代表インタビューTOP INTERVIEW

関わる人すべてが「幸せ」を体感できる会社を目指して
関わる人すべてが「幸せ」を体感できる会社を目指して

Joining the company and becoming CEO were sudden events

―― President Oka joined Oka Foods in 2003. Before that, after graduating from university, he had studied abroad and worked for other companies, but did he ever think about eventually taking over from his father at Oka Foods?

I didn't really think about it. That's because, although my father and I had a very good relationship as father and son, I felt that our personalities wouldn't be compatible when it came to work. I just thought maybe I'd rely on him if I needed to make a living...or something like that. Personally, I'd always wanted to go overseas, and I thought a trading company or a travel agency would be a good place to work. In fact, after returning from studying abroad, I worked for a company that handled imported foods, and also went to Shanghai to study Chinese. I was scheduled to continue working in Shanghai at the Shanghai branch of a Japanese trading company, but just as I was about to do so, the then-managing director, who was supposed to be the next successor, suddenly passed away due to illness, and I had to return at short notice.

―― Did you return as the next successor?

That wasn't the case at all, and I thought I should go back because the company seemed to be in a difficult situation. I first joined the company as an employee and started out in charge of domestic purchasing, and then I experienced a variety of tasks, such as procuring raw materials from overseas, production management, and product branding. During that time, I was gradually promoted to higher positions, and after becoming managing director, I was involved in setting up a factory in Vietnam and conducting sales activities for the local subsidiary in Shanghai.

―― When did you first become aware of the idea of ​​following in your father's footsteps?

Right up until I was actually appointed president, I thought that even if I were to take over, it would be a while before that happened. I was appointed representative director and president in August 2011, but the idea of ​​taking over only came up in 2011. It all started when the then vice president was retiring and suddenly said, "I want Oka to become president before I retire." It was a bolt from the blue for me, and for my father in particular, and he was particularly opposed. But in the end, the vice president's strong desire prevailed, and I became president and my father became chairman.

オカフーズ人生の中でも一番辛かった社長就任直後

The most difficult time in my life at Oka Foods was right after I became president.

―― You said earlier that you and your father have a good relationship as father and son, but that you might not get along when it comes to work. How has your relationship been since you became president?

We agreed on the management philosophy of "being useful to stakeholders," and initially, I took my predecessor's strategic and rational approach to running the company for granted, so there was no noticeable friction. However, I felt a sense of urgency to produce results at all costs. In particular, in 2012, my first year as CEO, the yen suddenly weakened and our performance deteriorated. Not only did I gradually find myself at odds with my predecessor, but no matter what I did, I was always blamed as president. This period was probably the most difficult of my life at Oka Foods.

―― How do you feel about your work at that time?

To be honest, I think it was terrible. To put it bluntly, I thought of everyone as my enemy at the time. So, I checked things like cost prices, selling prices, and profit margins every day, which are not actually the president's job, and if there was even a slight fluctuation, I would ask the relevant staff for an explanation. I also handled the purchase of raw materials myself, and I couldn't trust the people in the company. I blamed the environment and the staff for things that weren't going well, so I think it was difficult for the staff I worked with. At the same time, I was worried and wanted to do something about the situation myself.

―― Did you try anything to defuse the situation?

The previous president was quite autocratic, so I tried various things, such as aiming for a more harmonious organization, but in the end it didn't work out. I realized that things weren't going to go well and that I had to do something, when by chance a consultant introduced me to a book called "Management Knowledge" by Sadao Ichikura. My encounter with this book was a big influence on me.

My encounter with "Management Principles" changed everything

―― What kind of impact did it have?

Ikura Sada is a legendary consultant to small and medium-sized enterprises, but the contents of his book were almost the exact opposite of what I had thought was good and what I had been doing up until then. For example, the book states that "Small and medium-sized enterprises only have one-man management," even though he talked about building a harmonious organization as mentioned earlier. He also wrote other things I had never thought of before, such as "There are no good or bad companies, only good or bad presidents," and "The president is responsible for whether the telephone poles are tall or the mailboxes are red," which was a shock to me.

―― It's a little different from general business theory.

That's right. The first book I got was a simplified version, so I later bought the entire series and read it thoroughly. I then read that "clarifying responsibilities creates irresponsible employees," and I realized that what I was doing at the time, such as asking employees to explain sales figures, was wrong for the president of a small or medium-sized business. So I felt that maybe if I put into practice what was written in this book, things might improve.

―― But wasn't it scary to take a completely different direction from what you had been doing up until then?

