INTERVIEW: KOICHI MATSUMOTO, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF TENGA

"Yes we can!"

TENGA is the global brand name for devices used in "personal sexual relief" (aka jacking off). Koichi Matsumoto, the CEO of TENGA spoke to Daichi Kihata and Ryo Kojima of Hitokara Media, a company that helps companies with their workplace needs. The company recently helped Tenga find bigger and better offices. This interview, lovingly translated from Japanese, gives a good insight into Japanese business culture.

KIHATA: It was in the spring of 2016 that you approached Hitokara Media about relocating. What made you decide to move your office?

MATSUMOTO: Actually, I had been thinking about relocating since the winter before that. There are a lot of people, a lot of luggage, not enough meeting rooms... It was a difficult situation. There are times when we rented a warehouse separate from the office and went back and forth with cardboard boxes containing products.

KIHATA: That's hard work, isn't it? I'm sure the previous office was 70 tsubo (=230 sq meters). About 50 people were working there, with one-third occupied by stock. It must have been quite a rocky situation. The first requirements that President Matsumoto asked for were "the area around Nakano Sakaue and Yotsuya," where we are now, and "an area of about 130 tsubo that can accommodate about 60 people," and "one floor." However, it was difficult to find a property that met the conditions, so the  area of search was expanded.

MATSUMOTO: I wanted to put our development equipment in the office, have plenty of stock space and meeting rooms, and have everything on one floor. That was an absolutely non-negotiable condition. If the floors are separated, it will not be possible to see everyone's face and situation at a glance, and the efficiency of the work will decrease. Also, I didn't want to compromise on the location. It had to be a place that was not too far from the previous office and was easy for employees to commute to.

KOJIMA: When deciding on the layout and shelves, you were very particular about it being easy for all the employees to work there.

MATSUMOTO: Since we are a manufacturer, we make good products and provide them to the world to make our customers happy, and only then can we establish a business. And in order to make our customers happy, it is important for the manufacturing employees to work happily and creatively in a good environment. This is because the creator's thoughts reside in the product, and it is conveyed directly to the customer. If you make something boring, you can't make something that then brings happiness. I think that's what making things is all about. In order to meet the deadline for the release date of a new product, there are days when you have to work late at night or on Saturdays and Sundays. That's why I want all of our employees to work in a place with a good environment.

KIHATA: Motivation to work changes drastically in the work environment. In my previous job, I worked in an office without windows, but it was difficult ... It was painful.

MATSUMOTO: TENGA is a company that provides adult goods, but in fact, it is a company that proposes "new values" to face one's sexual desire and face it in a fun way. We have a vision of enriching the sex lives of people all over the world, and asking what sex should be like for people? It is a company that tries to be at the forefront of this question. Companies that are competing on the basis of new values, have to do the same thing as other companies with high quality but provide yet another value. To be honest, I don't think it's easy to do that unless you enjoy working in a good environment.

KIHATA: Yes, that's true! I understand it very well. My job is as an office broker, but I try to provide my clients with information that not only provides property information but also gives them various insights. I believe that relocating an office is one of the few opportunities to deeply consider the "way of working" of your company. [...] We expanded the list of candidates for the area, and in about a year, we looked at about 40 properties, and during that time, the desired office size requirements nearly doubled.

MATSUMOTO: While I was searching, a new business was launched and the number of employees increased, and as I looked at the properties and layout drawings proposed by Mr. Kihata, I reviewed the conditions many times, saying, "It would be better to have more development space" and "Isn't this a little small?" In the end, we had a clear idea of a hiring plan that would grow to about 100 people in a few years, and we settled on "maybe 250 tsubo (825 sq meters)."

KIHATA: If you had moved to the 130-tsubo (430 sq meters) office that we had originally suggested, you would have had to move out immediately.

MATSUMOTO: It was dangerous. The employees would get angry with me, saying, "Mr. President, what are you doing?!" But it was quite tough in the middle. It's hard to find a property that meets all the conditions. Mr. Kihata didn't give up and proposed a property, which was really helpful.

KIHATA: I'm the type of person who tries even harder when I'm hit by a headwind, so as the days went by, I was aflame with the thought, "I'm definitely going to decide!"

KOJIMA: At that time, the entire company was enthusiastic about "Let's make TENGA's relocation a success!", so TENGA's company name was flying around every day. President Matsumoto required "cleanliness" and "spaciousness" in the interior and interiors. So, at first, I proposed a white floor.

MATSUMOTO: I can't make a decision unless I can visualize it clearly in my head. In the meantime, Mr. Kojima stayed with me until I could imagine it. They ordered actual samples and took us to the showrooms of furniture and flooring manufacturers.

KOJIMA: They were particular about colour, and I realized that they are indeed a manufacturing company. This time, we were able to specify the wallpaper during the stage of restoration by the previous tenant at the right time, which led to cost cuts. In order to make the most of such luck, we focused on creating a situation where it was easy for Mr. Matsumoto to make decisions by grasping what needs to be decided by when.

