OWNDAYS Inc.

Company overview

OWNDAYS sells eyewear, including eyeglasses and sunglasses, through 212 stores in Japan and 252 stores in 13 foreign countries.
The company’s defining strength is its speed of business development. After opening its first overseas store in Singapore in 2013, the company built a network of 100 overseas stores in just four years. "The reason for this success," according to Hiroshi Tanaka, director of human resources, "lies in the company's attitude toward initiatives that defy industry convention."
The company has built up its own unique services, such as Japanese-style courteous customer service, delivery of merchandise in as fast as 20 minutes after checkout, and SPA* in Southeast Asia. In 2020, the company incorporated "online remote vision measurement" into its business, turned the pinch of the COVID-19 epidemic into an opportunity, and is still performing well today.
In terms of products, the company not only develops products that incorporate global fashion trends as quickly as possible but also handles brands such as the "Senichisaku" series of high-quality products that are individually handcrafted by craftsmen, thereby communicating the high quality of made-in-Japan products to customers in Japan and abroad.
Bae Ji Young (from Korea) commented on the appeal of such a company: "I had a negative image of Japanese companies, that they are rigid, that you can't do anything without a manual, and that foreign nationals can't get promoted. However, I never got that impression from OWNDAYS, and, in fact, if you are motivated, you are allowed to try various things, regardless of your nationality."
* Integrated operations from parts procurement to product planning, promotion and logistics

Work-life balance initiatives

The company is working to improve its employee work environment based on a creed of "Enriching everyone involved via OWNDAYS."
In order to reduce overtime, work hours are managed on a minute-by-minute basis. "After work on weekdays, I can spend my free time enjoying sports or studying systems," says Bae.
The company also gives consideration to its foreign national employees by making it possible to use long-term leave when returning to home countries. "I took about two weeks of leave when I went back to my home country. Some of our employees have even taken a month’s vacation," says Bae.
The company also supports ways of working that suit employees’ various stages of life. The company lets employees work without core hours and allows remote work. Tanaka says: "There have been cases of men taking one year of childcare leave, and 99% of employees who have given birth have returned to work."
Another of the company’s unique initiatives is "STAPA," which is an employee benefit system that awards miles according to the amount of an employee’s contribution to the company. Miles can be awarded for a variety of things, including performance reviews, full-time attendance awards, and tokens of appreciation from co-workers. Miles can be accumulated through fun and games and can be redeemed for prizes and leave.

Human resource development initiatives

As the eyewear industry is said to be "half doctor, half merchant," actual stores require not only customer service skills but also specialized knowledge and skills such as vision screening. The company does not stop with input training at the time of hiring but conducts follow-up training once every two months at head office to improve each employee’s knowledge.
Another unique aspect of the company’s efforts is its internal candidacy system. Store staff can apply for other departments and positions regardless of their background or skills. Tanaka comments: "Ability is important, but most of all we want to evaluate the most motivated and to be able to take action."
The company also provides full support for employees who have been selected but who do not have any work experience. The company also offers a wide range of programs for learning at the company’s expense, including support for book purchases, acquiring qualifications, and recurrent education.
Furthermore, the company has an "open team" system, where experienced veterans meet with junior employees on a regular basis and are always available to help with any problems that they may have with their work.
Bae, who took advantage of the internal candidacy system to change her career from being a store staff member to a systems manager at head office, says: "I was involved in the development of internal systems when I was a store manager at a store, and this sparked my interest. I applied for an office position with the belief that I could create a better system because I know the situation on the ground. I had no knowledge at all about systems, but the company pays for the necessary materials and training, and above all, the senior employees in my department are very attentive to my needs."

Message from our top executive

General manager, Human Resources Department Hiroshi Tanaka

We aim to be the best in our industry and to bring smiles to the faces of people around the world, as well as to make it so people think of OWNDAYS when they think of eyewear stores. I would like to work seriously toward that dream with my colleagues around the world and to experience the joy of it with them. Come and join us in pursuit of our dream!

Message from foreign talent

Customer Engineer/Bae Ji Young(Korea)

Although there are many people of different nationalities in Tokyo, we appreciate each other’s cultures and can live the way we want. Another appealing aspect of Tokyo is how easy it is to live with peace of mind, it is so safe that even if you lose your wallet, the contents will be returned to you intact. Japanese companies have a strong sense of nurturing people from the ground up. Even though I had no experience, my seniors and supervisors were kind and attentive to me, and there are many opportunities for me to grow, as long as I am motivated. I encourage you to pursue your own dreams in Japan.