After all, my desire to improve the company was stronger than anything else. When I was told, "There are no good or bad companies, only good or bad presidents," I had no choice but to become a good president. To that end, I resolved to put into practice what was written in this book, and if that didn't work, I would give up.

孤立無援の状態からスタートした環境整備

Environmental improvement started from a standpoint of isolation

―― What specifically did you start with?

The book lists the three sacred treasures of management: "President's customer visits," "Development of a business plan," and "Environmental improvement." We simultaneously began these activities. When we first started environmental improvement, there was a strong sense of opposition within the company, and people were asking, "Why?" This is because December 2012, when we began this initiative, was a particularly difficult time for our business performance. It's only natural that employees would feel that way, since they were being told to spend 30 minutes in the morning improving the environment, when they should normally be visiting as many customers as possible. In fact, at the beginning, some employees were just going through the motions, and others would immediately go out selling after the morning meeting and not even bother to do environmental improvement. Therefore, in the "Policy Notebook," which outlines the company's management policy and was being developed at the same time, we made it clear that "Environmental improvement must take priority over all other work," making it absolutely unacceptable to pass on this initiative.

―― What exactly does environmental improvement involve?

This includes not only cleaning desks and floors, but also organizing desktop files, updating software, and anything else that will help create an environment where employees can always work in the best possible way. In fact, I tried it out on my own before introducing it to all employees, and when I looked closely at the office, I noticed that the telephone cords, the spaces between desks, and the backs of desks were all really dirty. If I had tried to clean those for everyone, it would have taken two or three months to finish. I thought that if I continued to do it myself, the employees would follow suit, but not a single person showed up. So I decided to force everyone to do it at the same time.

―― Even though the environmental improvements were not well-received by employees, did President Oka feel that there was some progress?

There was certainly a change in attitude, but I didn't know what kind of results it would lead to, and at the time I just wanted to keep going. After about a year had passed since we started, the employees seemed to have given up and started to do it reluctantly, but there were still many who were dissatisfied. I think this feeling continued for about three years.

―― Three years is a long time.

That's right. We struggled to gain understanding within the company, so when a new factory opened in Vietnam at the end of 2013, we decided to introduce environmental improvement measures there as well. At first, we faced strong opposition, but the local president was understanding and decided to implement them because Oka insisted. After that, the Chinese factory also implemented the measures, despite some twists and turns, and now they say it was a good idea to implement environmental improvement measures. Our environmental improvement measures have a rule that the president cleans the toilets. There was a particularly large gap between the president and employees there, which sometimes led to conflict, but by having the president clean the toilets himself, mutual understanding deepened and there was a change that seemed to eliminate internal discord. As this process continued, it felt like environmental improvement measures gradually spread within Oka Foods.

―― Why do you think it has become so popular?

First of all, I think the biggest factor was that the employees gave up when I showed no signs of stopping improving the environment. Also, since we weren't seeing much of a breakthrough just by improving the environment within the company, we also started a local contribution initiative where we cleaned up the company and the area around the nearest station together once a month. Gradually, we began to see improvements in performance and not just the environment within the company, but also the atmosphere, and I think this helped people understand the significance of improving the environment.

All employees have is a sense of responsibility. The responsibility lies with the president.

―― Earlier you said that you were shocked by the phrase "Small and medium-sized enterprises are all one-man companies." Have you made any changes in response to that?

In Sadao Ichikura's "Management Principles," he wrote that autocracy does not mean having power, but that the president should make decisions and take responsibility. He said that employees should only have a sense of responsibility. Previously, there was a tendency to identify who was responsible when a mistake occurred and correct it, but even if an employee suffered an economic loss, they could not be asked to bear that burden. Only the president can take true responsibility. So, from then on, I stopped using the word "responsibility" when talking to employees, and I told them to work with a sense of responsibility.

―― In addition to this, President Oka himself now calls himself CHO (Chief Health Officer) and has put forward management policies that take into consideration the health of employees.

That's right. I used to work until the last train or force myself to come to the office even when I wasn't feeling well. However, when I became president and observed my employees, I noticed that the only time they took time off openly was when they were sick, like when they had a fever or the flu. What happened at the company was that employees were suddenly asked to take time off, which caused chaos on the workplace. I thought that it would be better for both employees and the company if we introduced working styles that allowed employees to maintain their health and allowed them to take time off in a planned manner. I reviewed and improved all of our operations, and introduced systems such as leaving work on time and allowing five consecutive weekday holidays, as well as subsidizing the cost of sports clubs and health checkups and making flu vaccinations semi-mandatory. For the company to continue growing, the most important thing is the mental and physical health of our employees.

