An exquisite collaboration that soothes both the ears and the soul! Massage Cushion Healed by Yuki Kaji" [Gemba of Collaboration No.11

With today's growing collaboration between various industries and subcultures such as anime and voice acting, there are many people who say, "Whoa, they're doing it! You're doing it," "What? You did it! and "Oh, you're doing it!" and "What? Akiba Research Institute is going to visit the sites where these "collaborations" are being planned and ask about the appeal of the projects, interesting episodes, hardships, and other behind-the-scenes stories about the production! The 11th installment of "Collaboration no Gemba" is a series of interviews with the people behind the scenes of "collaborations.

In this 11th installment, popular voice actor Yuki Kaji whispers in a soothing voice! The massage cushion that heals both your ears and your mind is called the "Kaji Yuki Healing Massage Cushion 3D Momi". This is a collaboration between Bunka Hoso Broadcasting's "Yuki Kaji no Hitori Goto (Internet Radio "Cho! A&G+" Sundays 23:00-23:30)" and "Ludo Premium Massage Cushion 3D Momi(R)".

We interviewed Chika Adachi, Manager of the EC Marketing Department, Sales Division, Atex Corporation, and Reiko Kuriya, Assistant Manager of the Planning and Marketing Department, Atex Corporation. They told us about the reason why Atex, which has been releasing a series of healing items into the world, created its "first" collaborative product, the reason why they chose to collaborate with Kaji, and their future outlook.

Incidentally, this interview was conducted while using the "Ludo Premium Massage Cushion 3D Momi(R)" and "Hand Care!　For the author, who made her debut in sports bodywork when she was in the 5th grade of elementary school and continues to go to several different types of massages for different parts of her body, massages are a part of her daily life. Therefore, I told him that I am very picky about massage goods, and he allowed me to use it. My impressions after using the product will be presented after the interview!

Q. What kind of company is Atex?

Kuriya: Originally, we started as a folding bed company, but in 2009, our massage cushion became a big hit through word of mouth among buyers and customers, and from there the "Lourdes" series was born. Today, the company sells healing and health-related products.

-- What kind of people purchase your products?

Kuriya: People tend to think that our products are targeted at women, but in fact there are quite a few men who use our products as well. Many men buy as gifts, and Mother's Day and Christmas are the times of the year when we have the highest sales.

Adachi: We have a very wide age range, from people in their 20s to people in their 60s. The largest number of customers are in their 30s and 40s, but as mentioned earlier, the demand for gifts is high, and as a result, our products are used by a wide range of age groups.

-- What kind of products are selling well?

Adachi: We sell our massage cushions at interior design stores, general merchandise stores, and electronics mass merchandisers, and our massage cushion is our best-selling product. It has sold more than 400,000 units in the two years since its launch.

-- Why did you choose the "Ludo Premium Massage Cushion 3D Momi(R)" for this collaboration project from among so many popular products?

Adachi: The Ludo massage cushion series, launched in 2009, celebrates its 10th anniversary this year in 2019. We wanted to do some kind of campaign at this timing.

Kuriya: This new product is popular among men. People who used to buy them as gifts are now buying them "for themselves," and people who don't like the bulky feeling unique to home appliances or who want to use them simply are also buying them.

-- Adachi: I like the way the rice husks spin around.

Adachi: Until now, the massage balls have only been spinning in the same place, but we have made them move in an irregular manner to give the feeling that they are being rubbed. This is "3D rubbing. There is no pain peculiar to the machine, and it has a good reputation.

-- Could you tell us why you chose to collaborate with Mr. Kaji for the healing voice?

Adachi: We were looking for a voice actor who would fit the image of a massage therapist who can provide a soothing massage while listening to a healing voice or a "good-looking voice" to enhance the healing effect. I thought it would be interesting to collaborate with Mr. Kaji, who has played leading roles in various works, such as "Shogun's Giants," "The Seven Deadly Sins," and "Ahiru no Sora. The deciding factors were his popularity and the quality of his voice.

-- This is the first time you have collaborated on a massage product with a voice.

