Masanori Takagi, President and COO of Kameda Seika Co., Ltd.

Pioneering the future of rice as a "rice innovation company"

Masanori Takagi, President and COO of Kameda Seika Co., Ltd.

■ Profile
Born on February 11, 1972, in Niigata Prefecture. As an elementary school student, his dream was to join Kameda Seika. He realized that dream and joined the company in April 1990. He subsequently held a wide range of positions, including factory manager, corporate planning, general affairs manager, and sales general manager, before becoming Representative Director, President, and COO in June 2022. As a "leader with a background in the field," he steers the company's management with an emphasis on dialogue with employees. In his personal life, he recently had a grandchild, and one of the things he looks forward to is receiving photos of him.

Kameda Seika has been a leader in the rice cracker industry for over 40 years since 1975. It has brought joy to people's lives through rice crackers such as Kameda no Kaki no Tane and Happy Turn. Current president Masanori Takagi has dreamed of joining Kameda Seika since he was a child. We spoke to Takagi, who has a deeper affection for the company than anyone else, about the appeal of Kameda Seika and the future of the rice cracker industry.

Ever since I was a child, I dreamed of joining Kameda Seika. In 1975, when I was three years old, Kameda Seika became the number one rice cracker company in Japan. I was born in the town where Kameda Seika was founded, so many of my neighbors and relatives were involved with Kameda Seika, and I grew up hearing people say, "That company is great." What made the biggest impression on me was that when adults who recommended the company talked about Kameda Seika, they always seemed happy and joyful. In that environment, I gave myself the self-hypnosis, "If I join that company, my life will be happy," and that feeling never faded. I even wrote in my elementary school graduation essay that I would "definitely join Kameda Seika."

■ The coveted "Kameda Seika"

I wanted to work at Kameda Seika immediately after graduating from high school. My wish was granted, and I was able to join the company immediately after graduation. Even after joining the company, the image of Kameda Seika I had as a child remained unchanged; in fact, I grew to love it even more. I also feel that it is a warm company where everyone supports each other. After joining the company, I experienced many factories and workplaces, gaining a wide range of experience, including team management, factory manager, sales manager, human resources, and even serving as an assistant to the chairman. Being involved in various departments at a company I love, talking to a variety of people, and sharing the joys was very rewarding for me. I believe it was because of these experiences that I was appointed president.

■Putting the charm of rice into rice crackers

We always create products that put customer needs first. As a company that creates unique value, we strive to deliver surprises to our customers by capturing the market environment and detecting trends. Specific product development is carried out by the Marketing Strategy Department's Planning and Development Team and Technology Development Team working together. The Planning and Development Team gathers information from the market to consider what products will be a hit with customers, while the Technology Development Team researches and develops new ideas. These two teams share their knowledge and are in constant dialogue to develop products. Creating great products depends on how we utilize our company's assets, including its technological capabilities. We believe that management needs to create an environment where employees can freely express their ideas, and we are always committed to creating such an environment.
Kameda Seika's greatest strength is its rice processing technology. There are many varieties of rice, including those from Japan, Thailand, and the United States, each with its own unique characteristics. Kameda Seika's greatest asset is its technological capabilities, which allow it to analyze the characteristics of rice, improve quality by adjusting technical conditions, and create high-quality products. For example, despite the recent reports of rice shortages, our desire to continue using Japanese rice remains unchanged. It is said that in the near future, the amount of rice eaten by the Japanese people will surpass the amount produced by Japanese farmers. However, we cannot discontinue our products just because we cannot harvest rice. We will continue to use rice from various countries, adjusting the appropriate blending conditions, and utilizing our cultivated technology to create delicious products.
Furthermore, rice has many possibilities, such as being hypoallergenic and being edible regardless of religion or age. We will continue to utilize rice not only because it is delicious, but also because of these other benefits.

■ Creating the next generation rice cracker industry

We will continue to create exciting, delicious foods that support human health. While we continue to research the effects of rice, we have recently begun working with farmers to contribute to sustainable rice cultivation in our local Niigata area. We are a company that has grown through rice. Considering a future where rice harvests will decrease, we feel that we can work together with farmers to cultivate rice and pool our wisdom to increase rice productivity. Through our agribusiness, we will continue to work to ensure that Japan's important rice cultivation does not decline and that we can help lead the way to a sustainable future. As a leading Japanese "rice innovation company," we hope to lead the rice industry.
The kind of people we want to work with at Kameda Seika are those who can genuinely discuss the future of the company with us. Also, because the company is a part of our lives, we would like to see people who want to make their own lives and their families happy together with the company. This spirit of inquiry will help us and our teams grow, and will surely help move the company forward.

■Message to university students

There are many things you can only do while you're a student. Make sure you live your student life to the fullest. Work hard at what you can do now and see it through to the end. The experience of completing things, rather than the results, will be what fuels your growth. Also, don't compare yourself to others, but cherish your own individuality. Some new employees feel down when they compare themselves to their peers. However, you have received an offer from the company you're joining because your own individuality was recognized, so you should be proud of that and use it as a strength. Comparing yourself to others will cause your individuality to waver. Please cherish your own individuality and keep moving forward.

Student Newspaper Online February 18, 2025 International Christian University, 2nd year student, Maruyama Mitomo