TADASHI YANAI

Japanese businesspeople and companies are lacking in individuality.

At Uniqlo, we're thinking ahead. We're thinking about how to create new, innovative products... and sell that to everyone.

Politicians make decisions in favor of their interest groups or their supporters back in their hometowns.

You have to be a crazy guy and a little eccentric to be very successful.

Wal-Mart is an amazing success story. What I particularly admire very much about the late Sam Walton was his policy of valuing his employees. Giving value to employees is very rare in the retail industry. I also admire the strategies Walton used to build up his discount store concept.

I hate politics. What they say and what they do is completely different.

At first, Uniqlo was a casual chain on the back streets of Hiroshima. Then... we became a national brand in Japan. So, the next step is to become a global brand.

The biggest part of my job now is to quickly develop successors, and around the world I am working to develop new business leaders in the company.

I tell people that we must have the courage to share what we feel, but no one follows me.

Opening new stores outside of Japan is important, but training our employees is even more important.

America, for me, is the country where, if you have something great to offer, you'll be valued highly.

Japan has only 100m people. Asia has 4bn. At least one-third, maybe nearly half, will become middle class, and this is a big opportunity for Japanese businessmen.

Forty-five years ago, when I was 18, I came to San Francisco by boat and took two weeks to get here. I had a great impression. I think San Francisco is the welcoming gate for people from Asia.

People say that globalisation has negative aspects, but I don't believe globalisation is bad. It's criticised from a western perspective, but if you put yourself in the shoes of people in the developing world, it provides an unprecedented opportunity.

In general, the apparel industry isn't about continual process improvement or making the perfect piece of denim; it's about chasing trends.

I learned that people don't buy anything from unknown stores.

We are a country of artisans and a country of manufacturing. I think Japanese textile technology is the best in the world.

I'm afraid Japanese people tend to collective hysteria.

I think I may not be able to retire.

Our international success started out first because we became the No. 1 casual wear brand in our home market of Japan. Then, we set up stores in the world's major fashion centers of New York, Paris and London.

As a businessperson, I don't have the power to change the government. That is in the hands of the political leaders. However, as a taxpayer, we have the right to be critical of the government and demand change.

The air of the English is down-to-earth. They care about details; there's a tradition, but there's also a counter-culture: the younger generation versus the older generation and so on. But then that's well blended into a happy balance and crystallised into common sense.

It is clothes. It is parts. Therefore, you combine the parts differently to create your own unique expression.

If you always think about your dreams or goals, work steadfastly towards them and continue to challenge yourself, you will definitely be able to realise those dreams or goals.

Our underwear used to just be cotton, but we wanted to see if we could create something out of synthetics.