Creating the future with approach and antennae. Becoming a presence that creates new value through human connections.

Nomura Naoki joined the company in 2017 as an experienced hire. Building on the connections he had made in his previous job, he has expanded his network and is creating a variety of businesses through space creation. Nomura describes his job as "going to light a fire in a place where there is smoke," and he talks about his feelings and passion for his work.
 

New possibilities born from dialogue. Creating new spaces with diverse stakeholders

Nomura is the manager of the Development Section of the New Field Project Development Department in the First General Affairs Division of the Business Production Headquarters. His work goes beyond the typical NOMURA Co.,Ltd., Ltd. business and has a unique breadth of scope.

Nomura: "In the New Area Project Development Department, we keep our ears open for plans that are about to emerge in the world. Our main job is to gather information, build relationships with stakeholders, and create positions and opportunities for us to participate in projects.

The projects we are involved in are wide-ranging, ranging from the planning and development of complex facilities, offices, and parks to national projects. We aim to create attractive spaces by working with stakeholders from the early stages of the project, while taking advantage of NOMURA Co.,Ltd. 's strengths in spatial creation in a wide range of fields.

When talking about Nomura's work, "connections with people" are essential.

Nomura: "The core of our work is communication. We talk to a wide range of people, including various business companies, developers, financial institutions, and even landowners. Our role is to take into account the wishes of various people and work together with them from the early stages of creating facilities, spaces, and town development to put together plans."

Nomura describes his job as "lighting a fire where there is smoke," referring to his role in finding potential and creating business opportunities there. To that end, he says he is always striving to gather a wide range of information and build a network of contacts.

Nomura: "You discover things by meeting people. It's natural to get information from various sources, but there's so much more you can get by talking to people. I think it's possible to get new ideas and hints from these and start new initiatives.

If I don't keep myself in the midst of a whirlpool of information, I won't know what's going on in the world, and I'll feel anxious when talking to people. I try to keep my antenna up and be exposed to a variety of different things."

Nomura's intellectual curiosity is also expressed towards people.

Nomura: "I often find myself wondering, 'Why do they think this way?' or 'Why do they feel this way?' So when I communicate with the people I work with, I make sure to ask about their origins, hobbies, and ways of thinking. By gaining a deeper understanding of the other person, you can naturally build a relationship of trust, which is also useful when working together. However, in order to do that, I believe it starts with making others understand me.

Of course, when I work, I think about it 'for the company,' but I also think about things from the perspective of 'can I do something for the world?' If I only think about the company, my possibilities will be limited. I think it's important to think about things not only for the company, but also for the world and stakeholders."

Curiosity led him to NOMURA Co.,Ltd. Ltd. Leveraging his connections and knowledge to create work

Looking back at Nomura's career, which includes his seventh company at NOMURA Co.,Ltd., there has been a consistent theme throughout his career: "Creating something from nothing."

Nomura: "Before joining NOMURA Co.,Ltd., I was involved in planning and development work, creating something from scratch, at various companies. However, there wasn't any particular trigger or clear aspiration; I just found myself working on creating towns, facilities, and new types of stores."

Nomura, who believes that "altruism" is important in communication, talks about an incident that made a particularly strong impression on him.

Nomura: "A client approached us with the idea of building a commercial facility here. However, after much consideration, we felt it was not suitable, so we suggested that they give up on the idea. It would have been beneficial for the company if they had accepted the project, but if we decide that it is not the best choice for the client, then I believe it is our role to stop the project.

Immediately after that, I made the customer angry, but later he told me, "I'm glad that you confronted me properly at that time. I still consult with that customer, and we continue to keep in touch."

With such deep connections and accumulated experience, Nomura decided to join NOMURA Co.,Ltd. because he wanted to experience working at a leading company.

Nomura: "I simply wanted to know what kind of work NOMURA Co.,Ltd. does, so I joined the company out of curiosity."

Nomura's work style has not changed since joining NOMURA Co.,Ltd.

