Abstract

UNIQLO is one of Japan’s foremost apparel brands, with stores all over the world. The brand is now on a par with Europe's Zara and H&M and is on its way to becoming the world's top-selling fashion retailer. It is one of the few global brands that emerged from Japan during the "lost 30 years" of economic decline following the bursting of Japan’s economic bubble.

UNIQLO originated from a deserted rural shopping district, left behind by the changing times. What lay behind Uniqlo's beginnings? How did a men's clothing shop in a boarded-up street transform into a global apparel company? This book unveils the mystery, and examines lessons we can learn from UNIQLO's journey as well as what it tells us about life in our times.
The book tells the compelling story of UNIQLO founder, Tadashi Yanai, and his team. It details their struggle to transform a small rural menswear store into a global brand in just one generation.

Author’s Information

Takashi Sugimoto has been a member of NIKKEI’s editorial board since 2020. He primarily reports on industrial fields in both Japan and the US. Born in 1975 in Osaka, he received both his Bachelor's and Master’s degrees at the Department of Economics at Kyoto University. His books include HondaJet Tanjo Monogatari (The Birth of HondaJet) and Net Koubouki (Rise and Fall of IT Entrepreneurs), as well as Masayoshi Son: Sanbyakunen Oukokueno Yabo (Aspiration to create a business that lasts 300 years), published by Nikkei Business Publications. He is also the co-author of Monozukuri Koboki (Rise and Fall of Manufacturers), also published by Nikkei Business Publications.