Acting as a bridge between customers and creators—Aiming for production that maximizes individual charm

Yukako Ninomiya is in charge of project development in new areas at the newly established Business Produce Headquarters. We support ambitious clients in creating new spaces in various industries. Let's take a look at her commitment to her work and what she aims to be as a "bridge" that connects customers and creators.

Your own sensibilities and opinions are also products of NOMURA. To be an irreplaceable existence

The expected role of the Business Producing Division is to promote the sustainable business success of NOMURA Group through medium- and long-term activities. Among them, the New Domain Project Development Department, to which Ninomiya belongs, is a team that creates new businesses with clients and supports business development when clients enter new domains. Our clients are diverse, including financial institutions, manufacturers, and medical institutions.

Ninomiya: For example, in a project in the beverage industry, I was in charge of producing a facility operated by a company.As of January 2023, three years after the facility opened, we have identified operational and brand strategy issues. , We provide long-term support, such as being involved in renewal planning, including how to sell products and how to serve customers.

In addition, we received a request from a certain hospital, saying, ``We want to make the hospital more open, a hub for community interaction that can be called a 'health theme park.''' Utilizing NOMURA know-how cultivated through the production of commercial facilities, theme parks, cultural facilities, etc., we provide support from the planning stage."

A team is formed for each project, but Ninomiya, as the project leader, assigns the most suitable planners and designers for the project and strives to build the team. I am in charge of management.

Ninomiya: One of my roles is to think about what to do in order to build relationships with customers and get new job opportunities.

Also, I'm always thinking about how to sell designers and planners, saying, 'I want you to play this role in this project. That's why I want you to keep this kind of performance in mind."

Ninomiya acts as a mediator between clients and team members. In particular, when it comes to clients, he says that he tries to communicate person-to-person rather than the relationship between the orderer/contractor.

Ninomiya: There are cases where clients make clear requests, cases where they consult with us about necessary internal adjustments and response methods before requesting our company for planning and design, and cases where we develop a new business together from scratch. Even if there is already a given situation, instead of being a yes man, I try to pick up issues that customers are not aware of, and to explore the needs of the world and the subconscious of customers and end users. ”

Ninomiya says that he always puts his antenna up high and strives to collect information in order to catch the trend of the world. There is one more important thing.

Ninomiya: I always ask myself what I want to do and what kind of society I want to be, and I try to convey my opinions to my clients. because it cannot be built.

I myself consider it a product of NOMURA, so part of my job is to convey my sensibilities and thoughts. By doing so, we believe that we will be able to have a “true dialogue” with our customers.”

Decided to join NOMURA after learning that he could handle public work

As a student, Ninomiya studied architecture and concept design at an Italian university. After returning to Japan, I joined NOMURA, Ltd. in 2014 after working at a lighting design company, an displays curation company, and a foreign interior concept design company.

What prompted me to join the company was a recommendation from my third client, saying, "I think Nomura Kogeisha would be a good fit for NOMURA." However, looking back, he recalls that at first he was worried whether he could do what he wanted to do at NOMURA.

Ninomiya “Originally, I wanted to be involved in public work such as urban development, so when I was working for a lighting design company, I was in charge of lighting plans for exterior structures such as urban landscapes and parks. I was fascinated by the kind of work I could do.”

NOMURA, who saw Nomura as a company specializing in interiors concept design for commercial spaces, says he wasn't sure if it was the right place for him.

Eventually, Ninomiya learned that NOMURA was involved in many projects related to interiors and community development of public facilities such as museums, art galleries, schools, and hospitals. I decided to join NOMURA, convinced that there is an environment where I can realize what I want to do.

Ninomiya: I was first assigned to the Expo preparation office.I was posted to Milan for a long period of time and participated in the project for the Japan Pavilion at the Expo Milano Expo. I was involved in planning and support work when exhibiting at overseas displays.”

While I was making preparations while communicating with overseas construction companies, and spending my days traveling to overseas displays venues every time there was displays, there was an event that still remains in my memory.

Ninomiya “It happened when a major Japanese airline participated in an displays in the United States with the aim of raising its concept design overseas. Many people, from children to adults, came to the event and got interested in Japan and the Japanese language.I was happy to be able to directly feel the reactions of end-users, who usually don't have the opportunity to learn about it, and at the same time, it was not limited to corporate promotion. I felt like I was able to play the role of a spokesperson for Japanese culture.”

Participated in projects in the healthcare and wellness area. Mental health support

▲In-house meeting with team members

Currently, Ninomiya is involved in many projects in the healthcare and wellness fields.

Ninomiya:Since around 2018, my NOMURA and I have been talking about how we should be more involved in projects in the healthcare field, which is important for Japan in the future and has potential for growth as a market. As we continued to talk about this on a line, it developed into a regular meeting, and we began to discuss concretely, ``I think it is necessary to have contact with these stakeholders in order to understand this field.'' I started thinking about how to commercialize it.”

In this way, a team consisting of about 20 members gathered from concept design department, planning department, sales department, etc. was established.

When it comes to producing in the healthcare and wellness fields, you may get the impression of creating spaces for physical activity, such as fitness gyms and running stations. However, Ninomiya is exploring the possibility of contributing to the healthcare and wellness fields as NOMURA from a non-physical angle.

Ninomiya: For health, it is essential to consider mental as well as physical health. In particular, it has been scientifically proven that the degree of satisfaction of intellectual curiosity has a large impact on mental health. Ever since I learned that people who are motivated to learn and who have strong intellectual curiosity live longer and healthier lives, I've come to want to focus on planning and creating spaces that nurture knowledge and education."

This idea was born in the senior residence development project that I am still involved in.

Ninomiya: A client who wants to create a house where residents can be healthy requested to create a place for a culture school and activities in the residence. I began to feel that the challenge was not to prepare a place for gymnastics, but to develop intellectual creativity through what kind of activities and lessons.”

Inquiries related to the healthcare field are increasing, and Ninomiya is currently working hard to realize "development of knowledge."

Ninomiya: “We received a request from the owner of an office building with a commercial facility that he wanted to create a health-themed building. I proposed to attract cultural facilities such as galleries.The client agreed with the idea that encountering art would broaden the lives of those who work in the building, which in turn would lead to better health. We are currently considering attracting an art gallery.”

Ninomiya says that since he started working on projects in the healthcare and wellness fields, he has started to pay more attention to his own health.

Ninomiya: Since I am in charge of the healthcare field, I think that I must be healthy, so from around 2020, I have been pursuing health in my daily life, such as properly managing my diet, exercise, and sleep. Everything I feel and learn in my life is reflected in my work, and what I learn at work is reflected in my private life, creating a virtuous cycle.”

Aiming to create an environment where planners and designers can maximize their individual strengths

Ninomiya has been in charge of space production for a wide range of projects. He says that what NOMURA wants to achieve most right now is to "maximize the attractiveness of planners and designers."

Ninomiya: I want to be a producer who can act as a bridge between the client and the creator, assigning the right planners and designers that match the client's needs to the right place. We are striving to build a team build with this.I believe that realizing the best match will lead to a better understanding of the work of creators.”

And now, what lies ahead of Ninomiya's gaze is the world. I envision a future in which the name of NOMURA becomes widely known.

Ninomiya: As the Asian economy develops, there should be many things that NOMURA can contribute to on the world stage, but I think we are still far from complete.There are many creators at NOMURA. Many of them have unique ideas, high creativity, and have a clear desire to do what they want to do. I would like to spread the charm of