Sleep as a reset has helped create a "happy community"

What comes to mind when you hear "building a home"?

The "home" where we spend most of our lives holds infinite possibilities for creating "happiness" for many people.

In the 5th installment of SLEEP HACH, we interviewed Mr. Kume, President of Build Art, who has made the dreams of many people come true by building 400 homes (including subcontracted carpentry work) in one year, about the relationship between sleep and home building (happy communities).

■President Kume's Background
Tadashi Kume
President and CEO, Build Art Co., Ltd.
Date of Birth: April 5, 1976
Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture

Work History

【SLEEP HACK Points】

―― The relationship between sleep and creativity

There's the idea of "inspiration" like Einstein, where you get ideas through sleep or naps, but for me, it's the opposite: it's a reset.
I don't carry things over to the next day. Life has its ups and downs, right? Fun times and worries. I reset those every day with sleep. When you reset, you can think from scratch again, and that makes your ideas more flexible.

Turning Point: Being close to customers' lives

Apprenticed to a master carpenter! A burning passion ignited during training

――Please tell us what led you to start your business.

I became a carpenter after graduating from high school. There were no schools for carpentry, so I apprenticed myself to a master carpenter, which was when I was 18, right after high school. I knew nothing about construction, but I underwent training.

――Were you interested in construction to begin with?

Actually, not at all. But I liked making things. At that time, construction sites didn't have heavy machinery; most things were assembled by hand. So, when the framework was raised, I was moved by the sheer physical weight, thinking, "They lifted all of this by hand."

――Was there a turning point during your apprenticeship that led to you starting your own business?

When there wasn't enough work throughout the year, I would do "contracted labor" for house builders.

As a carpenter on-site, following the house builder's rules, I felt a sense of sadness that I couldn't freely respond to customer requests like "I'd like to add backing here" or "I'd like to have a niche here."

Customers would then leave feeling disappointed. I didn't need the money, but I thought, "There are materials on site, so I could at least add some backing."

Customers would talk about their daily lives, like wanting a hook for their child's hat, but I couldn't accommodate those requests back then. At that point, I thought if I could talk directly to customers, I might be able to please them in a different way.

Life-changing encounters during the company's early days

――Did you experience any hardships when you first started your business?

I've been a president since I was about 25, but I don't really feel like I've struggled. It's been more fun than hard work. Although, I probably have struggled in reality. Conversely, I wonder if I've caused hardship for those who followed me (laughs).

I was confident in my skills. I was confident in my carpentry work, meticulously building on-site and achieving a finish I was satisfied with, but finding someone to entrust a custom-built house to was difficult. That's because a house is built with the involvement of many people, including design and coordination.

When I was 28, someone approached me and asked, "There's competition, but would you like to build my custom home?" Build Art, a general contractor, a local builder, and two house builders gathered in Nishitokyo City, and I experienced the process of customers choosing which company to work with.

At that time, I hadn't had a single custom-built home project, so I was incredibly happy. And I remember telling the many carpenters who admired me at the time, "I'm going to a presentation today!" as I headed to the venue (laughs).

Our enthusiasm seemed to have made an impression, and we were among the final two companies out of five. Since we didn't have a Class 1 architectural design office at the time, we relied on outside collaborators for everything to make our presentation.

The house builders came with about two people, but we went with nine. We gathered solar power specialists, electricians, gas fitters, and more, because we really wanted to convey accurate information to the customers.

After the presentation, I felt very confident. However, we weren't chosen. The reason given by the customer, who was a leading IT company president, was that "I didn't feel any excitement."

But that person told me, "I'm going to build two or three more houses in the future, Mr. Kume. At that time, come to me when you've gained enough ability to secure the order."

It was a mixed feeling, happy yet frustrating. At 28, I realized that a building isn't just about accuracy; it also needs to evoke excitement and thrill in the customer's desired lifestyle to be chosen. The customer taught me how we should give shape to their life, imagining their lifestyle. That was my turning point.

Creating a community of happiness business

A circle of smiles among those involved with Build Art

――What kind of people are attracted to Build Art?

We contract about 110 to 120 custom homes per year, and among our clients are also contractors who work on our construction sites.
We once built a custom home in a Build Art section of a residential area in Sagamihara City, and at that time, we received comments not from the customers but from local delivery drivers and others, saying, "That house in that residential area was built by Build Art, wasn't it?

I feel like the whole neighborhood has become more luxurious, but why?" It might be presumptuous to say this myself, but it further confirmed my belief that "a single house can change the atmosphere of a town."

In another customer's case, a shy child who attended kindergarten started bringing one friend over to play after moving into a house built by Build Art. The next week, it was two friends, and the week after that, the number increased again, eventually leading to playdates with other mothers.

I also have three children, and when people gather and play happily, there are no bullies or victims.
Moms also become good friends and stay friends for decades.

I'm happy to hear people say, "My home can become a place for such a community."

From glamping to vegetables and children. What they all share is "providing a space for smiles."

――What prompted you to expand into the glamping and resort business?

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism announced that the number of housing starts will decrease from 900,000 to 500,000 by 2050, 30 years from now. When I was in Hanoi, Vietnam, for business negotiations, I saw a pamphlet from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism that stated, "The decline of construction in Japan is certain.