Kuriya: This campaign was set up by the EC team to which Adachi belongs. Adachi himself is very knowledgeable about voice actors, and he had no problem convincing the team to lead the project.

Adachi: I have always been able to propose and implement projects rather freely, so I didn't feel any particular difficulty in getting a project through.

-- I didn't feel any particular difficulty in getting the project through! Was the project a "no-hassle" project?

Adachi: The only hardship was the short period of time between when the project was accepted and when we had to prepare for it. We wanted to get the product out in time for the Christmas shopping season, so we prepared quickly. We actually started working on the project in October. It was the first time for us to figure out how to put the voice on an existing product, so it was like starting from scratch. However, the design was completed in a few days, so we were able to move forward at a very fast pace. So I guess the hardest part was coordinating the schedule (laughs).

Please tell us about the specifications of the actual collaboration product.

Kuriya: The "Ludo Premium Massage Cushion 3D Momi(R)" cushion comes with a smartphone-type voice device that plays Mr. Kaji's soothing voice, and you can enjoy an original talk by Yuki Kaji and a short story written by the character "Bokuchikun," which was designed by Mr. Kaji. You can also enjoy a short story written by "Bokuchikun," a character designed by Mr. Kaji.

Adachi: Since this was a collaboration with a radio program, we were able to leave the story and content of the talk up to you, which was probably one of the reasons it went so smoothly this time. There was a lot of ad-libbing and suggestions by Mr. Kaji, and I could feel his love for "Bocchiku. Since it is a newly written story, only those who purchase the book will be able to experience the full audio of it, making it very special!

-- This is the first "Bocchiku" short story, and since it is an original talk on the theme of healing, I have high expectations for it. It seems to have a more healing effect.

Adachi: I hope that people who are feeling tired from housework or work will be healed while listening to Kaji's soothing voice.

--Adachi: Is there any project you would like to work on in the future?

Adachi: I would like to develop this kind of initiative for various goods to provide even more healing. I think it would be most realistic to do so at the timing of new products. Double the healing effect! So, rather than mass-producing collaboration projects, I would still like to develop various collaborations if there are products that apply after careful scrutiny of age groups and price ranges. I am also dreaming of collaborations with anime (laughs).

Kuriya: In my imagination, I am also creating various collaborations with products in genres that interest me (laughs).

Adachi: This time, I saw that customers who made reservations wrote on Twitter, "I can't wait for the product to arrive," "I'm looking forward to it," etc. I hope to use such comments as a reference as well.

I am really looking forward to the healing synergy and future development. The wide range of products you are handling seems to be healing just by fantasizing about them. Thank you very much!

From here, I would like to share my impressions after using the product.

First, the "Ludo Premium Massage Cushion 3D Momi(R). I felt the pain characteristic of a massager and the "not there! and the hassle of having to tell the fir ball where the pressure points are while moving my body around. I realized that this is the greatness of the "3D massage" that was emphasized during the interview!　The more you think you are not good with machines, the more you will notice the difference.

Our hands are overworked from typing on computers and using controllers too much!　Many of you may be surprised at how tired your hands are. The "Hand Care" looks cute, but it gives you a full-fledged hand massage with a strength you won't feel inadequate. The stickers that come with the product allow you to customize it to your favorite healing goods, so you can buy two and relax while massaging both hands at the same time!

There are also a variety of products recommended for long hours of watching anime or playing games, so you can choose the item that best suits the part of your body you want to heal, the degree of fatigue you are feeling, and the place you want to use it!　Why don't you check out the lineup?

(Reporting and writing by Shinobu Tanaka)

Product Specs
Lourdes Premium Massage Cushion 3D Momi(R)
Part numbers: AX-HCL310nb (navy blue), AX-HCL310lg (light gray), AX-HCL310pk (pink)
Price: 14,000 yen (excluding tax) *The price shown on the left is for the "Massage Cushion 3D Momi Healed by Yuki Kaji. The price of the regular model is 12,000 yen (tax not included).
Size: Approx. 380 (width) x 380 (length) x 150 (height) mm
Weight: approx. 2.5 kg
Timer: Approx. 15 minutes auto-off
Accessories: AC adapter
Medical device certification number: 301AABZX00015000