Hajime Watabiki, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Shinagawa Cosmetic Surgery Clinic, Shoyukai Medical Corporation

Always be in a good mood! Control your mood

Chairman of Shinagawa Cosmetic Surgery Clinic, Shoyukai Medical Corporation　Cotton cloth 1(Watahiki Hajime)

Graduated from Kagoshima University in 1985. Opened Shinagawa Cosmetic Surgery Clinic in 1988. As chairman of the medical therapist association Shoyukai, he provides medical care to more people, mainly through Shinagawa Cosmetic Surgery Clinic and Skin Clinic, including LASIK ophthalmology, cosmetic dentistry, and stress treatment. He also works to improve the technical level of doctors and staff, aiming to provide the best medical care while optimizing consultation fees.

Shinagawa Cosmetic Surgery is the largest company in the world of aesthetic medicine. At a time when aesthetic medicine was not as common in Japan as it is today, he was one of the first to recognize the potential of aesthetic medicine and opened Shinagawa Cosmetic Surgery, becoming a pioneer in the industry. We spoke to this visionary Chairman Watabiki about the secrets and management skills he uses to lead his business to success.

Initially, I studied nuclear engineering at the Faculty of Engineering at Hokkaido University. However, my desire to study medicine became so strong that I decided to re-enter the Faculty of Medicine at Kagoshima University and aim to become a doctor. During my university days, I was just an ordinary, serious student like any other. I think I had a fairly enjoyable student life.

After graduating from Kagoshima University, I decided to pursue a career in cosmetic surgery. At the time, it was unusual for people to pursue a career in cosmetic surgery, but I intuitively felt that the coming era would see the growth of medical care that has a positive effect, such as cosmetic medicine, in addition to medical care that eliminates negative aspects such as illness.

So I decided to gain experience at Tojin Hospital, which was famous in the cosmetic surgery industry at the time. After that, I finally opened my own clinic, but it was really tough at the time. At the time, there were still very few cosmetic surgery clinics in Japan, and there were less than 100 cosmetic surgeons in the country. As a result, I was booked full with patient appointments, and I worked day and night without a break from 10am to midnight, for three years straight.

◾️The secret to the growth of Shinagawa Cosmetic Surgery

Many of my colleagues opened cosmetic surgery clinics around the same time as me, but I believe most of them were unsuccessful. The reason for this was the failure to expand to multiple locations. Things went well at first, but gradually, business became stagnant. On the other hand, I didn't do anything flashy; instead, I focused steadily on the patients in front of me. Looking back, I believe that one of the reasons we didn't fail was that I focused steadily on my patients. I believe that if we value our patients and continue to provide the best we can, patients who like our clinic will return. This is true not only in the cosmetic surgery industry, but in any industry. If you can get to the bottom of what your customers want, your business will grow; if you can't, it will decline. Expanding the scale is secondary. A big ship is stable, but it becomes less maneuverable. This makes it difficult to listen to the voices of your employees and customers, and you will inevitably decline.

On the other hand, if we continue to provide things that satisfy everyone, we will naturally grow. I believe that scale does not grow by relying on momentum, but grows naturally.

Another important thing is to always think about why our employees are working. I think the reasons are different for each person, but I think what they all have in common is that they want to be happy themselves. When patients are satisfied and happy, the staff feel fulfilled and happy, and seeing that makes me happy too. In other words, I want our company to continue to be one where everyone can have fun and be happy.

◾️Face yourself and always be in a good mood

Many people say, "Things may be tough now, but you'll definitely be happy in the future," but when will that happy future come? From the perspective of the past, the present is the future, and before you know it, the future has become the present. I believe that instead of looking to be happy in the future, you need to be happy now. In order to live happily in the present, and ultimately to enjoy life, there is one thing I try to do. And that is to always be in a good mood. When are you happy? There are probably many different situations, but I think the one thing they all have in common is when you're in a good mood.

To always be in a good mood, you need to make yourself feel good, rather than expecting others to make you feel good. For me, I can start the morning off in a good mood by taking a bath to make myself feel good and saying "life is the best" three times.

This is also something I look for in the people I work with. Everyone wants to work with someone who is always in a good mood. When you do 100 things at work, about 50% of them don't go well. Even if things don't go well, if you continue to work with interest, have fun, and be in a good mood, things will eventually start to go well.

◾️Message

It's important to be in a good mood. You should never be arrogant or self-centered. Keep this in mind not just at work, but at all times. If you do that, people around you will naturally like you. When people like you, they will notice your good points and will cooperate with you in what you want to do. The support of those around you is very important in helping you achieve what you want to achieve.

Another thing is to keep challenging yourself to do what you want to do. Even if you fail, it's unlikely that you'll be unable to make a living in Japan. Be brave and take that first step. You'll surely see a world you've never seen before.

Student Newspaper Special Edition, July 1, 2022 Issue, Hosei University, 7rd Year, Yusuke Suzuki