It would be better to explore ways to share Japanese construction technology with the world and bring joy."

I also believe that Japanese architecture is superior internationally, so I thought it would be good to export it overseas. However, if we were to use Japanese timber, I wanted to promote Japanese architecture domestically.

Amidst that, when the housing situation had nearly halved, I considered how Build Art could pass the baton to the next generation without anxiety and with dreams. That's when I realized we didn't have to stick to housing.
The premise is that everyone—those who live there, those who visit, and those who work there—must have smiles.

With that in mind, we decided to develop a glamping facility in Ichinomiya, Chiba Prefecture.
While transportation isn't ideal, we took on the theme of creating a glamping facility with the warmth of wood and actually built it.

We didn't spend a large amount on advertising. Instead, we put our heart into each customer, providing hospitality that allowed them to understand the enjoyment, and successfully made this business profitable within a year. And we are supported by many people in the community, including the local town council chairman, the Ichinomiya town office, and related local businesses.

――What prompted you to launch the World Farm (artificial light plant factory) business?

In September 2016, I happened to see a news report that three typhoons had hit Hokkaido, directly impacting potato fields and making it impossible to ship potatoes. When a TV reporter asked a farmer, "When will you be able to ship potatoes?", he replied, "It will take 7 or 8 years." We build strong buildings against typhoons and earthquakes, so when I thought about what we, as builders, could do, I arrived at "artificial light plant factories" where vegetables can be grown indoors.

This allows us to contribute to reducing food waste, utilize local timber to build factories, create local employment opportunities, enable home gardening while earning money, and confidently feed our children pesticide-free vegetables with controlled bacteria counts.

It's an environment where working housewives, grandpas, and grandmas can also work, and within about a month of working, everyone smiles. I think it's because they bring vegetables home and their families smile.

As small and medium-sized enterprises, we want to provide food and spaces that make even people from overseas smile, where they can relax and feel happy, so that they can perform at 100% at the Olympics.

――Homes that actively use natural materials

I believe children have infinite potential. I discipline my own children, but I don't force them.

Within that, when thinking about exciting and fun things, I want to reduce allergies.
For example, equipment like air dehumidifiers that can remove pollen when you return home, and systems where direct heating doesn't hit you—I want to use such things to expand children's unknown potential.

Rather than pushing children, it's about providing them with a space where they can live freely and comfortably. It might be closer to watching over them. Such an environment makes it easier for people to gather. Perhaps this environment could also eliminate problems like bullying.

President Kume's Sleep Situation

The pursuit of quality sleep

――Please tell us about your current sleep habits and their connection to business creation.

Some people sleep 8 hours a day, others 6, but simply put, we spend a quarter or even a third of our lives sleeping.

The effects of that sleep, I believe, are related to everything: next day's work vitality, ideas, human relationships. How to use those 25 years meaningfully in a 100-year life applies to all Japanese citizens, and I believe that businesses related to sleep truly make people happy.

This business creation, too, is not superficial; it's a grand project where members capable of creating something authentic have come together to turn ideas into reality.

Flexibility through "reset" rather than "inspiration"

――How many hours do you sleep, President Kume?

If I don't sleep 6 to 7 hours, it inevitably affects my work the next day. I'm always looking for quality sleep methods, but when I'm sleep-deprived, my creativity the next day isn't what I expect. My information processing ability also suffers, of course. I've learned that from my life experiences.

――Do you usually take naps during the day?

Hardly ever. If it's really going to interfere with the afternoon, I'll close my eyes for about 20 minutes and try to nap. When I do, I can usually get myself into a state closer to what I want for the afternoon.

――What do you do when you can't fall asleep?

In those times, rather than feeling anxious about not sleeping, I just tell myself it's fine to keep my eyes closed. Basically, if I intentionally relax, I eventually fall asleep without realizing it.

――Are you currently concerned about anything regarding sleep?

When it comes to pillows and beds, various manufacturers come up with ideas and turn them into products that are out on the market, I think. But when we built the artificial light plant factory, many famous Japanese companies gathered to create it. The building was constructed by a Japanese general contractor, and the air conditioning by a Japanese air conditioning manufacturer – built by major Japanese companies that support the backbone of Japan. However, the vegetables didn't grow.

Then the owner said, "Since the vegetables didn't grow, I'd like to borrow everyone's wisdom, so please all gather once." Then everyone brought massive amounts of documents and a "It's not our fault" contest began. That company eventually went bankrupt.

What I want to say is that it's not necessarily the fault of each individual company. For example, whether it's a bed or a pillow, it happened because there was no total coordination. I think it's excellent that the goal this time is "to achieve quality sleep." Since there are people like Brain Sleep who can coordinate sleep this time, I am confident in this project.

The "quality sleep housing" that we are currently trying to create – I believe it will fail the moment it becomes just another product. The goal is for the families living there to wake up refreshed in the morning, for the residents to smile, and for those smiles to be the ultimate achievement. We want to work together to achieve that.

――Do you have any specific preferences when it comes to sleep?

The more tired I am, the more I notice surrounding sounds. Conversely, when I'm not tired, I can sleep no matter what sounds are happening. So, I definitely want to be particular about sound and humidity. If it's dry, I physically wake up with a sore throat or rough skin the next morning.