Celebrating ALBION\u2019s 60th year of business with new endeavors<\/h4>\n\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What does \u201cALBION\u201d mean? <\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- \u201dALBION\u201d is an old name for England that means \u201cWhite Land\u201d. When you look at Great Britain Island from the Dover Strait, the coastline looks white because of its cretaceous cliffs and it is said that this is where the name comes from. Given that Japanese women tend to have a longing for white skin, we named our company ALBION. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I have been told that the company welcomed its 60th year of business in March this year. <\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- Yes, we are hoping to make plans to celebrate our 60th anniversary. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Have you planned special events in the past as well? <\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- A few years ago, we invited people to participate in \u201cBeauty Wonderland\u201d, an event that we held in Tokyo and Osaka to have participants try our products free of charge. We have absolute confidence in our products and are proud to say that anyone who tries them will be satisfied with them. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- The products that first come to mind when I think of ALBION are your skincare products – the Skin Conditioner, for instance. <\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- Thank you. The Skin Conditioner is a long-seller known by its nickname, \u201cSki-Con\u201d among our clients. Our company is particularly focused on developing skincare products, as we are committed to creating beautiful transparent skin. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- The right skincare is the key to self-confidence. <\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- Last year, we also produced a beach house in Enoshima for a limited time during the summer. Our luxurious pure white beach house exclusively for women attracted wide attention. We had a spacious powder room stocked with our UV care and skin care products at the disposal of visitors. Our women-friendly services were quite popular. We also enjoyed having an ALBION train wrap on the Enoden Line. We expect to be engaged in more activity this year. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I will look forward to it!<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_55_01.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_55_02.jpg\")
<\/div>\n![\"\u85ac\u7528\u30b9\u30ad\u30f3\u30b3\u30f3\u30c7\u30a3\u30b7\u30e7\u30ca\u30fc](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_55_03.jpg\")
<\/p>\nSkin Conditioner Essential<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nThe untold story behind the creation of EX-VIE GINZA <\/h4>\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I have heard that the EX-VIE GINZA is currently very popular. <\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- Thank you. It has been selling quite well.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- How much does it cost?<\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- It is 85,000 yen for 40 grams.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Is that true?<\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- We have sold more than we had originally expected, and we overachieved our target sales soon after its release. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- That is amazing! But come to think of it, it costs the same as going to four 20,000-yen aesthetic treatments. <\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- Women tend to think that way (laughs). <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Aesthetic treatments usually take two hours, and after a session, I have to put my makeup back on in order to go home; hence, they can be tiring. When you think about it that way, it may not be so expensive. Still, I would call it quite a challenging decision to develop such a product.<\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- We faced many difficulties in commercializing this product. The name EX-VIE GINZA comes from an incredible idea proposed and supported by female employees to \u201cestablish a factory in Ginza to manufacture a product named after Ginza\u201d (laughs). Manufacturing a product in Ginza would involve many challenges, including higher initial costs, the requirement of a manufacturing permit from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and conformity with hygienic standards. However, I eventually gave in and we created a small studio in Ginza. Whereas we could make several thousands of products as day at a factory, we can only make 120 items at the studio, with two employees working full time from morning to night. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Just 120! That is quite a challenging number. What is the concept of the product? <\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- The concept is to \u201creproduce the skin at its ultimately beautiful moment\u201d. We have combined some globally rare plant essences to maximally activate female hormones and support the creation of a beautiful complexion. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- When exactly is the moment that the skin is ultimately beautiful? <\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- It is said that the female skin is most beautiful on the day of ovulation. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Really!? That is new to me. You should have told us earlier (laughs). So, this cream will enable us to reproduce the ultimately beautiful complexion that we enjoy only once a month, every day.<\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- Yes. Please try some on your hand. It is very rich and thick but is quickly absorbed into the skin. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Just a small portion spreads quite well. <\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- As you can see, the texture is very thick initially, but when you spread it over your skin, it sinks completely into it. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I see. I can almost feel my dry skin being hydrated!<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_55_04.jpg\")
<\/div>\n![\"\u30a8\u30af\u30b9\u30fb\u30f4\u30a3](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_55_05.jpg\")
<\/p>\nEX-VIE GINZA<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
