“Individuality” Becomes This Company’s Unique Strength! The President Discusses Y’s Integration Corporation | SSU Group Newsletter #2 Part 1

One afternoon at the office.

Tamura: “Mr. Miyazawa! Would you be willing to do an interview for SUNNY DAYS…!”
Miyazawa: “Hmm, maybe after a run around the Imperial Palace. (joking)”
Tamura: “Really?! Thank you so much!! (serious)”
Miyazawa: “Huh…?”

This project began when the joke was taken seriously. The interviewee is Miyazawa, President and Representative Director of our group company Y’s Integration Corporation.

Although the author was anxious about running for the first time since high school, armed with only enthusiasm and determination, we set off! We will share everything from the Imperial Palace run to the business and vision of Y’s Integration, as well as insights into Miyazawa himself.

[Member Introduction]
Y’s Integration Corporation President and Representative Director: Go Miyazawa

■ Gathering at the Imperial Palace on a Clear Day!

After changing into our running gear and gathering, we carefully stretched together to prevent injuries and confirmed the route we would run today.

The first half would be on gentle terrain, so we were excited about running while enjoying the beautiful scenery.
However, learning that the second half would be uphill immediately made us anxious.

Nevertheless, relying solely on the determination we brought, we started our first Imperial Palace run!

Miyazawa, who runs around the Imperial Palace regularly several times a month, adjusted his pace to match ours, and we followed his reassuring lead.

Since we don’t usually have many opportunities to talk outside of work, we discussed various topics—about Miyazawa himself, about ourselves, about work—as we made our way around the Imperial Palace.

We became so absorbed in conversation that we almost forgot to enjoy the scenery, and while we struggled through the uphill section in the second half, we made it to the finish without stopping once! We did it! It was fun!

A commemorative photo! This shot captures everyone’s sense of accomplishment and the strength of the wind.

Having successfully completed our Imperial Palace run debut, we settled down with coffee and began the interview.

■ Career Path Leading to Y’s Integration

After graduating from university, I joined an advertising agency as a new graduate. I had admired copywriters during my university years, and I thought that if I could create my own projects, I could meet the people and companies I liked—that was what motivated me to pursue this path.

During the eight and a half years I worked there, I simply did what I loved. For example, because I loved music and movies, I thought about “how can I connect with all the record labels?” and planned a business-oriented Western music section in the Nikkei newspaper. I went around selling the space to record labels, and to get new CD reviews written for the editorial content, I brought CDs to Tower Records Shinjuku every week. The Shinjuku store manager at the time was Mr. Minewaki, who is now the president of Tower Records, and I always enjoyed hearing his passionate talks about the music scene. Right after joining the company, I told my seniors, “I don’t need any handover projects (laughs),” and planned all my own projects. I even made appointments with fishing equipment manufacturers simply because I liked fishing. During those eight and a half years at the advertising agency, I made many mistakes, but looking back, it was a continuous cycle of creating my own projects, going to meet people, and making both myself and clients happy.

After leaving that advertising agency, I gained experience launching a music label before joining Y’s Integration. When I interviewed with the executives, everyone had such an incredible presence. I remember that wanting to follow them was the deciding factor in joining the company. At the time, I joined in a sales planning position to develop advertising agency business. From joining as a member to being entrusted with the role of president, I believe this is the result of thinking about the company’s growth and what I wanted to do, and making decisions accordingly.

■ Turning Points After Joining the Company

There are three turning points. First, moving away from working with agencies to dealing directly with clients. Second, starting our education business as our own venture. While exploring ways to leverage our strengths in product development and planning, an opportunity arose, and we decided to start a children’s programming education business. It was a challenge in the completely unfamiliar world of education, but I believed that for the company’s further growth, we needed not only contract work but also businesses where we take the lead. I felt confident that if we combined everyone’s strengths, we could do it, and I decided to take on the challenge.

The third turning point is now. A few months ago, we launched a brand commerce division that connects directly with consumers (fans). When thinking about the future of marketing business, I realized that connecting directly with consumers is extremely important. For example, if a product we develop is placed in a supermarket, we don’t know who bought it or when, but by connecting directly with customers through brand commerce, we can understand when customers buy what throughout the year as our own data. By properly understanding consumers, we can develop products and services that meet their needs. The brand commerce division has just been launched, but going forward, we want to prioritize speed, have our own brands and services, and increase businesses that connect directly with customers.

How was it? In the second part, we will discuss Y’s Integration’s company culture, team members, and future prospects. Stay tuned for the next installment!

▼ Read Part 2 here
“Individuality” Becomes This Company’s Unique Strength! The President Discusses Y’s Integration Corporation | SSU Group Newsletter #2 Part 2

Visit the official Y’s Integration Corporation website here.