My name is Nagai, and I am the Vice President, working at the Suo-Oshima satellite office.
Thank you to everyone who expressed concern for us during the recent heavy rains in western Japan.
On July 6th, the day of the torrential rain, I was on my way back from Tokyo to the Suo-Oshima satellite office. Evacuation warnings were issued around Iwakuni Airport, where the plane was to arrive, and the rain cloud forecast radar showed a bright red cloud, predicting heavy rain for the next few hours. For some reason, the plane managed to take off without being canceled, but after circling around Iwakuni Airport for about an hour, it returned to Haneda...
The next day, I thought I could finally return on a rescheduled flight, but the Sanyo Expressway (highway) was closed, so the road back to Suo-Oshima from Iwakuni Airport was jammed with large trucks on narrow residential roads, and the traffic was worse than I'd ever seen. Once on the island, there were several "Road Closed" signs, the edge of the road had been carried into the sea and collapsed, and there were landslides and muddy waters everywhere.
Fortunately, there was no major human damage in the satellite office and its surrounding areas, and among my direct acquaintances, and everyone is doing well!
Thank you very much to everyone who contacted me with their concerns.
Another face of Suo-Oshima: "The Island of Entrepreneurship"
In the previous article , we introduced how Suo-Oshima is known as the "Hawaii of the Seto Inland Sea." This time, however, an event occurred that gave us a glimpse of another side of Suo-Oshima: its role as the "island of entrepreneurship."
Suo-Oshima, where our satellite office is located, faces the challenges of a declining birthrate and aging population, just like many other regions in Japan. However, the area is also home to a surprising number of young people in their 20s and 30s who have moved here in recent years and are starting their own businesses.
It is often said that the survival rate of a business five years after it is founded is 15%, and 6% after 10 years. However, those who have started businesses in Suo-Oshima seem to be working energetically, at their own scale and speed, and making the businesses they have started flourish.
In order for Suo-Oshima to truly become an "island of entrepreneurship," the local community is working hard to come up with creative ideas. One of these ideas is entrepreneurial experience at junior high school. Towa Junior High School, one of the town's four junior high schools, is incorporating entrepreneurial education into its classes, where junior high school students create mock corporations and gain entrepreneurial experience as part of an effort to revitalize the local industry.
I was approached by Mr. Ohno of Jibunnote Co., Ltd. , who supports the "Entre Roundtable" classes that are part of this project, and I decided to participate. Together with Mr. Matsushima of Setouchi Jams Garden , a senior colleague who runs a business on Suo-Oshima, I gave a class at Suo-Oshima Town Towa Junior High School.
*Entre...An abbreviation of entrepreneur. Education that develops an entrepreneurial spirit, qualities, and abilities is called entrepreneurial education.
A very nervous first lecture to serious junior high school students
First, before the roundtable discussion, I introduced myself and explained today's theme, "What are the benefits of doing business in Suo-Oshima?" I then proceeded by asking a few questions.
This is my first time speaking to junior high school students, so I'm pretty nervous.
Everyone listened seriously to Nagai's incoherent lecture, taking notes as they went.
-Do you know where the satellite office is located?
Even though the junior high school students live in the same neighborhood and it's a route that the school bus takes them through, not even half of them raised their hands... It's been more than ten years since the elementary and junior high school students left Chikamuro, so they don't know what it's like in an area where they have no friends... The lecture began with a real sense of what it's like in a depopulated area within a depopulated area.
-- How many people have a smartphone?
About two-thirds of people raised their hands. There is data that shows that the national average smartphone ownership rate for junior high school students is about 70%, so there isn't much difference between Tokyo and the countryside.
While talking about this, I introduced myself and then gave a talk on the topic of "What are the benefits of doing business in Suo-Oshima?"
Your thoughts on my talk: I'm glad that I was able to convey what I wanted to say.
During the final feedback session, the most memorable comment was, "Sometimes things go well at work, and sometimes they don't. So even if things don't go well, it's important to keep trying again."
I also received comments that made me feel like I was really happy as a speaker, like, "They really listened to the important parts..." Thank you everyone!
Matsushima's powerful words born from real-life experiences
Next up was a lecture by Matsushima Masashi from Setouchi Jams Garden.
Everyone knows Matsushima-san. He is the owner of Setouchi Jam's Garden, a famous restaurant that Suo-Oshima is proud of, and also the father of a son who attends the same junior high school.
The lecture by Masashi Matsushima, a well-known island entrepreneur, was very persuasive.
Matsushima said that we are no longer in an era where rural areas are at a disadvantage, but rather that, with ideas and the drive to act, it is now commonplace for people all over Japan to become customers and attract attention from overseas, using the smartphones and tablets that everyone has.
He also talked about how Suo-Oshima is a "treasure trove" in these times. The story of someone who is putting this into practice in business was very persuasive. Everyone was captivated as they listened.
He then listed three ways of thinking as a stance to take in the future.
- Have a different perspective.
- See the good in things, people, and events.
- Build a team.
Hmm, that's certainly true. I will reflect on my everyday words and actions.
It hit me harder than it did the middle school students.
A roundtable discussion filled with sharp questions
In the second period, we adults and the junior high school students sat in a circle for a discussion.
The students have been formulating their own "business plans" since spring in preparation for their planned out-of-school sales event at a mock corporation scheduled for November, and the questions they are asked are specific and serious.
The junior high school students and us entrepreneurs all gathered together for a roundtable discussion. The junior high school students asked various questions to help us improve our business plans. Were you able to give good answers that could provide hints to the questions that got straight to the point?
How do you decide the price of your products?
What should I pay attention to when creating advertisements?
He asks us the sharp points that we always have to think about when making decisions in business. I found myself rediscovering something new when I heard Matsushima's answer, and it felt like I was answering questions from a middle school student. I wondered if I was doing the same in my own business. It made me think about a lot of things.
I was given the opportunity to speak at the "Entre Roundtable," and I did so hoping to convey something to the junior high school students as a senior in business. However, I also felt that it was a valuable experience that allowed me to reflect on my own work and return to my roots.
I hope that something, somewhere, from this class will stay in everyone's mind, even just a little, and have a positive influence on them as they start their first business in November.
And then, at some point when they become adults, we hope they will remember today's experiences and have more options to take on new challenges, which will in turn make this area even more interesting.