The Company Must Go On.

A company cannot survive without the support of its employees. Our current employees will contribute to Chori’s growth in the years ahead. While many trading companies have merged, been absorbed, or lost their names throughout our history, I am grateful and deeply moved by the fact that Chori’s distinctive name has lived on for over 160 years.

Our human resource policy is about utilizing people and being useful to them, nurturing people and developing with them, and connecting people together as a trading company. Chori will always be a company that develops through the nurturing of people. We are working to transform our human resource development system to change the way we nurture and utilize people without changing the core concept of our human resource policy. The key issues of human resource development and the promotion of diversity certainly relate to the way we nurture and utilize human resources. In terms of the percentage of female managers, I think it is fair to say that Chori’s diversity is lagging behind and that our work has only just begun. As the only female executive officer, I am often asked the question, “What are your views on your successor?” I have never once thought that my successor should be a woman. That is because the person who takes over my position should be the one who is most qualified, regardless of gender. I believe that each company has a different view on whether gender should be used as a basis for determining successors, but I do not feel comfortable about choosing female successors simply because of their gender. The fact that I am a woman is just one aspect of myself. Needless to say, I have many aspects that I would like to be recognized for, and I think we all share the same desire. I believe Chori has always had the foundation in place for people to compete and develop their skills under the same opportunities, regardless of gender. We will accept our current percentage of female managers for what it is and increase the number of mid-career and new graduate hires, including women, to steadily expand our workforce. We are a company of just 430 employees, so we know each other well. I hope we achieve diversity in a way that aligns with the desires of both the Company and its employees.

Diversity is about more than just gender. Among both mid-career and new graduate hires, the number of employees with foreign nationalities is on the rise, while locally hired employees and employees of various career backgrounds and ages are playing a significant role at our overseas subsidiaries. The number of mid-career hires is around the same as the number of new graduate hires, and this has brought a breath of fresh air and a new way of thinking to Chori, which is extremely encouraging to see. This has led to the thought that Chori’s culture needs to change and the measures that are being taken to improve its corporate culture.

We have three businesses—Fibers, Textiles, and Garments, Chemicals, and Machinery—that define our identity, which is unusual for a specialized trading company. We will continue to draw on our strengths as a multifaceted specialized trading company.

Relocation of Osaka Head Office

In September 2024, Chori’s head office in Osaka returned to Midosuji Avenue for the first time in nearly half a century. Around 50 years ago, the Osaka Head Office relocated from Midosuji, the main street of businesses in Osaka, to Sakaisuji, and although nobody in the Company today was there at the time, I sense the significance of returning to Midosuji from the words of joy of those who previously worked there. From Midosuji, we will unite as one to enhance our corporate value.

Nurture People, and Develop with Them

Communication and training are the main focus of our human resource development system. In fiscal 2023, we hired a training facilitator through mid-career recruitment, which has significantly improved the quality of our training programs. This is one example of the breath of fresh air I mentioned earlier. You see a change in results when effective learning methods are employed, the objective of training is understood, and proper follow-up is done after training. We have come to realize the areas we have been lacking until now.

In fiscal 2023, we began an initiative to address generational differences between management and our younger employees. This training program was conducted for our management personnel in fiscal 2023 and for our younger employees in fiscal 2024 with the aim of deepening ntergenerational understanding and fostering mutual understanding and communication. We communicate with our employees on a regular basis through various means, such as compliance questionnaires on harassment and other matters, stress checks, employee engagement surveys, and one-on-one interviews. I feel that the active participation of our employees, the range of opinions they provide, and their cooperation in disclosing the results of these surveys have resulted in an open working atmosphere. At the same time, we are working to create an organization that inspires our employees to develop their individual skills at their own initiative through effective training programs on digital transformation and AI. We will proceed one step at a time in a Chori-like manner to become the company of choice for employees so our current employees continue to work with us and potential employees select us over their other choices.

Deputy General Manager of Corporate Planning Division
(Human Resources & General Affairs Department and Information System Department),
and General Manager of CHORI Innovation Activities of the Company
Satoko Nakayama