10 years since starting the business today. A candid look back at the 10-year trajectory of developing our art business

To start off, today, July 10, 2025, marks the 10th anniversary of my company, NOMAL Inc.

I never dreamed back in my student days that I would start a company with a friend and that it would last for 10 years. But no matter what anyone says, it has lasted 10 years, which is a strange feeling...

You can read about the origins of starting the business in this note, but since it has already been 5 years since that article (scary), I would like to write a note that looks back on these 10 years.

On the company's current sales scale and business structure

First, a brief overview of the company as of 2025. The company, which started with three friends, has now grown into an organization of about 15 people, including two executives, three full-time employees, four contractors, and seven or eight part-timers. There has been a lot of turnover since 2020, but I feel like the organization has finally stabilized.

Annual sales are roughly 300 to 500 million yen. The sales composition is split about half and half between the recruitment business and the art business. In addition to our business activities of "recruitment consulting" and "art business (online sales, mural production, mural advertising, etc.)," we also have "comedy talent business" and "baseball business" and...What is the connection here...? It's a chaotic, set-meal-like structure that you can't blame people for calling impulsive.

And in fact, a lot of this is done on impulse.
The reason we can maintain this business structure is that we have somehow managed to grow the company with our own capital. If we had received investment from someone, and if it were for the sake of a better profit structure, the art business, the comedy talent business, and the baseball business would have all faced opposition from investors and we wouldn't have even been able to launch them.If I were an investor, I would strongly oppose it.

Even though I am a company executive,if "management" is defined as "making appropriate decisions to steadily increase company sales every year," then I honestly admit that I am disqualified as an executive.For about 7 years after starting the business, I am aware that I prioritized taking actions for the worldview I aimed for over generating economic effects, so I am truly disqualified as an executive.

However, that is precisely why I sometimes felt that my passion was understood. As a result of many lucky breaks, the art business has been able to grow economically, but that capital also becomes an investment in new things, and fortunately, I feel that we have finally reached that phase.

These 10 years have been composed of a series of actions: launching the art business from scratch, struggling with continuous deficits, coming up with ideas and executing them, and organizing while executing. You might think, "You must really love taking action," but originally, I was the type who preferred stability and was not good at taking action.

10 years ago, when my co-founder Matsumoto invited me,"Why don't we start a company?"there is a sentence in Matsumoto's note that describes me well at that time.

...Hmm, thinking back from here, I think I've grown a little bit personally. I feel like I've shifted to the mindset of "Let's just try it, there's no point in making plans."

In this note, I would like to first briefly look back on the 10 years since starting the art business. I will also muster the courage to dig up the dark history that I have sealed away in my memory.

2016-2017 "The sudden period of wandering": I tried to open an art gallery, but for some reason, I was selling curry

A year after NOMAL was founded in 2015, I finally quit Shiseido and officially joined. Please see this note for why I started the art business!

https://note.com/uousaou0202/n/n767da3541317

In any case,WASABIwas the name of the art mail-order site we started. Both the logo and the site design were handmade from scratch. At first, I was writing articles like crazy, aiming for an increase in traffic through SEO.

The first thing that sold was around August, I think. It was a hand towel for about 500 yen, but I remember being incredibly happy that "someone I don't even know bought it!" (Currently, employees are running the art mail-order site properly.)

The first one sold, but annual sales in 2016 were only 15,000 yen (annual, you know...?).
In 2017, thanks to the results of the articles I had been writing little by little, access increased and sales grew, but it was still in the red. To escape this deficit, I rented space in an acquaintance's shop and started an art bar in Kichijoji. It was to create a place where customers who buy online could see art in person, but

the floor plan was full of windows, so it wasn't suitable for displaying art at all.

Before I knew it, I was living a life of selling deer curry instead of art, and in the second half, I was buying quiche and sprinkling paprika powder on it.

I spent half a year working on the mail-order business during the day and standing at the bar at night, and as a result, I realized there was nothing much left to produce... so I withdrew (of course).
During those two years, which were full of errors, including being scammed, I was supported by the sales from Matsumoto's recruitment. Somehow, by 2017, I was finally able to reach annual sales of several million yen through mail order.

2018-2019 "Germination Period" Office mural business started. The B2B business gradually began to get on track.

Sales don't grow easily with mail order alone. Not only sales, but I wasn't able to engage in activities to get people who aren't interested in art to become interested. In 2018, it crossed my mind that I should think about a B2B business to dispel these two points.

What suddenly came to mind was the image that it would be nice to have art in the office.

When I came home tired from my previous job and saw the dry, boring office piled with carts and documents, my heart felt parched. I wondered if it would be different if there was art there...?

Come to think of it, the murals in San Francisco were wonderful. Maybe it would be okay to have something like that in the office...?

I have the impression that many workers don't have contact with artists, but if there was art, wouldn't they become interested...?

Like this, I didn't have any certainty, but I had several inferences, so I decided to take action for the time being.

