An Interview with Ms. Kondo Yukiko, Founder of Lapidem
With the vision of providing brides not only with beautiful wedding dresses but also a perfect skin condition on their wedding day, bridal shop owner Kondo Yukiko opened the first Lapidem Spa in Tokyo. Since then, it has grown from developing its own spa treatments and spa products to providing spa consulting services and therapist training to the spa industry. Founded in 2013, Lapidem has now developed into a multi-faceted wellness company.
A sudden illness made Yukiko realize the importance of physical and mental health and convinced her that true beauty lies in holistic wellness. She then became fascinated with spas and wellness, and began to study alternative and preventive medicine, as well as Oriental medicine. As a result, she successfully combined the ancient wisdom of Japan with wellness approaches based on Eastern medicine to provide an enjoyable experience that brings people deep relaxation and total well-being. Last year, Yukiko opened JAIME Café and JAIME Tea House, and has since expanded into the food and beverage industry. SpaChina interviewed her to find out more.
Tell us about the founding story, brand philosophy and purpose of Lapidem. What are your main business activities now? What have been introduced to China so far?
At Lapidem, our mission is to support a more fulfilling wellness lifestyle for our guests through our spa experiences and products, based on the philosophy that “true beauty lies in good health”.
When I myself became ill, I keenly realized the importance of paying attention to one’s mind and body and noticing changes in their condition, and that one cannot be beautiful on the outside unless one’s mind and body are healthy. From this firsthand experience, I began to study alternative medicine, preventive medicine, and Oriental medicine, and I realized once again the importance of true beauty, and how true beauty can only come from a healthy mind and body, which has become the philosophy of Lapidem today. As a wellness skincare brand originating from the spa, we also believe that healthy skin, brought about by the power of nature, is what beauty is all about. Using natural science, we provide products that are natural, yet offer immediate effect and long-lasting results.
Our main business activities include wholesaling spa products and spa programs to hotel and day spa clients in Japan and overseas, including China, as well as offering consulting services and training for therapists.
In Japan, we directly operate our spa in Tokyo’s Akasaka area. This is like a research lab for us, and the knowledge we gain here is transformed into various forms and output to our clients.
We believe that the entire treatment time is a ritual of prayer. In this space, which is designed to stimulate the six senses, we offer mystical and unique treatments that incorporate many traditional therapies to heal the guests’ tired minds and bodies, and to improve unexplained discomfort and restore their true selves. It is a place for a complete wellness experience.
What are Lapidem’s main treatments and product lines? Who are the target consumer groups in China and what are the channels to reach them?
Lapidem’s full-scale start in the Chinese market began in 2020. Our main target clients are hotel spas and day spas.
Lapidem’s products are divided into four main collections: Ritual, Five Elements, Holistic Bath Series and Therapy Stones. Each collection includes professional and retail products, as well as products dedicated to treatments, with skin care, body care, hair care, and therapy tools being the main products.
We have a WeChat official account where we display our brand and recent activities, as well as sell our products in our official website’s online shop.
Who are Lapidem’s partners in China? What are the factors you consider when selecting partners? Do you provide any other business support?
We work with luxury hotels such as Rosewood Group, Four Seasons Hotels, Xitan Hotel and some luxury day spas.
We are not just a vendor or wholesaler of products, rather we seek a long-term partnership relationship. Our team is always committed to exceeding our clients’ expectations, that is why we value regular communication and working together with our clients to address any issues or problems they may be facing.
This includes designing and assisting with new campaigns, seasonal programs, and residential wellness programs, as needed.
We also offer a wide range of support services, including not only technical training, but also hospitality and therapist mindset training, which we have cultivated in Japan.
What are the differences between Chinese and Japanese consumers in terms of skincare and beauty requirements, and spa and wellness consumption trends?
At present, I don’t think there is a big difference in what Chinese and Japanese clients are looking for.
As for future trends in spas and wellness, after the pandemic, I felt that many more guests than I had imagined were suffering from mental and physical imbalances due to the uncertain future, and were unable to get a good night’s sleep due to anxiety, stress, and other factors.
I believe that there is a growing need for more support, including mental health care, to prevent, cope with adversity, and increase resilience in the face of stress, worry, loneliness, and sadness in a lifecycle process.
Wellness is a concept that goes beyond conventional notions of health to consider the way we live our lives and life itself, and to explore the best way for us to live and eventually die.
For this reason, we at Lapidem believe that it is very important to find a way to create peace of mind and relaxing time for people living in the present age, when the daily flow of information on social networking sites and the news has made people feel like they have no time for anything else. This is also true for beauty. Even the most advanced aging care treatment or effective skin care will not be sufficient if you are under stress without peace of mind and time to relax.
In Japan, we are currently launching skincare products and residential wellness programs with resort hotels based on the theme of sleep and rejuvenation, to provide tips for “living a life of wellness”.
The program will not only include general wellness activities such as yoga, trekking in nature, and eating healthy food, but will also include sessions with native people, Japanese cultural experiences, traditional sauna and spa rituals that will provide guests with insight on how to live a life of wellness. Experiences such as these bring calm and a time of relaxation to the mind, and we believe that by considering the connections and their meaning, it is possible to return to one’s origins, which can also lead to self-development.