\nA corporate philosophy valuing the venturing spirit and people <\/h4>\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- You are very selective about what goes into your products. <\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- Yes that is an aspect that we cannot compromise. Our company owns 30,000 square meters of field in Shirakami in Akita Prefecture where we organically grow plants from which we extract the essences we use in our products ourselves. We use a special variety of Job\u2019s tears called Kitanohato, which is grown in Hokkaido, as the main ingredient of the Skin Conditioner.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Will you continue your pursuit of developing fascinating products?<\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- We certainly will. Sri Lanka has a rich source of medicinal plants, which we seek to harness as cosmetics ingredients. We have established the Institute of Traditional Plants in collaboration with Tokyo University of Agriculture to study indigenous plants. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- In your various endeavors, I am sure that you have experienced both success and failure. And yet, you have fearlessly continued to pursue new possibilities. <\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- We have experienced many failures, but when a product fails, all we have to do is stop. We are determined to continue to explore new ideas, including experimenting with new ingredients and technologies. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Speaking of challenges, I have been told that you also run a daycare center called \u201cKuukids,\u201d which is a unique undertaking among cosmetic manufacturers. <\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- Our company employs around 2,000 people in the beauty department who are the source of our corporate strength. We started an in-house daycare center in 2009 for women who wish to continue working after marriage or giving birth. Our services are available not only to our employees but also to neighboring companies and local residents. We are open until 9:00 pm from Monday to Sunday, including holidays, in order to support working mothers. We hope to be of some help to working mothers. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- You take very good care of people.<\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- We are seeking to use plant ingredients from Madagascar, which is an extremely poor country where only 45 percent of the children can go to school. In our hope to make a contribution to the local people, instead of just enjoying wealth on our side, we have donated school buildings to the local elementary school and junior high school. Hopefully, these schools can foster new human resources.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_55_06.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n![\"Kuukids\uff08\u30af\u30fc\u30ad\u30c3\u30ba\uff09\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_55_07.jpg\")
<\/p>\nKuukids<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nHoping that Ginza will continue to pursue innovation while observing traditions <\/h4>\n\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Before we close, could you please tell me about your passion for Ginza. <\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- What makes Ginza so wonderful is its wealth of long-established businesses. Ginza is also special because it is home to many specialty stores, such as hat shops and tailors, that cannot be found in other towns. In an era of drastic change, I would expect it to be very challenging for long-established businesses to stay in business, but I strongly hope that they will. That is why I hope that they will continue to pursue new challenges while observing traditions. Without innovation, traditions cannot be conserved. Mere repetition will only invite decline. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_55_08.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_55_09.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\nChisako Takashima<\/h4>\n
Violinist. Takashima started taking violin lessons from the age of 6. After a successful career abroad, she moved her home base to Japan, where she currently performs in concerts across the country. Highly noted for her character in TV and radio appearances, she has currently opened up her career to more diverse fields with an unchanged focus on her profession.\u3002<\/p>\n
- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What does \u201cALBION\u201d mean? <\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- \u201dALBION\u201d is an old name for England that means \u201cWhite Land\u201d. When you look at Great Britain Island from the Dover Strait, the coastline looks white because of its cretaceous cliffs and it is said that this is where the name comes from. Given that Japanese women tend to have a longing for white skin, we named our company ALBION. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I have been told that the company welcomed its 60th year of business in March this year. <\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- Yes, we are hoping to make plans to celebrate our 60th anniversary. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Have you planned special events in the past as well? <\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- A few years ago, we invited people to participate in \u201cBeauty Wonderland\u201d, an event that we held in Tokyo and Osaka to have participants try our products free of charge. We have absolute confidence in our products and are proud to say that anyone who tries them will be satisfied with them. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- The products that first come to mind when I think of ALBION are your skincare products – the Skin Conditioner, for instance. <\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- Thank you. The Skin Conditioner is a long-seller known by its nickname, \u201cSki-Con\u201d among our clients. Our company is particularly focused on developing skincare products, as we are committed to creating beautiful transparent skin. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- The right skincare is the key to self-confidence. <\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- Last year, we also produced a beach house in Enoshima for a limited time during the summer. Our luxurious pure white beach house exclusively for women attracted wide attention. We had a spacious powder room stocked with our UV care and skin care products at the disposal of visitors. Our women-friendly services were quite popular. We also enjoyed having an ALBION train wrap on the Enoden Line. We expect to be engaged in more activity this year. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I will look forward to it!<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
Skin Conditioner Essential<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nThe untold story behind the creation of EX-VIE GINZA <\/h4>\n
- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I have heard that the EX-VIE GINZA is currently very popular. <\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- Thank you. It has been selling quite well.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- How much does it cost?<\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- It is 85,000 yen for 40 grams.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Is that true?<\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- We have sold more than we had originally expected, and we overachieved our target sales soon after its release. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- That is amazing! But come to think of it, it costs the same as going to four 20,000-yen aesthetic treatments. <\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- Women tend to think that way (laughs). <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Aesthetic treatments usually take two hours, and after a session, I have to put my makeup back on in order to go home; hence, they can be tiring. When you think about it that way, it may not be so expensive. Still, I would call it quite a challenging decision to develop such a product.<\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- We faced many difficulties in commercializing this product. The name EX-VIE GINZA comes from an incredible idea proposed and supported by female employees to \u201cestablish a factory in Ginza to manufacture a product named after Ginza\u201d (laughs). Manufacturing a product in Ginza would involve many challenges, including higher initial costs, the requirement of a manufacturing permit from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and conformity with hygienic standards. However, I eventually gave in and we created a small studio in Ginza. Whereas we could make several thousands of products as day at a factory, we can only make 120 items at the studio, with two employees working full time from morning to night. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Just 120! That is quite a challenging number. What is the concept of the product? <\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- The concept is to \u201creproduce the skin at its ultimately beautiful moment\u201d. We have combined some globally rare plant essences to maximally activate female hormones and support the creation of a beautiful complexion. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- When exactly is the moment that the skin is ultimately beautiful? <\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- It is said that the female skin is most beautiful on the day of ovulation. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Really!? That is new to me. You should have told us earlier (laughs). So, this cream will enable us to reproduce the ultimately beautiful complexion that we enjoy only once a month, every day.<\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- Yes. Please try some on your hand. It is very rich and thick but is quickly absorbed into the skin. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Just a small portion spreads quite well. <\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- As you can see, the texture is very thick initially, but when you spread it over your skin, it sinks completely into it. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I see. I can almost feel my dry skin being hydrated!<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
EX-VIE GINZA<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
\nA corporate philosophy valuing the venturing spirit and people <\/h4>\n
- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- You are very selective about what goes into your products. <\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- Yes that is an aspect that we cannot compromise. Our company owns 30,000 square meters of field in Shirakami in Akita Prefecture where we organically grow plants from which we extract the essences we use in our products ourselves. We use a special variety of Job\u2019s tears called Kitanohato, which is grown in Hokkaido, as the main ingredient of the Skin Conditioner.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Will you continue your pursuit of developing fascinating products?<\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- We certainly will. Sri Lanka has a rich source of medicinal plants, which we seek to harness as cosmetics ingredients. We have established the Institute of Traditional Plants in collaboration with Tokyo University of Agriculture to study indigenous plants. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- In your various endeavors, I am sure that you have experienced both success and failure. And yet, you have fearlessly continued to pursue new possibilities. <\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- We have experienced many failures, but when a product fails, all we have to do is stop. We are determined to continue to explore new ideas, including experimenting with new ingredients and technologies. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Speaking of challenges, I have been told that you also run a daycare center called \u201cKuukids,\u201d which is a unique undertaking among cosmetic manufacturers. <\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- Our company employs around 2,000 people in the beauty department who are the source of our corporate strength. We started an in-house daycare center in 2009 for women who wish to continue working after marriage or giving birth. Our services are available not only to our employees but also to neighboring companies and local residents. We are open until 9:00 pm from Monday to Sunday, including holidays, in order to support working mothers. We hope to be of some help to working mothers. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- You take very good care of people.<\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- We are seeking to use plant ingredients from Madagascar, which is an extremely poor country where only 45 percent of the children can go to school. In our hope to make a contribution to the local people, instead of just enjoying wealth on our side, we have donated school buildings to the local elementary school and junior high school. Hopefully, these schools can foster new human resources.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
Kuukids<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nHoping that Ginza will continue to pursue innovation while observing traditions <\/h4>\n
\n- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Before we close, could you please tell me about your passion for Ginza. <\/dd>\n
- Kobayashi<\/dt>\n
- What makes Ginza so wonderful is its wealth of long-established businesses. Ginza is also special because it is home to many specialty stores, such as hat shops and tailors, that cannot be found in other towns. In an era of drastic change, I would expect it to be very challenging for long-established businesses to stay in business, but I strongly hope that they will. That is why I hope that they will continue to pursue new challenges while observing traditions. Without innovation, traditions cannot be conserved. Mere repetition will only invite decline. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n\n
Chisako Takashima<\/h4>\n
Violinist. Takashima started taking violin lessons from the age of 6. After a successful career abroad, she moved her home base to Japan, where she currently performs in concerts across the country. Highly noted for her character in TV and radio appearances, she has currently opened up her career to more diverse fields with an unchanged focus on her profession.\u3002<\/p>\n
![\"Strings](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_cd.jpg\")
<\/p>\n