Obsessed About Quality? Do Your Products Have Soul?  The
Japanese are particular about things; they understand the “soul”
of things.  We aim to develop products with soul. The idea that
products have soul is perhaps only understand by the Japanese,
the French and the Italians. The reason why the Japanese
understand it is, I think, because they have such a long history
of tradition. There are Japanese craftsmen who spend years
perfecting lacquerware. Others protect the 1,500 year tradition
of using red dye from the safflower. Others still are attempting
new experiments using 21st century technology with traditional
colors. And there are many people who are called “living
national treasures”. The Japanese are particular about things.
They like to embark on new adventures and think about the next
idea while still retaining the soul of things. Of course, not
all consumers are “living national treasures”. But this kind of
thing is understood at DNA level. The Japanese are sensitive to
things. They understand the g