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Companies are Made by System and People

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 In Japanese, a company is often referred to as “hojin” — a combination of two elements: “law (system)” and “people.” As the word suggests, a company is built on structure and people . No matter if you are the CEO or a major shareholder, you should never go beyond the system and rules of the company. Those roles simply exist within the rules. They do not make anyone inherently superior. And then there is the second element: people . In the end, what truly forms a company or a team is people. Even as AI and automation continue to advance, no business can create meaningful value without human collaboration. A company is not built by capital, branding, or systems alone. It is people who bring everything to life . That is why, if someone violates the system or harms others, strict action may be necessary. But such decisions must always be made for one reason: to protect and elevate the value of the people within the organization. Discipline should never come from persona...
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A Small Fire, A Big Lesson

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 Our company has been going through a very busy period, and many of our team members have been working overtime to keep everything running. Unfortunately, during this time, a fire occurred in our factory. The exact cause is still under investigation, but it appears that a smoke removal machine in an inspection area that uses oil may have caught fire while no one was there. Fortunately, the fire did not become large and the fire department was able to extinguish it quickly. However, since it happened when no one was around, we cannot help but wonder what might have happened if it had gone unnoticed. We also caused concern and inconvenience to our neighbors, and for that I sincerely apologize. Several team members came in on Saturday to help clean up the factory, and others worked on Sunday—even though it was supposed to be their day off during a busy season—so that we could resume normal operations on Monday. I am truly grateful for their efforts. Last year we also experienced a...
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the Courage to Change

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 This March, there are an unusually large number of decisions I need to make. Two system implementations, one real estate project, one renovation, and one partnership agreement. All of them require significant investment. The safest option would be simple: do nothing. However, doing nothing is often the greatest risk when it comes to future growth and success. So we review several plans, discuss them as a team, and carefully evaluate the options. And if we are going to invest anyway, then we should choose the best possible option . Of course, there are moments of doubt along the way. Sometimes we even change direction. Some people might call that inconsistency. But if changing direction creates more value for the team and the organization, then I believe we should not hesitate to change . It’s the same as adopting someone else's idea when it’s better than your own. Even after making a decision, if something better appears, then we should absolutely be willing to recons...
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Behind Every Meal: The Life We Receive

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 I have three children. Each of them has a different personality, but one thing they have in common is their deep love for animals. When they were younger, we often visited zoos. Even when we travel, we still tend to visit local zoos. Recently, however, they prefer interactive experiences — not just watching animals, but feeding them, touching them, even holding them. Nowadays, many shopping malls have small animal cafés. We recently visited one that had a corner where children could interact with baby chicks. Even for someone like me, who doesn’t usually join those interactions, the tiny chicks were undeniably adorable. But as I watched them, I couldn’t help but wonder — they grow so quickly. What happens to these dozens of chicks afterward? I assumed they might be sent to farms for food production. So I asked one of the staff members. The answer surprised me. They become food for the owls kept in the same facility. The staff member seemed uncomfortable sharing that informa...
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Many Wrong Decisions Are the Path to the Right Ones

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  Do You Believe We Make 35,000 Decisions a Day? There is a study that says human beings make about 35,000 decisions every day . Do you believe that? A day has 86,400 seconds. If we sleep for 8 hours, we are awake for 57,600 seconds. That means we are making some kind of decision once every two seconds . Even writing this message is one of my decisions. And you choosing to read it is one of yours. Whether to sit on a chair or stretch for a moment, whether to speak or stay silent — we are constantly making an enormous number of decisions, both consciously and unconsciously. Your Life Moves Forward with Better Decisions Out of those tens of thousands of daily decisions, if more of them are good decisions, your life naturally moves forward. Some choices are big, such as: Should I try drugs, or should I resist? Others are small and cute: Should I eat ice cream for dessert, or choose an apple? However, repetition has a powerful effect. What starts as eating ice ...
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Living Honestly Is the Easiest Way

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 Unfortunately, I also make mistakes. I misunderstand things, make assumptions, and sometimes fail to communicate clearly. There is a part of me that wants to say, “No, I told them,” or “I already did my part.” But when I look honestly, there are many times when the fault is clearly mine—because I didn’t explain well enough. At that moment, I have two choices: use power and excuses to cover it up, or admit my mistake and reflect. If you look at it in the short term, covering up may feel easier. But if you look at life as a long journey, admitting your fault is far easier. That much is certain. Living honestly means having no front and no back. When there is no double face, you don’t need to lie to yourself. You may fool others once or twice, but you can never fool yourself. You start living with anxiety—wondering if your lie will be exposed. Worse still, when lying becomes normal, you begin to justify yourself. People around you are not foolish. They quickly underst...
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Learning Never Ends

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 From November until last week, I had four speaking engagements. I’ve finally completed all of them, and now I can take a short break. To be honest, whenever I give a lecture or presentation outside the company, people are often surprised and give me a lot of compliments. I don’t think I’m bad at presenting—but I truly believe there are many people who are far better than me. Perhaps many Japanese business leaders are not very good at presentations. Professional speakers or people with international experience can engage an audience at a much higher level. I’m nowhere near that level, and honestly, I don’t need to be. My main role is management. For me, this is actually the most dangerous moment. When the thought “I’m good at this” or “I can do this” appears, I tend to stop preparing and stop making an effort. And when effort stops, growth stops. What was once a strength eventually becomes average—or even worse. You may have experienced this before: meeting someone you...
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