An athletic runner tries his utmost to lower his best time from 10 secondsto 9.9 seconds. It's that 0.1 second that can make a difference between winning and/or losing. That mind-set is necessary for people in the brand business in order to pursue perfection continuously.
In 2003, Hata wrote the widely read book, Louis Vuitton Japan-The Building of Luxury, which was initially published in Japanese but later translated into French and English. The book covers the twenty eight years of Hata's experience from the time he joined Louis Vuitton to take over a brand that, at that time, lacked an identity and was little developed in Japan. He turned it into the most sought after brand in Japan. This development was instrumental in giving Louis Vuitton a "new breath of life". This book is full of creative and practical ideas.