We want to deliver hints of wealth from Denmark to Japan

Greenwich, which started in Yonago City, Tottori Prefecture, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. We started out by repairing and selling vintage furniture, and have grown to manufacture and sell original furniture, as well as acting as an agent for Scandinavian brands.
One of these is FDB Möbler, a brand born in Denmark.

With so many different interior styles in the world, why did we at Greenwich choose "Scandinavian"?
This is because we can learn hints for the "Life Place" (a place that fulfills your soul) that we want to propose from Nordic culture, environment, and the lifestyles and thinking of the people.

The impetus for founding Greenwich came from an experience that our CEO, Imada, had.

By bringing a certain vintage table into my home, I became more conscious of the space in my room, and started to reexamine my inner self, which was losing its sense of self due to my work-centered lifestyle that put life on the back burner and my constant forcing myself. As a result, I was able to regain a life that was essentially comfortable and where I could be myself.

Imada felt that interior design had great potential to enrich people's lives, so he started his company by purchasing and selling vintage furniture.

While buying furniture in the US, I noticed that most of the furniture that met my selection criteria - "high quality," "good materials," and "good design" - was Danish furniture. I thought there must be better furniture in Scandinavia... and so I started going to Denmark to buy furniture.

Why does Denmark have so much good stuff?

During his visits to Scandinavia, he became interested not only in the furniture itself but also in the background of how it was created. Rather than simply purchasing furniture, he began to visit various places related to Danish life, such as libraries, schools, parks, and homes.

What kind of people are Nordic people? How do they think and live? By looking at Denmark from a broader perspective, I learned about simplicity, consideration for others, clever use of space, smart public facilities, etc.

I realized that the appeal of Danish furniture and the way of thinking that creates it lies in this Danish environment.

Originally, rather than pursuing interior design per se, we at Greenwich have a desire to pursue "enabling people to be themselves" and "helping them realize their potential" through interior design, and we found Denmark to be a fascinating country with many hints to learn from.

 Through Scandinavian furniture, we want to bring hints for enriching lives and the soul to Japan.

For these reasons, we shifted our focus to Scandinavia and started dealing in not only vintage items but also Scandinavian brands.

Meeting with FDB Möbler

Why did you choose FDB Møbler out of all the Nordic brands available?

The encounter was initiated by an introduction from Professor Makoto Shimazaki, with whom Imada has had a long-standing friendship.

Professor Shimazaki, "the leading authority on Scandinavian design in Japan," and his friendship with Imada grew as they attended seminars and events on Scandinavian furniture together, and when FDB Møbler was relaunched, he was the first to contact Imada, saying, "There's an interesting brand."

At first, I only had a vague idea that it was a brand made by a furniture cooperative, but upon further investigation, I learned that it was an entity that had raised the standard of living throughout Denmark through its furniture.

How can people become rich? Not just by having money, but by raising the level of "people," "culture," and "lifestyle." What's more, this mission was a national policy, and the brand background and raison d'être of FDB Möbler really piqued our interest.

Visiting FDB Møbler in Denmark

Wanting to know more about FDB Möbler, the background to their reissue, and more, we went to Denmark to visit FDB Möbler.

"We don't just want to sell things, we want to pass on the good things of Denmark."

The words of Ole, current CEO of FDB Möbler, were exactly what we at Greenwich want to achieve in Japan.

At the time, it had only been a short time since the relaunch, so we were the only country that volunteered to be a distributor.
FDB Möbler had no plans to expand outside of Denmark, so we decided to create a proposal to convey our passion.

I was attracted not by the desire to make a profit using FDB Mobler, but by the brand's background of being "born in pursuit of wealth."
Although it is less well known than other famous Nordic brands, the brand's appeal as "the origin of Danish furniture" is something that the company wants to spread in Japan.
They also presented specific plans for the future, including participating in events and exhibitions, plans for an experiential facility using FDB Möbler furniture, and expanding into Asia in the next few years.

In response to FDB Möbler's request to "properly promote Danish products," we not only made suggestions on how to communicate the essential appeal of Denmark, but also conveyed our own requests regarding what would be needed to achieve that.

In 2016, we became the Japanese import agent.

In 2016, about a year after the approach, we were finally appointed as FDB Möbler's import agent in Japan.

The recommendation I received from Professor Shimazaki was a major factor in my final decision.

"Greenwich has a strong desire to bring the best of Denmark to Japan, so they are a trustworthy company to help spread FDB Møbler in Japan," he said. The support from Professor Shimazaki, "the leading authority on Scandinavian furniture in Japan," also gave FDB Møbler peace of mind.

Another deciding factor was that we understood exactly what FDB Mobler wanted to do and made proposals that were in line with that.

By clearly communicating what the needs were in the home country and what they could do to meet them, they were able to gain the trust of FDB Möbler, who saw them as a company that took their wishes into consideration.

 In fact, within a year of approaching us, we found that other established Japanese brands had expressed interest in becoming our agents.
Although we were in a weaker position in terms of name recognition and size, I believe that the deciding factor in them ultimately choosing us as their agency was our considerate approach.

The future of FDB Möbler and Greenwich

What we want to convey through FDB Mobler from now on.

The first is the importance of joining forces and working together.

 Buying what we need together, sharing it, and supporting each other. FDB Möbler, the furniture division of the Danish Consumers' Co-operative Union, is a brand that could be called a "pioneer of the sharing economy."

When we want to do something, we work together. With the support of others, we can achieve things that we can't do alone.

FDB Mobler teaches us that by communicating with others and working together, the "Life Place" that we at Greenwich propose - a place where people can be themselves and realize their potential - can be realized.

We will convey the importance of working together as a group, rather than as individuals, and of creating such an environment, through the historical background of FDB Mobler.

The other is to re-appeal to the inherent charms of Japan.

It is said that products, ideas, and culture born in Japan have an impact on countries around the world. The same can be said for Scandinavia, Denmark, and FDB Møbler.

At that time, there were many FDB stores throughout the city. In addition to selling daily necessities, there was a library at the back of the store, and behind that there were rooms where people could stay. This represents FDB's idea that in order for people to become wealthy, they need not only the ability to buy things, but also knowledge, and they need people to support that knowledge.

In fact, organizations and systems that combine a convenience store, library, and caregiver have existed in Japan for much longer than in Denmark.

Japan has things to be proud of on a global scale.
Denmark is said to be a "rich country," but if we look back at history, Japan also has the potential to become an ideal rich country.

Our mission as an agency for FDB Møbler is not only to convey the appeal of FDB Møbler itself, but also to convey the true charm of Japan that can be gleaned from it.