Japan as Only 1

Lately, I’ve been experiencing something truly exciting— new ideas start flowing every time I talk with someone. Have you ever felt that spark? An idea you’d never think of on your own suddenly appears, triggered by someone else’s comment. And then, it grows—evolving into something even better. That’s exactly what’s been happening a lot lately. And none of these ideas came from me alone. It’s through everyone’s contributions—the back-and-forth of sharing, refining, and building on each other’s thoughts—that powerful, high-value ideas are born. There’s an old Japanese saying: “Three people together create the wisdom of Monju.” So what happens when we bring together 100 people? 400? That’s the kind of world we’re aiming for with our  Kinoko Management 🍄 Just imagining what we can create together fills me with excitement. But as CEO, I know excitement alone isn’t enough. We need a strong, stable business foundation to make these ideas a reality. That’s why we work hard to eli...

  Are We Really Facing a Labor Shortage? Last week, I attended a board meeting for a certain industry association. There were about 26 board members present, many of whom are from small and mid-sized companies. A common theme in our discussion was the labor shortage. Many people shared how difficult it is to hire new employees, saying things like, “It’s a serious problem. We just can’t find people.” But I started to wonder— Is this really because of Japan’s declining population? Is that truly why small companies can’t hire people? Let me share our situation at Hattori Group. Each year, we hire about 5 to 10 new graduates. Including mid-career hires, global staff, part-timers, and temporary workers, the total number of hires is about 20 to 30 per year. Of course, some employees also leave, so our total staff size isn’t growing by dozens each year. It’s a gradual increase. Now let’s focus only on new graduates. In Japan, even in 2025, there are still around one million new...

 If you have children, you probably know what it’s like to hear “Why?” and “How come?” over and over again. As a parent, I sometimes struggle with patience. I catch myself saying things like, “You should know this by now,” or “I already told you once!” And every time, I reflect and feel a little guilty. Even though I know it’s not ideal, hearing the same question repeatedly can be frustrating. It wears me down. But deep down, I also believe that answering these “why” questions is essential for nurturing curiosity. When we explore ideas through conversation—even ones that seem repetitive—we often discover new perspectives. Something might seem like a simple “yes” or “no,” but the more we talk, the more we find that a third option might exist. I think that kind of dialogue—questioning what’s right, what’s possible, or what we really want—is how better ideas are born. It may seem like a waste of time on the surface, but this process is what helps us grow. In environments where p...

 As more mid-career employees join our company, I’ve started to notice that many of them are now younger than me. I became the president at 30 years old, and for a long time, people called me a "young president." But now, I feel I’m entering a new phase—somewhere between mid-career and veteran. It’s the stage where energy and experience combine to create the best opportunities to make an impact. At this age, it’s common to reflect and think, “If only I had done that back then…” or “What would have happened if I had tried?” Of course, we can’t change the past. But we can use our past experiences to shape the future. Maybe you didn’t try something before because you were afraid of failure. Or maybe you didn’t have the confidence. But it’s never too late to take action. What matters is starting now—so we don’t look back two or three years from now with the same regrets. If you feel regret but don’t take action, you only create a habit of inaction. On the other hand, the so...