2025年06月29日 / ライフスタイル

SHIRO──The Sanctuary of Sustainable Beauty Created by the "Factory for Everyone" Visited by the World

SHIRO──The Sanctuary of Sustainable Beauty Created by the "Factory for Everyone" Visited by the World

1. Who is SHIRO?

Founded in 1989 as the predecessor company LAUREL in Sunagawa City, with a population of about 15,000. Based on OEM experience, the brand "SHIRO" was launched in 2009, and a minimal white world view was established with the rebranding in 2015.medium.com. The products are designed to maximize the power of domestic materials such as sake lees, Gagome kelp, and yuzu, and are characterized by ethical management that minimizes environmental impact.



2. The Background of the Birth of "Everyone's Factory"

In pursuit of giving back to the local community and transparency, "Everyone's Factory" was established in April 2023 on the site of the former Koyo Elementary School.domingo.ne.jp. Visitors can observe from the laboratory to the filling and packaging lines through glass, experiencing the brand's philosophy of "honest manufacturing."



3. Experience Design Attracting 300,000 Visitors Annually

  • At the Blender Lab, visitors can create a unique fragrance by blending their own scents.

  • At SHIRO SHOP, the Sunagawa-exclusive "Fruit Bouquet" is popular.domingo.ne.jp.

  • SHIRO CAFE offers a "cosmetic dining experience" with menus using Obaku (Amur cork tree) and sake lees.

  • The kids' space/lounge attracts families and serves as a hub for community interaction.



4. Sustainable Architecture and Circular Model

The interior uses thinned wood and upcycled uniforms, composting turns food waste into soil, and a purification pond naturally treats wastewater, making the entire facility a "learning material."domingo.ne.jp.



5. Impact by the Numbers

These contribute to tourism consumption and regional PR effects, leading to improvements in municipal services such as free school meals in Sunagawa City.



6. Leap to a Global Brand

With directly managed stores in London, New York, and Taipei, and selling the entire line via e-commerce in the U.S., SHIRO has gained overseas fans through product development focused on storytelling, such as the limited fragrance project "12 Perfumes, 12 Stories."shiro-shiro.us.



7. Why It Resonates with Foreigners

  1. Fully Visualized Manufacturing Experience—Transforming Japanese craftsmanship into a "visible tourism resource."

  2. Clean Beauty × Japanese Culture—Linking scientific evidence to Japanese materials like sake lees and Gagome kelp.

  3. Minimal Design—The iconic nature of "white" transcends language.

  4. Advanced Example of Ethical Consumption—Aligns with Western sustainable trends through reusable bottles and CO₂-reducing logistics.

  5. Regional Revitalization Story—The narrative of going from a small town to the world is easily spread on social media.



8. Potential as a Tourism Model

The "beauty tourism" that integrates cosmetic experiences, cafes, and natural landscapes could become a new pillar of Hokkaido tourism. Its location in the central Hokkaido area, about an hour by express train from Sapporo and Asahikawa, is also a favorable factor.note.shiro-shiro.jp.




9. Future Prospects

The year 2025 is positioned as the "Zero Waste Year," with plans to expand the social implementation experiment of container reuse to stores nationwide. The factory aims to strengthen vocational experience programs and achieve a system to accommodate 1.5 million visitors.presssorachi.co.jp.


Furthermore, leveraging the success of the Seoul store in Korea, SHIRO is considering expanding storefronts in major Asian cities.




10. Conclusion

The success of SHIRO lies in its "open factory" model, which integrates a global standard brand strategy with sustainable thinking while being rooted in the local community. By gaining trust through visibility, creating fans through experiences, and involving the community to circulate sustainable value, this mechanism is what captivates the world.



List of Reference Articles

  • Domingo "SHIRO's philosophy comes to life at 'Everybody's Factory'" 2023/05/26domingo.ne.jp

  • Cinderella Fit "SHIRO LIMITED FRAGRANCE White" Press Release Re-edited 2024/09/19en-51438.site-translation.com

  • Note (SHIRO HR Note) "Do you know Sunagawa City, where the brand was born?" 2024/12/12note.shiro-shiro.jp

  • Press Sorachi "Sunagawa's SHIRO 'Everyone's Factory' Attracts 300,000 Visitors in First Year" 2024/05/31presssorachi.co.jp

  • BeautyTech.jp "'shiro' takes the road from local to global brand" 2018/11/14medium.com

  • SHIRO US Official Site "12 Perfumes, 12 Stories" "Ethical Efforts" Each Page Viewed on: 2025/06/29shiro-shiro.usshiro-shiro.us