's almost empty only at times. I had a feeling that I wanted to solve that. Well, it starts with my own personal thing, but lol
The cabin is also 100% wooden, and basically domestic timber is used. In many cases, it is actually richer to cut trees in the forest, saying thinning. I'm trying to cut the forests of Japan properly. After that, instead of using concrete for the foundation of the building, you can hit a stake and lift the building a little from the ground, like a stilt warehouse learned in a social textbook. By making it on a stilt, we also minimize the damage to the ground. Ultimately, we aim to create a place where nature becomes richer as SANU buildings and brands spread.
-What is important in your work?
I agree. There are several, but "I'll do it with my favorite guy . " It's been the same since we started Backpackers' Japan. I think that "doing what you like with the person you like" is the most beneficial to society. When I was about 20 years old, I thought, "What's the best?" After all, it is most efficient to do what you like with your favorite people, you can build a relationship of trust, and you can do your best. Basically no one knows if it will succeed, but if you do your best, the chances of success will increase. That means it's better to do what you like with those you like.
Success isn't just about money, it's about what you can give back to society and how you can thank someone. With that said, I think it's best if you can say thank you and get the money after doing what you like with your favorite people.
In addition to that, I'm thinking of increasing the scale this time. So, I want to be a global company, and I want to be a company with units of 1 trillion or 2 trillion in terms of sales. After all, my heart is 35 years old, so in terms of boys, it's like "I want to do something that has an impact on society." Of course, I think that what I've done so far has had a greater or lesser impact. I'd like to set up something that would give people a chance to change their relationship with nature and their way of life on a global scale.
It's like trying to achieve speed and scale in capitalism while doing what you like with those you like. Ultimately, everyone loves nature, and the final goal is to increase the number of people who want to protect that nature, but the goal now is to work toward that goal. It is a posture.
-What made you think so?
I agree. No, I never thought I would quit the representative of Backpackers' Japan, but after 10 years, I felt like I could imagine my future, saying, "If I keep going like this, the future will be like this." I was happy enough because I was doing what I liked with my favorite guys, but I thought, "I wonder if that's okay, I think I'll be able to step on the accelerator a little more myself." So, one of the reasons was that I could see something ahead.
The other is that I, SANU Co., Ltd., was founded by two friends, Fukushima Gen, but I also wanted to work with him. Gen Fukushima originally graduated from the Faculty of Economics at the University of Tokyo and was an energy consultant in the Middle East at McKinsey. After that, he was on the preparatory committee for the Rugby World Cup and was the organizer of that Rugby World Cup tournament in Japan.
He was really interested in business thinking and how to build infrastructure. So, if I do it as a job, I've always said that I want to make something that can reach a lot of people. On the contrary, I was working on making one good thing, so I thought that if he and I teamed up, we could expand the good thing. Are those two big?
-I read in the article that I approached "Let's do it together" from the time I first met.
I agree. Yes, I first met at a wedding in Hawaii about 4-5 years ago, and I met while barbecuing at the eve of my friend's wedding. From there, I kept saying, "Let's do it together," and it feels like it's been up to now.
-Mr. Homma's other interview articles mention a lot of stories about meeting wonderful people. Do you have any good encounters these days?
I released it the other day, but Saki Yamakawa is a board member, and there is one new woman who has joined our board members. She started a revolutionary brand in the Japanese wedding industry called CRAZY WEDDING, and after quitting a while ago, she had a period of doing nothing for about a year. After that, I participated as an officer of SANU, but the encounter with her was quite shocking after all. If you mention other things, it will come out a lot, but if you spread it too much, that's why lol
"Nature, good anbejan"
-Please tell us a good moment in your work.
There are clearly two. First of all, because there is a brand called SANU, I was asked to show a lot of nature that I had never seen before. For example, if you say that you will do it in Hokuto City, Yamanashi, you can't basically put your thoughts into it unless you know what kind of land Hokuto is, so I often go there to understand and play in nature. I do things.
For example, during this time, I was ice climbing for the first time at Yatsugatake. It's like climbing a frozen waterfall with crampons and ice ax. I was wondering if it was the world of Red Bull, but if I had the tools, I could do it unexpectedly. So, when you walk under the ice of a frozen river, you can see clear water flowing. Walking on it is an experience I've never done before, and I've never seen the scenery of looking into the mountains from the bottom of the valley.
I wouldn't have been scared if I hadn't launched a brand called SANU, but there is nature that looks new when I actually do it. When I was able to experience truly pure nature with just one body, I said "Yabeena" and "Good Anbeda". I really think "Nature is good".
The other one is the encounter with people. There are many wonderful people even if I go to the countryside. Whether it's the same generation or a little higher, we are active in the nature, and we are not just active in the nature, we are disseminating information. There are nice people in every city. I'm so happy to meet them. As always, I keep meeting people who think "this guy is really good". It's been the case since I started working, but that's also good.
Serendipity created by radio
-Please tell us about "good anbe" in your daily life!
I think "good anbe" is probably somehow balanced and comfortable, but I really like the inside of the car going back and forth in surfing. It takes about one and a half to two hours one way and four hours round trip, and I often go on a day trip. In the morning, I started running at high speed before the sun was rising, and when I was approaching Chiba, I could see the day a little, and when it was faint, I like the radio.
