Advisory Interview~ vol.2 Kota Matsuda~

Warpspace Vision is to Connect the Universe.

Mr. Matsuda; the Founder of Tully’s Coffee Japan, ex-member of the House of Councillors, work on various projects by himself. At the same time, he represents outside director in several companies.

Mr. Matsuda joins us a an advisory. Here, we interviewed him about why he joined us, how he sees space industry and its possibility.

Kota Matsuda
He was born in 1968. He’d spent in Africa and US during his childhood and adolescence. In 1990, he entered Mitsubishi Bank after graduation from University of Tsukuba. He resigned in 1996, and started the first Tully’s coffee shop in 1997. Next year, founded Tully’s coffee Japan Co.,Ltd.
The Tully’s coffee Japan Co.,Ltd has got listed in 2001. After he resigned Tully’s group in 2007, he’s produced some restaurant business.
In 2009, he got international permission to operate the Eggs‘n Things. The first shop in Japan was launched in Harajuku in the next year.
In July, he was elected in the House of Councilors election and finished his term in 2016. Since then, he’s additionally produced natural energy (renewable energy) business. In 2019年, he’s been responsible for the administration of KooJoo Co.,Ltd as CEO.

Make the World Full of Smile, by being the Bridging Between the Culture and Society.

─We heard that your career is wonderful. Could you tell us about your career?

Matsuda： Career？What should I talk? lol. First of all, I graduated the Tsukuba university and entered the Mitsubishi Bank in 1990. After resigned in 1997, I launched the first Tully’s shop in Ginza. Then I’ve published the Tully’s Coffee Japan Co.,Ltd in 1998. It’s got listed in 2001, eventually I’ve opened about 320 shop during my terms. Currently, there are 2 times more I suppose.

They often say that Starbucks Coffee Japan and Tully’s have the same background, but it’s not true. Starbucks was already popular brand when Japan imported. There were already about 1000 shops in US. But meanwhile, Tully’s was quite small coffee shop, as there were only 4 branches in Seattle in those days. When I negotiated in 1996, Tully’s got surprised. They’ve never thought of the possibilities to expand overseas.

They said, “There’s no way to help you out, but you can use our logo and do what you want”. That’s how Tully’s Japan started. Unfortunately, the Tully’s America went bankrupt and no more shops in US.

After retirement of the CEO of Tully’s Coffee Japan in 2007, I contracted the Distribution Agreement with Eggs ‘n Things, excepting US. I opened 22 shops in Japan, and expanding to Singapore, Taiwan. I’ve been striving to improve our business, though I couldn’t have engaged during the terms of House of Councillors.

─You’ve always made challenges, haven’t you?

Matsuda： Currently, I’ve been running 3 brands, 「Eggs ‘n Things」, 「CHOPPED SALAD DAYS」, 「FORTUNER tea-box」, and I published KooJoo Co.,Ltd to manage them. Besides it, I’m setting up the project of natural energy. I’ve experienced 3.11 during my terms of House of Councillors, and that made me think Nuclear power negatively. At that time, I used to belong to Committee on Economy and found the reality of energy issues Japan faces. I thought, “Japan doesn’t have enough natural energy”.

Then, Mr. Kajiyama, (current CEO) and I founded the Bio-Energy Research&Investment to make Woody biomass spread in Japan. We operate the small energy plant centering on Tohoku area, though still venture company. Moreover, I get involved in technology venture, represent outside director in some listed companies. So I’m still in the middle way of challenge.

─You’ve produced wide range projects in KooJoo, compared to Tully’s.

Matsuda： Right. I could learn “know-how” to run the company during Tully’s. Based on the know-how, I’ve arranged in accordance with the feature and times. It’s not time to expand like as Tully’s, but it’s time to personalize. Let’s take coffee, the favorite flavor is different in each person, so third wave movement happened.

The mission in KooJoo is, “Spread the Culture Through Foods”.
Introduce something foreign products which are not in Japan and vice versa.
Spread smiles to the people by bridging culture.

Wish to Understand What Universe is Through Warpspace

─Could you tell us why you decided to join as an advisory?

Matsuda： When I gave a lecture in Tsukuba University in 2015, Mr. Tsunemachi attended, that’s how I got to know him and Warpspace.

─Seems that food business and space don’t connect at all…….

Matsuda： They don’t at all lol. In fact, I was like, “Can I be an advisory even I don’t have any knowledge of space…”
However, the energy, AI, and food culture as mentioned before, could somehow connect with space industry.

─What do you mean by connecting them?

Matsuda： In 1968, I was born in Miyagi Pref. and raised in Tokyo. But I’d spent whole time from childhood to adolescence in Africa and US because of my farther’s job since 1973. At that time, Some African and American people used to regard Japanese as barbarian, just because we eat raw fish. That made me sad and thought, “Why they deny different culture even we’re the same human being….?”.

This experience instilled me, “We’re the same mankind.”, and that’s why, I’ve always wanted to ultimately eliminate the conflict from the world.
We can easily understand each other through food culture. Japanese Sushi has now spread all over the world. Previously non-Japanese didn’t eat sushi, but plenty of people evaluate it and say, “The Japanese culture, which has such amazing food culture is fantastic!”. This movement played a role to bring the people from a lot of countries.
I believe that we can create the “One World” through 「food」.

