The great battle for your 24 hours
What is the difference between Black Friday and Cyber Monday? Historically, one started in the 70s and the other in 2005. But today, they are essentially the same thing: a massive, digital battlefield.
In recent years, the fight for your wallet has moved almost entirely online. In the U.S. in 2020, online sales jumped by 20% while physical store traffic dropped by half. We aren’t just competing for money anymore; we are competing for something far more precious: your time.
Every company on Earth is screaming for your attention. And I realize that by writing this blog, I am a soldier in that same war. I am trying to “steal” a few minutes of your life. It’s a heavy responsibility, which is why I want to explain the logic—and the madness—behind how I write these articles.
The “long way round” strategy
If you’ve been a regular reader, you’ve noticed a pattern. My articles usually follow a slightly eccentric 3-step logic:
- The Personal Spark: I start with a trivial domestic crisis or a random observation.
- The Intellectual Spice: I connect that event to a famous theory to make myself look much smarter than I am.
- The Final Twist: I “forcibly” steer the conversation toward furniture or Hokkaido.
Believe it or not, this “Long Way Round” approach is a deliberate strategy. In a world of loud, direct sales pitches, I choose to take the scenic route.
This isn’t just about differentiating our promotion. In an era where products are becoming commodities and true differentiation is nearly impossible, I believe people decide what to buy based on who is selling it—or more accurately, who they want to connect with. By taking the long way around, I am inviting you to see the person behind the brand. It’s my way of saying, “This is who I am; are you the kind of person who wants to walk this path with me?”
Don’t waste people’s time
Since I am competing for your limited time, the last thing I want to do is waste it. My priority is to be informative first, and “brand-sy” second. If you leave this page with one trivia fact for a dinner party, or one small laugh at my expense, then I have succeeded.
I’ll admit, I have a purely “wicked” motivation: I desperately want to be thought of as intelligent. Whenever I find a piece of trivia that makes me look smart, I can’t help but show it off immediately. To the real experts out there, my understanding might seem shallow or my logic a bit leap-frogging. But please, don’t waste your precious time getting angry about it. Instead, I invite you to laugh at my immaturity and simply enjoy the ride.
A new year’s resolution
As I wrap up this year, I am grateful that our page views are growing. It seems some of you actually enjoy my long-winded detours. To ensure I have enough “nonsense” to turn into “marketing gold” next year, I plan to spend my New Year holidays buried in books. I need to refresh my supply of theories so I can continue to guide you on the longest, most informative scenic routes in the furniture industry.
A bridge is only as strong as the connection it makes between two points. Our furniture is designed to be that bridge between a beautiful forest and your daily life. Why not invest in a piece that values connection over a simple transaction?
Shungo Ijima
Global Connector | Reformed Bureaucrat | Professional Over-Thinker
After years of navigating the rigid hallways of Japan’s Ministry of Finance and surviving an MBA, he made a life-changing realization: spreadsheets are soulless, and wood has much better stories to tell.
Currently an Executive at CondeHouse, he travels the world decoding the “hidden DNA” of Japanese culture—though, in his travels, he’s becoming increasingly more skilled at decoding how to find the cheapest hotels than actual cultural mysteries.
He has a peculiar talent for finding deep philosophical meaning in things most people ignore as meaningless (and to be fair, they are often actually meaningless). He doesn’t just sell furniture; he’s on a mission to explain Japan to the world, one intellectually over-analyzed observation at a time. He writes for the curious, the skeptical, and anyone who suspects that a chair might actually be a manifesto in disguise.
Follow his journey as he bridges the gap between high-finance logic and the chaotic art of living!