A little feeling of excitement before and after going to the sea, a feeling of refreshing something, and music played on the radio. What's more, that music is my favorite, iTunes or Spotify isn't the one who chooses "You're this?", It's just serendipity, or when the music that happens to be played there is good, "Something has come." I think. Like going back and forth on snowboards, I really like the radio in the car.
-Surely, there is a chance encounter with the music played on the radio.
There is something like "Unexpectedly jazz is cool", and even if you don't listen to techno, "It would be great if you listened to techno in this scene." It's important for me to actively take information and dig it, but I think it's interesting to realize that "this is something good" while being more passive and passive.
In the old days, there was no internet, so when Grandpa watched sumo, he said, "I have no choice but to watch sumo." But at the moment, I sometimes realize that I'm a sumo wrestler, and sometimes I realize that shogi is interesting. It's the same as that, and I think radio can be passive in a good way.
However, when I'm in Tokyo, it's difficult to listen to the radio all the time in my daily life without time. That's why I like driving. Most of the time I come up with good things. Especially on the way home. I was so refreshed on the way home from the sea and I was a little sleepy, but I was drinking coffee and listening to the radio. At that time, I like to think about something like "let's do that" or "let's stop that".
-The topic changes a little, but I think Mr. Homma likes overseas a lot, but do you have that kind of stress while you can't go abroad because of the corona virus?
I don't have any.
-Eh!
I don't have one. Especially since I became a corona, I think it's "interesting in Japan". Especially, nature in Japan has four seasons, so you won't get tired of it. Even if you go into the sea, you can go all the way from Hokkaido to Okinawa, and if you try to go to the mountains, you will hit the mountains wherever you go. So, if you want to have a sauna, there are already lakes and rivers.
In addition, there is delicious food everywhere you go. I thought, "Domestic travel is not good". I'm sorry to say something like "eco" or "sustainability" after doing something SANU, but recently I've been really impressed with "Please bring a car, everyone!". Instead of not being able to travel abroad, it's like "let's rent a parking lot with that money." That will change your lifestyle. Cars are also car-sharing now, so I think I'm talking about something from the previous era.
* Land Cruiser 70, which is a favorite from Mr. Homma's Instagram
When it comes to seeing things I've never seen before, stimulating, and refreshing, I've always been abroad, but there are so many things I've never seen within two hours of Japan. If you look at it more microscopically, I've never seen a frozen waterfall, and I've never met a good local guy. Actually, I thought, "Nothing is different from going on an overseas trip."
-Now is "in Japan".
Yes. Domestic travel, and by car. The fun of traveling the distance yourself. You got on an airplane and the point is that you got on it. That's why I'm buying a move with money. Instead of buying a move with money, move yourself. It can be a bicycle, a walk, or a car. Move by yourself. I feel that something different is spreading beyond that, and it's really life-sized. That's it, it's insanely interesting. Even if I was told that I couldn't go abroad anymore, I felt that something was OK.
When I said "I want to go pop today"
-You wore Eanbe's Aloha today. What is your impression?
The first impression was "cute" . It's cute, and when I heard the concept at that time, something city pop ...
-It is expressed as "Tropical City Pop".
Yes. I really liked "Tropical City Pop". Originally I'm working in Hawaii now, so the Hawaiian shirt is really comfortable to wear, and it has good performance as a wearer. It lasts a long time, is comfortable to wear, and is cool. However, there were things like too much pattern, hibiscus pattern, and "it's hard to wear in Tokyo", but I heard that by adjusting the pattern, you can wear it brightly and airy even in the city. , This will definitely be a hit. " I'm being interviewed like this now, but I thought it was like, "I wonder if it's going to sell crazy anyway."
-It's a wasteful word ... When do you want to wear it?
I think it's best to wear it in everyday life. When you want to somehow brighten your feelings, not just wearing them all the time. I think it's better to just wear it when you want to go pop today. So, my favorite is the color. I want to use it as an insert color rather than as the main one. Sometimes this colorful color comes into my line of sight, and the scenery changes. I like that feeling. I don't usually wear patterned items, and most of them are monotone, so in that sense it's good to wear them a little when you want to make them brighter.
【profile】
Takahiro Homma (Takahiro Honma)
In 2010, he founded Backpackers' Japan, which operates guesthouses and hostels, with the philosophy of "a place where people can gather across all boundaries." In the same year, the guest house "toco." (Iriya, Tokyo), which was a renovated old private house, was opened. After that, he produced and operated "Nui. HOSTEL & BAR LOUNGE" (Kuramae, Tokyo), "Len" (Kawaramachi, Tokyo), "CITAN" (Nihonbashi, Tokyo), and "K5" (Nihonbashi, Tokyo). Founded SANU Co., Ltd. in 2020. Currently the company's founder and brand director. Born in Aizuwakamatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture. Surfing and snowboarding are my life work.
■ Mr. Homma Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/hilo_homma/
■ SANU Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/sanu_com/
■ SANU HP
■ K5 HP
