In 2026, as ON TOKYO SHOWROOM celebrates its 10th anniversary, we are pleased to announce that we have been certified under the international corporate certification system, "B Corporation" (hereinafter "B Corp").
Introduction
What exactly is fashion?
How do people perceive the power and value of fashion?
What does it mean to make money from fashion as a business?
The definition of fashion commonly shared around the world is that it:
This is how it is defined.
In today's world, where mass production, mass disposal, and homogenization have become the norm, we believe fashion is an important form of daily expression: not simply surrendering ourselves to strong and dominant currents or being bound by particular ways of thinking and habits, but looking toward a changing world, expressing our own free and diverse selves, and creating a society where differences are recognized and people can coexist.
And people who live in such a way are beautiful and cool in every era.
In such a free and diverse society, the coexistence of diverse people and the natural environment is essential.
Working with brands and designers who can help realize such a society together is the founding spirit of ON TOKYO SHOWROOM, and creating and circulating capital through these activities is our reason for being.
The Current State at Our 10th Anniversary
ON TOKYO SHOWROOM celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.
In June 2026, the milestone year of our 10th anniversary, we were certified as a "B Corp," a movement that has brought together people across more than 100 countries and over 160 industries worldwide since the late 2000s, generating diverse movements and collaborations.
Why has B Corp gained support from industries and people around the world and become a global movement? This is because the B Corp certification system has the following characteristics.
In particular, the assessment examines whether we are creating a positive impact (benefit) on the "social issues" and "global environmental issues" faced by stakeholders ①–④. A total score of "80 points or higher" across the five categories is required for certification.
Across five continents, 102 countries, and 163 industries worldwide, only 10,987 companies (as of July 16, 2026) have been certified, while more than 300,000 companies are said to have attempted to obtain certification.
In other words, the probability of certification is only around 3%, making it regarded worldwide as an extremely rigorous and difficult certification to obtain.
Achievements, Policies, and Business Model Particularly Recognized by ON TOKYO SHOWROOM
Our Efforts to Promote the Participation of Diverse "People"
In the B Corp certification, which rigorously evaluates a company's activities from all perspectives according to global standards, the result ON TOKYO SHOWROOM is most proud of is that we were recognized for differentiating ourselves in the highly competitive fashion industry by consistently putting into practice the management philosophies we have valued most:
This was recognized as the result of consistently putting these management philosophies into practice in our business and differentiating ourselves within the highly competitive fashion industry.
Those "people" are the "customers" and "business partners" whose growth we have promoted through the teamwork of our employees.
In other words, each of the "fashion brands and creators" with whom we have grown together through our showroom and distribution activities, and each of the "retailers" with whom we have introduced socially impactful products to a broader society.
There are several important points in obtaining B Corp certification, but the most important is whether a company can generate and put into practice, through its business model (source of revenue), an impact that solves social and global environmental issues and creates a better society.
In this certification, the following three points were particularly recognized as demonstrating that ON TOKYO SHOWROOM's business model has such an "impact."
We will continue to take on further challenges over the next 10 years in order to strengthen these activities and create a better society more quickly.
As one step toward this goal, we plan to exhibit for the first time as ON TOKYO SHOWROOM during Paris Men's Fashion Week in January 2027, in order to expand our activities more globally.
ON TOKYO SHOWROOM's Challenges Ahead
At the same time, we still have many challenges to address regarding the "negative impact on the global environment (waste, pollution, dependence on fossil fuels, global warming, etc.)," an area where the fashion industry as a whole continues to hesitate to take action.
Using the next three and five years as milestones, we will further strengthen our initiatives to date and work to improve our performance so that it is recognized for its value on a more global scale.
These challenges will be pursued through the following two points, which we will use as specific management indicators in our daily decision-making.
Conclusion
Since our founding, we have sought not simply to sell brands, but to accurately communicate their value to the Japanese market and serve as partners supporting their long-term growth.
As a showroom connecting international brands with Japanese retailers, we value delivering brand stories and craftsmanship and building sustainable businesses together.
The acquisition of B Corp certification is the result of these principles being evaluated by a third party, and is not a goal but a new beginning.
ON TOKYO SHOWROOM will continue to promote responsible business operations in order to remain a valuable presence for brands, retailers, creators, and society.
*About B Corporation Certification
An international certification operated and assessed by the nonprofit organization B Lab, founded in the United States in 2006.
Since the introduction of the SDGs in 2015 and the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 onward, the number of companies seeking certification has rapidly increased worldwide. Rather than simply evaluating "good products" or charitable activities, the certification examines whether a for-profit company places its impact on local communities, employees, customers, supply chains, and the global environment at the center of its management decisions.
At its core is the idea of transforming the conventional view of companies and capitalism, which has prioritized shareholder profits, and turning business into a force for solving social issues. The founders of B Lab promoted the introduction of the Public Benefit Corporation corporate structure so that corporate philosophies would not be lost following acquisitions, public listings, or changes in founders, and supported the spread of this system across many states in the United States.
Certified companies range from major global companies such as Danone, Patagonia, Natura Cosméticos, and Nespresso, to Johnstons of Elgin, with more than 200 years of history, media organizations such as Guardian Media Group, and academic institutions; the framework for achieving both growth and impact continues to expand across the world, transcending industries and sectors.
The B Impact Assessment, the set of evaluation criteria required for B Corp certification, has a strong affinity with the SDGs, and its indicators are also linked to a system developed with the United Nations Global Compact.
Certification support and editorial commentary support: SISON'S Co., Ltd.