In this way, we feel that in the future, it is necessary to think about living a life of wellness from a more essential and higher angle, and we incorporate this into our concepts, spa programs, and experiences.
What do you think are the most important aspects in the establishment of a SPA? How to create a unique experience?
There are three main answers that we have found through trial and error since the establishment of our spa in Japan.
The first is “story”. We think about providing our guests with a story and experience that will move their emotions from the moment they visit the spa until the moment they leave. This means understanding the land, culture, and history of the place, and being thoroughly particular about the concept and program design.
The second is “detail”. To maximize the positive feeling of comfort, well-being and healing that guests can experience at the spa, we pay close attention to details that may or may not be noticed. For example, the fragrance emanating from the pillows, the music used during treatments, the sound therapy equipment, the furnishings, and so on. In the winter, we think it is important to make sure that everything that touches the skin, such as slippers and towels, is nicely warm, and so on, to appease and sharpen the five senses of our guests.
Finally, there is the “therapist”. No matter how great the conceptual design, the story, or the details, nothing starts without the therapists who interact with the guests and touch their skin. Therapists, stories, and details. We believe that when all three are combined, there is emotional impact.
The spa we operate in Tokyo falls into the category of day spa, so we do not have any facilities such as thermal baths, relaxation rooms, or fitness studios, as you would find in a hotel spa. While these facilities are nice to have, we pride ourselves on being able to provide a great spa experience even if the facilities are not as extensive.
In fact, our Tokyo spa is currently booked up to two months in advance.
The spa experience is a time to be filled with emotions of wellbeing, such as the ability to restore one’s true self by filling and releasing the mind and body, and becoming aware of one’s own physical and emotional state.
We believe that the important thing to consider when launching a spa is to think more deeply about these essential emotional aspects that guests are looking for in a spa, and to incorporate them into the experience to the maximum extent possible within the resources we have available.
When we begin consulting, we start with thorough research and hearings. In order to create a “one-of-a-kind” spa experience (e.g., programs), we first interview the client to determine what kind of spa experience they are looking for. We begin by researching the client’s desired spa experience, local culture and history, local ingredients and traditional therapies, and what kind of experience or feelings the guests would like to have when visiting the spa.
We offer a different program for every client. For example, the Xitan Hotel is located in the outskirts of Beijing, near the Tangzhesi Temple, in an area surrounded by beautiful nature where you can feel the changing of the seasons.
The theme of this temple is based on a poem by Bai Juyi titled “Snow, Moon and Flowers,” which is a representative of the natural beauty of the four seasons: snow in winter, the moon in autumn, flowers in spring, and the elegant view of each season. We have designed a program with a holistic approach to spirituality, mind and body. It incorporates therapies using medicinal herbs and warm stones to bring about an experience of wellbeing and harmony with nature.
One more example is the Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake, where we designed an authentic program in accordance with the five elements of the body constitution with the supervision of Oriental medical philosophy and a Japanese acupuncturist. The spa manager, Ms. Miya, is a wonderful person with a very professional spirit, full of commitment and passion, and it was a great honor to work with her. We had many meetings with her to determine the details of this program, from counseling methods to the program process, materials and tools to be used, and so on. Guests actually experience a program that starts with a full-fledged physical constitution diagnosis and is tailored to their own physical and mental state, and they also receive advice on self-care at home.
Are there any new products or services that Lapidem will be launching in the near future? What are Lapidem’s future development plans in China?
In January of this year, we held the launch of our new product line in Japan. This is a series called “RITUAL”, which is Lapidem’s luxury line and is based on the theme of sleep and rejuvenation.
It is based on the ingredients of Japanese Shojin ryori, ascetic vegetarian cuisine, that originated in Japan. In addition, from a sustainable perspective, no “water” ingredients are used, and all the inks used for printing on the packaging are renewable plant-derived inks.
The aging care line is also highly concentrated with cutting-edge, evidence-based active ingredients, with a focus on effectiveness. The amounts of these active ingredients are also disclosed.
The way to use the products is also unique, and we offer home care instructions that touch the five senses, which is only possible because we are a spa brand. The product will be launched in China after acquiring the license.
As for our future business development in China, the pandemic has finally subsided this year, and we have been receiving offers from various hotel spas and luxury day spas, for which we are very grateful. We believe that our first priority is to make a full commitment to the results of the spas of our clients who have introduced our products.
What is the biggest challenge for you as a woman leader in establishing and running the business?
I don’t feel any particular difficulty in the process of setting goals to achieve objectives and working with the team to get there, simply because I am woman. However, I started my own company when I was 29 years old and at that time, because of my youth, I was often looked down upon, if I may say so without fear of being misunderstood.
I have learned that we can win trust by simply not making excuses, doing what needs to be done, having flexible thinking and integrity, and continuing to make the right efforts.
What are the advantages of being a woman leader?
I believe that both men and women may have diverse leadership styles, but if I had to say something, I would say that it is the unique nature of women to be easily attentive to details.
I think the ability to be flexible in problem solving, taking into account the nuances and relationships, and the attention to detail in terms of care and hospitality (for guests and staff) are things that women are good at and this is a great advantage.
