Yuji OKAMURAL’Oreal Japan Special Advisor and Former CEO of Takami

Yuji Okamura founded Japanese skincare product company Takami in 1999, innovating an omnichannel approach, selling directly to consumers online using a subscription model, and disrupted the prestigious skincare market and industry in Japan. He defied conventional wisdom that retail success relies on department stores and wholesalers in distribution, growing revenue to more than $60 million by 2019. The company continued to grow even during the Covid-19 pandemic that began in 2020 while incumbent competitors experienced negative growth or, worse, losses.

In 2021, French cosmetics and skincare giant L’Oréal acquired Takami, whose brand is now globally situated within L’Oréal Luxe. In Japan, Takami’s business continues to grow while remaining faithful to its direct-to-consumer roots and eschewing department-store distribution, even today.