Mandarake Co., Ltd. President and CEO, Mikio Tanaka

We will continue to provide products and entertainment to people who have passions.

Mandarake Co., Ltd. President and CEO　Mikio Tanaka(Yoshiyuki Tanaka)

■ Profile

Date of birth: February 10, 1979.
Hometown: Samani Town, Hokkaido
He joined Mandarake in March 2001 and, as Director of Web Production (also serving as Director), is responsible for the core operations of Mandarake, including maintenance of in-house PCs, infrastructure development for store internet environments, and development of POS systems and online shopping systems. After being appointed Vice President in December 2020, he assumed his current position in March 2023.

Mandarake Co., Ltd. offers a wide range of things that people love, from manga, anime, and special effects goods to nostalgic signs. In recent years, as anime and manga culture has gained popularity worldwide, we spoke with President and CEO Mikinori Tanaka about Mandarake's unique services and philosophy.

■ Student life captivated by the Internet

When I was a university student, I had several part-time jobs, one of which was at a used bookstore. At the time, the Internet had just started to become popular, and it was a time when it was difficult to even create a single homepage. At the used bookstore, I experienced working in "mail order," which involved putting catalogs on pages and taking orders over the phone. I also worked part-time at the university, managing PC equipment and working as a system engineer. I feel that these two part-time jobs had a big impact on my life.
I also built my own computer and created a homepage, so I was quite good with computers. There was a time when I was in danger of not passing my credits at university, but I managed to get the credits by maintaining my professors' PCs.

■ Mandarake was the place I ended up at during the employment ice age

At the time, it was known as the "ice age" of employment, and it was a tough time for new graduates... I failed many job interviews myself. In the end, I used the computer skills I had developed during my university days to make counter-offers to several companies, and that's how I found Mandarake. At the time, Mandarake had only been in business for about 10 years, and the company's structure was not yet fully in place.
Two months after my interview, I was suddenly told, "You've been hired, so please come the day after tomorrow." I thought, "What a funky company!" (laughs)

■ Wide range of support from website creation to management

After joining the company, I was assigned to the web production department and started out by creating websites. Creating a website isn't something you can do alone. I worked with a variety of people, including those who create content and those who are knowledgeable about products.
After that, the company needed to introduce the internet, and since I happened to be knowledgeable about it, I started helping with the maintenance of the company's computers and other employees' PC work, as well as setting up the internet infrastructure for the stores. I gained their trust through this, and they started to consult with me about store operations and company management.
I think the fact that I have had the opportunity to work in a variety of places and have been trusted there has led me to my current position.

■Continue to update for domestic and international customers

Mandarake has been selling online since early on, but we have now made major improvements. For example, previously we were unable to keep track of stock levels or order numbers, but we have improved our core inventory management system, which now displays stock levels at all times and has eliminated situations where products were out of stock and could not be sold.
We have also promoted the development of multiple languages ​​such as English and Chinese on our e-commerce website. Currently, approximately 50% of Mandarake's sales are overseas. Previously, we hadn't considered selling overseas, but we received requests from people in various countries to sell our products, so we started selling overseas. For this reason, we are focusing on multilingual support so that people from various countries can purchase our products.
We also focus on the "transportation" aspect of delivering products.
In addition to sharing data with delivery companies, we are automating parts of the process that can be automated to increase efficiency and prevent the burden on employees even when the number of products increases. As overseas shipping is affected by global situations, we continue to update the system every month.

■A huge auction that's attractive even if you don't buy

Mandarake operates an online auction called "Dai Auction" as its own unique business. It started as a streaming service in an era before YouTube.
The big auction will be broadcast live, introducing products and allowing interested parties to bid. Since online bids do not require participants to raise their hand, the selling point is that bidders can maintain anonymity.
Another strength is the monthly auction catalog magazine.
The "catalog magazine" is a booklet that lists products, and each month it features a different theme or product. Even if you are unable to purchase the product at the auction, the catalog has value as a historical document that shows you "I didn't know such a product existed!", which is fun.

■Not only new things, but also old and nostalgic things

Mandarake not only sells new items, but also old and nostalgic items. Specifically, we sell things like tin toys and old Calpis signs. Elderly people sometimes come to sell these items as part of their pre-death sorting. We see connecting these items with people who appreciate their value as one of Mandarake's businesses.

■ Gain trust by purchasing at the highest price in the market

At Mandarake, we strive to "purchase at the highest price within the market price" in order to satisfy those who sell their collections.
Some sellers want their collections to reach someone who understands their value. By purchasing at the highest price possible, we can gain the trust of our customers as a company that understands value. We believe that our track record of purchasing items like this is the reason why people choose to sell to Mandarake.

■Be with someone who has something they're passionate about

I would like to work with people who have "something they love," regardless of whether they are new graduates or mid-career hires. If you have something you love, that love can become a strength, and I think you can learn to love many different things. New businesses are born when many different "loves" come together, so that's something I want to pursue.

■ We will continue to develop unique Mandarake products and services.

We want to continue expanding our products and services beyond just manga and anime products, so that we can continue to offer more of what our customers and employees love. We've actually started selling handmade stickers and dolls based on feedback from our customers and employees, so we want to be able to satisfy anyone's "favorite things."
Also, although it's not as bad as it used to be, there is still a tendency for otaku to be disliked as a minority. I would like to provide a place and services where these people can interact and have fun.

■ Experiences, no matter how small, will help you in the future

I have personally experienced that experience comes in handy later on, so I would encourage students to not only study at university but also to gain as much social experience as possible. Even small things can have an impact on their future careers, so I would encourage them to try everything. Also, since rigid plans often fail, I would encourage students to cherish the present and use them to build their future.

Student Newspaper Online Interview: May 8, 2023, by Ryusei Nishiyama, 4th year student at Musashino University