Nomura: "Since I joined the company, I've continued to work in the same field, although the format has changed. My style is to 'put fire where there is smoke' by utilizing my existing connections and knowledge.

One national project given to me by the company is a long-term project that I have been involved in since I joined the company. This project has also led to new opportunities, such as being involved in other national projects, and I am happy that my work has expanded in a new way."

Connections create a chain of success: Creating spaces for a new era as seen in the Meiji Park Project

▲ "Meiji Park"

While using the name NOMURA Co.,Ltd., Nomura works in a unique style. The joy of his work is leveraging connections between people to create new value. One example of this is the Meiji Park project.

Nomura: "Fortunately, the members I've had contact with in the past are active in various places, and we've been able to form a network. The Meiji Park project was also initiated when a colleague and junior colleague from my previous company was working at the business company in charge of its development.

Meiji Park is one of the park revitalization projects promoted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government through public-private partnerships. After deepening our cooperation with business companies and applying to various local competitions, this project finally came to fruition.

NOMURA Co.,Ltd. was responsible for the overall concept and planning of this project, and also supervised concept design.

Nomura: "While we were working on the Meiji Park project, the client told us they wanted to start a new business. The business company already had knowledge of developing hot spring facilities, so the talks expanded from there and led to the development of TOTOPA, an urban spa facility within the park.

My role, not just for this project, is to be involved from the business planning stage and accompany the project while connecting it with the appropriate people and resources.

For example, we introduced planners who we thought would be a good fit. This job led to the real estate company and the planner hitting it off, and they continue to work together to this day. We also introduced the facility to the media through connections among project members, which led to the facility being featured on TV. In this way, I feel joy in using my own connections and ideas generously to move projects forward."

Nomura's work is not limited to simply creating spaces. He talks about what he keeps in mind when he works.

Nomura: "Rather than creating spaces, I think of my work as creating businesses. Even if you create a space, if it doesn't generate money, it's not a business in the end. There are many jobs in the world that involve creating businesses, but I think of it as talking about businesses from the perspective of space."

Overflowing curiosity - endless challenges to new possibilities

While cherishing the connections and trust he has built with people thus far, Nomura is forging ahead with creating spaces and ultimately businesses. What are his visions for the future?

Nomura: I would like to continue working with them while cherishing the relationships I have built up to now. I hope that these relationships will lead to new projects or some other form of growth.

People are often surprised that I have hardly ever done any sales activities up until now. By constantly interacting with people and keeping my antennae up, interesting opportunities naturally come my way. That's the way I work."

This is Nomura's seventh company. Thanks to the connections we have built up over the years, we have access to experts in a wide range of fields.

Nomura: "I've had relationships with people for many years, and through various connections I'm now in an environment where I can approach the field I want to be involved in. I'd like to expand these connections even further in the future."

Nomura has a strong desire to be the "starting point" of NOMURA Co.,Ltd.

Nomura: I aim to be someone that people inside and outside the company think, 'We can do anything together with Nomura,' or 'If you ask Nomura, we can make it happen.' I don't want to give up this position to anyone.

I think it's important to keep our antennas up and proactively approach people so that they will think, 'There are interesting stories all around Nomura.'"

Finally, I would like to talk about the appeal of NOMURA Co.,Ltd.

Nomura: "I feel that the company has given me many opportunities. They have allowed me to go to many different places and provided me with the opportunity to make many connections. Thanks to this environment, I have been able to meet a wider variety of people and gain a wider range of knowledge and information.

Another attractive feature is that there are many colleagues who agree with my ideas and are willing to work with me. For example, when I was interested in a certain business and suddenly suggested, "Let's go to this event," there were colleagues who showed interest and joined me. It makes me happy to know that they see potential in me."

The vision of the future that Nomura speaks of goes beyond simply personal growth; it has the potential to breathe new life into NOMURA Co.,Ltd. as a whole, and into the industry as a whole. His attitude of valuing connections with people and constantly taking on new challenges may be said to embody the ideal image that will be required in the coming era.

 

*The information provided is current as of September 2024.