Lips Co., Ltd. Representative Director Takamitsu Matoba

We will continue to create cool possibilities without compromise on the path we believe in.

Representative Director of Lips Co., Ltd.　Takamitsu Matoba(Matobata Kamitsu)

Profile
He joined Phase Co., Ltd. in 1989. After learning the basics of stylist work, he opened a hair salon called "LIPPS" (now "LIPPS hair") in Harajuku, Tokyo in April 1999.)''In May 2000, he established Lips Co., Ltd. (now Lips Hair Co., Ltd.). In April 2008, he established L'ESPRIT Co., Ltd. (now Lips Co., Ltd.), which plans and sells men's cosmetics products and operates a hair salon franchise business, and served as its representative director..

Lips has continued to create "cool" for men under its management philosophy of "Boys, Be Beautiful!". By carefully listening to the voices of customers and those on the front lines, the company has produced a succession of hairstyles and products that overturn preconceived notions, and has expanded into hair salons, cosmetics brands, and eyebrow salons. We spoke to President Matoba about the passion behind Lips, which has now gone public.

Growing up in the countryside of Okayama, I had a strong desire to go to Tokyo from a young age. Seeing the fashion and popular hairstyles of Tokyoites on TV, I decided to aim to become a hairdresser in my second year of high school. After graduating from high school, I went on to a beauty school in Tokyo. After graduating, I was determined to become a cool hairdresser with solid skills, so I applied to work at the salon of my master, who was featured in many magazines at the time, and was given the opportunity to train. This was the start of my 10 years of training as a hairdresser.
I've never been able to stick with anything, but working as a hairdresser was different. Hairstyles and trends change, and the customers are different every day. It's a never-ending job, which drives me to want more and more, and I was able to continue my 10 years of training so much that I could say my hobby was my job.
After his training, he opened his first salon in Harajuku and began his career as a hairdresser in earnest.

■Established as a men's hair salon

For many years, I had been working with customers with the desire to become a hairdresser who has many fans, is needed, and is chosen by customers. Around 2000, hair features in men's magazines began to increase, and I began to receive many requests to create hairstyles for the features.
At the time, the beauty industry was dominated by hair salons where the majority of customers were women. It was still not common for men to get their hair cut at hair salons, so many hair salons declined requests to do hair features in men's magazines. At first, I mainly catered to female customers, but I became convinced that "the era of men's hair is sure to come," and so I began to proactively research and create works on men's hair, ahead of the times.
At the time, mainstream men's hairstyles were those that emphasized masculinity. However, Lips introduced a new style with medium-length hair that exuded a soft, feminine aura. This caused a big stir, and male customers who had seen the magazine began to visit the store, and the proportion of male customers gradually increased.
After that, we grasped the need for androgynous styles and began to actively promote them.We faced a problem. Unlike women's hairstyles, there were no styling products that could give men's hairstyles a three-dimensional look. At the same time, we needed a technical manual, so we researched and developed it. As new styling products were developed, our cutting techniques also improved. In this way, we established ourselves as a hair salon that mainly caters to men. Eventually, as the number of staff and stores increased, it naturally became difficult for us to be on-site, and before we knew it, we shifted to management.

■Behind the scenes of product development born from the field

Currently, Lips is involved in the planning and sales of men's cosmetics and the operation of hair salon franchises. Lips' strength lies in the fact that it is based on hair salons. Because we operate hair salons, we are able to interact with customers on a daily basis and hear directly from the hairdressers working on-site. While there are hairstyles to suit various lifestyles, we have a system in place that allows us to grasp the needs and trends in real time by repeatedly interviewing hairdressers, as they change gradually from day to day, rather than making dramatic changes.
Take hair wax, for example. This started when a customer asked to have a product that was originally made for professional use. We believed that "what is easy for professionals to use should also be easy for customers to use," so we developed the product without changing the quality of the professional and general retail versions, breaking down preconceived notions about hair wax, with the concept of "a design that you want to carry around, that you will love, and that doesn't disrupt your lifestyle."
I want to do what I believe in without doubting it. I always think that everything in the world is made by someone else, and you can't know if it's really correct unless you try it yourself. Behind this is a steady accumulation of questions about how to cut hair, what styling products to use, and what our company needs.

■To become a brand that supports men's "coolness"

Lips' goal is to become a brand that supports men in looking "cool." We don't just want to provide products; we want to deliver products that make people believe, "If I use this, I'll look cool." However, there are limits to what a hair salon can do alone. We create hairstyles, and those hairstyles complement the face and create the overall look. That's why in recent years we've been focusing on developing cosmetics and other products.
Furthermore, with the desire to "make the world recognize the potential of hair salons," we aimed to go public. After striving with a dreamlike determination, we finally achieved our goal in June 2025.
What we look for in our coworkers is a simple passion: a love of beauty and fashion. We also expect hairdressers working in our salons to have the ability to self-promote and a high level of professionalism as hairdressers. People who value these qualities naturally behave well and make a good impression. This behavior is proof that they respect others and think about things, not just their own position, and we believe that this is where beauty begins. While specialized skills and knowledge are certainly important, when someone truly wants to do this job, it comes across as a feeling, not a theory. A hairdresser's job is to entrust their customers with their precious hair. That's why, as a company with origins in hair salons, we believe we must be strict with ourselves.

■Message to students

I truly believe that today's students have the ability to think and act, which is wonderful. That's why I think it's best to have confidence in yourself and move forward freely. From the mountain of options out there, find the one that says "This is me!", believe in it, and keep challenging yourself. I'm rooting for you. 

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on July 29, 2025 by Musashino University third-year student Akira Yoshimatsu

Toyo University, third-year student, Rinno Koshiyama; Kokugakuin University, third-year student, Shion Teranishi; Musashino University, third-year student, Akira Yoshimatsu