Is the Whole World Your Business Partner!? An Introduction to the Global Communication Department’s Work: Italy Edition

SSU Global Communication Div. News ~Vol. 3~
*English is followed by Japanese

Click here for previous blog posts:
[vol. 1] https://blog.ssu.co.jp/2018/10/26/15479/
[vol. 2] https://blog.ssu.co.jp/2019/01/16/15649/

Hello! I am Fujioka from the Global Communication Department. Our department was newly established in the summer of 2018. We are a group of unique individuals whose mission is to create and promote a “fun buzz” both domestically and internationally, including upcoming global festivals in Japan that are attracting worldwide attention.

The members of the Global Communication Department are not only fluent in English but are also highly inquisitive and have strong personalities. We work in a lively environment every day, occasionally mixing in English. *I have heard that we are referred to as the “Department of Jolly Companions” within the company…

In this post, I would like to introduce a portion of the Global Communication Department’s work and a scene from a business interaction with someone from overseas.

■ Italians (Italianos) I recently met through work
The Global Communication Department is, as the name suggests, a department that frequently works with people from all over the world. Today, I want to share a story about some wonderful Italians I met through my work.

What images come to mind when you think of Italy? For me personally, it is pasta, soccer, and passionate Italian men… but I decided to look it up again! Italy has its capital in Rome, a population of approximately 60 million (January 2018 estimate; about half of Japan’s), and an area of 301,000 square kilometers (about four-fifths of Japan’s). *Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs website

Furthermore, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it is the country with the highest number of World Heritage sites. Despite having half the population of Japan, Italy is a country with a massive presence. It makes me want to visit even more…

■ What are the popular sports besides soccer…?
The “Italiano” who visited Japan this time is a member of a team that oversees Italian sports, so I asked him about popular sports in Italy!

“Popular sports!? Of course! It’s soccer. I’d prefer if you didn’t mention the World Cup (which we failed to qualify for) though (bitter smile),” he said. However, according to his personal opinion, among Olympic sports, water polo is popular for team sports, and fencing is popular for individual sports. Regarding specific athletes, swimmer Federica Pellegrini is very popular; she is the world record holder in the women’s 200m freestyle.

* From the list of Italian team athletes at the Rio Olympics

■ The Italiano’s pride: A badge awarded by the President
On the jacket worn by the Italiano I met for this meeting, there was a badge pinned discreetly yet proudly. I was curious, so I asked him about it…

“You noticed!? Yes, this is a badge I received from the President of the Italian Republic. It’s not something just anyone can get; I received it when I was honored for my achievements in ●● during XX!!” he told me with a beaming smile for about 20 minutes. If a single question could make him that happy, it was well worth asking, Mr. Italiano.

■ The Global Communication Department won’t be outdone in terms of strong personalities!
Leaving behind a storm of passionate hugs and kisses on the cheek as a greeting, the Italiano departed with a “Ciao!!” He was unfazed by a flight of over 12 hours. He acted energetically without any jet lag, and as soon as he saw a woman, he would praise her, saying “Beautiful!” Italian men truly are passionate. Witnessing scenes not typically found in Japanese business settings made me realize once again that in Japan, we value harmony and maintaining appropriate distance. It is not a matter of “good or bad,” but rather that working with people from overseas allows one to rediscover Japanese culture and customs.

■ This is who I am!
Yumiko FUJIOKA

I began my career as a flight attendant for an airline, and have since been involved in the major launch of a foreign apparel brand and public relations for a long-established sake company founded over 350 years ago. Currently, due to my love for spirits, I handle many projects involving sake, wine, and whiskey. My proficient languages are English and French, and I am daily grateful to my parents for allowing me to study what I loved, including studying abroad. I am excited every day to be part of this department that creates a cross-border “fun buzz”!

I will continue to share information through this blog so that as many people as possible can learn about the Global Communication Department.

Until next time! See you next time!

English

Hi, there!
This is Yumiko FUJIOKA from the Global Communication Division.

This division was created in the summer of 2018.
Our mission is to create a “FUN BUZZ” inside and outside of Japan wherever large-scale global events are held.

The members of the Global Communication (GC) Division are not only English speakers, we also have an avid curiosity and strong characters.
*I’ve been told that we’re referred to as “the UNIQUE division” within the company.

Today, let me share one of our activities.

■We recently worked with an Italian gentleman (We’ll refer to him as “Mr. Italiano”)

When you hear the word “Italy”, what kind of images come to mind?

For me personally, I think of “pasta”, ”football”, ”passionate Italian men”, but in order to learn more about Italy, I googled it.

I found generic information that most of us are aware of – the capital city is Rome, population is about 60 million, with a total area of 301,000 square km. According to the MOFA web site, Italy has the most World Heritage site in the world.

Makes me want to be in Italy…

The gentleman we recently worked with is a member of an Italian sports team, so I asked him what sports are popular in Italy. He said “Popular sports? Of course, it’s football! But in my opinion, water polo and fencing are also quite popular.”

According to him, a swimmer named Ms. Federica Pellegrini is one of the most popular athletes in Italy. * She holds the world record for 200m free-style

■Proud of the badge he received from the President

I was curious about the badge he was wearing – small and understated but he wore it proudly – and ask him about it. He began passionately telling the tale of how it had been presented to him by the Italian President for his work and contribution. It was very passionate, 20-minute presentation.

I was pleased to see how animated he was in response to a simple question!

■What we learn by working with people from different countries.

Mr. Italiano is very Italian, showering kisses and hugs as well as compliments every time he encounters a woman. Jetlag didn’t seem to slow him down at all, and he left Japan with as much energy as he when he arrived. I confirmed my preconception that “Italian men are passionate”. It also made me realize that in Japan, especially in business, it is our custom to respect harmony and personal space.

It’s not an issue of right and wrong, or good or bad. Interacting with people from other countries makes us realize many things which we might otherwise not notice.

■About the writer

Let me introduce myself!

I started my career as a cabin attendant for International flights. I was then involved in various roles including brand communication and management at “ZARA HOME”, a member of the INDITEX group when it launched the flagship store in Japan. Next, I was the PR representative for a “sake” company which has a history of more than 350 years before joining SUNNY SIDE UP in 2016 to further my PR and communication skills. My background and experience in a variety of fields is highlighted by my language skills which include English and French.

All the members of the Global Communication Division will continue our efforts to maximize the fun and buzz for our clients!

I will introduce other activities and members in the next blog.
See you next time!