関わる人すべてが“幸せ”を体感できる会社を目指して

Aiming to be a company where everyone involved can experience "happiness"

―― It's been 10 years since you became president. Do you think the company has become what you envisioned when you first began your environmental improvement activities?

The effects of the environmental improvement efforts were greater than I expected. When I first started, I hadn't even considered the "Oka Juku" study group, which is now held once a month, or the "FISH Activities" for internal improvements. I also think the number of employees who love this company has increased. When I first took over, we were always short-staffed, with people quitting soon after being hired. I think there were various issues, including working style and interpersonal relationships, but even hiring one person takes time and money, so I focused on increasing the retention rate first. To achieve this, one of the activities I started, with the aim of becoming a good company and a good president, was environmental improvement. As a result, the retention rate for new employees has increased, and nearly 100% of female employees who have returned from maternity and childcare leave have returned to work. Not only that, but the number of employees working independently has steadily increased, allowing us to realize our management philosophy of "serving stakeholders" more than ever before. Therefore, I believe that environmental improvement is the starting point for everything.

―― During that time, has there been any change in your relationship with your predecessor?

My father was very opposed to my efforts to improve the company's environment, and even after that, our relationship deteriorated to the point where we had major fights at least once a week and argued about who would step down as CEO once every two months. Looking back, though, I think I was 80% at fault. At the time, I was convinced I was always right, but now I sometimes think I was wrong, and I can understand why he said the things he did and how he felt at the time. After several years of strained relations, our relationship gradually improved around 2015, when my father retired as Chairman of the Board and became Honorary Chairman. And at last year's general shareholders' meeting, he praised me for the first time, saying, "You've done a great job," and I was genuinely happy.

―― President Oka has undertaken various reforms for the sake of his employees, his company, and ultimately the world. What is his vision for the future?

Recently, I've been talking a lot with my employees about "happiness." And it's not about "I want to be successful" or "I want to be happy," but rather, "How can we make everyone happy and successful?" When we talk about "altruism," it sounds like we're exploiting the motivation and work of our employees, so within the company, the keyword is "selfish altruism," which means making a lot and spending a lot.

―― I think this is the most needed way of running a company in today's world, and it's cutting-edge thinking.

I think it's because I've had the exact opposite experience. A generation ago, I think there was a strong belief that those who followed should also go through the same difficult experiences as those I'd experienced, but there's no happiness to be found at the end of hardship. My approach is that there's no point in going through hardship. I believe that the quickest way to grow a company is for everyone to share how we can reach our goals, and I put that into practice. Furthermore, I'm 47 this year, and I've decided to step down as president of Oka Foods when I turn 50. After a certain amount of time, you inevitably lose your innovativeness. And, above all, I feel comfortable here. There are plenty of reasons not to quit, so I decided to make a decision to avoid staying put for too long. Until then, I believe my role is to lay the foundation for the company's long-term continuity, such as by launching new businesses.

ステークホルダーの皆様から見るオカフーズ

We have received messages from our close stakeholders to Oka Foods President Oka.

  • Mr. Kinji Miyazaki

    Wholesale PartnersNisshoku Co., Ltd.

    Chairman and Representative DirectorMr. Kinji MiyazakiKINJI MIYAZAKI

    「I feel that President Oka lives the life of a samurai.」

    READ LETTERS
  • Mr. Mikio Watanabe

    Supplier PartnersDaisho Foods Co., Ltd.

    President and CEOMr. Mikio WatanabeMIKIO WATANABE

    「I would like to take the lead in the seafood industry and work to break down stereotypes.」

    READ LETTERS
  • Mr. PHAM VAN QUANG

    Specialized Factory (Family)QUANG HIEU FOODS COMPANY LIMITED

    President and CEOMr. PHAM VAN QUANGPHAM VAN QUANG

    「I would like to develop and grow together with QUANG HIEU and Oka Foods.」

    READ LETTERS
  • Takeaki Odashima

    Oka Foods employees

    Takeaki OdashimaTAKEAKI ODAJIMA

    「I would like to work with the president to make Okafoods employees and their families "happy."」

