Naomi Kitaoka, Chief of the General Affairs Department, General Affairs Bureau, Kobunsha Publishing Co., Ltd.

■ Profile

Having struggled with job hunting, she joined a retail company as a new graduate but left early. After that, while working at Kobunsha, she was drawn to the appeal of the content and the interesting personalities of the employees, and decided to transfer to Kobunsha. She has been in charge of recruitment since 2016.

On their recruitment website, they say, "Talent x Talent = Miracle." Books and magazines are created by directing various talents. We spoke to them about their work in publishing, which involves creating miraculous content from scratch.

■Please tell us about the characteristics of the publishing industry.

　If I had to sum up the work of a publisher in one word, I would say it is "work that moves people's hearts." For example, through the books and magazines we publish, we can stimulate readers' intellectual curiosity, excite them, and sometimes even move them. I believe that our work is about reaching out to people's hearts.
　Furthermore, Kobunsha has been focusing on "reader surveys" since its founding. This does not simply involve conducting questionnaires, but actually meeting and talking with members of the target demographic, listening to their concerns and interests through casual conversation. These "reader surveys" often result in projects that resonate with readers, so it can be said that Kobunsha is a publisher that is close to its readers.

■What kind of people are you looking for?

　As I observe various students, I find it amazing that many of them have studied abroad and have a wealth of knowledge about other countries. However, sometimes I can't quite get a clear picture of the student's personality. On the other hand, I want to meet students who think more deeply than others about even the most trivial experiences and can clearly express their opinions. If you ask me whether publishing companies are absolutely necessary in the world, I would say no. However, I feel like people's hearts become a little dry without them. In order to resonate with people and be there for them, it is very important to always be on the lookout, never stop thinking, and become aware of things for yourself. Another important thing is to be interested in everything. After all, a publishing company's job is to meet people, so I think students who are interested and curious about everything will be able to thrive at Kobunsha.

■Please give us a message for university students

　I don't think you know what you're good at while you're a student. That's why you should first try to figure out for yourself what it is you really want to do, what you like, and what you want to communicate. Then, why not visit various companies and get a feel for the fun of the work with your own eyes and ears? It's very important to communicate in your own words without embellishment. I hope you'll meet many people while you're a student and broaden your possibilities through failure and experience.

Student Newspaper October 2020 Edition Keio University First-Year Student Miyu Ito