"Dreams Began in a 6.5-Pyeong Shop"... The Philosophy of Beams' Founder, a Must-Visit Select Shop in Japan [Japan Insight]

Born in 1951, Shirata Yo... Prepared for a select shop while working at an ad agency
Capturing the free-spirited American vibe... Grew from a tiny 6.5-pyeong store
When facing opposition, he wrote and sent letters himself to persuade employees

For those passionate about fashion, Beams is likely the must-visit select shop when traveling to Japan. It is renowned as a place where you can discover trendy items. The iconic Japanese shopping destination, Beams, started out in a tiny 6.5-pyeong (about 21.5 square meters) store. Today, we share the story of Beams founder Shirata Yo and his philosophy of joy.

Shirata was born in Tokyo in 1951. His family originally ran a packaging factory producing corrugated cardboard boxes and other packaging materials. The factory was close to their home, so the factory workers were almost like family. This background influenced Shirata’s tendency to refer to Beams staff as his “family.”

Shirata Yo posing in sponsored brand clothing. Shirata Yo Instagram.

At that time, most of the clothes Shirata wore were handmade by his mother. She would unravel his grandmother’s knitting yarn to make clothes for his father and others. Meanwhile, as Japan underwent rapid economic growth, the standard of living improved significantly.

During this period, Shirata developed a strong admiration for America’s free-spirited culture. When he visited Los Angeles, he had the opportunity to tour a UCLA student dormitory through an acquaintance. There, he noticed that although the rooms were structurally identical, each student had decorated their space to reflect their unique personality, making every room look completely different. This experience became the foundation for establishing Beams.

He was particularly drawn to the lifestyle items he saw on the West Coast, from sneakers and jeans to skateboards-everything seemed appealing. He has said that Levi’s was a major source of inspiration for him.

Amid these times of change, Shirata graduated from Keio University’s Faculty of Economics in 1975 and joined Dentsu, Japan’s largest advertising agency. He chose advertising because he wanted to be ahead of the times. There, he built his career by working on major event advertising and promotions, such as motor shows.

However, Japan’s bubble economy eventually collapsed, and the oil shock led to economic hardship. With the price of paper skyrocketing, Shirata’s family, who ran the cardboard box factory, also faced financial difficulties. At this point, Shirata and his father decided to diversify their business and ventured into retail. This allowed Shirata to realize his long-held dream of running a retail shop in the fashion industry-a field he had always been passionate about. His desire to stay ahead of the times aligned perfectly with leading fashion trends.

While still working at Dentsu, he steadily prepared and, in 1976, opened a small 6.5-pyeong store in Harajuku. At the time, the concept of a “select shop” or “curated shop” did not exist, so stores that carefully selected products were simply called “assortment shops.” The store was named “American Life Shop Beams.” The name “Beams” was inspired by his father’s factory, Shinko Co., Ltd., using the character for “light” (光) and translating it into English. The name was meant to signify “a new light.” In reality, 3 pyeong of the store was used as storage, so the actual retail space was just about 3.5 pyeong.

Shirata tried to recreate the atmosphere of a UCLA student’s room, displaying items like candles, jeans, and sneakers on tables alongside incense, in an effort to bring the American college lifestyle-so admired by Japanese youth-directly into the store.

He also found synergy through friendships. At the time, there was a magazine publisher near Dentsu, where Shirata worked. A friend from his school days was employed there, and through this connection, Shirata met editors from the magazine Popeye. Beams collaborated with them by learning about the latest American trends they introduced and then sourcing those items for the shop.

Beams collaborated with the magazine Popeye. Beams.

Through this, Beams developed the philosophy of “selling joy, not just clothes,” and Shirata focused on maintaining a bright and cheerful atmosphere. True to his advertising background, he fostered creative internal communication. For example, when there was opposition to Beams’ business expansions, he would resolve these issues in unique ways rather than relying on a top-down approach.

When Beams, originally focused on menswear, expanded into womenswear, opened regional stores, or launched children’s and golf wear lines-which are now successful-most employees initially opposed these moves, arguing that such steps could easily undermine Beams’ reputation and image in Japan. Perhaps because of his advertising experience, Shirata preferred finding creative solutions over forcing decisions.

When employees strongly opposed a new business initiative, Shirata once created a booklet called “Next Beams” and sent it to every employee’s home. In it, he personally articulated Beams’ philosophy, the direction for moving forward together, and other thoughts, using his own words and materials.

As the company grew, it became harder for the CEO to communicate his thoughts directly, so he adopted this strategy. He believed that if every employee read the booklet at home, the message would surely be conveyed.

Shirata consistently defines his philosophy by saying, “The role of a leader is not to dictate methods, but to design momentum,” and, “Spreading brightness and joy so that employees can work energetically.”

In a media interview, when asked about a future influenced by artificial intelligence (AI), he remarked, “If the goal is to make money, it would be better for AI to be the CEO. But Beams’ goal is not to make money, but to create joyful social phenomena, so AI is not necessary.”

On his days off, Shirata prefers to dress comfortably-so much so that his spouse sometimes asks if his outfit is really appropriate for the president of Beams. He believes that both fashion and sense come from consideration for others. Wearing a formal suit and dress shoes can make people who have to talk to someone in the fashion industry feel uncomfortable. Perhaps by breaking stereotypes about what it means to work in fashion and prioritizing the joy of those he works with, Shirata has built a brand beloved by everyone.