    READ LETTERS
Let's work together and get this done!
CLOSE

Nisshoku Co., Ltd.　Chairman and Representative DirectorMr. Kinji Miyazaki

My thoughts on President Oka Takayuki now

I still vividly remember that when I first met President Oka six years ago, he seemed like a quiet, weak-looking guy. Apparently, he was very scared of me at the time.
After that, he visited our company about once every six months, and I feel that he eagerly absorbed our know-how, as well as the key points of our work, business, and what I was talking about as a manufacturer.
Director Eda told me, "Whenever the president goes to Nisshoku in Toyama and comes back, it's tough because he has to do new things." However, I believe that the biggest reason why President Oka and Oka Foods Co., Ltd. are growing and changing is because of President Oka's "ability to get things done."
If there is something good, they will immediately copy it and immediately adopt anything that is good. This is a feat that cannot be achieved without honesty, humility, and a desire to improve the company and make employees happy.
One day, President Oka came to the company as usual, and we traveled around the prefecture talking about various things. On the way back, when we were near Kurobe Unazuki Onsen Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, he suddenly said, "President! Please teach me about thoroughness." I was surprised because I had never heard any other president say something like that, and I still remember clearly how I responded, "Just keep doing it until you achieve it."
It was after I was asked to speak at the Vietnam factory that I began to feel very close to President Oka and President Kwan.
President Oka and President Kwan have been extremely supportive, and seeing the trust they have built, I want to continue to cooperate with them to the fullest extent.
I feel the same way, but what I sense in President Oka right now is a "samurai." In other words, I sense "a samurai way of life."
It seems to me that he is trying to "fix the world" and "be a role model for the industry" by using the company he runs and the way he lives his life, saying things like, "This is the way business should be!", "This is the way work should be!", "This is the way a company should be run!", "This is the way people should be!"
The more you pursue righteousness, the more you will be treated as a "weirdo" or "eccentric" in today's world.
The biggest reason why he is called a "weirdo" or "eccentric" is that while many people chase "money," he does not chase money, but instead solely pursues "his own value" or "the value of the company."
If you increase your "personal value" and the value of your company, money will naturally come to you, but many people try to get "money" without increasing "their personal value" or the value of their company. To me, that makes them much more "eccentric" or "weird."
Like me, President Oka has learned from his past failures that "if things aren't done correctly, nothing will go well."
President Oka has the ability to get things done, and he is the type of person who will "try anything" and "if it doesn't work, then I'll stop," and I feel like he is the type of person who judges things based on experience.
He must have his feet firmly on the ground, that is, he must run the company logically, and not with an attitude of "it'll all work out somehow."
Partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Japan is now in a period of declining birthrates and an aging population, and it feels like the food industry is in a period of decline rather than growth. Therefore, I believe we have entered an era where anything that is not genuine, original, and correct will no longer be accepted.
In that sense, now is a great opportunity not only for our company, but also for President Oka and Oka Foods Co., Ltd.
We live on Earth, in Japan, in the food industry, in our companies if we are employees, and even more so, in our own homes, and in our own bodies and minds.
Despite this, it seems to me that there are people who are ruining the Earth, ruining Japan, ruining the food industry, ruining their companies, ruining their own homes, and even ruining themselves.
We are born to make others happy, to be useful to others, to have our value recognized by society, to be loved by others, and to be happy.
I want to accept this truth and live my life with it.
In that sense, President Oka of Oka Foods Co., Ltd. is a "comrade" and "friend" to me.
I will conclude this article by wishing Oka Foods Co., Ltd. continued growth and good health and happiness for President Oka and all employees.

CLOSE
CLOSE

Daisho Foods Co., Ltd.　President and CEOMr. Mikio Watanabe

I would like to take the lead in the seafood industry and work to break down stereotypes.

Oka Foods is a fishmonger, but it doesn't seem like a fishmonger... In that sense, it seems to have stepped outside the seafood industry and is attracting attention even from people who aren't interested in fish.
While always keeping a firm eye on contributing to society and the local community, the company also pursues the economic aspects, and it feels as though it is looking to the future to ensure its survival as a "company."

President Oka is very generous and good at letting people depend on him!
In my involvement with him, I have had the opportunity to rely on him a lot. What I like about President Oka is that he allows people to rely on him beyond the boundaries of suppliers and business partners, and makes it possible for many people to spend their days feeling happy.
I would like to create a similar culture in my company and make it possible for many people to do the same, not just within the company or with business partners. I respect the fact that such things can be done beyond the boundaries of a company, and I would like to become that kind of person myself.

President Oka casually does something that seems possible, but is actually not.
I would like to do something similar to what Oka Foods is doing within my company, but it's not very realistic, so I think President Oka's ``ability to get things done'' is amazing.

"He has the answer to everything I ask."

When I talk about the worries I have about the company, they sympathize and say, "I've thought about that too," and when I listen to them, I often find that what they say is right on the mark.
I think that the things I am worried about right now are things that President Oka has experienced somewhere in the past, and that he has gone through a lot of hardships, in a good way, and has done a lot of simulations.
I think there were many times when I had to think about many things (about the company, management, and family).
I think that without this experience, it would be difficult to make the decision to "do it!"

