The enjoyment of working with the involvement of many diverse colleagues, which I feel in the R&D Group.

Experiencing the difficulties of work that transcends countries and cultures through the analysis operations of the JT Group.

I started my career as a researcher at the Research Laboratory which is responsible for science research. After engaging in science research, I was involved in quality analysis for tobacco products in general. Specifically, I mainly analyzed physical quality, such as for cigarette smoke components, and properties such as length and circumference, and submitted my analysis data on a timely basis to departments for quality management and product development.

In addition, I worked to extract conventional analysis methods and establish more efficient ones. I subsequently worked at JT International (hereafter “JTI”) and then was engaged in quality analysis in Japan once again.
Over a total of roughly 10 years working in product quality analysis, I have gained a wide scope of experience which ranged from leading a project to share the JT Group’s analysis methods on a global basis, to carrying out organizational management to steadily execute analysis work with consideration for deadlines. I am currently involved in formulating and planning medium- and long-term strategies that are related to the entire R&D Group.

I began working at the JTI R&D Group in Germany from 2012. A different country and culture also mean different rules, customs, and work styles. For example, my colleagues who worked at JTI placed great value on their private lives and made efforts to balance it with work. I thought at times “Are you really going to take that much time off?” from my viewpoint, but it was only normal to them. They made sure to proceed with work while making considerations for the time that they would take off, and this was respected and understood mutually by others around them.

The standardization of analysis methods which I was responsible for while working at JTI was an initiative to globally unify methods and go beyond physical location. This may be an easy thing to say, but it is very difficult when trying to actually do it. This is because different locations will present huge differences in workers and long-established rules. Since the analysis methods of each location have been optimized according to their own situations, it was not easy to change their existing methods. However, I began not by forcing new methods on others, but by first having them understand the reasons and background behind the differences. Then, by explaining that standardizing analysis methods to have high reliability and efficiency will be beneficial for work sites and companies over the medium to long term, we were able to gain the understanding of local sites and succeed in standardization.

Struggles with adjusting my understanding and ways of thinking about work in areas where I have no work experience.

I transferred to several different departments in cycles of two to three years, and have been involved in a wide range of work at my own personal request. However, it is not possible to experience all departments of the R&D Group. I am currently responsible for collecting information from various departments in both JT and JTI, and formulating medium- and long-term strategies for the R&D Group. Among that information there is a great deal that is related to product development, but since I have no business experience in that area, I am always struggling first of all to understand it.

There are two problems I face due to not having such work experience. The first is simply a lack of sufficient knowledge and expertise. In response to this, I feel that it is essential to actively make attempts toward new work in order to accumulate new knowledge and experience within myself while proceeding with routine work on a daily basis.

The second is adjusting my own ways of thinking that have been ingrained within me. When departments, customs, or cultures differ, the methods of approaching and resolving issues will also differ. It is important to ask myself at times if I am actually being bound by my own fixed ideas rather than questioning the ways in which others think or their methodologies. It is always difficult to take on new attempts which I have no experience in, and to break free from my own fixed concepts to absorb new ideas. However, it is very exciting to feel my own potential while actually seeing the results of my own growth.

I want to exhibit the strongest level of team performance in my workplace as a member who can bring forth “values unique to myself.”

I believe the most interesting part of the R&D Group is being able to approach work from specialized viewpoints. Including this knowledge and experience, there are no substitutes for our work. The R&D Group’s operations can contribute to business by producing new seeds of innovation from nothing, while applying various types of specialized knowledge. Since there is great responsibility associated with releasing future products to the world, I make sure to keep a strong sense of duty during my work.

After entering the JT Group, I have worked with people in many divisions from field sites to the Head Office. What I have come to believe from my experience is that I want to become an employee in my workplace who can bring forth “values that are unique only to myself.” Almost all of my work has been conducted in teams. I think it is a “value unique only to myself” to find my own role independently and in a self-sustaining manner in order to maximize the performance and motivation of the team while considering the characteristics of members, and to execute work faithfully and honestly.
To further demonstrate our performance and motivation as JT-JTI One Team, it is my mission to fully utilize my unique values, work with the involvement of many diverse workforces, and move forward with various projects. I am convinced that those results will directly connect to valuable business contributions for the JT Group.