Yamamoto Nori Store Co., Ltd. President and CEO Takahiro Yamamoto

Passing on the traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation

Takahiro Yamamoto, President and CEO of Yamamoto Nori Store Co., Ltd.

■ Profile
He graduated from the Faculty of Law at Keio University in 2005 and joined the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi (now Mitsubishi UFJ Bank) in the same year. In 2008, he joined Yamamoto Nori Store and was assigned to the Purchasing Department. The following year, he began working in overseas business. In 2016, he became Senior Managing Director and Head of Sales, and in 2017, he became Senior Managing Director and Head of Sales and Administration, and on July 19, 2021, he became Representative Director and President.

Yamamoto Noriten has been providing high-quality, delicious nori seaweed since it was founded in Muromachi, Nihonbashi in 1849. We spoke with President and CEO Takahiro Yamamoto, who continues to uphold the traditions of this long-established company as the next seventh generation owner.

I was crazy about soccer during my school days, and as a child I wanted to become a soccer player. Although I had dreams for the future, I was born as the son of the family that runs the Yamamoto Nori store, a business that has been passed down through generations. As I grew up, I think somewhere along the line I knew I wanted to become the successor. I wasn't forced to take over the company, so I didn't rebel or feel any pressure. When it came time to actually start job hunting, I consulted my father about whether I should join Yamamoto Nori straight after graduating from university, or get a job at another company and gain experience. In the end, I prioritized learning about society first, and I ended up working for the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi (now Mitsubishi UFJ Bank).

I worked at the bank for four years, and since the economy was booming at first, I was able to spend fulfilling days while living in the Ikebukuro branch. I also felt that I gradually acquired common sense and knowledge through my involvement with various companies. However, after I was transferred to the Shinjuku branch, my situation changed dramatically. My clients changed from medium-sized companies to real estate companies, and the economy worsened due to the real estate recession that later led to the Lehman Shock. These changes caused a 180-degree shift in the way I approached clients, and things were no longer as they had been when I worked in the Ikebukuro branch. I had originally promised my father that I would only work outside the bank for three to five years, so I decided to leave the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi and join Yamamoto Nori.

◾️Important points when manufacturing nori

Purchasing is a very important task in a nori shop. The quality of the nori seaweed we can purchase from fishermen determines our business for the year. The ability to quickly cut the young buds is crucial to the flavor of the nori. The earlier the buds are harvested, the better the flavor and color, but picking them too early reduces the amount of nori we can harvest. We want to purchase high-quality nori, while the fishermen want to increase sales and increase volume. In this situation, the key to creating a win-win situation for both parties is to purchase nori at a high price. This was the most surprising thing I learned, having worked at a bank. Generally, I believe that a company that can keep its purchase prices as low as possible and sell at a high price is a superior company. However, our company, while of course striving to increase sales, never lowers its purchase prices. This is because we believe that if we, as a leading company in the seaweed industry, were to purchase seaweed cheaply, it would lead to the decline of the seaweed industry. It is important that fishermen produce a lot of delicious seaweed, even if it means purchasing it at a high price. As a seaweed manufacturer, maintaining good relationships with seaweed fishermen is a very important element in delivering delicious seaweed to customers.

◾️The future of the seaweed industry

Although domestic seaweed production is declining, global demand for seaweed is booming. In 2013, washoku (traditional Japanese cuisine) was registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, and the number of Japanese restaurants worldwide is on the rise. This trend is expected to continue until 2050, taking into account factors such as population growth and the rise in the wealthy. In this day and age, there are few other markets that are growing to this extent, and in this respect, I believe the seaweed industry has advantages over other industries. The global rise in seaweed demand means expectations are high for the global market. Our company also plans to strengthen its overseas sales activities in cooperation with our subsidiary Takaokaya, which has bases in various countries, including Shanghai and Los Angeles.

◾️Future outlook         

When giving someone a gift, people often give expensive fruits or foods that they wouldn't normally buy for themselves. The nori products we make were primarily intended for sale in the gift market. Some of our products cost as much as 10 times the price of nori purchased at supermarkets. However, the market size in Japan has been shrinking in recent years, so around 2015 we shifted our focus from the gift market to the souvenir market. Now, about 10 years after making the switch, we're thinking about trying our hand at commercial nori. While the average price of commercial nori is around 20 yen per sheet of nori, we want to sell it for around 100 to 150 yen to protect the nori industry.
To achieve this, we need restaurants that serve dishes using high-quality, delicious seaweed. That's why I, Yamamoto Noriten, began to think about running a restaurant that uses this kind of seaweed. My dream is to open a restaurant that serves delicious seaweed and help it grow into a market.

◾️Message to students

Above all, I want you to enjoy the present. Be proactive and try things that interest you, and make the most of your present!

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on August 20, 2024 by Waka Watanabe, second-year student at International Christian University

Toyo University second-year student Koshiyama Rinno / Toyo University third-year student Hashimoto Chisaki / International Christian University second-year student Watanabe Waka / Kyoto University of the Arts first-year student Inomoto Reina / Sophia University third-year student Yoshikawa Minami