Anyway, I had to create the first track record. I thought it would be faster than selling to end users myself, so I contacted office design companies one after another. As a result, I was able to create track records with large companies, NTT DATA MSE and Oracle Japan, early on. And so, I was able to launch it as a service safely.

Looking back, this was the time I was doing the most sales.Since I desperately lack the brain to think strategically, I don't have omnidirectional sales skills. My job at Shiseido (my previous job) was also in sales, but I was by no means excellent.

But at this time, because it was a product I made myself, I was able to give a sales pitch without strain. Also, the fact that the art market was a niche market compared to now must have been an ally. During this period, I was also attending morning meetings and giving presentations every Wednesday at 6:30 AM, but I can't do that anymore for various reasons...

My best memory from this time was meeting Seigo Sato, the president of Hitoba Design, an office design company. Even though I sent a rude email from the inquiry form, the president himself met with me.

I thought I would first show the splendor of art... so I packed art into a carry-on bag and brought it, and spread out a lot of art in front of Mr. Sato. I'm sure he must have been bewildered.

Even so, I was appointed to the NTT DATA MSE project, and together with artist Toshiyuki Maeda, I was able to create my first track record. Even after that, at various milestones, I received some harsh opinions, and I feel like there were times when I cried out of frustration while drinking. That's why I was able to think, 'Damn it, I'll do it!', and including that, I am truly grateful to Mr. Sato.Thank you so much for your congratulatory message.

Thus, the sales of the office mural business that I started in 2018 were around several million yen. Together with the mail-order business, it was the year I finally broke through the 10 million yen barrier.

2020-2021 "Growth Phase"
Company sales suffered a major loss due to COVID. Amidst this, I began offering workshops.

2020, the unexpected arrival of the coronavirus. I don't really remember much about this time, but it seems I went back to my parents' house, watched Quartet over and over while in a daze, and suddenly started making bead necklaces.Was I bored...?

However, at this time, sales from art mail-order started to rise, and as the role of the office changed from "a place to work (tasks)" to "a place for real communication,"the need for murals that convey corporate identity exploded.

That's when I encountered a certain question.
What is the meaning of hand-painting a mural in a space? Honestly, whether it's printed or hand-painted, people who don't notice won't notice.But there is definitely meaning in an artist staying on-site to create.

If so, let's strengthen the soft side so that artists and workers can communicate as much as possible. This is where the provision of program-type services that involve workshops, not just mural production, began.
When I was doing both that and mail-order, I couldn't keep up, so I hired my first employee.

The project with the largest volume in 2021 was the mural for the Fujitsu office. We produced 10 locations simultaneously. Schedule coordination was difficult, so all the employees went out to the site to help. We also worked on art for nursery schools, and as the projects became diverse, I had many encounters with wonderful artists.

Although 2021 was a year where we were able to generate tens of millions in sales, there were many short-term projects and sales were still volatile.However, looking back now, strengthening the soft side (workshops and a consulting perspective) at this time led to the acquisition of long-term projects later on.

2022-2023 "Expansion Phase" Murals go beyond the framework of the office. Start of art advertising utilizing outdoor walls and overseas expansion

In 2022, when COVID began to settle down, we started working with JR East. We began to carry out projects at Ueno Station regularly, which became the trigger for us to start producing outdoor murals.

In the meantime, I think I was at a cafe and thought, "Can't we use murals as advertisements...?" and started looking for familiar "good exterior walls." (I later learned that this idea had been implemented by other companies even earlier)

At this timing, a friend (known as Kage-san) connected me with Keio Corporation, who I still work with for a long time, and the operation of the Mikan Shimokita wall began. It was also lucky that Meiji Co., Ltd. became the sponsor for the first one. This wall has been repainted about 6 times to date and is beginning to be accepted by the people of Shimokitazawa.

Also, in our first long-term project, we carried out a three-dimensional plan to encourage interaction between NEC employees and artists to co-create art. At this time, I was lucky that Mr. Ihara from Okamura, who was in charge of the design, was my senior from the laboratory. This achievement has also become an achievement that symbolizes our style.

How many times have I used the word "lucky" so far?
I am truly supported by luck, but I feel that my own actions of consciously saying "I want to do it," even for outlandish things, have attracted that luck.

2023 was also the year I started a routine of staying abroad for long periods, with the goal of having appointments with mural production companies in New York.

And in 2023, before I knew it, our art business had broken through the 100 million yen barrier.

2024: The "Consolidation Period." What is our philosophy? Organizing various things.

In 2024, precisely because our sales were growing steadily, we had entered a period where we needed to organize our external branding.
With competitors in the same industry, it was also a year of thinking about what we want to do with art and how we want to present it.

To my embarrassment, up until this point, we had been using the name of our mail-order business, "WASABI," for our B2B business as well... how sloppy of us.

Thinking this wouldn't do, I brainstormed with Mr. Nomoto (a classmate from junior high, high school, and university, and a branding professional) who had joined us at the time, and we decided on a new service name, logo, and tagline.

The tagline is "Hello, ART!"
Our role is to connect art with people who have absolutely no interest in it (for example, artists and workers). So, we decided to aim for a worldview where artists and someone else can become friends, focusing on the middle ground rather than being edgy.

