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

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.

Japan's biggest problems are conservatism and cowardice.

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 world's major metropolitan cities are more or less the same.

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.