What interested me most about this summit was the opportunity to look at J-Beauty not simply as a product category, but as an ecosystem. Japan has generations of knowledge around ingredients, cultivation, craftsmanship and manufacturing precision. The opportunity now is to connect that heritage with modern biotechnology, sustainability and the partnerships needed to bring Japanese beauty to a wider global audience. Thank you Sally and The Climate Pledge team for helping create that conversation in Tokyo, and for putting rural communities and the people behind these ingredients at the center of it.
You've likely heard of K-Beauty - but how about J-Beauty? 💄 Japan's beauty industry is growing, with brands like DAMDAM Tokyo leading the way on sustainability. And in the true spirit of The Climate Pledge, they’re bringing others along with them. This week, DAMDAM and the Pledge co-hosted the first-ever Beauty Summit Tokyo. It brought together industry professionals, sustainability leaders, and government representatives who all wanted to learn, share, and find ways to collaborate. The standout for me was a community-focused panel about how cultural preservation actually promotes sustainability. Japanese skincare traditions are linked to the natural world – so when a company uses those traditions to make modern products, the ingredients are invariably more sustainable. The value isn't just for customers and the planet - it can also lead to rural revitalization in areas where those ingredients are grown and harvested. That's one beautiful flywheel! But no company can do it alone, so it's incredibly inspiring to see brands like uka, Marc Jacobs, and CLAYD working together to drive the entire industry forward. A million thanks to DAMDAM and everyone who attended the summit! I can't wait to see the creativity and action that comes out of these new connections.