─I know what you mean.

Matsuda： Originally, space development was based on the Military-Purpose or Political-Purpose. In 1983, Ronald Wilson Reagan, the ex-US president had set the plan, called “Star Wars”, which attempts to deploy the anti-weapon satellites onto the orbit. But in my opinion, all we are responsible for utilizing the space for the prosperity of Mankind.

And what Warpspace aims for is exactly creating the One World. Then, I’ll be able to make my dream real, to eliminate the every conflict on Earth.

─Both Food and Space are the key factors to eliminate the conflict, aren’t they?

Matsuda： They are. And the space is dream for Everyone. But at the same time, I feel scared, because it’s far beyond my understanding. Since the universe begun from Big Bang, it’s keeps expanding. But eventually, it’ll start shrinking and become a dot at one day, they say. It doesn’t make sense at all! lol. And also said that there’s nothing beyond the space. I have no idea.

When I was in Africa, I could’ve seen plenty of stars thanks to the very clear air. But sometimes, to imagine what space is, made me wakeful, even now I’m scared. I don’t think that ghost doesn’t exist, but extraterrestrial life does.

─Well, I actually feel horrible to think about it.

Matsuda： But on the other hand, I’d love to understand the space. And I wish I could by working with Warpspace.

Space is “Frontier.” It’s blue-Ocean.

─What do you think of the potential of space business?

Matsuda： I suppose the space industry has quite high potential. It is frontier for Entrepreneurs and is important. In my case, the reason I’ve launched the 「Eggs ‘n Things」is there was no restaurant where we could have breakfast. It can apply to the 「FORTUNER tea-box」as well. Breakfast and special tea market are frontier in Japan, they’re blue-ocean.

Of course Entrepreneurs takes blue-ocean strategy. In this perspective, space is absolutely blue-ocean. Furthermore, we can’t find such huge market excepting space.

─The distance between Earth and Moon is about 380,000㎞. It takes us 11 years on foot.（4㎞/h）

Matsuda： I love SF movies since my childhood though I’ve been scared the space. The oldest one is 『A Space Odyssey』(1968), I watched in US.
AI, which is called HAL appears on this movie, but it’s close technology to us now. The world of view which were depicted on 『The Martian』(2015), 『WALL-E』(2008), will be real in the near future. They’re not just fantasies.
I admire the imagination of Sci-Fi works. So expanding the space business is inevitable for Mankind.

─Inevitable..

Matsuda： I thought “I wish the telecommunication infra would be available in outer space. ” after watched the movie『Apollo13』(1995). This movie is based on a true story, and communication was disconnected between ground and spacecraft. That said, I don’t have any techniques, and knowledge to make it.
In this context, Warpspace project is essential, and I’m pretty certain that their business will be beneficial for Mankind.

─Dream of all Mankind, isn’t it?

Matsuda： The interesting thing of business is, that once we created something, then it’d connect something new technology. It is just like organism. Set this business as their starting line, Warpspace will grow as a pioneer in space industry for sure.

─What is the world like you want to create with Warpspace?

Matsuda： As I said, I’m eager to create the peaceful world. I believe that we can eliminate the wasted conflict and walk together as same Mankind, by telecommunication infra for satellites. I hope that every organization will utilize the space in peaceful way, not as each nation’s citizens, but as Mankind.

─Do you want to visit the outer space?

Matsuda： Yeah, if I could.

─Isn’t it horrible？

Matsuda： Of course it is. But I believe I can overcome the feeling to the space.The current education, they’re likely to develop the strong point without making effort in weak point. But I always go to the exact opposite way.
In fact, the reason I chose to be a banker is that I found it is the most unsuitable job for me.

─Is that so！？

Matsuda： When I was working on the job hunting, I was actually into the advertising agency or something fabulous job. And even the reason that I chose Tsukuba Univ. is to put myself in the regional city because I don’t have much will power though I had several options to enter.

You know what? I found that there’s nowhere to hang out, and the gender ratio is 7(male) : 1(female). So that I’ve never joined the singles party or group date lol.
Anyway, all the time I try something not good at, I tried a member of the Diet though I’m poor at giving the speech. So I’d love to overcome the fear of space.

─Oh, you want to overcome it.

Matsuda： It is same in business. If I have options like A or B, I pick the harder one. We never have the safety as long as we do business. Once the success is somehow assured, we’d be lazy. Well, it’s usually 50:50 though.

At the end, could you give us a message?

Matsuda： Venture companies should look into the future, like a decade even if you are in the huge red. That’s the vision I keep to run the business.
On the other hand, Japanese bank consider the possibility of investment based on the past performance. I used to be a banker so that makes sense to me, but if venture companies submit the financial report which is in red, the banks reject.

Under such environment, venture companies never grow. Japanese banks are less likely to take risks, and that make them lose competitive edge. The banks don’t have the know-how to look into the future prospects of business.
Of course the business that banks invested failed, it’d be a big loss. But if the business would run, they can grow each other. That’s the reason why people invest in the venture companies in US.

Though Warpspace is still venture company, they have rich advisory members and investors. I’d love to get the opportunity to grow up together.