Takeshi NAKAJIMA (Business Development Division, Suntory Global Innovation Center)

As a child, he enjoyed building things

“When my alarm clock broke, I became curious as to how it worked, so I took it apart. When mini-4WD model cars were popular, I used to make them myself using Styrofoam for the car body and strips of bamboo for the wheels while only buying the motor and conductors. I would play with the creations I had made with the things I found around the house,” said Mr. Nakajima, nostalgic for the days of his childhood.

The urge to know and to create emerged while he was a child, and his “try anything” attitude led to his studies at university. After graduating from the Division of Materials and Manufacturing Science at Osaka University’s School of Engineering, he entered graduate school, studying precision machining of metals. He did research under Professor Yoshimi TAKEUCHI (now Professor, Chubu University) on electrical discharge machining of curved holes. (Reference: https://www.hsk.co.jp/english/introduction/electrical_discharge/magari_ana_process.html) “It was a relatively minor field, so I was able to do pretty much anything. It was such a boon to be able to experience every part of the process, from designing the apparatus to assembly, control, and actual machining,” says Mr. Nakajima. He also had a chance to make a research presentation at an international conference in Malaysia.

Drawn in by yatte minahare, or the “spirit of bold ambition” (Reference: https://www.suntory.com/about/philosophy/)

When job hunting, Mr. Nakajima wanted to get a job at a manufacturer. At first, he had decided that he wanted to work in electronics for automobile manufacturing, but as he was searching for jobs, he was drawn in by the “spirit of bold ambition” often mentioned by Suntory’s founder Shinjiro TORII. “Rather than make use of my own prior research, I wanted to experience all kinds of new things, so Mr. Torii’s words left a deep impression on me.”

In 2006, he entered Suntory, and was assigned to the Kyushu Kumamoto Brewery. He was involved in increasing production equipment for natural water and tea. He worked on designing packaging and making the shift from high temperature sterilization filling at the time to a room-temperature sterilization filling. The introduction of this environmentally-friendly sterilization filling, the first in the industry, was a large-scale, multi-billion yen endeavor that Mr. Nakajima undertook in just his third year at the company.

In his fifth year at the company, he was transferred to the Environmental Strategies Division in Tokyo. He worked to set medium- to long-term environmental goals and introduce new technology in the division, which works to promote projects and environmental strategies. Mr. Nakajima was assigned the project of installing mega solar panels in the brewery, a project which he fought hard to complete. In the spring of 2013, he moved to the Production Planning Division and proposed the “Medium- to Long-Term Innovation Challenges in Suntory Manufacturing.” From the fall of the same year, he took on the task of carrying out his own proposals in his current position. He is currently investigating technology development while picturing the future of a globalized soft drink industry.

Mr. Nakajima says, “Don’t hesitate to ask for help with the things you don’t understand.” He continues, “The attitude towards learning cultivated in my studies at university is utilized in how I make sure to fully grasp the principles of the things I don’t understand while going about my work. I feel that this was what allowed me to perform my work at the Kyushu Kumamoto Brewery, which included everything from designing apparatuses, getting them up and running, and performing test runs, things in which I had very little prior experience and general know-how.”

Learning through sports

While he loved making things as a child, Mr. Nakajima also grew through sports. His father’s work moved his family to Brazil, where he spent 5 years until his 3rd year of elementary school. While in Brazil, he played quite a bit of soccer, and when he returned to Japan, he was into baseball. In junior high school, he started to play volleyball, his passion for which peaked after he entered OU. “When I was in university, my life revolved around volleyball, even on my days off.” Right before the fall league in his 3rd year at university, however, he tore a ligament in his ankle. Even so, after consulting with a doctor and expressing his intent to play, he made the decision to enter the league matches, forgoing the usual plaster cast and stabilizing the injury with only sports tape and a supporter. The OU volleyball team went on to win all of its matches and was promoted from the 4th division to the 3rd division. Mr. Nakajima says that he learned the importance of cooperation, perseverance, and companionship through volleyball.

Students should “give it their all when things get tough”

In September of this year, Mr. Nakajima was yet again transferred from Tokyo to Shimamoto, Osaka, leaving his wife, 4 year-old son, and dog in Tokyo. Even so, he travels to Tokyo on business quite often, and spends weekends with his family at his home in Kanagawa, where he cooks for his family using the culinary skills he perfected while preparing his own food as a university student. He is also a member of his local volleyball club. Occasionally, he gets together with his old teammates from university and even plays in some games. But, he says, “It’s all for fun now. My strength can only go downhill from here. When I see current students playing at alumni reunions, it really brings me back, and makes me a bit jealous. Even though there will be some tough times in both sports and study, I want current students to give their all to the things they can only do right this moment.”

Mr. Nakajima still has deep emotions for the OU where he spent a fulfilling life as a student. “I loved the free spirit of the university. I hope that students will treasure the fact that they can learn ways of thinking in such a free-spirited environment.” To students, he sends a message of encouragement: “When it comes to finding a job, it can be easy to limit yourself to fields that are related to what you studied at university, but convincing yourself that that’s all there is for you is a detriment to yourself. From my own experience, if you occasionally change your perspective and get a broad look at things, you might find something that piques your interest. You’ll also immediately find reasons why you can’t do things, but it’s important to persevere, think about the issues you’re having, and stick to it.”

Think Globally, Act Locally

A favorite phrase of Mr. Nakajima to which he is careful to uphold is “Think Globally, Act Locally.” “Rather than taking on the world, I try to make sure that I think about the tasks at hand and take them one step at a time.”

“I’m blessed to have the kind of higher-ups that I do; I can do all sorts of things.” He continues to make steady advances with his natural motivation in an environment that allows him to do what he pleases, fueling his own “spirit of bold ambition.”

“I want to use my curiosity as a weapon to take on more and more interesting projects and challenge myself to do the things only I can,” said the 188 cm-tall Mr. Nakajima in a calm yet powerful tone.

・Suntory Holdings Limited

Torii Shoten was founded in 1899 by Shinjiro TORII in Osaka as a wine manufacturer and distributor. In 1921, Kotobukiya was founded, and in 1923, the Kyoto Yamazaki Distillery was established, leading to the production of the very first whiskey brewed in Japan. The company changed its name to Suntory in 1963, and in 2009, the company’s name changed yet again to Suntory Holdings Limited in order to consolidate various business endeavors in both food and drink. Under its motto of “to create harmony with people and nature,” Suntory develops high quality products and services while also developing its cultural and environmental activity. The headquarters for Suntory Holdings Limited is located in Kita-ku, Osaka.

In April 2013, the Basic Research Division at Suntory was reborn as the Suntory Global Innovation Center within Suntory Holdings with the goal of creating new worth from a mid- to long-term perspective.