2024-02-28
[Interview with Tenant Company] Japan Professional Soccer League
1991The J.League has continued to grow and develop since its founding in 2007. Its operating body is the Japan Professional Soccer League, a public interest incorporated association.(hereinafter referred to as J League Secretariat)teeth2023Year6Month,1993From the start of the J League in 201730To mark the anniversary, we have relocated our office to Ochanomizu, Bunkyo Ward.J.F.A.House was moved to the Meiji Yasuda Life Building in Marunouchi Chiyoda-ku. We spoke to Mr. Akira Ota, General Manager of the Finance and Accounting Department and General Affairs Department of the Management Infrastructure Division, who oversaw the move, and Ms. Yoshiko Kurotori, General Manager of the Partner Business Department, about the background to setting up their headquarters in the Marunouchi area and their goals.
PROFILE
Japan Professional Soccer League (abbreviation: J League)
Established: 1991
Number of employees: Approximately 170 people
Location: 2-1-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, TokyoMeiji Yasuda Seimei Building
Business description: Hosting professional soccer matches, establishing rules for professional soccer, training and certifying players, coaches and referees, Public relations activities, research, study and instruction on soccer techniques, implementation of welfare programs for professional soccer players, coaches and related parties, etc.degree
Bring the excitement of entering the stadium to your office
As you pass through the entrance, which resembles a passageway from the stadium's locker room to the pitch, you will see images of supporters filling the seats and staff diligently maintaining the stadium, making you feel like you are a J.League player. It also feels like...
Visitors are welcomed with such a display at the office of the J.League Secretariat, which moved to the Marunouchi Meiji Yasuda Life Building in June 2023.
Entrance to the J.League secretariat office. A large screen will display images of enthusiastic supporters and the staff who support stadium operations.
``In our new office, we have focused on creating a space that will allow you to feel the excitement of the J.League the moment you visit.''
Mr. Ota:The J.League Secretariat office is visited by various stakeholders, including official partner companies (hereinafter referred to as partners), member clubs, and local governments. The presentation at the office entrance is an effort to directly convey the appeal of the J.League to all of these stakeholders, especially those who are visiting the J.League office for the first time.
The J.League is an organization responsible for the management and development of a professional soccer league in Japan. In addition to hosting and managing approximately 1,200 games a year, the league engages in a wide range of activities, including promotion and marketing for the league as a whole, both domestically and internationally, training players and referees, supporting each club, and developing and supporting partners. .
Experience during the coronavirus pandemic that was utilized in office design
Recognizing the importance of real communication
Many of the J.League's activities are based on close collaboration and communication with member clubs and partners, but the situation has changed completely due to the outbreak of the new coronavirus infection (hereinafter referred to as "Corona").
Mr. Ota: Due to the coronavirus pandemic, employees' work style has become centered on remote work, and the amount of communication within the company has decreased, as well as opportunities to communicate with partners and members of each club. Of course, necessary meetings were held using video conferences, but in order to deepen mutual understanding and relationships, it is more effective to meet face-to-face in a real place than video conferences, and many employees I'm sure you felt that way too. Therefore, while continuing to have remote work as a work style option, we also believed that it was important to create many opportunities for communication in real-life settings.
Under these circumstances, when it was decided to sell the JFA Building where the office was previously located and we were looking for a new location for the office, our partner Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company (hereinafter Meiji Yasuda) asked us to move to Marunouchi. When we were introduced to the Meiji Yasuda Life Building, we decided to move there almost immediately.
Mr. Ota:We are confident that the Marunouchi area, which has overwhelmingly superior transportation access compared to other areas, will be able to invite stakeholders from all over the country more easily than ever before, and revitalize communication in real-life settings. did. Additionally, the Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Building has a hall and conference rooms for rent, making it easy to host a variety of events.
"We were looking to increase communication with the outside world in a real place, so we were really grateful that you introduced us to the highly convenient Meiji Yasuda Life Building."
Plenty of meeting space has been secured to encourage real communication.The conference rooms are named after famous stadiums from around the world.
Deepening by moving to Marunouchi
Relationship with stakeholders
After relocating our office to Marunouchi, as we had originally hoped, real communication with various stakeholders, including clubs and sponsors, has become more active, and our relationships with each other have deepened.
Mr. Kurotori:Currently (as of December 2023), there are 26 J.League partners, but most of them are based in Tokyo, and a few, including Meiji Yasuda, are based in the Marunouchi area and surrounding areas. there is no. Therefore, after moving our office to Marunouchi, it has become easier to visit our partners' offices, and the hurdles for inviting our partners to our offices have become much lower. Compared to before the move, the amount of communication I have with my partners has definitely increased, and I feel that it has become easier to build deeper relationships.
"Since moving to Marunouchi, the amount of communication with our partners has increased significantly."
Mr. Ota:We believe that the move to Marunouchi will have a major effect on club members from all over the country, as it will improve transportation access to the office. In fact, since we moved our office to Marunouchi, people from various clubs often stop by our office and do some work in the open space. At that time, communication between staff and club members is inevitable, so the amount of communication, especially casual communication outside of meetings, has increased overwhelmingly compared to before the coronavirus.
On the other hand, the relocation to Marunouchi and the new office layout are said to have contributed to improving the ease of working and the satisfaction of employees.
Mr. Ota:The J.League Secretariat has adopted a hybrid work style, and this relocation has not only improved the transportation access to the office, but also created an IT environment suitable for hybrid work, as well as created a new IT environment suitable for hybrid work. We have also created a system that allows you to choose your work space and seat. In addition, the Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Building has a wonderful view, and the town of Marunouchi has commercial stores, Naka-dori Ave. Street, and other lush green landscapes that are attractive to increase the motivation of workers. Many of our employees have responded favorably to the office move, saying that it has become much easier to work at the office than before.
The J.League office is designed to make work easier. The view is good, with the Imperial Palaceup close.
With Marunouchi as a “media”,
Expanding business opportunities in the J League
In July 2023, J.League Headquarters held the "Meiji Yasuda Village Opening Event with J.League" together with Meiji Yasuda. This event is an attempt to provide a place to connect various content related to ``health promotion'' and ``regional revitalization,'' centered around the Meiji Yasuda Life Building. Mr. Ota says that through this event, he strongly felt the potential of the Marunouchi area as a "media".
Marunouchi Naka-dori Ave. at the time of the event.
A J League mascot greeting and photo session will be held.
Mr. Ota:The Marunouchi area, the center of the Japanese economy, is a town where Japan's leading companies and the business people who work there gather. By disseminating the activities of the J.League, we were able to spread the word about what kind of organization we are and what we are aiming for, even to people who did not know much about the J.League. I hope that if we continue to make good use of Marunouchi as a media, we will be able to expand our business in a variety of directions.
Mr. Ota and Mr. Kurotori have high hopes for the potential of the Marunouchi area as a media.
Mr. Kurotori:The J.League not only organizes professional soccer matches, but also engages in a variety of social contribution activities. If the value of the J.League as a social infrastructure can be widely communicated to business people working in Marunouchi, we believe that more companies will be interested in utilizing the J.League and this will provide an opportunity to develop new partners.
The J.League, which has grown and developed over the past 30 years, is now overcoming the coronavirus pandemic and aiming for even greater heights, mainly in the Marunouchi area.
