Being in touch with what I love: The joy of promoting traditional Japanese culture at NOMURA

Ai Ichikawa is involved in space planning, research, and consulting as a planner. He is active in multiple fields, such as serving as the deputy editor of the owned media "Nomulog". Ichikawa, who says that he finds meaning in helping someone in some way without being particular about leading a project, talks about the real pleasure of working and the state he reached after taking childcare leave.

He works as a planner, deputy editor-in-chief of a media company, and in the public relations department. He uses concept design thinking to solve all kinds of problems.

Ichikawa is a planner by profession. Since joining the company, I have been mainly involved in planning facilities to attract customers.

Ichikawa: "The role of a planner is to consider what kind of space we are aiming to create and propose it to the client and project members at the preliminary stage of facility concept design. We are often involved in relatively large-scale projects and new endeavors, and our job is to get involved even at the stage when the details have not yet been decided and to think carefully together with the client about what we are going to create in the first place."

Ichikawa has been involved in a wide variety of projects, including large shopping centers such as station buildings, commercial complexes attached to large office buildings, and hands-on facilities for children. He says that there is a trend within the company that encourages him to take on various challenges.

Ichikawa: For example, we have people who are good at sales analysis and specialists who specialize in museums. For example, I used my ikebana skills to plan events such as an ikebana exhibition held at a large shrine.Since I am good at disseminating Japanese culture and speaking English, I have been able to handle overseas projects such as China and Taiwan. I have also helped with

Ichikawa has built up a career of about 10 years. As a planner, there are things that I value.

Ichikawa “The most important thing is to think about what the customer wants and needs, and to meet the customer’s needs. Ikebana and planning work are actually similar. Just like Ikebana, we think about how we should arrange the arrangement to make the people who see it happy. After collecting the necessary materials, we will organize the unnecessary things to give shape.

We also strive to maintain close communication with our customers. It is similar to ikebana, in which ideas are solidified through conversations with customers and the final form is seen, where the form is created through dialogue with plants. I believe that the role of a planner is to delve into the latent issues that customers are facing and accurately translate them into what should be created.”

In projects, it is common for sales to take the lead and form a team with the concept design and production staff, but there are many situations where planners are also required to have creative skills. Ichikawa says he is always conscious of broadening the scope of his interests.

Ichikawa: Compared to when I joined the company, I feel that concept design thinking is now even more important in planning. There is a culture within the company that wants to promote creative elements, and I think this trend will continue to grow.

Since I was a student, I have been conscious of being sensitive to information while setting up antennas. Of course I read books, but I also try to go out into the city as much as possible and collect all sorts of information, whether I like it or not.”

In parallel with his work as a planner, Ichikawa has been involved in the editing of the owned media "Nomulog". From 2022, he will serve as Deputy Editor-in-Chief.

Ichikawa “I have been involved with Nomlog since its launch in 2019. In October 2022, we renewed the logo and significantly improved usability.

When renewing the site, the editorial department valued the idea of diverse "connections." Although Nomulog is an online medium, we are always creating real spaces. We thought that Nomulog would be an opportunity to experience spaces and experiences, and to have even a small connection with our readers. The logo was also inspired by this idea, with concept design in which nom (NOMURA Group) and log (log = record) are linked together. We also made stickers of the logo, which we all put on our PCs and mobile phones, and they have become conversation starters during meetings with customers. The thoughts we put into the site renewal are also summarized in this article on Nomulog, so we hope you will read it.

The editorial staff is in charge of everything from article planning to writing requests, editing, and release. I like to gather information and write articles, so I sometimes write my own articles, such as reports on ikebana and kabuki exhibitions.

For example, I would like the media to provide an opportunity for people to think, "If there is such a person at NOMURA, I would like to ask them to do this job." In fact, there have been cases where people have been contacted because "this planner is interested in this." I would like it to become a communication tool both inside and outside the company, so in the future, I plan to create a system that allows people who want to write to write more.

Became a master of ikebana at the age of 18. Demonstrate your skills to the fullest in a culture that allows you to turn your passion into a job

▲Ichikawa arranges flowers as an ikebana teacher.

Ichikawa has demonstrated her skills not only as a planner, but also as an ikebana instructor. I first encountered ikebana when I was in junior high school.

Ichikawa: "When I saw displays of works by the flower arrangement club at the junior high school I was planning to attend, I thought, 'I want to try making one too,' and at the same time, I also had the feeling that if I studied tea ceremony and flower arrangement at the age of 12, I might be able to marry a wealthy man (laughs).

I've always liked making things with my hands, so I started ikebana because I was attracted to being able to acquire qualifications while doing club activities."

Ichikawa obtained a master's license at the age of 18. In the process of learning ikebana, she became interested in space creation, and she says that she wanted to get a job that creates something.

Ichikawa: "During my job hunting, I was focused on whether I wanted a job where I could be involved in planning and create something. I considered advertising agencies and toy companies, but while most companies decide where you'll be assigned after joining the company, NOMURA was the only one that hired me for a planning position.

