6 minute read
RETAIL: THE ART OF JOY
THE ART OF JOY
Precision and happiness join forces at BALMUDA.
-By Michelle Hespe
With a quest to enrich people’s lives by creating joy from everyday actions, IHA Global Innovation Awards (gia) winner BALMUDA is a company that unites creative product design, arresting style and big hits of happiness.
Its flagship store in Aoyama, Tokyo rises from the concrete footpath with the same sense of precision, style and enchantment as the exquisitely crafted products showcased within. The building’s arresting style—smooth concrete walls and two stories of shining glass framed by black steel and dramatic lighting—has the same look and feel as the company’s toaster that was designed by founder Gen Terao in 2015.
The toaster went on to be an icon—a status that the building will no doubt also achieve.
The designers of the building—Nikken Space Design—created a museum-meets-bar type of space, with the ground floor offering customers the chance to view modern works of art as they would in a museum.
“Since our founding, we were unwavering in our hope that our products—which we create with the belief that ‘if such tools existed, the world would surely be a better place’—will enrich the daily lives of those who use them,” says Terao.
“You can experience all of our products in-store, but to make this experience even more worthwhile, we display the history of the ideas, the designers in charge of the products and what they went through before bringing the product to market.”
Terao goes on to explain that consumers don’t judge BALMUDA products solely on quantifiable specs when comparing them with other products available.
“We communicate the incredible, unquantifiable experiences that they get through our products. This was also a crucial point when it came to designing our stores,” he says.
BALMUDA doesn’t rely on market research or creating products that it’s confident will sell.
“The store may be recognised as a home appliance manufacturer, but it’s not a company that makes home appliances in order to increase sales,” he says.
“Instead, BALMUDA is about creating products that are truly desired. We work with the vision of enriching the lives of people who share our sensibilities and who feel the beauty, sense of surprise and a joy of owning and using our products.”
Spreading the word and enriching more lives
This concept of basing BALMUDA’s brand upon the happiness that it brings to shoppers’ lives is evident as soon as you visit the company’s website.
Rather than leading with images of products for sale, the website is like a photography site, with images of people enjoying life and everything it has to offer. A sun rises over a hill; a gentleman enjoys a slice of toast while smiling at his cat; a woman straightens a man’s tie and a young girl plays with a hula hoop.
This makes perfect sense. “We’re very happy if having BALMUDA products in a consumer’s daily life helps them to feel a sense of joy that they’ve never felt before,” Terao says.
“BALMUDA gives shape to the desire to make things that people truly want. By providing ideas that the world has never seen before, customers connect with our ideas and are able to live richer lives. Like ripples on the surface of water, we feel great joy seeing the number of such customers grow.”
Those followers are increasing by the day. BALMUDA has 150,000 followers on Instagram and an almost cult-like following of fans who happily spread the word.
“We know that the true value of our products can’t be easily understood without a consumer experiencing them,” he says.
“So, word of mouth from people who truly love our products has been our most reliable advertising. That’s why we place the utmost importance on fan marketing in Japan.”
Music and joy: from then until now
Before launching BALMUDA, Terao dreamed of being a rock musician.
“I like rock music because it’s useful to people,” he says.
“Music can save people’s hearts from despair.”
His parents both had creative jobs, with his father being a potter and his mother a florist, so it’s not surprising that he has a rare creative streak.
“Father always told me: ‘You’re different from others, so don’t try to be like them’.”
What Terao has created with BALMUDA is not like anything else and it all started with one product made in his apartment, with no manufacturing experience behind him.
“I came up with a tool to dissipate heat from laptop computers, which at the time would quickly get hot and freeze,” he explains. “I thought, if the shape of the base was at an angle, it would be easier to type and dissipate heat, so I invented a cooling pad for laptops with the emphasis on solving the problems and a very cool shape.”
Terao was a one-man band, so he designed a logo, launched a website and managed sales.
“The journey was never smooth sailing and we were always on the verge of collapse,” he says.
“But BALMUDA has managed to stay afloat and now we have around 100 employees. None of them simply follows instructions. Everyone joins BALMUDA because they want to accomplish something at a unique and interesting company where they make a difference.”
Terao says that as a CEO, he never uses the word impossible.
“Because there may be a way that we haven’t yet discovered. I ask my employees to think outside the box and act with the utmost self-confidence, believing in even the slightest possibility that something exists.”
Becoming a gia winner and being recognised globally
“I had never had a goal of BALMUDA being accepted by the masses, because I didn’t think people outside of Japan would understand our philosophy,” he says.
“However, the fact that our store has become worthy of receiving a gia award is the crystallisation of ideas from everyone involved.
“It has given our employees much happiness and a strong sense of confidence in our professions. Winning a gia award has also given us the reassurance that our accumulated efforts have been right. We won’t change the direction and future of BALMUDA because we believe in it. However, that future has become more strongly imagined than ever before.”
Terao has never wavered in his belief that BALMUDA’s delivery of high-quality experiences and products will improve the daily lives of its consumers.
“This belief is just the axis, but the goal is always changing and I want to do something different and more fun tomorrow, than I did today,” he says with his usual conviction.
“We envision a future where, like cool rock musicians, we can share our creativity with people across the world to make their days happier.”
To learn more about BALMUDA, visit balmuda.com/jp/shops. For more information about the gia retail program, the co-sponsors or participating in 2025-2026, contact Piritta Törrö at piritta.torro@inspiredconnection.fi.
