Takayuki Murata, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Technology Division, Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd.

From "Daiwa House Industry of Technology" to "Daiwa House Industry of the World"

Yoshiyuki Murata, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Technology Division, Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd.

■ Profile
1954年7月19日生まれ、埼玉県出身。東京大学工学部建築学科卒業後、1977年大成建設株式会社入社、建築工事作業所長などを経て、2009年大成建設ハウジング株式会社 代表取締役社長、2011年大成建設株式会社執行役員、2013年同社取締役常務執行役員、2015年同社代表取締役社長、2020年同社代表取締役副会長就任、2021年同社を退任後大和ハウス工業株式会社取締役副社長就任、2022年同社代表取締役副社長（現）

After serving as president and vice chairman of Taisei Corporation, a major general contractor, Yoshiyuki Murata became vice president of Daiwa House Industry, the industry's largest company, in 2021. We asked him about his career, starting with the reasons for his transfer, which was a hot topic in the industry at the time.

◾️Aiming to become an architect from his first year of high school

It was during spring break in my first year of high school. I had always wanted to become an international lawyer, but when my older brother entered the Faculty of Law, I decided to pursue a different career. That's when I chose the world of architecture. Although I wasn't good at math, I chose the science course in order to study for architecture, and studied hard for the entrance exams. The University of Tokyo's Science I department had a system where students could not advance to their desired specialized course if they received poor grades in the liberal arts courses. The Department of Architecture was the most popular at the time, but I managed to get in with just enough points. In the Department of Architecture, I was able to identify my strengths and weaknesses, and although the topic of my graduation thesis was single-family homes, I decided to work for a general contractor.

Apart from studying, I also participated in the American football club, which is a sports club. It was a great experience as it allowed me to get in shape and get used to group activities, which I was not good at.

◾️Joined Taisei Corporation

After graduating, I joined Taisei Corporation. There were several reasons. First, the father of a friend I'd known since I was in the first year of junior high school was a Taisei Corporation employee, so I had a strong image of Taisei Corporation as the company's first name. Furthermore, I heard from a recruiter that the company had a very open and transparent corporate culture. Above all, I was drawn to the idea of ​​working on something big. I started out as a site supervisor, then worked my way up to construction department chief and section manager, site director, and finally president. The position of site director is recognized by all departments within the company, so it was rewarding, but also exciting to work with the sense of responsibility that comes from being entrusted with everything. I began to enjoy putting projects together with clients and contractors.

◾️Five interesting things about architecture

I think there are five interesting things about architecture. The first is that we all work together to create something that one person couldn't do alone. The second is that what we create remains in a tangible form. The third is that the process of creating something is truly enjoyable. The fourth is seeing the happy faces of our customers. And finally, the fifth is that it contributes to society. These are the charms of architecture that have never faded from when I was young to the present day.

◾️Unprecedented appointment as Vice President of Daiwa House Industry

I retired as president of Taisei Corporation in 2020 and became vice chairman. I felt that I had left undone the "safety reforms" and "work style reforms" that I had been working on as president, and I wanted to get serious about them, but as vice chairman I was less directly involved in business execution, which left me feeling unsatisfied. I was retiring as vice chairman after a year, and was wondering if there was anything worthwhile I could do when I had the opportunity to have dinner with President Yoshii (current chairman) of Daiwa House Industry. During that time, he said to me, "I'd love for you to come and see our technology."

I still remember what President Yoshii said: "Our company was founded in 1955, and we have set a goal of achieving sales of 10 trillion yen in 2055, our 100th anniversary. To achieve this, we need to further strengthen our technical capabilities. Your experience as both a general contractor and a home builder is valuable. I would love for you to come and see our technology. Our technical staff would be happy too. I won't be around in 2055, but I believe it is my role to create an organization to make that happen."

After retiring on good terms, I joined Daiwa House Industry, and if I could be useful as President Yoshii had said, I thought it would be very rewarding and a wonderful contribution to society. I wanted to be one piece of the puzzle and see how a large company changes, so I immediately decided to join the company.

◾️The merits of Daiwa House Industry

What's great about Daiwa House Industry is that it's a hybrid company that combines the functions of a home builder, general contractor, and developer, and has a wide range of business areas. We also have our own housing materials and steel frame factories and a technical research institute. Furthermore, all executives and employees share the founder's goal of achieving 10 trillion yen in sales by our 100th anniversary, and we have a DNA that encourages companies to grow steadily. While general contractors tend to take a passive stance, waiting for orders, our company creates jobs by investing in real estate, purchasing land, constructing buildings, and selling them. We are bold and not afraid of failure. Another distinctive feature is that we don't ask about your alma mater or previous career history. Recently, we've launched a project to start a new business from within the company, and we're also considering new business ventures for the future.

◾️The future of construction in Japan, and for Daiwa House Industry around the world

Daiwa House Industry will continue to strengthen its technological capabilities. We aim to achieve technological capabilities that rival those of major general contractors. To accelerate DX (digital transformation), we continue to invest annually in technologies such as BIM (Building Information Modeling). While we are already an industry leader, we intend to further accelerate our efforts. While the construction industry is often perceived as declining, I believe this is not the case. While the number of skilled construction workers has certainly decreased, the number of construction engineers, including designers, site supervisors, and researchers, has been increasing since the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011. I believe this increase is due to the fact that actual manufacturing is interesting, rewarding, and contributes to society. The ability to work smarter by making full use of DX and BIM has become an appealing aspect. Japan's construction industry is not in decline; it is evolving into a new form.

Furthermore, Japan's construction, housing, and real estate industries are all large economically, leading to corporate growth. Our company operates overseas in countries such as the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, and Southeast Asia, and has earned trust as a developer with technological capabilities. The challenge for us to become a global Daiwa House Industry is to gain trust in each country. To achieve this, my future dream is to utilize DX and BIM as a common language in the construction industry and expand our business in countries around the world.

◾️Message to university students

It is important to find out what you want to do and what you are good at. While you are a student, try to see what kind of work you will do when you enter the workforce, and think about what suits you and what you need to do to achieve that. I hope you will not just spend your time at university aimlessly, but act with an eye to the future.

Interview with Student Newspaper Online on March 27, 2025 by Toraki Mochizuki, a first-year student at Tokyo Keizai University

Toraki Mochizuki, 1st year student at Tokyo Keizai University / Waka Watanabe, 2nd year student at International Christian University / Himawari Shirasaka, 3rd year student at Sophia University / Mitomo Maruyama, 2nd year student at International Christian University