What made me decide to join the company was that I felt a good compatibility. During the interview, I had a very lively conversation with the person in charge. I was asked questions at the same time by about five senior planning interviewers, but surprisingly I was able to answer them well. I remember feeling like we were in sync, or maybe we could do well.”

Ichikawa also said that he felt a great deal of sympathy for the history of the company's founding, which has its roots as a theater set. There was an interest in traditional Japanese culture in the background.

Ichikawa: "When I was in middle school, my mother took me to see Kabuki and I immediately thought it was cool. At the school festival, I even had displays themed on Kabuki, which I love. Looking back now, I think that may have been the origin of this job."

Ichikawa recalls that he was more enthusiastic than usual when conducting a survey on demand for Japanese cultural experiences. He says that NOMURA has a culture of picking up on individuals' interests in this way and "touching what you love."

Ichikawa: For example, there was a case like this. When an employee who said he liked whiskey wrote an article about whiskey in Nomlog, he thought, ``That guy was very knowledgeable about whiskey, wasn't he? In particular, the customers who read the article welcomed him, saying, 'I'm glad that someone who likes whiskey came here,' and the work went smoothly.

In addition, the planning department has created a list for internal use that allows employees to view their areas of expertise. I feel that a system for picking up “likes” is being created.”
 

Acquired maternity leave and childcare leave after the success of the complex hot spring facility project. A radically different view of work

▲ I arrange flowers with my children at home. calm moment

Until now, Ichikawa has worked on various projects centered on entertainment, tourism, and commercial facilities. The development of the Seibu Chichibu Ekimae Onsen Matsuri no Yu, which is a complex hot spring facility, is particularly impressive.

Ichikawa: "The client approached us about building a facility adjacent to the station, so we got involved in the project from the very beginning. In many cases, planners gradually move away from projects once the plans have been solidified, but on this occasion we were involved in the finer details, such as product planning and logo concept design, and were able to see the products on display in the store on the opening day."

In this project, I came into contact with Japanese culture by chance. It is said that he was able to work on it with interest and was able to demonstrate his true ability.

Ichikawa: “Festivals” were decided as the theme, so during the planning stage, we thoroughly researched festivals in the Chichibu area and picked up elements.

I also think that Ikebana techniques were useful in creating the sales floor. Together with a visual merchandiser (VMD), who is a specialist in creating sales floors, I thought about how to arrange the products to make an attractive presentation. have something in common with The VMD also said, ``When you're doing ikebana, you're particular about it! ”

Large-scale commercial facilities generally take four to five years from planning to opening. It took a long time to take shape, so he says that he felt a great sense of accomplishment when the shop opened.

Ichikawa: The facility was very lively, and the customers and facility operators seemed very lively. I remember feeling a definite sense of satisfaction when I was asked to do this.”

After that, Ichikawa took about a year of maternity leave and childcare leave from September 2019 to October of the following year. He says that this has changed the way he approaches his work.

Ichikawa “I joined the company as a new graduate in 2012, and around 2018 or 2019, I began to feel that I had acquired the skills to run a project on my own, instead of being an assistant to senior planners. However, by taking maternity leave and childcare leave, I was able to blank for about a year.

After returning to work, I was worried about the difficulty of doing my best as a leading player because of the balance between childcare and childcare. I want to be useful to the team in any way.

All the project members came to feel that there was value in being able to proceed with their work in a relaxed and harmonious manner.”

As part of our “social good” efforts, we will continue to disseminate traditional Japanese culture.

▲Flowers arranged by Ichikawa in one room of “LOQUAT Villa SUGURO”. Creates a high-quality atmosphere

Ichikawa says that he wants to continue to be involved in work that disseminates Japanese culture. Continue as follows:

Ichikawa: "At NOMURA, we are promoting 'social good' initiatives across the company, aiming to bring positive impacts to society and contribute to solving social issues. We believe that incorporating traditional Japanese culture and other good things from long ago into spatial concept design and passing them on fits perfectly within this framework. We would be delighted if people were to become interested in flowers, which are close to them. We would be happy to actively propose ideas on a variety of themes, not just Ikebana and Kabuki.

LOQUAT Villa SUGURO, a traditional Japanese house that was opened in July 2022, is a perfect example of this. It is the flagship model of the "Whole Town Resort Concept" aimed at further revitalizing the Toi area of Izu City, and the spacious traditional Japanese house has been lavishly renovated to create a beautiful appearance. To celebrate the opening, I arranged flowers that were in collaboration with the space, to enhance concept design of the traditional Japanese house without destroying it. I have written an article on Nomulog along with the key points of the spatial concept design that I asked the designer, so I hope many people will read it.

Ichikawa says that there are many people at NOMURA who enjoy communicating with others. He talks about the type of people who are suited to working at the company:

Ichikawa “Besides planning, I work as a team with designers, sales, etc., so I think it’s important that I’m not bad at interacting with people. If you are a person who enjoys moving things forward while doing things, I think you will feel comfortable.”

NOMURA provides an environment where you can utilize your strengths and take on a variety of different challenges.
Ichikawa is skilled at making proposals that incorporate Japanese culture while making use of his Ikebana skills and exploring new possibilities, so we'll be keeping a close eye on his future endeavors.