Machiko NAMBU, Chairperson, Kobe Cruiser
My Baby, Concerto
"Look at Concerto. It looks cool from this angle, too." She ran up to Concerto, glistening white in the sunlit harbor. She loved Concerto as her own child and nurtured it together with her company workers. "Concerto played an active role in transporting disaster victims and relief goods, acting as a substitute for land routes severed by the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake." She spoke dotingly.
She has sailed with Concerto for the last 17 years. Taking a look back, she said, "Due to weather and social situation, we sometimes had a downturn in business, but we have always been supported by customers with a smile."
I Worked Like Mad
In order to make her childhood dream of becoming a person who can get to the truth, she enrolled in Osaka University School of Law with the aim of becoming a lawyer. "The School of Law had only ten female students out of a total of 160, so we were good friends. Classes of criminal law overview and constitution were so interesting that I was absorbed in studying." In addition to study, she also enjoyed her student life by traveling with her classmates and participating in a musical fan club. The club performed
Kaze Tachinu
[The Wind Rises]. She says with a bitter laugh, "Sadly, I did costumes."
Although she didn't get through a bar exam, she entered the Hyogo Prefectural Government and was involved in duties of consultation about agriculture. She made use of legal knowledge that she acquired at Law School. Later she got married and gave birth. Since there was no maternity leave system at that time, she started working again leaving her 2 month-old baby at a day-care center. Nine years after she joined the government office, she left there in order to engage herself fully in child-rearing. In the following 12 years until she became involved in earthquake disaster reconstruction, she was a full-time mother.
The Earthquake as a Turning Point
Seeing a town collapsed by the earthquake, she knew that there was only a fine line between life and death. The earthquake prompted her to return to work. Following the earthquake, she became involved in a commercial business with a general service provider, Pasona Group (headed by her brother-in-law, Yasuyuki NAMBU) started as an earthquake reconstruction project. She undertook the job because she wanted to do something for Kobe, the city where she had lived since university and one that provided her with a beautiful view of the mountains from the sea side.
In 1997, Yasuyuki bought a ship for sale and started a cruising business. The ship was named Concerto and she was put in charge of its management. "Concerto worked hard for Kobe so I wanted to bring it to the forefront in Kobe again." She felt a rush of real love for Kobe.
I Want to Share the Beauty of Kobe
She served as a president for some eight years. She ran the company while keeping in mind that society delegated the company to her and contributing to society was the company's mission.
She said pleasantly, "A job is built upon connection among people. Making a network and strengthening the organization is my work as a chairman. I will continue to tell how wonderful the mountains, the sea, and the city of Kobe are." While managing the company, she also serves as a member of Administrative Council of her alma mater Osaka University. "The foundation of Osaka University lies in the idea of Tekijuku built by OGATA Koan. It should not be shaken." As a message to future generations, she says, "Your curiosity makes who you are. If something hits in your mind, you should take action and take it in through the five physical senses. That will cultivate you."
About Machiko NAMBU
After graduating from Osaka University School of Law in 1975, Machiko NAMBU worked at the Hyogo Prefectural Government for some 10 years. Following the Hanshin-Awaji Great Earthquake in 1995, she joined the reconstruction project of commercial facilities and the sightseeing boat business, Concerto. She became a vice president in 2002 and served as a representative director & president from 2006 to 2014. Since April 2014, she has held her current position as chairperson. She also holds important positions such as an auditor at Honshu-Shikoku Bridge Expressway Company Limited, a director at Kobe Harborland Association, and a vice director at the Customer Attraction and Traffic Committee, Kobe Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Kobe Concerto
Established in July 1997. Headquartered in 1-6-1 Higashi Kawasaki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe. Based on Kobe Port, the company runs Concerto 4 times a day. They offer wedding ceremonies, wedding receptions, and parties on board.
Concerto
Gross tonnage: 2,138 tons
Total length: 74m
Total width: 13m
Passenger capacity: 604
For reservations:
Tel: 078-360-5600