NEW STANDARD

NEW STANDARD株式会社 is a Japanese company that positions itself as a "meaning design company" (ミーニング・デザインカンパニー). Its stated purpose is to create "new meanings" and broaden how the world is perceived. The firm works at the intersection of strategy, branding, CX design, product development, and organizational development, using consumer insights and cultural context to reframe how people understand products and experiences. It was founded in 2014 as TABI LABO by Shotaro Kushi, who serves as representative director. The company is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, and operates primarily in the Japanese market, serving major corporate clients across a range of industries. NEW STANDARD's service model spans strategy formulation, implementation support, and evaluation of meaning-driven value. Its solutions include meaning development and evaluation to increase purchase intent, brand and CX development, design innovation, advertising communication, trend and insight analysis, and organizational development. The company also operates a think tank function called NEW STANDARD THINK TANK. Its work is grounded in academic research on "meaning-centered design" (意味中心設計), and the firm collaborates with researchers such as Professor Hideyoshi Yanagisawa of the University of Tokyo. The company has worked with a notable roster of clients, including Mandom (Levätä brand development), KOKUYO (Campus rebranding communication), Kewpie (mayonnaise 100th anniversary project), Microsoft Japan (Surface promotion for new university students), Asahi Beer (Asahi Hop Sour new category brand, ASAHI WHITE BEER, PERONI brand strategy), Seiko Epson (university student co-creation communication), Lexus (UX concept making and launch promotion), Milbon (milbon & AROMATIC brand development), Yamaha Motor (sauna and motorcycle buzz promotion), and BMW (BMW CE02 brand launch movie). These projects illustrate the company's focus on creating new meanings for established categories and targeting younger generations such as Millennials, Gen Z, and MZ generation. NEW STANDARD is a private company. Its leadership includes Representative Director Shotaro Kushi, Director Toru Yasui, Outside Director Satoshi Maruyama, Part-time Auditor Masanori Matsuda, and Advisor/Co-researcher Hideyoshi Yanagisawa. The company also engages a Creative Advisor with over 20 years of experience in global advertising. NEW STANDARD continues to operate as a meaning-design consultancy and creative partner for Japanese and global brands.

NEW STANDARD株式会社 was founded in 2014 as TABI LABO by Shotaro Kushi. Kushi, who graduated from a U.S. high school at 16 and worked at a foreign IT company before becoming a social entrepreneur, established the company with the purpose "This world should be wider" (「この世界は、もっと広いはずだ」). The founding team included Toru Yasui, who joined as a founding member after working in multiple startups and earning an MBA. The company initially operated as TABI LABO, focusing on content and media related to travel and lifestyle, before evolving into a meaning-design consultancy. Over time, the company rebranded to NEW STANDARD株式会社 to reflect its broader mission of creating new meanings across products, services, and brands. It developed a methodology based on design thinking, meaning innovation, and affective design (感性設計学), leveraging consumer insights to develop content, products, advertising, businesses, and corporate identities. The firm also established a research collaboration with the University of Tokyo's Yanagisawa Laboratory, where Kushi engaged in research and education on "meaning-centered design." In 2026, Kushi was appointed as a part-time lecturer at the same graduate school. The company has worked with major Japanese and global brands. Notable projects include brand development for Mandom's Levätä, rebranding communication for KOKUYO's Campus, the 100th anniversary project for Kewpie mayonnaise, promotion for Microsoft Surface targeting new university students, new category brand development for Asahi Beer's Asahi Hop Sour, communication for Seiko Epson, concept making and launch promotion for Lexus UX, brand development for Milbon's milbon & AROMATIC, a buzz promotion for Yamaha Motor, and brand launch movie for BMW CE02. These projects demonstrate the company's ability to create new meanings for established categories and connect with younger generations. NEW STANDARD operates as a private company with a leadership team that includes Representative Director Shotaro Kushi, Director Toru Yasui, Outside Director Satoshi Maruyama, Part-time Auditor Masanori Matsuda, and Advisor/Co-researcher Hideyoshi Yanagisawa. The company also engages a Creative Advisor with extensive global advertising experience. It continues to provide meaning design, brand development, CX design, and organizational development services, and operates the NEW STANDARD THINK TANK.

• 2026

  Shotaro Kushi appointed as part-time lecturer at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Engineering.

• 2014

  Founded as TABI LABO by Shotaro Kushi and Toru Yasui.

Meaning design company that creates new meanings for products, services, and brands to drive business and social transformation.

• Meaning design strategy

  Development and evaluation of meanings to increase purchase intent.

• Brand/CX & Marketing

  Brand development, CX design, and advertising communication.

• Design Innovation

  Product and service development, and design innovation.

• Organization Development

  Organizational development and transformation support.

• NEW STANDARD THINK TANK

  Think tank function for trend and insight analysis.

1. 1NEW STANDARD株式会社new-standard.co.jp
2. 2ABOUT | NEW STANDARD株式会社new-standard.co.jp
3. 3NEW STANDARD - Wikidatawikidata.org