MATSUMOTO: To be honest, the wood grain floor didn't really click with me when I asked Mr. Kojima to make the proposal. However, when I was taken to the showroom and looked at the actual space, I immediately liked it because it was clean, transparent, and very well balanced. It was nice to have it at an angle and to see the grain.

MATSUMOTO: He suggested all the chairs, desks, shelves, etc., and he took into account my quibbles, like "Isn't there something more like this?" and searched for me thoroughly. Since we are a manufacturer, we should never have to inconvenience our customers by delaying delivery due to having to move our premises. So, choosing a property, layout, arranging fixtures, moving, and installation; Hitokara Media did all the things that would have been quite troublesome if we had to do it ourselves, which was really helpful. Oh, but by the way, when my chair arrived and I sat down in it, it was too low for the desk that I couldn't help but laugh.

KOJIMA: By mistake, another chair arrived. I'm really sorry at that time. I sweated strangely. President Matsumoto made us feel at ease, but I couldn't laugh at all (laughs). I was also impressed by the fact that they were particular about the size of the development room and the stock space until the very end. Originally, I didn't do it, but I came to the site for a final check just before the construction of the walls. Then, I realised, "Oh, Mr. Matsumoto isn't there," but he had drawn the line for the wall on the floor with tape.

MATSUMOTO: That's right. At the last minute, I asked them to make the smoking area smaller, and the development room and stock space larger. Thanks to this, the layout is completely lean.

KOJIMA: Normally, it would be difficult to redraw the layout at that time because there is a possibility that adjustments to the electrical system and other elements might have to be made, but it was good that we were able to fine-tune the layout while asking the person in charge of construction whether it could be done on the spot.

KIHATA: What kind of changes have you seen in your employees since you moved into this office?

MATSUMOTO: Their expression has brightened. There are many windows and it is bright, you can see the greenery and the sky, and there is plenty of room and space in the office. Also, thanks to the place called Azabu Juban, I feel that everyone is enjoying their work more than before. Some people have said that it was good to have a break room for employees. In the previous office, the break room was closed to increase the number of desks for new employees, but without this kind of space, there are not many opportunities to talk to members of other departments.

KOJIMA: If there is more communication across departments, ideas for new products are likely to come out, which is a good thing.

MATSUMOTO: Also, I'm glad I made a lot of whiteboards. They're being used properly. The number of meetings that can get together quickly and come to a conclusion in about 15 minutes has increased, which is really what I was aiming for.

KOJIMA: "Being utilized" is the most gratifying word. This time, it was a challenge for me, but I designed a conduit so that visitors could enter the conference room through the side of the office space. I heard that you were worried about not being organized in your previous office, so I thought it was necessary to have a mechanism to draw people from outside the company into your daily work place. Also, by creating an open layout, employees are incentivized to keep the office clean, but how is the effect after a few months?

MATSUMOTO: It's a nice touch. Employees are now more careful not to put things on their desks. In departments where there is a lot of paperwork, we have an overhead shelf that attaches to the desk. Again, I didn't have to put it on everyone's desk.

KOJIMA: Overhead shelves can make the entire office look bad. I'm glad it worked!

MATSUMOTO: Seeing employees at work gives a sense of security to customers and partners who visit the company. The 'tapestries' hide it in a nice way, which is also a good feature. While ensuring transparency, functionality will also be ensured. It's a very reasonable layout for TENGA now, and I'm satisfied.

MATSUMOTO: I don't have that much experience in moving, so I can't make accurate comparisons with other real estate companies, but there were a lot of things that Hitokara Media did that a normal real estate company wouldn't do.

KOJIMA: That actually reminds me of an embarrassing story. After the move, I received a message...

MATSUMOTO: Yes, we couldn't fix the smell from the restaurant downstairs for a while.

KOJIMA: That's right. The ventilation area is managed by the management company, so I conferred with President Matsumoto and asked the management company to deal with the situation. They took a long time to respond, so when I was contacted again, I went to the site and looked at the ventilation fan myself, and it turned out that the cause was simply that the ventilation fan had stopped, and I was able to fix it immediately. Various companies are in charge of interior construction and building management. For us, it's not about setting up an office and saying, "Yes, I'm done."

MATSUMOTO: There were a lot of issues (laughs). But everyone was happy to relocate. The layout is also efficient and functional. It has become easier to move. It is a comfortable office with a spacious environment and no crampedness at all. I'm very satisfied.

KIHATA: Thank you for your kind words! In my brokerage career, TENGA's office relocation is special for me. I'm really glad I was able to decide on this office. If you have any more inconveniences, please feel free to contact us.

MATSUMOTO: OK, in that case, I wonder if you could take a look at the whiteboard that is a little hard to erase.

KOJIMA: Yes! Willingly! Thank you very much for your time today.