Monordi Oy Ltd was founded in 2018 by Yoshi Kosuge to bridge the business between Finland and Japan.
As a Japanese in Finland, it was a natural decision for Yoshi Kosuge to contribute to the development of the relations between the countries. Kosuge hopes that his mixed kids between Japanese and Finnish will be proud of him for doing this, someday.
Sauna-boom in Japan
According to Kosuge, the situation of sauna in Japan has changed drastically. In Japan, sauna used to be more for the middle-aged men to relax after work. Now, more younger people and women are becoming the sauna enthusiasts. The sauna facilities are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Numerous services are now being offered, e.g., whisking, löyly, and sauna therapy. Sauna-related merchandising (sauna hats, scents, beers, etc.) is booming, which are unseen before. Custom-made saunas are built here and there. More domestic suppliers come into the industry and many sauna magazines and books are being published. Also, because of the growing popularity of outdoor activities, for example, camping, tent saunas are increasingly popular nowadays as well.
Yoshi Kosuge believes that the pandemic has boosted the popularity of sauna in Japan. That is, especially from the perspective of well-being and boosting the immune system. The sauna might be a good cure for the anxiety caused by the pandemic.
Sauna enthusiast behind Monordi
Sauna is good for clearing your mind, so Kosuge frequently goes to sauna when he is busy with work. Sometimes it is a place for business meetings as well.
Monordi usually work with Japanese trading houses or distributors for merchandising business. The company also works with the spa and hotel operation companies for collaborations. They cover everything from sauna stoves to tent saunas and sauna accessories (linen, small accessories, scents, etc.).
For Yoshi Kosuge, establishing a joint venture in Finland with a Japanese spa operation company has been one of the most interesting projects. They are still at the feasibility study phase for the project but believe it has an exciting potential. Kosuge is also a major fan of Japanese bathing, so he has a personal passion for it.
Monordi is building platforms where Finnish companies can sell and market their products directly to the Japanese market, supported by the company. Yoshi Kosuge explains that there needs to be such a platform so that they can support much more Finnish companies, small or big, interested in the Japanese market.
