Masashi Haruyama, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Haruyama Holdings Co., Ltd.

Make your mark in history as a challenger in the business wear industry!

Chairman of the Board, Haruyama Holdings Co., Ltd.　治山正史(Haruyama Masashi)

■ Profile
Born in Okayama Prefecture in 1964. After graduating from the Faculty of Economics at Rikkyo University in 89, he joined Itochu Corporation. After returning to Japan from a posting in New York in 94, he joined his family business, Haruyama Shoji (now Haruyama Holdings Co., Ltd.). He became president in 2003. He operates apparel chains nationwide, focusing on business wear, including "Haruyama," "PSFA," and "Fourel."

Haruyama is one of the largest companies in the business wear industry. Its defining feature is that it continues to be a challenger. It has collaborated with companies across industries to date, taking on many challenges that go beyond people's imagination. We spoke to Chairman Masashi Haruyama, who has a strong sense of curiosity and a spirit of challenge.

When I was in elementary school, I wrote in my yearbook that I wanted to win the Nobel Prize. This dream came about because I was given the name "Seishi," which means "correct history." From a young age, I was told, "Leave your name in history. A tiger keeps its skin when it dies, and a man leaves his name when he dies."
I entered university with many dreams, and with the idea of ​​"making a film that will go down in history," I joined a film club and became active in it. Also, because I received no money from home, I worked a number of part-time jobs, including working at a stadium, conducting traffic surveys, caddying for golf, working in a restaurant, and selling tea door-to-door. I think I made a conscious effort to try anything that interested me, in order to gather material and satisfy my curiosity.
During this time, I had the opportunity to attend a class for working adults where senior employees gave a lecture, where someone from Itochu Corporation spoke about the fun and positive aspects of being a trading company employee. During the lecture, he talked about how the company has created a lot of jobs overseas and built factories. When I learned that I could be involved in a job that would allow me to leave a "proof that I lived," I decided to "leave my name in history," which had been my dream since I was a child, and joined Itochu Corporation.

■How to leave your name in history

I had intended to continue working at Itochu Corporation, but when I thought about the timeline, I suddenly began to think that it might be quicker to return to my parents' home in order to make a name for myself. At the time, my family business, Haruyama, was aiming to go public, so at my father's request, I quit my job and joined Haruyama. After joining the company, I became part of the IPO project. I feel very lucky that I was able to get to know every corner of the company through that project.
Later, when my father, the previous president, retired, I became president. What I learned from this experience is that the difference between No. 1 and No. 2 is greater than the difference between a new employee and a vice president. Based on my previous work experience, I thought I could handle the role of president, but when I actually took on the role, I realized the weight of the responsibility that comes with knowing that the future of the company depends on just my stamp of approval.

■ Becoming a challenger in the business wear industry

Differentiation is important in the business wear industry. Just as you may not be able to tell the difference between us and other suit manufacturers, I couldn't tell the difference when I first joined Haruyama. So we started selling business shoes in collaboration with a shoe manufacturer, something that other companies weren't doing. We also collaborated with a magazine to sell women's suits, breathing new life into the industry. We also collaborated with a tabi maker to develop comfortable shoes, and were conscious of constantly creating new products that didn't exist in the world. Furthermore, as an official partner of the Beijing Olympics, we took on innovative initiatives such as providing ceremonial and travel wear that was designed to be comfortable and wrinkle-resistant.
Of the three necessities of life, food, clothing, and shelter, we rely on healthy foods such as those without additives, while shelter includes pillows, beds, mattresses, and other items that are healthy for the body. However, when it comes to clothing, we don't often choose based on whether it's healthy or healthy. It was the Great East Japan Earthquake that made me realize that clothing is just as important as food and shelter. Many stores were affected, and while I had previously wanted to contribute to the happiness of customers through the appearance of our products, I realized that what is truly important is life and health.
From there, I made three declarations centered around health.
1. Make things that are good for the body. 2. Create a health station. 3. Achieve the health of staff.
Based on this, we are working to develop new products and place health-supporting products in our stores.
We hope to continue collaborating across industries and taking on new challenges with a sense of urgency. In particular, we want to link "health" and "clothing" and develop clothing that is needed in nursing care settings and that is good for the body.
Personally, as I have repeatedly said, I want to leave my mark on life. Rather than making major reforms that will change the world all at once, I want to create new common sense by changing the preconceived notions about dress shirts and suits one by one.
For Haruyama's future challenges, I would like to work with bright and energetic people. Energetic people can also energize those around them. I also find people who remain curious and continue to improve themselves attractive. Because this is an environment where you can take on challenges, I think it is also recommended for people who want to start a business.

■Message to university students

I have four things to say. The first is, "Make a best friend while you're a student!" I recommend finding someone, even if it's just one person, that you can talk to about anything and who cares about you more than you care about yourself.
The second is, "Find someone you can respect!" It can be a historical figure or anyone. By finding someone, you will begin to understand what you want to do and what kind of person you want to become.
The third point is, "Take on a challenge!" When you're a student, you don't have money but you have time, and as a working adult, you don't have time but you have money. So, as long as you have the time, take the risks you can and don't limit your curiosity, so keep challenging yourself.
Lastly, "cultivate an unyielding spirit!" What I've learned from living for almost 60 years is that you can get through most things if you don't give up. That's why I want people to take on many challenges while they're young and cultivate an unyielding spirit.

Interview with Student Newspaper Online on February 16, 2024 by Sayori Yamamoto, second-year student at Keio University