Interviews with business leaders and features on the future of work.
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Published 24 stories
From milk deliveries to sushi: falling sales, a move into railway stations, and a sushi party in a hospital. In his own words, President Yasuyuki Umemori recalls the experiences that shaped his business and his mission.
Coal, banking, insurance, women's education. Asako Hirooka's journey across different realms cannot be explained solely by his bold personality. Read about family and collaborators, the role of business, and the conditions that create learning opportunities.
Improve the dormitory and walk through the factory late at night with researchers. We will reread Magosaburo Ohara's social work not only in terms of the size of donations, but also in terms of the system that examines working conditions and trust in experts.
What prevented us from establishing a sales partnership in the United States was a problem that could not be solved by image performance alone. Read about the process by which Takeshi Mitarai, a doctor turned business owner, set up his company's name, factory, and sales base.
From a small family-run shop to a retail chain. A decline in profits during this growth phase served as a catalyst to re-examine the very approach to selling. It prompted a reconsideration of business—drawing from the practices of his mother and older brother—through the lens of 'item-level management' and organizational accountability.
In 1961, young employees asked for their future treatment. Who does a company based on the dreams of engineers exist for? The shift in philosophy and amoeba management can be read as a single tension.
How do we transport small, scattered household parcels? We are re-examining the premises of our business, from the density that supported the idea of TA-Q-BIN, the unification of services, to the creation of jobs for people with disabilities.
They did not stop at merely purchasing American-made machinery. They went further: refining the manufacturing equipment, managing the entire production process from raw materials, and sharing the resulting gains." Unpacking a major management decision centered on a tiny component.
Even if we created a new confectionery, it was not easy to open a sales floor. Sales at Mitsukoshi, picture cards, small boxes of toys. Think about creating products that appeal to both the adults who buy them and the children who eat them.
There is a difference between getting a single motor to run and establishing a sustainable industrial enterprise. We trace the efforts to embed technical expertise within the company—starting from a mine repair workshop and a five-horsepower electric motor, through the implementation of cost accounting and the training of apprentices.
Weight 35 kg, price 160,000 yen. Domestic tape recorders could not be used in people's daily lives just by being completed. Learn about the distance between technology and users from the founding prospectus, its spread to schools, and the original Walkman.
A person's talent cannot be discovered just by discovering it. Connecting the audience seats and the stage, we create a place where you can continue. From Sei Yoshimoto's journey, we trace the value of work that is not shown publicly.