*This article quotes a past note from Representative Hino.
Hello, I am Hino Yoshihiko, the representative of mushco, Japan's first brand specializing in mushroom leather.
Until now, I have shared my thoughts on my own Facebook and mushco's Instagram, but from now on, I would like to share the charm of mushroom leather and mushco's thoughts with more people by updating the blog frequently on the site! Thank you for your support!
mushco is a brand that was started with a slightly strange feeling, but of course we put a lot of passion into it every day.
Through this blog and mushco's activities, I hope to be able to not only share the appeal of mushroom leather and mushco, but also frankly express what I feel and think, and thereby help make life easier for even just one person .
self-introduction
I was born in Tokyo in 1996 and enrolled in university at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, then continued on to graduate school at the same university.
To be honest, I wasn't interested in most of the classes at the time, but microbiology was the only one for which I had a childish reaction : "Microorganisms are so tiny, but they can do things that humans can't? That's amazing!"
Perhaps my fleeting wish was granted, as I was assigned to a mushroom lab, which was my first choice at the time.
It was a very meaningful time in a laboratory with the major theme of "applying the wood decomposition mechanism of microorganisms called mushrooms (wood-decaying fungi) to utilize Japan's forest resources ," where I was able to tackle social issues such as Japan's forestry and forest problems while pursuing my curiosity about microorganisms.
Also, at the time, I was planning to take advantage of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's government-sponsored study abroad program to go to Sweden for research, but the coronavirus outbreak meant I was unable to go.
So I decided to spend that time living a somewhat unusual student life, moving to Kochi Prefecture for three months and visiting the upstream forestry industry, including the log market and tree-cutting sites in the mountains .
After entering the workforce, I joined the startup studio division of an IT venture company in Tokyo as a new graduate, received investment from there and started my own company, after which I transferred to the new business division of a large company, and spent three years pursuing a career in new business ventures.
At the company where I started working after graduating, I learned about startups and acquired the skills to get things done on my own, while at a large company I learned how to collaborate with the people around me.
I was in my third year of working life, and while I was working as a salaryman on a new business project, I found it difficult to feel a sense of ownership over the business, and I wanted to live a life that also valued my own will .
At that time, I was introduced to "Start Next Innovator 2023" by an old acquaintance and participated in the event hosted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and JETRO.
(This project, called Kakushin, is a government-led accelerator program in which individuals who want to start their own businesses or work on new businesses within companies attend intensive lectures over a three-month period and work together to refine their business ideas. Of the 150 participants, 30 will be selected to go to Silicon Valley.)
That's where I met him...
Yes, "mushroom leather" ...
At the time, when I was participating in the start-up, I was talking with my classmates and we said, "What's unique about Hino-kun is that he was doing some kind of research on mushrooms."
I often hear things like this, and since I also have the know-how to utilize the timber that mushrooms have for society, I wondered if I could tackle some of Japan's forestry challenges while also working on something related to mushrooms.
After all, if you think like that, you will meet someone.
While I was doing some online research on the latest information in the mushroom field, I came across a press release from a company in Nagano Prefecture announcing that they would be the first in Japan to mass-produce mushroom leather .
I quickly inquired and was thankfully able to purchase several copies.
I also wanted to hear more about leather, so I went to dinner with the president of a mushroom leather manufacturing company. During the visit, I learned that mushroom leather is made from sawdust from domestically produced timber , which confirmed the possibility that the spread of mushroom leather could help expand the scope of new wood and increase the value of wood . I thought that the challenges facing the forestry industry today are that it is difficult to increase the value of domestic timber, making it difficult to generate profits that can be used for reforestation, and that there is little return to those involved.
(Of course, I am well aware that the actual problem is much more complicated and there are many hurdles that need to be overcome.)
Thus, with the desire to let as many people as possible know that "mushroom leather is a new approach to forestry in Japan and a new possibility for broadening the scope of wood," I set a goal for myself during the start-up program to create a product using this mushroom leather and unveil it .
What is mushroom leather?
Mushroom leather is a type of vegan leather made from mushroom mycelium . The part of the mushroom we commonly eat is called the "fruiting body," but mushrooms also grow by spreading mycelium across wood and soil. Mushroom leather is the application of this fibrous mycelium to leather.
Mushroom leather does not contain petroleum as a raw material and can be produced with minimal use of chemicals.
Compared to natural animal leather and synthetic leather, the manufacturing process has a much lower environmental impact* and it has recently been attracting attention in the fashion and interior design industries as a material that takes animal welfare into consideration.
*Compared to animal leather, its production requires 1/4000 of the water, 1/800 of the land, and 1/12 of the time .
It is characterized by the soft texture and unique patterns that only natural materials can offer, and the leather patterns in particular are unique in that no two patterns are the same .
The traces of mushrooms (fruiting bodies) growing from the mycelium are unique to each piece of leather, so the final product will also have a one-of-a-kind pattern. The wonderful thing about this product is that it will become a one-of-a-kind item that you will grow to love .
It is truly an innovative material that takes the future of the Earth into consideration .
(Incidentally, recently there has been an opinion from various quarters that the term "leather" is not appropriate because it is not made from animal products, and I think we may see a shift to terms like mushroom-based material, mushroom material, or mushroom skin.)