I feel like President Oka has a way of thinking that is not biased towards either side, and when we talk together, many things make perfect sense to me.
Even if about 8 out of 10 people say something different from the "answer" I think, President Oka and I often end up agreeing, "I thought so," and it feels like we're coming to confirm the answer. President Oka once wrote in an article that he "aims to be an eccentric," but in that sense, it seems to me that he throws "straight balls" rather than curveballs.

I hope to continue to see your continued evolution as you continue to introduce new ideas to us!
Please show us the new President Oka. I'm looking forward to it.

CLOSE
CLOSE

QUANG HIEU FOODS COMPANY LIMITED　President and CEOMr. PHAM VAN QUANG

I would like to develop and grow together with QUANG HIEU and Oka Foods.

Both Oka Foods and my company are food manufacturers, so we believe that the most important thing for both of us is to provide safety and security to our users.
Furthermore, by delivering safe and secure products, we hope to deliver happiness to our customers.
We ask our customers to cook our products and have them eaten by their loved ones. It gives us great joy to see the smiles and happiness of our customers.
To achieve this, our company and Oka Foods must work together every day to prioritize safe and secure products and to deliver delicious products.
What we value is not only bringing happiness to our users, but also to all stakeholders, including our employees. We aim to be a company that is easy to work in and rewarding, so that our employees can feel happy through their work.

"A family-like relationship that goes beyond the relationship between suppliers and customers"
President Oka is actively involved in communicating Oka Foods' "culture" to employees.
I believe that this behavior has spread not only within Oka Foods' company, but also within my company, and has been communicated to all stakeholders.
This culture is not about choosing suppliers or customers based on negotiation or price, but about valuing work based on "relationships of trust." Trust allows both parties to work together for the long term and build good relationships.
I also feel lucky to have met President Oka. He has now become a dear friend of mine.

"I love President Oka's determination to get things done!"
There are many things I like about President Oka, such as his intelligence, kindness, and open-mindedness, but what I respect most is that he "follows through" with what he wants to do.
Most people cannot see the results of the future, but President Oka has the intelligence to see the results in advance, and I think he has the strength to continue doing what he does, believing that the results are "right." This is truly the spirit of "you'll know when you try."
When the Quan Hieu factory was built eight years ago, President Oka asked us to "improve the environment for 15 minutes." At the time, I thought that if we stopped work for 15 minutes, production would stop for 15 minutes, which would result in poor productivity.
However, President Oka was adamant that productivity would definitely increase and asked me to "improve the environment," so I trusted him and went ahead with improving the environment, and now I feel that it was a good thing that I did.

I hope to continue to "trust" President Oka and bring happiness to all of our stakeholders.
thank you very much.

CLOSE
CLOSE

Oka Foods employeesTakeaki Odashima

Together with the president, Oka Foods employees,
I want to work to make the families of my employees "happy."

I met President Oka during a job interview in August 2012.
"Why not try out a variety of new things at Oka Foods?"
At the time, I was at a crossroads where I was thinking a lot about my life and work, and I still remember these words.

Since joining Oka Foods, I have been in the sales department.
・I would like to spread President Oka's "serious" and "sincere" attitude even further.
I want to spread the appeal of the company.
With this in mind, we have been consciously working to make President Oka known to our customers.
Through sales, I was able to get to know the customers and get useful hints. I was able to learn a lot of things. I once again feel that President Oka is truly sincere!

The moment I felt President Oka flipped a switch.
When environmental improvement activities became a normal part of our work and our awareness of daily improvements increased through FISH activities , I felt that we were acting with a conscious awareness of "thorough execution of ordinary tasks" and "value." Looking back, I believe that meeting Mr. Miyazaki, president of Nisshoku, was one of the triggers.

President Oka said, "Working and pursuing happiness both materially and spiritually is a way of working that suits the Reiwa era," and I felt that I wanted to help increase the number of people who can pursue "happiness" by doing rewarding work and increasing their value as people and the value of the company.

"I will do my best to carry on the president's thoughts and ideas."

President Oka provides employees with a workplace that gives them a sense of purpose (value as a person), so we feel that we are able to focus on increasing our own value every day and on activities that are conscious of Mikey (mind + awareness).

I will also follow in President Oka's footsteps and focus on being useful to stakeholders, helping stakeholders to grow in love with Oka Foods (Mikey) and doing my best to become the president's alter ego (to inherit his thoughts and ideas) so that employees can come to work with a smile every day.

CLOSE