How TaG. (tag) is made

A new brand called "TaG" has been launched to "expand the options for outdoor play." Two designers who usually work on client projects launched the brand with the idea of "making what we want to make." What kind of brand is TaG? The TaG editorial team spoke to them.

- What kind of brand is "TaG"?

TaG is a brand that develops tools that expand the options for outdoor play. We plan to develop tools that will allow you to have fun and play in different ways outdoors, and will make you want to go outside and play. As designers, we try to embody what we feel in our daily lives and practice as much as possible with our own hands, from coming up with ideas to delivering them.

- Please tell us what inspired you to start your own brand.

We are a married couple working in the design industry, but in our private lives we live with our beloved dog, and for the past six years or so we have been taking him for an hour's walk every morning and evening. As we both work at home, we felt how good it felt to walk in nature, feeling the wind, the smell of the earth and the trees, and listening to the birds.

Summer is hot, so on our days off we often take walks in small, wooded mountainous areas. The different smells of the trees and earth there are different from usual, so our dog seems to enjoy it and it feels good for us to walk there too. So we began to seek out deeper nature and started going camping and hiking.

I currently live in an apartment that I renovated to use as both my workplace and my home. The property has a rooftop, so on my days off I enjoy cooking meals that I normally wouldn't be able to make at home.

Camping allows you to put yourself in an uncomfortable environment, using your mind, body and all five senses, and leaves you feeling pleasantly tired and refreshed, with your mind and body in harmony.

They build a shelter in the empty mountains, make a fire, and cook meals.

It may be a kind of game of enjoying waste, but I feel that this kind of time is exactly what is needed in today's society.

Through TaG, I wanted to connect this wonderful natural experience to people living today and to the next generation. That was what inspired me to start TaG.

- It all started with walking your dog, but perhaps because you work indoors every day, you gain a lot from experiencing nature. Please tell us the origin of the brand name.

The word TaG is an acronym for "Think about Green." It literally means "thinking about green (nature)," but as I mentioned earlier, we aim to pass on wonderful natural experiences to the next generation. We tend to forget this in our everyday lives, but nature supports us in every aspect of our lives, including food, clothing, and shelter. As the word "Satoyama" suggests, in the past, people lived close to the mountains, so it was very normal to live with gratitude for the blessings of the mountains, but I think it's hard to feel this kind of obviousness in modern life.

Of course, I believe there are many people who are able to feel and think about nature in their daily lives without having to go to the mountains, and the ideal society would be one in which we could connect with nature no matter where we are.

I think that activities like camping and mountain climbing can help us remember these important things that we take for granted. I think that spending time in nature and experiencing beautiful scenery directly brings out these feelings, so I hope that through TaG we can increase the number of people who enjoy nature activities and at the same time connect beautiful scenery.

- The brand concept of "Together with Nature" was born from this conversation.

That's right. For example, if you eat food while looking at the scenery outside in your garden or on your balcony, it tastes better than usual. Just feeling a pleasant breeze while taking a walk makes you feel good. I think that you don't have to go to the mountains or forests to experience food, scenery, and the wind with your five senses, and to get to know and appreciate nature.

It is our hope that the more experiences we have with nature as an extension of our daily lives, the more enjoyable our minds, bodies, and lives will be, and that this will lead to a society in which people care about the environment and nature around them.

- You've mentioned the phrase "connecting nature experiences" a few times in your talk so far, but what exactly will you be putting this into practice?

We want to start by doing what we can to protect nature, which is a limited resource. To that end, TaG does not just create and increase things, but also sets "rules for manufacturing" that minimize the burden on the environment, and wants to create a system that allows us to give back to nature at the same time as our business gets on track.

- What exactly are the "rules of manufacturing"?

There are a few things, but the first is that it can be used for a long time. For it to last a long time, it needs to be easy to maintain and, especially since it is used outdoors, it is ideal to have something that will not break even if you use it roughly.

The second is "scalability." If a tool is multifunctional and compact, you can choose a wider range of play options with just one tool.

The third reason is that the design is good. If the design is good, you can use it with affection, and if the design is timeless, you can use it for a longer period of time.

Finally, we value "minimizing the burden on the environment as much as possible."

Specifically, what we did with this product was to produce it locally and only produce the amount that was needed.

Asking a factory in the same prefecture to make the products rather than having them made overseas puts less of a burden on the environment when it comes to transportation, and being able to talk while actually seeing the site makes it easier to communicate the intentions behind the products, which is a great learning experience in terms of manufacturing.

Manufacturing something requires using a lot of energy to operate machines, to move people, and to emit CO2. Therefore, rather than purchasing in bulk to reduce costs and sell at low prices, it is more environmentally beneficial to sell only what is needed at a fair price.

We also proactively use recycled materials where possible, and use recycled paper instead of plastic for packaging materials, making them as simple as possible.

Since these are tools to play with in nature, we would like to donate 1% of sales to nature conservation organizations so that the products can be used for the benefit of nature. We would like to continue to update this information as we move forward with TaG.

- Because it's something you play in nature, it makes perfect sense that you would use a portion of your sales to help nature. Is there anything you keep in mind when designing your products?

There are a few things that we value, but I think the first one is the word "scalability."

As the words INDOOR and OUTDOOR suggest, I feel that there are endless ways to enjoy nature just outside the door of your home. Many people enjoy eating in the garden or on the balcony, playing in the park with their children, camping, hiking, and other mountain activities, as well as surfing and fishing at the sea or river.

For example, you might not feel like playing in the park on a hot summer day, but you can comfortably camp in a high mountain, or even if you have a busy schedule and can't go out, you can invite friends and family over for a meal in your own backyard. It's fun to have many options for how to play depending on the situation and your mood.

That's why at TAG, we want to create tools that will expand the ways you can play in nature, from the garden to the mountains.

- So you're developing tools that can be used for other outdoor activities, rather than just tools for camping. I'm looking forward to your future product developments. Thank you for today.

thank you very much!