Tetsuya Sakuo, Representative Executive Officer, Misawa Homes Co., Ltd.

Engaging in cutting-edge fields and becoming a company that is essential to society

Representative Executive Officer of Misawa Homes Co., Ltd.　Tetsuya Sakuo(Tetsuya Sakuo)

■ Profile

After graduating from the Faculty of Engineering at Tokyo Denki University, he joined Misawa Homes Co., Ltd. in 1981. He was involved in sales and sales planning for detached houses, product development, etc., and in the Product Development Department he was involved in the development of the world's first zero-energy home. He became an executive officer in 2006, a managing executive officer in 2012, a director and managing executive officer in 2014, and a director and senior managing executive officer in 2018. He will serve as representative director, president, and executive officer in 2022.

Misawa Homes Co., Ltd. continues to develop along its own unique path, including conducting demonstration experiments in Antarctica with a view to applying its technology to a manned lunar base. As a leading company in the housing industry, the company continues to grow every day, with both sales and profits steadily increasing. We spoke to President Sakuo about his vision for Misawa Homes.

Architecture is not just about functionality and convenience, it also encompasses design and playfulness. Wanting to be deeply involved in architecture, I went on to study architecture at the Faculty of Engineering. My university life was very busy, with part-time jobs to buy materials for assignments and expensive architecture books. However, it was also during this time that I became fascinated by the fascinating and profound aspects of architecture.

■ Unconventional approaches overcome barriers to growth

While researching various construction companies, I came across Misawa Homes. I was impressed by the passion and vision of the company's founding president, who was also present during my final interview, and decided to join the company. Upon joining, I felt a sense of openness and freedom, where I could express my opinions on anything. After seven years at the company, I worked in sales for single-family homes, and then spent nearly 20 years in planning and product development. I realized that simply making things that sell isn't enough. I wanted to offer more exciting products. I wanted to be a company that could do that. For half a century, Misawa Homes has supported the construction of buildings at Showa Base in Antarctica. Furthermore, with an eye toward applying them to a manned lunar base, we are conducting demonstration experiments on a mobile base (home) in Antarctica. While this may seem like an unconventional project, the advanced insulation technology used at Showa Base in Antarctica is actually applied to Misawa Homes' homes. Furthermore, the requirements for housing have changed dramatically over the past few years. For example, the rapid spread of telecommuting and online learning has led to demand for homes that accommodate remote work. As people spend more time at home, storage space is needed more than ever before. One proposal that meets these needs is Misawa Homes' "house with a storehouse." It is possible to provide an open living room for family gatherings, a workspace with just the right amount of space, and three times the usual amount of storage. We also offer suggestions for using space efficiently, such as dividing one room into two with a movable partition. We hope to continue making improvements to this "house with a storehouse" in the future, responding to new customer needs.

■ The potential of Misawa Homes

In addition to its new construction contract business, which builds single-family homes and rental housing, Misawa Homes is also engaged in the stock business, which includes renovations, urban development, overseas business, and nursing care business. In particular, in recent years, the stock, urban development, and overseas businesses have grown, and the company's sales and profits have increased year by year. I feel that the diversification of our business, which we have been working on for many years, is beginning to take shape. Our goal is to become a company that is more needed by society, one that people will think, "Misawa Homes is great." We want to further create and refine the value that is unique to Misawa Homes. To achieve this, each employee is required to improve themselves. As the number of people needed by society increases, the company will also change significantly. The potential of these people is our company's potential, and we will create an environment where employees can further improve themselves. Another potential of Misawa Homes is energy self-sufficiency. It would be difficult to install solar power generation equipment on each home and building to independently cover each individual's daily energy consumption. The solution to this problem is the idea of ​​sharing energy throughout the community. For example, because energy usage times differ between residential areas and operating factories, the electricity generated by each can be shared efficiently. Even from a local perspective, there are many challenges to achieving energy self-sufficiency, but we will continue to conduct demonstration experiments to make this a reality. We are sure that we can achieve this by getting various companies involved and working together. I believe that my mission is to expand Misawa Homes' potential for growth and make it an even better company.

■Message

You have already studied and acquired knowledge. Now it is important to dig deeper and think more deeply. To do this, make sure you have some leeway. Having space in your life creates the space to create new ideas and ideas. It is also a good idea to spend time without any particular purpose. Also, try to experience as many things as possible that only a student can. For example, part-time work is a valuable opportunity to be involved in a variety of occupations. New values ​​are born from not only university classes but also from experiences you actually see, touch, and feel. Growth through knowledge gained through study is important, but growth through various experiences and the formation of values ​​is even more valuable. By having a leeway and being prepared to let go of prejudice, you will be able to enjoy work and grow when you enter society.

Student Newspaper April 1, 2023 Issue Meiji University 4th Year Student Sakai Yaku