I connect the dots
to create my own unique path
Tadataka Matsuyama
Edition Brand Manager, Product Department
Joined in 2007
Text and Edit / Yukiko Shinmura
Photo / Sho Ueda
Eight years of simply pressing ahead
Right now I'm the manager of the Edition brand, but looking back, this company has given me a number of opportunities. I joined as a new graduate and first worked at Edition's Omotesando Hills Store, became a sub manager my second year, and became the store manager the following year. During my fifth year at Tomorrowland, I was given the huge task of managing the flagship store, creating store plans and then carrying out and overseeing them each month.
After a number of stressful experiences at the store, I relocated to Nagoya. I had been in fight-or-flight mode from the pressure of working in Tokyo, so this change in scenery gave me time to reflect. I then started working as a buyer and tried my hand at being part of the Controller Department.
Seizing opportunities to connect the dots
Going back a bit further, I had been interested in the fashion industry since university, especially merchandising. I requested to do related work when I joined, and was given the chance during my eighth year here. The in-house referral system had been created, so I jumped at the chance to be a merchandiser for the newly-founded men's brand KNOTT. The position involves planning out product merchandising while being involved in product planning, as well as choosing materials and ordering products.
I had always worked instore, so the shift felt almost like a completely new job. The level of responsibility and scope I had to think on increased dramatically, but the extra work was well worth it. Looking back, I think that instead of trying to plan my career backwards when I was younger, it was more natural for me to take one step at a time, connecting the dots along the way.
The strength of not relying on a manual
My current job is like a combination of all my past positions. I oversee everything from products and stores to employees. Brands are value propositions. And I believe that it is a director's role to protect a brand's image of being a fulfilling experience for both customers and employees.
Creating a uniform look across stores means having solid layout and interior design teams, as well as handling human resources. Tomorrowland lets me work in all these areas because it's not strictly run based on a manual. The younger me got worried when there wasn't a manual for everything, and having to find my own answer in those times made me grow. Manuals are also of little use in times like the COVID-19 pandemic. I've learned about overcoming obstacles and being proactive here and those qualities have become my strengths.
Tadataka Matsuyama
Edition Brand Manager, Product Department
Joined in 2007
Since becoming Edition's brand manager in 2017, he has worked in a variety of areas, including merchandising for original and purchased products, planning original men's products, working as a buyer, shop interior design, sales promotions, training store staff, and human resources.