Members of the ITSUMO MOSHIMO Project

MUJI's disaster prevention project “ITSUMO MOSHIMO,” which started in 2008, is a cross-departmental initiative. At the end of August, we launched the “ITSUMO MOSHIMO Sets” and were awarded Good Focus Award of the 2020 Good Design Award*. This time, Mr. Tamura of the General Affairs Office of the Human Resources & General Affairs Division, who coordinates the project as a leader, discussed the background of the project and recent activities on behalf of the project members.
*Japan's Good Design Award program is a uniquely comprehensive platform for design evaluation and advocacy.

■ITSUMO MOSHIMO Project

This project is a cross-department project to promote MUJI’s idea of incorporating preparedness into daily life with standard equipment. At the end of 2018 when the project was first launched, the objective was to develop products. However, as we proceeded, we realized the importance of not only developing products but also communicating the concept of “always ready for emergency,” so we added “information dissemination” to the purpose of the project and renovated the website.

It was the first time for me to promote such a project. Although I had no experience in product development or website modification, we were able to proceed with the project thanks to the corporation with many departments including Social Good Division, Merchandizing Divisions, Household Designing, Open Communications Division, E-Commerce Department and Sales Floor Development & Visual Merchandising Division. Now, I think that my lack of experience in return helped me to think from a consumer's point of view, and I am grateful that the project members accepted many of my ideas and opinions. In addition, this project is being carried out with the cooperation of many people in addition to the main project members, and I am filled with gratitude that cannot be expressed in words. Through this project, I am able to communicate with many people in and outside the company. This has become a tremendous asset for me as well.

■ITSUMO MOSHIMO SETS – Always Ready for Emergency

I thought that in order to expand the concept of “ITSUMO MOSHIMO (always ready for emergency),” we needed products that would serve as icons. Initially, we developed products based on the concept that they would be helpful if prepared in advance. However, customer feedback and employee questionnaires have revealed the real opinions, such as “it's too troublesome,” “it's too expensive,” and “it’s not necessary to prepare in advance” We felt that many of the disaster prevention sets in the market were expensive and full-specification, and they seemed to be designed for some people with a high level of disaster prevention awareness.

In order to solve the problem of “getting prepared”, we believe it is important to create an opportunity to think about preparedness as the first step, rather than simply assembling products. Based on the concept of raising the level of awareness for preparedness, we developed products with simple basic contents. In this way, at the end of August, we launched three sets of emergency kits for different situations: a Portable Kit, a Go Kit, and a Home Kit. There are by no means perfect sets, but by meeting the minimum requirements for each situation, we have been able to provide “affordable prices” and “customizable possibilities” for our customers.

Thankfully, the ITSUMO MOSHIMO Sets was awarded the Good Focus Award of the 2020 Good Design Award. We were happy not only because of the award, but because that our designs and concepts were acknowledged and evaluated.

■To Consider ITSUMO MOSHIMO Together

At the end of October, a two day event – the disaster prevention event “ITSUMO MOSHIMO Caravan” was held by MUJI Naoetsu at Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture, with the cooperation of local governments. We held similar events in the past, but this time we have been cooperating with many departments as well as other companies and organizations, and the scale of the event was unprecedented. At this event, I felt that we were able to communicate the idea of “learning about disaster prevention in an enjoyable manner” and the affinity between outdoor activities and disaster prevention, which we wanted to convey the most, through conversations and communications with local residents who participated in this event.

But this doesn't mean the project is over. The goal is for customers to recall “disaster prevention” = “MUJI” = “ITSUMO MOSHIMO.” To this end, we will not only brush up disaster prevention sets, but also develop new products and reinforce our events. It is difficult to hold large-scale events now, but I hope that we can hold events on March 11 and September 1 to think about “Always Ready for Emergency.” We look forward to seeing those participants who says, “I would like to try it too!”

■Related Link:
ITSUMO MOSHIMO - Always Ready for Emergency (In Japanese)(https://www.muji.com/jp/ja/feature/other/559811)