Since its founding in 1889, Kanematsu is a major general trading company that has continued to grow and develop while continuing to inherit the frontier spirit of its founder, Fusajiro Kanematsu. In November​ ​2022, the company moved its Tokyo headquarters from Shibaura to Marunouchi. Our vision is to ``build a workplace that will continue to support Kanematsu's growth 30 years into the future.'' The office built based on this vision received the highest award, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award, at the 36th Nikkei New Office Awards. We spoke with Naofumi Kajiuchi, Manager of the General Affairs Department, and Aiko Nakai, of the General Affairs Department, who promoted the head office relocation project.

This is not the first time that Kanematsu has set up a base in Marunouchi, Tokyo. The company opened its Tokyo branch (currently the Tokyo headquarters) in 1914 in what is now Marunouchi 3-chome, and for the next 30 years made the Marunouchi area its headquarters in Tokyo.

Mr. Kajiuchi：The reason behind the decision to relocate our Tokyo head office is our grand goal of achieving continuous growth over the next 30 years by promoting Kanematsu's founding philosophy of ``business creation'' that creates something from 0 to 1. Business creation is achieved not only within the company but also through co-creation with various companies outside the company. In order to invigorate these efforts, management decided that the company should locate its headquarters in Marunouchi, which is home to a wide variety of companies, from large, long-established companies to up-and-coming ventures.

Mr. Nakai： Free-addressing based on ABW, open meeting spaces, cafes, etc. not only improve the ease of working for employees, but also create new value by encouraging interaction across departments and incidental encounters. The aim is to lead to creativity and business creation.

At the new headquarters officeABWWhen the company initially announced the hiring, many people, including upper management, expressed resistance. However, with the spread of the new coronavirus infection (coronavirus), hybrid work became established, and the resistance within the company eased.

Mr. Kajiuchi: Having experienced remote work during the coronavirus pandemic, it has become common for subordinates and colleagues to work in dispersed locations, so even if ABW is introduced, it will not affect the productivity and management of departments, departments, and teams. There is widespread recognition that there will be no negative impact. This change in employee awareness has made it much easier to promote ABW.

On the other hand, there were times when attendance at the office decreased due to the coronavirus pandemic, so some people suggested that the office space after the move should be smaller than originally planned.

November​ ​2023 will mark one year since the head office in Marunouchi opened. Even during that one-year period, the effects of the move to Marunouchi are beginning to appear.

 Mr. Kajiuchi:The first thing I can say is that the image of our company among the younger generation has improved significantly by moving to Marunouchi. In fact, the number of entries (number of applicants) for new graduate recruitment is approximately2It's doubled.

Mr. Nakai:For the younger generation, Marunouchi is not only a great place to work, but also a great place to take a walk, enjoy shopping, and eat and drink. It is no surprise that the number of applications for new graduate employment has doubled due to the move to Marunouchi, and I believe that the motivation and engagement of young employees to work has definitely increased. Marunouchi is a city where many young people want to work. I think Marunouchi is the best location for a workplace where you can continue to be the person you want to be.

Mr. Kajiuchi concludes his talk by pointing out that encounters and interactions with such diverse companies will help people grow as businesspeople.

Mr. Kajiuchi: By having an office in Marunouchi, you will be able to deepen your interactions with more customers and business partners, and by meeting new companies and people, you will have more opportunities to develop new markets. . Additionally, Marunouchi is home to a wide variety of companies, so you can get a feel for what's going on in each industry just by walking around the city. All of these things will help you grow as a businessperson and as a person. In other words, Marunouchi can be said to be a city that accelerates the growth of each individual. I'm really looking forward to seeing what our current young employees will do 10, 20, and 30 years from now.