30% of the members are XX!? New graduates take a peek into the mysterious Division 4 | Division 4 Edition

Hello everyone! We are Shiraishi and Hamada, first-year employees who have been officially assigned to Division 4 of the Public Relations Business Headquarters since July 2021! (*Masks were removed only for the photo session.)

Following the introductions of Division 1, Division 2, Division 3 Sports, and the Account Planning Division, we, the first-year new graduates, will now introduce Division 4!

Click here for past articles.
What is the unknown true face of Division 1? The appeal of the assignment as seen by three fresh members | Division 1 Edition
A first in SUNNY SIDE UP history! How a first-year new graduate became the youngest planner | Account Planning Division Edition
Coffee break with the Division Head and Department Managers! What is the essence of Division 2 from a new graduate’s perspective? | Division 2 Edition
Two months since assignment! What is the appeal of the workplace according to newcomers? | Division 3 Edition

Since Division 4 was newly established in July, many people within the company have been wondering, “What kind of division is it?”

Therefore, we conducted a survey among the members of Division 4! By reading this, you might get a glimpse into the “reality of Division 4″…

What kind of division is Division 4? Deciphering it through a survey!

First, let’s look at where the members of Division 4 were assigned until June!

As you can see from the chart above, Division 4 is composed of members from various divisions in a well-balanced manner. Members for specific projects are also gathered from different divisions, and we often hear that they discover new things while working together.

Furthermore, 20% of the members are fresh faces who joined the company this fiscal year! We can expect both the new members and the division as a whole to evolve by taking the best parts of various departments within SUNNY SIDE UP!

Next, let’s introduce the hometowns of the Division 4 members!

We wondered if they gathered from all over the country… and when we asked, we discovered that while many are from the Kanto region, there are also members from the Chubu, Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu regions!

Many members are full of local pride and are eager to work on projects that contribute to their hometowns someday!

Many Type ABs!?

There are frequent discussions within Division 4 about whether there is a high proportion of people with Type AB blood. Since we were conducting a survey, we decided to uncover the truth and asked the members for their blood types.

As it turns out, approximately 30% of the members are Type AB!

The distribution of blood types in Japan is generally said to be 40% Type A, 30% Type O, 20% Type B, and 10% Type AB (though theories vary). This means our result was about three times the average ratio!

The Type AB members—who are highly sensitive, have great taste, are particular about their work, and are a bit mysterious—surely provide great stimulation to Division 4! (Of course, the Type A, O, and B members are also performing exceptionally well!)

★ Actually a gamer! A deep dive into Mr. Abe, the most intriguing member of Division 4!

Mie Prefecture support character “Usanosuke” and Mr. Abe

When we asked in the survey, “Which member do you want to know more about?”, Mr. Abe was the overwhelming winner! So, we interviewed Mr. Abe to introduce him to everyone!

Mr. Abe joined SUNNY SIDE UP to handle PR across a wide range of fields

Mr. Abe joined as a mid-career hire about three years ago. We asked him what motivated him to join SUNNY SIDE UP.

Having previously worked for a company specializing in PR for a single industry, Mr. Abe was attracted to SUNNY SIDE UP because of the opportunity to be involved in various industries!

Since joining, he has been able to handle PR for a wide range of fields, including champagne and whiskey brands, events, local governments, and cosmetics, making every day very fulfilling.

Working in sales, Mr. Abe says that when making proposals, he refers to ideas gained from other projects he has been involved in. He spoke passionately about how being involved in a wide range of fields allows him to draw ideas from various sources, making the work a continuous learning experience.

On his days off, he is strictly a gamer!

Mr. Abe is such an avid gamer that on his days off, he often loses track of time and finds that the sun has already set!

He mentioned, “You wouldn’t expect it from my appearance. People are always very surprised (laughs).”

He enjoys all kinds of games, from online games where he connects with other players to games he can enjoy alone!

His love for gaming also helps his work, such as trying out games that other colleagues are handling PR for and providing them with feedback.

When we asked Mr. Abe about the moment he finds most enjoyable in his work, he said with a laugh, “When a proposal I came up with is accepted. It feels like I fought and won (laughs).”

Truly a gamer’s perspective.

The goal for 2022 is to be a “senior who can take care of juniors”

Since the interview took place at the end of the year, we asked Mr. Abe about his resolutions for 2022. He shared his enthusiasm, saying, “While things can be tough with a small number of people, I want to be a senior who can take care of my juniors even in such circumstances.”

Through this interview, we felt a very positive energy from Mr. Abe.

The author intends to draw some of that power from Mr. Abe whenever they feel a bit tired in the future!

★ Interview with the BIG BOSS of Division 4 (Division Head), Ms. Nakayama

The charming Ms. Nakayama, who struck a pose saying, “I’ll do a ‘middle-aged lady’ shot.”

Describing Division 4 with a four-character idiom…

While the color and image of Division 4 are still being defined, we asked members for a “four-character idiom that represents Division 4.” We then asked Ms. Nakayama to choose the one she felt was most appropriate!

The chosen one was… “Chototsu Moshin” (Dashing forward recklessly)

She explained that many members push forward toward their goals without looking aside, and despite being a small division of 25 people, the way everyone moves straight ahead in the same direction is exactly like “dashing forward recklessly.”

She also added a comment typical of a gourmet master like herself: “Besides, wild boar (Inoshishi) is delicious whether boiled or grilled (laughs).”

We first-year employees will also do our best to follow our seniors who tackle their work with such straightforward determination!

By the way… the person in Division 4 who most perfectly embodies the phrase “dashing forward recklessly” is said to be the first-year Shiraishi!

Please ask the Division 4 members for episodes regarding Shiraishi’s reckless dashing. (Everyone surely has at least one story about her…)

▽ Here are other four-character idioms collected from members:

Running East and West, Gentle and Sincere, Group of Superhumans, Small but Elite, High Spirits, Silver Scales Leaping, Fighting with All Might, Proceeding in Stormy Weather, Heart-to-Heart Communication, Side Dish Section, Up-and-Coming, Profusion of Flowers, Small but Elite, Group of Iron Men, Long-Distance Race, With All One’s Soul

Stay tuned for the future of Division 4!

Finally, we asked Ms. Nakayama about the kind of “Division 4” she aims for in the future!

“A division that is free and where each individual is independent. However, it’s not about playing solo, but rather a division where everyone utilizes their strengths to move toward the same goal.”

We felt that we want to learn a lot from the unique members of Division 4 and acquire the strength to push forward “freely” and “with consideration” for others!