Kazuo Takaya, President and CEO of HJ Holdings Co., Ltd.

Always be objective and passionate at the same time

■ Profile

After graduating from the School of Political Science and Economics at Waseda University, he joined Nippon Television Network Corporation in 1994. He was assigned to the program production department and worked on music and quiz shows. In 2009, he was transferred to the Programming Department of the Programming Bureau, a strategic division. In 2012, he returned to the production department. In 2015, he was seconded to HJ Holdings.

He returned to Japan in 2019 and worked in the Programming Department and the ICT Strategy Headquarters, which oversees digital strategy, before becoming Representative Director and President of HJ Holdings Co., Ltd. in June 2022.

HJ Holdings Co., Ltd. operates the video streaming service Hulu. With a wide range of content in a variety of genres, the company currently distributes over 100,000 titles. We spoke with President Takaya of HJ Holdings Co., Ltd. about the mindset he values ​​when working and the ideal person he envisions.

■ Wanting to do what I love for a living, I entered the entertainment industry

When I was a student, I loved the sparkly music programs and vaguely thought that a job in that kind of entertainment would be fun. Whether it's a part-time job or a club, time flies when you're part of a close-knit community, and you can have fun and become immersed in it. Similarly, I was able to enjoy watching TV and movies in my private time without any stress, so I began to want to work in entertainment, doing something I love. Therefore, during my job search, I mainly applied to TV, radio and agencies in the entertainment industry, and I was offered a job at Nippon Television.

■ The entertainment world was tough

After joining the company, I was involved in work such as the programming department, where I was responsible for creating programs and formulating timetable strategies. By actually working in the entertainment industry, I was reminded of the hardships involved in delivering a finished product to the world. Nowadays, working conditions have been improved, but when I worked at a TV station, it was normal to not be able to go home for days on end.

Looking back at the work I did at the time, it was extremely tough. However, I never felt like I hated it, and instead overcame the challenges with my pride and rebellious spirit. Another big motivation was imagining a future where I had achieved what I wanted to do, such as "I want to do this kind of program" or "I want to do this kind of work." It was because of this feeling that I was able to see things through, even when it was tough now.

When faced with something difficult, I think everyone becomes overwhelmed and worries. However, that can't be helped. That's why I just had to accept it and think about what to do next over and over again. I originally joined the entertainment industry because I loved it, but sometimes you can't get by on just "love" alone. In those situations, it's important to combine passion with an objective, calm mind. If you only love something, you can become self-centered, so I've always been conscious of thinking about "passion and reason." I think this way of thinking has become even stronger as I've worked in a job where I'm dealing with numbers like viewership ratings.

■What has changed since becoming president?

Since becoming president, I have started to think about the company as a whole rather than my own personal goals. When I was younger, I thought, "As long as my own program is entertaining, that's fine," but now I have to think about stakeholders as well.
Even when I hit a wall at work, I've always been the type to "slip through" walls rather than "overcome" them, so I often don't see the wall as a wall. When you're young, you tend to think, "I have to do it a certain way," but that's not the case. For example, in the professional baseball Japan Series, it's okay to lose three out of seven games. However, many people don't realize this and think, "I have to win every game." Everyone wants to win, but it's natural to lose some games. No matter how many times you lose, it's okay as long as you reach your goal in the end. There are many cases where changing your method and shifting your approach will lead to success. Therefore, I want people to know that there are various processes involved in reaching the destination you are aiming for.

What it means to be Hulu

Video streaming services didn't even exist until a few years ago, but they're nothing new now. There are plenty of other services like Netflix and Amazon Prime. What sets Hulu apart from those is that while it offers a wide range of genres, it also offers a wealth of fan content, including auditions, TV shows, and drama series. However, the most important thing isn't the "source of content," but the fact that you happen to watch a show and suddenly realize you've spent your time stress-free. And when you finish watching, it's meaningful that it was available on Hulu.

In today's world, the word "experience" is gaining attention, and it is important to consider the emotions customers have when using a service or product. This is why relationships with customers will continue to be an issue, and I believe that products that do not take relationships into consideration will not grow.

■What kind of people do you want to work with?

The type of person I want to work with is someone who has pride and a sense of responsibility. "Pride" here means having a clear opinion about how you feel about the issue. And I think "responsibility" means taking action rather than leaving those doubts as doubts. Because team work is the sum of individual tasks, the speed at which the business moves will depend on how it is realized.

■Message to university students

Life is full of things that make you think, "I wish I had done this." In my case, I wish I had studied harder when I was a student. Since our ability to input information gradually declines, I recommend that you start inputting information as quickly as possible while you're still a student.

Furthermore, because students have more free time, I think it's important to value relationships, whether it's part-time work or club work. Having more friends increases the variety in your life, so it's a good idea to interact with a variety of friends. Even if you don't see a friend you made during your student days for 10 years, you can easily reconnect with them 10 years later. These relationships will become your work connections and a source of comfort once you enter the workforce, so proactively building friendships while you're still a student will be an invaluable asset. Furthermore, while we tend to prioritize efficiency these days, being able to consider the logistics involved in getting products to the store will help you be kinder to others. Young people who can view things from a value chain perspective will open up new business opportunities. Getting into the habit of always thinking about the people behind the product, rather than just the product in front of you, will likely broaden your life even further.

Interview with Student Newspaper Online on May 12, 2022 by Koji Ishida, a third-year student at Nihon University

Rikkyo University 4th year student Sudo Kakuto / Tsuda University 4th year student Miyata Ayako / Seikei University 4th year student Okada Minami / Kokugakuin University 3rd year student Shimada Daiki / Nihon University 3rd year student Ishida Koji