Mafumo Co., Ltd.

To our investors,

The world is currently obsessed with AI. However, I believe that before the evolution of AI, there are foundations of Japan that are quietly crumbling. The population is shrinking, prices are rising, and both consumption and people are flowing out of regional areas. Everyone knows this, yet there is no silver bullet. That is why we dared to bet on what might look like a 'niche'—hot spring and bathing facilities.

There are nearly 10,000 such facilities across Japan, and it is not rare for them to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. People gather there, shedding their titles, spending long hours to recover their minds and bodies. These are among the few remaining 'infrastructures where people naturally gather' in local regions. Despite this, many facilities suffer from structural challenges: 'high foot traffic but low in-house spending,' 'wasted empty space,' and 'stagnant user experiences.' To turn these negatives into positives, we have broken down the underutilized spaces of these facilities into 'experience units,' creating a system where beauty services, dining, and retail can be flexibly introduced.

This is not just a theoretical concept. Starting with 'sauna x head spa,' we created a winning formula on the front lines. In two years, we expanded to eight locations, building a network with bathing operators and refining our operational model. We have developed a 'proven field model' that includes experience design optimized for post-bath movement, installation utilizing existing equipment, and a structure that boosts revenue while minimizing additional investment and hiring for the facility. Furthermore, we maintain a 'fresh' environment through rotatable dining, design retail shelves not as advertising space but as experiential showrooms, and standardize this winning pattern for nationwide expansion.

In the era of AI, what we want to do is not just create businesses *for* AI. We use AI as a tool, but our true goal is to restore value to physical locations and update Japan’s existing economy. Hot spring facilities can be the most powerful starting point for this. We aim to enrich spaces where people already gather, bridge the experience gap between urban and regional areas, and return consumption to local communities. Before you know it, this will become a new industrial flow starting from hot springs.

When asked 'Why hot springs?', I answer:
Is there any other place in Japan where so many people continue to gather, where there is so much remaining potential, and where there is so much room for improvement?

My purpose in pitching is not just for capital; more than money, I am looking for partners who will dive deep into this challenge and commit to our business growth. Transforming a massive, legacy industry like bathing requires more than capital—it requires companionship that includes strategy, implementation, and networking. Let’s accelerate this business together and revitalize Japan starting from our hot springs.