Japanese women are making changes globally in the world of enterprise, finance, technology, academia, politics, sports, the media, and more. If they were ever invisible, certainly they are not now. What inspired them to step forward into their roles today? Are their dreams and aspirations different from the generation of their mentors? What comes after them? This time, JAPAN Forward set out to interview entrepreneur Haruka Kawashima for the new series "Groundbreakers."
Growing up surrounded by nature, Kawashima has made it her business to share natural beauty through flowers with as many people as possible. In 2018 she founded a dry flower recycling business, taking flowers from wedding venues and upcycling them into decorations, furniture, candles, and more. Kawashima's efforts garnered her the Good Design Award in 2023. We met her in Washington, DC, where she participated in the Women's Startup Lab program "Rise Beyond," sponsored by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Founded by Ari Horie, the program offers valuable opportunities to Japanese women entrepreneurs motivated to expand beyond their current limits.
Returning to Japan, Kawashima immediately began expanding. She opened her first independent shop in May 2024, and it's only the first step towards new heights. JAPAN Forward caught up with her as she was launching her new shop. Excerpts of our interview follow:
Beginnings
How has your background influenced your wish to work in the flower business?
I was born in the countryside surrounded by lush nature. From a young age, it was natural for me to live in a place with many flowers and animals. Having a view of the mountains in the background was normal.
When I grew up, I moved to Tokyo, a metropolis. It occurred to me then that, for city dwellers, there were fewer opportunities to come in contact with nature. That's how I started developing the idea to bring nature and flowers to more people. I thought by doing so, I could increase happiness and well-being for everyone.
How did you come up with the idea of wanting to work with dried flowers?
While working as a florist, I always saw lots of red roses thrown away. At the time, there were no flower stores that upcycled their products. However, I thought there was merit in upcycling flowers and enjoying them for as long as possible. I was convinced that many people would resonate with the idea. That is how I came up with the idea of "loss flower" in Japanese.
From your perspective, how does flower culture come into Japan's concept of seasonality?
Japan has four distinct seasons, and each season has its pleasures. There are cherry blossoms in spring, sunflowers in summer, and colorful foliage in the fall. I think Japan has an appreciation of these differences. However, flowers in the house or in everyday life are less common. They are more often given as gifts or for special occasions. Japan definitely has room to expand this area.
Starting a Business
How did you settle on the name for your company, RIN?
In Japanese, the counter used for flower bouquets is "Rin." In addition, the Japanese character 輪 (rin) means cycle. There is also a Japanese expression "rin-ne-ten-sho," (輪廻転生）which means "the cycle of life." It encourages you to cherish life. For all these reasons, I settled on the name "RIN" for my business.
What was the hardest part of starting your own company?
The hardest part was building a creative manufacturing business from the ground up. Elements involved include thinking about the whole workflow, how to make bouquets, then recycling flowers into candles, etc. It took a long time to define the various steps of upcycling, but it was worthwhile and I am glad I did it.
Another hurdle was increasing the number of people who shared our vision. Some people don't agree with our views, but there are those supportive of new possibilities. Those people are the root of our vitality, and where we need to invest to move forward.
Building Success
You've worked doing installations for many large companies such as Takashimaya Department Store, and Tokyo Prince Hotel. What was the most impactful project for you?
For me, the most impactful job was the display with UNIQLO.
In the Yurakucho branch in Tokyo, we combined recycled flowers with recycled UNIQLO clothes. We had five mannequins decorated both with clothes and dried flowers.
The collaboration of the clothes and our loss flower concept was one of my happiest moments. I like to think that the flowers were the happiest of all (laughs).
With its powerful and unique way of bringing discarded clothes back to life, the collaboration resonated with many. I heard people say: "the flowers were so beautiful, it was hard to believe that they were dried."
How has participating in the Women's Startup Lab in Washington DC, impacted you?
The most important thing I took away from the experience was knowledge about how to expand overseas. I learned how to promote my business in Japan, but also in the United States and Europe.
The US market is the largest in the world, and it's imperative to have a strategy for competing there. But I was also impressed by the all-round support from women and men. It was a heartwarming experience for me to see how much they were willing to do for us as a country.
This was the first year that women entrepreneurs traveled abroad to the US through this program. I hope the selected founders can serve as role models and empower many others. My hope is that this will be a source of energy to expand their business overseas and energize the Japanese economy.
Opening your first shop: What kind of concept would you like to forward?
We stock a variety of flowers from all over Japan, all grown with love by their farmers. The message is that flowers are not all the same. There is a lot of beauty even if they have different shapes. Ultimately, we wish to convey the message that, just like flowers, humans are also all different and unique. We would love it if you came to our shop and experienced this diversity through our products.
In addition, because we want to make it more welcoming even for men who've never entered a florist alone, we also sell fresh vegetables, so come and visit us!
What is your dream?
My dream is that people will be able to enjoy plants for a long time and that their happiness will increase through nature. It's often said that Japan ranks 47th in the world in happiness rankings. I would like to create new ways to enjoy flowers and convey a positive message to everyone.
What advice do you have for young aspiring entrepreneurs?
To women entrepreneurs: never give up on your dreams, and be the person who most believes in yourself. How much you believe in yourself and push forward will be the foundation for the support you will receive from your friends and investors. Thereby believe in your dream, go ahead and take on this challenge.
Do you have a message for your past self?
I would say "Well done, you chose the right path, so keep going!" Find friends, start the business, fun is still to come. I also think it would have been good to think more strategically about what kind of company to make by drawing milestones.
Learn more about Haruka Kawashima and her business Rin on her website.
This article was first published on JAPAN Forward on May 31, 2024.