Interview with Mami Yabuki
Meeting Marugo and tabi shoes
How did you first learn about Marugo?
Yabuki (surname only)
Honestly, the first time I really learned about Marugo was through D-Internship. One of my university seniors had joined Marugo, so I knew the name, but at the time I wasn’t particularly interested in shoes...
However, that senior had told me beforehand, “Marugo is a good company,” so I was curious about what kind of company it was. That prompted me to contact the program organizers directly before D-Internship began and ask, “Could I be assigned to Marugo?”
So it wasn’t that you liked Marugo’s products. What did you think when you first saw tabi shoes?
Yabuki
I’d never had a chance to see tabi before, so I remember being surprised when I first saw them: “What are these! I didn’t know such interesting shoes existed.” Tabi shoes have a distinctive, cute look, and I thought they were wonderful items.
As I listened to the employees explain tabi and tabi shoes during my internship, I learned that they have many good qualities. I was also amazed that a local company was making products like these.
What left an impression on you while you were assigned to Marugo through D-Internship?
Yabuki
I worked as a sales assistant for Marugo at an event called “Ryu no Shigoto-ten,” where various companies promote and sell their products.
The customers who came ranged widely in age and occupation. It was a new experience to talk one-on-one with people I wouldn’t normally meet in my student life, and I realized for the first time that “it’s so much fun to bring products to people.”
Rather than simply displaying products at the booth and waiting, I thought it was a valuable experience to consider how to communicate their appeal—coming up with ways to get people to stop, and recommending shoes suited to each individual.
What was the deciding factor that made you think, “I want to join Marugo!”?
Yabuki
Actually, the deciding factor wasn’t the shoes, but the employees and the atmosphere at the company.
I saw the employees, including the senior colleagues who supervised my internship, freely sharing their opinions and respecting one another as they worked. What mattered most was thinking, “Marugo is an environment where people can work freely and comfortably.” In a good way, the employees seemed close to one another, and I got the impression it would be easy to work there.
Has that impression changed since you joined the company?
Yabuki
The closeness among employees that I felt during the internship was just as I had imagined before joining.
Even young people like us can easily express our opinions in all kinds of situations, and our managers and senior colleagues listen flexibly, even to small things. I find it interesting that we have the feeling of creating something together. Ideas and plans keep expanding.
They respect what we want to do and encourage us by saying, “Then let’s give it a try,” so I feel this is an environment where we can take on all kinds of challenges.
Marugo’s work: creating better products together
You studied two-dimensional design as a student. Is designing three-dimensional things like shoes completely different?
Yabuki
Yes. Three-dimensional design requires a more technical way of thinking, and you need knowledge of fabric materials in addition to design, so there were many differences from the field of two-dimensional design I studied at university.
After joining the company, senior colleagues carefully taught me about fabrics, and I also asked friends who had studied textiles at university, so I’m doing my best to build up my knowledge in my own way. It’s reassuring that there are senior colleagues in the company who are certified Jeans Sommeliers.
You’re involved in a variety of tasks, including design, photography, and planning. Which do you enjoy most?
Yabuki
My favorite task is coming up with shoe ideas. It’s an early stage of planning, and I work on it quietly by myself. I enjoy sketching away at all the things I think, “It would be nice to have shoes like this” or “What about shoes like these?” I draw them in all sorts of places, including sketchbooks, copy paper, and notepads.
Sometimes sales staff ask me for shoes that can be used in a particular situation, and I use that as a hint and take my time drawing ideas.
What did you focus on for “coppelia lily,” which was first released in your third year at the company?
Yabuki
“coppelia lily” is a pair of tabi shoes planned around the idea of ballet shoes. I made them with the hope that people would “feel a slightly dramatic everyday life, like a character in a ballet story.”
I combined the name of the famous ballet music “Coppelia” with the flower lily to create “Coppelia Lily,” a name full of girlish charm.
What I focused on most was the fabric material. I really wanted a brushed texture, so I went through a lot of trial and error.
coppelia lily uses domestic cotton velveteen, carefully woven in Iwata City, Shizuoka Prefecture. I paid close attention to details such as the substantial look of the fabric and its soft, not-too-shiny quality, so it would match the image I had in mind.
Velveteen is a type of pile fabric made by cutting looped yarn to create a raised nap. It is often made of cotton and is characterized by its short nap and durability. Iwata City in Shizuoka Prefecture is known as the only production area for domestic velveteen.
The three colors were selected through an Instagram poll asking customers which colors they liked best. I was surprised by the response from far more customers than I expected, and happy at the same time.
Yabuki’s present and future
When do you feel enjoyment and a sense of fulfillment?
Yabuki
We sometimes work on the shop floor as sales staff, and when we hear customers’ actual reactions and feedback, we feel a great sense of fulfillment and happiness.
I was happy when a customer saw the tabi shoes I designed and said, “They’re cute!”
Is there anything you’re working hard on at the moment?
Yabuki
I’m currently working on a new shoe project, coordinating with a factory in China to produce them.
Until now, I’ve been able to move projects forward by discussing them with the factory next to our office, but with an overseas factory, we can’t communicate face-to-face. It’s difficult to convey revision instructions effectively or check on progress along the way, so it’s quite difficult to create something that matches my vision.
Each time we communicate, I make mistakes and reflect on them, and there are many things I worry about. But with advice from experienced managers, I’m careful not to repeat the same mistakes. I’ll do my best to deliver wonderful shoes to all of you.
What are your goals for the future?
Yabuki
I want to become fully capable of handling shoe design, planning, and development from start to finish. When I made Coppelia Lily, everything was new to me, so I was able to create it with guidance from many people.
I still have a lot to learn and experience, so I’ll keep working hard to create shoes that add color to our customers’ lives.
Finally, please share a message for young people working hard who are around the same age as you, Ms. Yabuki.
Yabuki
I love both Kurashiki and Okayama, so I have a strong desire to “share the great things being made in Okayama with the world.”
Prices are rising, and I think we’re living in a time when people often hold back on shopping itself, but let’s use the energy of the younger generation to bring Kurashiki’s manufacturing to life!
From the Writer
I had a general idea that Kurashiki was a city of manufacturing, but this was my first time hearing from the people who actually make things.
When I interviewed Ms. Yabuki, her supervisor from the Wellness Promotion Department was also present. I listened to their conversation in person, and the interview took place in a relaxed atmosphere, with jokes mixed in. It was a moment when I realized, “So this is the open, supportive environment Ms. Yabuki was talking about...”
Marugo’s corporate message, “make it new” (creating value together for the future), is something I believe can only be achieved in an environment where people feel comfortable sharing their opinions with one another.
Marugo is constantly evolving and creating new jikatabi that fit into people’s lives. Let’s look forward to the new value Marugo creates in jikatabi, starting with Ms. Yabuki.
Kurashiki Work Stories Woven by Young People: Back Issues
Marugo Co., Ltd. (MARUGO) Information
| Organization | Marugo Co., Ltd. (MARUGO) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Footwear and industrial products |
| Representative | Masahiko Fukuda |
| Established | 1919 |
| Address | 1680-1 Chayamachi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-428-0230 (Sales Department) |
| Website | Marugo Co., Ltd. (MARUGO) |
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