Japan's first mushroom leather specialty brand "mushco"
Using this mushroom leather, I decided to spread new possibilities for mushrooms, and if no one else was doing it, I would do it myself . This led to the launch of "mushco," the first brand in Japan specializing in mushroom leather.
The name mushco comes from mush (mushroom) + co (together) .
We chose this name with the hope that together with mushrooms we can create a society where people and nature can coexist , and that we can be loved by many people and raise it together with everyone like a son.
Also, it was a miracle that I had a fellow designer at the time when I decided I wanted to start a brand specializing in mushroom leather.
This allowed us to proceed with confidence in launching the brand.
What we want to achieve through mushco is a world where sustainability and well-being go hand in hand .
Mushroom leather is an environmentally friendly material, and through the natural characteristic of having no two pieces with the same pattern, we would like to convey that it is okay for people who own mushroom leather products to have their own individuality .
In modern society, a remnant of the period of high economic growth, there is a tendency to seek out people who can get things done "quickly" and "accurately." This was fine in the days when the economy was driven by the economy, but I can feel that cracks are starting to appear little by little, and I think this is somewhat connected to people's "difficulty in living."
I believe that the coming era will be one in which the economy will not be driven by the economy alone, but rather culture and the economy will work together as one wheel .
With the development of AI, in the coming era where creativity will be required of humans, we believe that the world will become a better place if each individual respects and recognizes the strengths and individuality of others , and we have incorporated this feeling into our brand.
I would also be happy if those who interact with mushco could also come to understand their own strengths and individuality, and live a life that is just a little happier.
Why did you choose a business card holder as your first product?
Knowing the potential of mushrooms, I thought that if there were people who could produce mushroom leather, what I needed to do was simple:
"Spreading mushroom leather to the world through our brand"
I wanted to focus on that.
Therefore, rather than something that would be limited to just my personal use, such as a key case, I wanted to create something that would naturally be shown off when talking to others , so I chose a business card holder as my first product.
I then sent direct messages to many leather craftsmen via social media and the internet, asking them if I could make a custom-made business card holder using mushroom leather, and was lucky enough to meet someone who was willing to make one for me.
(And I still make business card holders with him every day.)
Even now, I think that without that miraculous encounter, nothing would have started, and I truly believe that the world moves forward thanks to the coincidence of strange encounters...
When I first received the business card holder, I had another childish reaction: "This is made from mushrooms?! Amazing!" lol But there I was, a grown man, alone and extremely excited in his tiny apartment in Kawasaki.
(Though that's often said, I don't particularly like mushrooms haha)
Then, at the final launch announcement, we announced mushroom leather, mushco, and business card holders.
At the time of this final announcement, we were fortunate enough to hear from about 10 people who started the project at the same time as us that they would like to purchase a business card holder .
Actually, at the time, I had set the unveiling as my goal and didn't really think about what to do next.
just,
The fact that it was sought after by people with a strong desire to create the future made us think that this might also lead to something in the future .<br>So we started preparing again with the leather company and the business card holder production team, and decided to take another step forward for mushco, rather than just introducing it.
The people who wanted to purchase at this time were wonderful people who themselves had a strong interest in social and global environmental issues and acted with passion.
Therefore, we prepared the cards with the hope that by using a mushroom leather card holder when exchanging business cards, you can demonstrate your interest in global environmental issues, and that this will lead to stronger connections with the other person .
Pre-sale (crowdfunding) on Makuake
After that, new people I met started saying they wanted it, so I decided to get serious about it and started selling it in advance (crowdfunding) on Makuake.
In preparation for the crowdfunding campaign, they worked hard to improve the quality of the products while consulting closely with leather companies and craftsmen, and prepared products that they could use every day with confidence.
![[No two patterns are the same] Business card holder made from natural mushroom leather | Limited edition](https://assets.st-note.com/production/uploads/ext/5b38c6e643647b36922820417ecbc1c6931f593572885259303efdd85b51.jpeg?x-type=ogp)
The crowdfunding campaign that we started then thankfully reached 500% of the target amount within one day of its launch, and ultimately 850%, and we received support and feedback in the comments from many people. (Thank you so much!)
Thanks to this, I have had more opportunities to be featured on radio and in the media, and I have even received contact from old acquaintances after a long time, which made me realize that good things can happen if you work hard.
Also, during the crowdfunding period We also had the opportunity to exhibit business card holders and leather goods at two b8ta stores in Tokyo (Shibuya and Yurakucho).
We have had some very valuable connections, including contact from people who have seen the mushroom leather in person.
To become a brand that respects people's individuality and improves the quality of encounters
Finally, several people who have purchased our business card holder have told us that "since I started using this business card holder, I've only been meeting wonderful people!"
Hearing stories like this, I once again realize that people who are interested in the new material called mushroom leather must be wonderful people with altruistic spirits .
Now that I have come to think this way, I want to grow mushco into a brand that "respects the individuality of its owners while at the same time improving the quality of each and every encounter."
This way of thinking will surely become an important value for the coming decades.
We want to enrich our one and only life and contribute to the well-being of each and every person .
We hope you will continue to support us as we work towards our goal of creating a world where sustainability and well-being are achieved together .
Well, thank you for reading this far.
I will continue to write about behind-the-scenes stories, my thoughts on mushco, and the brand's daily growth story.
Please look forward to the next post 🍄
If you like, please follow mushco on social media💡
✒X (old Twitter): @mushco_jp
📷Instagram: @mushco.jp