Toyobo Co., Ltd. have released two new commercials entitled “Cho-san Kaku” and “Banana…” respectively.

Toyobo tends to be thought of as just an old textile company when viewed from the outside, but their newly released commercials go against that mindset and show that their enterprise is much more than that – and that their work is in fact changing in a significant way.

Internationally renowned artist Cho Hikaru is famed for her spectacularly realistic body paint work as seen in her “It’s not what it seems” series where she paints common foods to transform them into something else entirely. You can see her in action in the Toyobo commercials below.

“Cho-san Kaku”

“Banana…”

A dialogue between Cho Hikaru herself and Seiji Narahara, the president of Toyobo, has also been released. The two of them sat down to talk about the “Banana Fish” work that appeared in the commercial and what it has in common with Toyobo, as well as their plans for future activity.

Narahara:

We have been fortunate to be allowed to use your work ‘Banana Fish’ for Toyobo advertising.

The outside is a fish; the inside is a banana.

We found it very amusing, and the concept of the outward appearance differing from the actual object was something that overlaps with what Toyobo is all about. So we just had to request it of you.

Cho Hikaru (henceforth “Cho”):
It’s an honour. Defying appearances and expectations is one theme of my work. I often get asked if I use photo editing software, but I do it all with body paint. It’s my motto.

When we first spoke about the advertising, I really thought you were just a simple textiles company. I’m very sorry about that. When I read the material, I came to understand that I’m in fact helping a broad business. I felt that your outward image differs from what really goes on inside.

I knew nothing about Toyobo beyond its name.

Narahara:
Even now, if you look at us from the outside we’re a textiles company. But the truth is, when you compare all of our sales ratios, textiles makes up only 20%.

Our biggest ratio is plastic film and resin which accounts for 40% of our sales. When you look at it that way, our appearance doesn’t change all that much, but on the inside we’re a company that is always changing.

Our artistic roots are still the same. We stem from dealing in textiles. When we began with synthetic fibers such as polyester and nylon in the postwar period, what has now become Toyobo’s core craft is all we put out.

‘Polymerization’ which makes resin, ‘denaturation’ to make everything more versatile, ‘manufacturing’ to bring it all together, and ‘biotechnology’ which starts with waste liquid. These 4 elements are the backbone of Toyobo.

Cho:
That’s true. The unchanging inner-core aspect of the company and the ever-changing outside aspects are what make Toyobo.

Narahara:
Portfolio reform is our management policy.

Cho:
Portfolio reform?

Narahara:
It means changing up what we do and going forward by combining things. It’s to create value useful to society.

Even in our current operations, if the environment changes, or if we give life to a competitive technological innovation, we may prove useful to society.

That’s why we feel we must lessen what becomes useless to society as times change and create something that will more than compensate for them.

Cho:
The thing I can’t change in my artistic development is wondering if I like a piece or not.

Right now I’m working solely with paint, but it’s not the fact that I’m using paint that’s important to me.

My way of working at the moment is that if there’s a new technique I can use, then I want to go ahead and dabble in it, so myself and Toyobo can be compared in that regard. I do not fear change in that aspect, but I still maintain my personal guiding principles firmly when I work.

Narahara:
You’re right. Even in times of change it’s important to hold onto guiding principles.

We feel the rising global needs in such areas as environment and healthcare.

Our overseas sales were actually just 10% fifteen years ago.

But now we’re reaching numbers of 30%. There is demand for our skills and products with clients and companies overseas, so I think our percentages will continue to increase.

Cho:
My image of businesses has changed immensely after coming in contact with Toyobo’s company philosophy.

My way of thinking about it before was that if a business was to grow big, it could no longer move flexibly, but looking at Toyobo I feel that your way of advertising and such is fresh and you have many ways of defying expectations.

I had fears in relation to changing the image of my work, but I won’t set a limit on myself. I want to challenge myself to new things and increase my potential.

Narahara:
I’m truly grateful.

You’re young and talented – you can definitely change rapidly.

It’s great if you can enjoy change instead of thinking that you shouldn’t change, don’t you think?

And change shouldn’t be the goal. It should be looking back 10 or 20 years from now and thinking “I really worked hard back then, didn’t I?”

Cho:
I’d definitely fail in a job interview now, but now I really want to work at Toyobo.

Be sure to check out the new commercial where you can see Cho Hikaru’s fun work.