Junichi Miki, President and CEO of Roland Corporation

Without being bound by preconceptions, we will continue to excite our fans by creating new value!

■ Profile

Representative Director and CEO Junichi Miki

He joined Roland in 1977. After being appointed Director (in charge of the Development Division) in 1994, he was in charge of multiple departments, including the Development Division, Support Functions, and Marketing Planning, with a focus on the development of keyboard instruments such as digital pianos. He later served as Executive Officer in charge of Classical Projects and Director in charge of the Organ and Classical Keyboard Development Division, before assuming the position of Representative Director, President and CEO in 2013.

Roland Corporation is a pioneer in electronic musical instruments, loved by music lovers around the world. Its CEO, Mr. Miki, has loved making things since he was a child. He uses this ability to create game-changing products that create "from 0 to 1," and continues to create new value.

Ever since I was little, I loved "making things" and wanted to become an engineer in the future, so I went to university to study electrical engineering at the Faculty of Science and Engineering. After entering university, I got my long-awaited motorcycle license and started riding around. But I didn't just ride; I was also into repainting them in my favorite colors and modifying them. I did a variety of part-time jobs so I could have fun with my motorcycles, but I wasn't particularly picky about the type of work. I think I had a very normal student life.

■Meeting Roland

While I was job hunting, I happened to come across a recruitment ad from Roland and was shocked to see that "engineers could make musical instruments." At the time, it was a small venture company whose name I had never heard of or even knew existed, but when I actually went there, the atmosphere seemed interesting, like a university "manufacturing club," so I decided to apply. In fact, I had applied to several other manufacturers, but Roland was the only one that hired me.

After joining the company, I was in charge of assembly on the production line, product repair, chip design in the basic development department, and sound creation as a sound engineer. Later, when I was promoted to lead product development, I was thrilled that I could finally achieve my long-cherished dream of "manufacturing." Looking back, I remember saying to the president at the time, even though it seemed a bit presumptuous, "If I'm going to do it, I'll do it the way I want." Starting with the first home piano I developed, we had been able to release a series of hit products, so I was able to live up to that promise and was given the freedom to do what I wanted.

■Opportunities born from relationships of trust

After that, I created an electronic harpsichord packed with all the latest features, but it showed almost no interest from retailers or our own sales staff. After thinking long and hard about how to sell the product, I decided to take it to a Baroque music event myself. I begged an acquaintance to let me set it up at his booth, but the classical music market has a unique atmosphere that doesn't accept electronic instruments, and I felt so out of place that customers would make an effort to avoid my booth.
To be honest, I was a little stumped, when a woman who edits an early music magazine in the booth next to me asked me, "Why did you make this electronic harpsichord?" As I explained my thoughts about the product, a friend of mine said, "I see. So that's what it was," and she continued to introduce the product to me. I was confident that the electronic harpsichord was a good product, but I realized that it doesn't sell because it's a good product, but rather that it only sells because of the trust between people.

■ Don't miss any reactions from customers

We are always on the lookout to discover our customers' true needs and make specific proposals to address them. A while ago, we created an electronic wind instrument called the Aerophone, and one day, an elderly customer contacted our customer center and asked, "I have a weak breath, but will it still produce sound?" It was then that we realized for the first time that adjusting the sensor to produce a good sound even with a weak breath would be of great value to elderly customers with reduced lung capacity. The true appeal of a product can be found in these small reactions from customers in the field.

■ To become a brand that is loved by people of all ages

When we launch a game-changing product, it can sometimes create a new market we didn't intend. When I searched for Aerophone on Instagram, I found posts from young women spreading by word of mouth. I was surprised because I hadn't expected that at all. In Japan, many school brass band members are women. It turns out that women who want to continue playing wind instruments, even though their opportunities to play have decreased since graduation, are interested in Aerophone. While most of our customers are middle-aged men, Aerophone has opened up a new target demographic for us: older people and young women who aspire to play wind instruments. When developing a new product, we always keep in mind that in addition to our target customers, there are two to three times as many unseen customers.

■ Bringing something new to the world

It's rewarding when we create a market with something completely new that has never existed before and customers are truly pleased with it. Developing electronic instruments gives us many opportunities to interact directly with customers and musicians at musical instrument shows and live venues, and I think it's wonderful to be able to see the reactions of these users directly. Many overseas musicians in particular are very enthusiastic about new things, so it makes me really happy when they take a great interest in our new products and express their gratitude and delight directly.

■ I want to work with people who live their lives on their own terms

When it comes to hiring employees, I used to place emphasis on a person's skills, in other words, what they can do. However, recently I've started looking at mindset rather than skill set. I think it's important to think carefully about "what you want to be," "what you want to do," and "how you think," and to live according to your own standards. Japanese people tend to care about what others think and compare themselves to others, but people who act according to their own standards tend to be curious and have confidence (although sometimes it's unfounded) that they can make it if they just try, and I think they grow faster.

■Message

I think that the time you spend as a student is one in which you are allowed to do almost anything; in other words, a time when you are very "protected." That's why I want you to take risks, try new things, and broaden your horizons while you're a student. By not being bound by preconceptions, valuing your own values, and acting boldly, I believe your future possibilities will expand greatly.

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on May 12, 2021 by Nao Suzuki, a fourth-year student at International Christian University

[Apology and supplement]
Due to our negligence, the article before the correction was published from June 2nd to June 8th, 2021.
The final version of the article has been republished on June 18, 2021.
We sincerely apologize to all fans of Roland Corporation and to those who have read this article for any inconvenience caused.
We will be more careful to prevent this from happening again in the future.
We appreciate your continued patronage of Student Newspaper Online.