This year, we held an "Art x Business" event called ART LIVE TOKYO. We had many guests who were far beyond our reach, such as Shu Yamaguchi, Mr. Asano from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and Katsuki Tanaka, and more than 200 people attended even though it was a paid event.

I think it was the first step toward pure art enlightenment from our perspective, rather than for our own profit.

Another memorable event that year was Matsumoto creating an "inside sales team (telephone sales)."

At first, I was against it."Isn't selling art over the phone... tacky? Isn't it sketchy?"I thought. In contrast, I remember Matsumoto lamenting, "Why aren't we doing something so obvious? That's why people say the industry is old-fashioned..."

Setting aside whether this method is the orthodox art approach,this decision by Matsumoto ultimately led to our later connection with Seibu Railway.

"My own values are so rigid... jumping on someone else's idea can lead to unexpected events."This was one of the experiences that taught me that. Having an inside sales team with passion has become a great asset to our company today.

2025: "Sowing Seeds Again." Building on 10 years of achievements to connect to the next 10 years.

And today, our company has reached its 10th anniversary. A 10-year period connected by a series of actions.

Right now, my focus is not just on business expansion, but on what I can do for the art industry that has allowed me to take action this far. I am centered on the question: what universal value can we leave behind even after we are gone?

So, while I continue to carry out projects, here are the actions I want to start in the remaining six months. I hope to create a system that spreads automatically, rather than just having our members convey it directly in their own words.

1. Launching YouTube
So... I've started a YouTube channel!!

Actually, I had a significant mental block about appearing on camera myself, but I can't afford to say that anymore. Videos and murals are a perfect match, and I also want to convey the raw charm of the artists.

Please consider it a 10th-anniversary celebration and subscribe to the channel...! I humbly ask for your support!

2. Starting production of an art circulation app
This art circulation platform was inspired by my struggle to deal with the massive amount of paintings my late grandfather left behind. It allows bidding starting from 0 yen, and the seller decides based on the story and the bid price.

I felt a positive response when I held a real-life event in Koenji two years ago... I think it's a good idea myself (though I don't think it will be profitable at all).

Right now, our sales are growing. But I don't know how long that will last. That's why I want to give back to the entire art industry while I can, and start a new business, so I'm going to dive into our company's first CtoC business in earnest.

My own answer to the question: 'Why have you been able to keep the company going for 10 years?'

I have looked back on the last 10 years at length. Looking back, I think there were difficult times, but I never once faced the kind of overwhelming pressure or setbacks that would drive me to a mental breaking point.

This mental well-being is more important to me than anything else. I think there are people for whom pressure is a source of strength and those for whom it isn't, and as someone who is easily discouraged, I am definitely the latter.That is why taking a path where I can grow healthily, even if it's small, was the key to continuing.

There were many times I was supported by luck, but looking back, there were several factors. I've organized them here in the hope that they might be a reference for someone else's challenge, just like mine.

1. Take action without making a plan
Make a plan and move toward it. It seems like the standard way, but it's a fact that the longer the plan, the more you strangle yourself. Things never go according to plan anyway, and repeating small starts before overthinking the risks became the trigger for my next action.

2. Stretch yourself in short terms
That said, there is no growth if you only play it safe. I made it a point to stretch myself in short terms of about two months. When a 'job I couldn't imagine myself doing' came along, I took it as a chance and started even if I wasn't fully prepared (sorry to those I worried...).

By trying to make ends meet to match that, I was able to grow little by little without realizing it. Short-term trials, rather than long-term plans, seemed to suit me.

3. Don't listen too much to what others say
Everyone talks about their own success stories (of course, this note is part of that). But because it's a unique story, it will definitely resonate with someone. While I gratefully listened to advice from those around me, there were times I let it slide. Regardless of the other person's position, I followed my intuition, and I think that was the right thing to do now.

4. Believe that you are lucky
I don't know how many times I've written 'lucky' in this article. I can't compare myself to anyone else to see if I'm actually lucky... but I believed that I was 'a lucky person.' Even when something unpleasant happened, I would force myself to think, 'I'm lucky, so it will be fine in the end.' I might not know the answer to this until I'm on my deathbed, though...

5. Run through the big picture before filling in the details
Look at things abstractly in the big picture, then think concretely. Create the overall sense first, then fill in the details. By doing it that way, there were several times I was able to run through to the end without losing sight of the goal. If you fill in the details first, you get hung up on the branches and leaves, and the speed of your actions drops. This method worked for me.

While this is just a story about how this approach worked for me, I would be very happy if this short 10-year history could encourage someone else.

It has been a 10-year journey supported first by Matsumoto and the team, then by clients and partners, and above all, by the artists who work with me. Putting it into words like this, I realize what a luxurious time it has been, and I feel truly fortunate to have made it this far.

I want to stay connected in some way with the people I am with now, whether through work or otherwise. I would be very happy if you would continue to be involved with our company for the next 10 years as well. Please look forward to my 2035 note.