Working at the forefront Working at the forefront Working at the forefront
A wide variety of expressions are created depending on how a person communicates something. I think that is part of what is interesting about this job.
Shiragaki Takafumi
Director / Chief Producer, Production Division No. 1 Nagoya Studio, Production Division
Born in Kyoto in 1971, Shiragaki Takafumi was raised in Nagoya and worked at advertising agencies before participating in the launch of the Nagoya Branch of Nippon Design Center in 1997. This branch began business with two assigned employees and a telephone that was placed on the floor. For three years beginning from 2012, he was assigned to work at Toyota Marketing Japan. At present, he is Director of the No. 1 Production Studio Nagoya and is responsible primarily for internal and external promotions of Toyota Motor Corporation. He is a member of the golf and camping clubs.
Hello. I am Shiragaki Takafumi, director of the Production Division No. 1 Nagoya Studio. The Nagoya Branch includes eight producers, myself included. In the role of coordinator, I am responsible for our work for Toyota Motor Corporation. I have been a member of this branch ever since it was launched in 1997, when we started with just two employees. We started in an environment with no desks or chairs, and the telephone sitting on the ground. One by one, a little at a time, we received more and more jobs and gradually grew to our present size of more than 20 employees.
Much of the work of the Nagoya Branch relates to deep areas such as sales policy and ways to sell cars. Under these circumstances, the producer who has spent the most time in contact with a client often has the best understanding of the work. For that reason, the producer is often standing at the forefront of a project and giving direction. Of course I am not directly involved with copywriting or design, however I think one of the interesting parts of this job is the way that a wide variety of expressions are created depending on how I express a single idea.
For three years beginning from 2012, I was sent to work at Toyota Marketing Japan. The staff in every department treated me just like a regular employee of Toyota and Toyota Marketing Japan. Although that presented its own difficulties, it also kept me motivated, and I felt that the culture there was extremely good. I was 40 years old when I went to work there, and it was extremely valuable to me to meet so many new people at that age, and to make so many new friends who I can enjoy spending time with in my private life as well.
From the start, the Nagoya Branch maintained a certain at-home element as it grew. We frequently chat with other employees and discuss a wide range of topics that we would not ordinarily talk about at work. I believe that creating these kinds of opportunities is extremely important for ensuring good communication within a company, and I will work to ensure that they continue.
