Ken Ishii, President and CEO of Choshimaru Co., Ltd.　

"Choshimaru Theater" Enjoy the most moving experience with nigiri sushi made with skill.

President and CEO of Choshimaru Co., Ltd.　Ken Ishii　(Ishiiken)

■ Profile
Born December 26, 1965. After graduating from Hosei University's Faculty of Law in 1988, he joined Kyotaru Co., Ltd. In 2016, he became Executive Officer and General Manager of the Product Division at the company. In 2018, he became an Executive Officer at Yoshinoya Holdings Co., Ltd. In 2019, he became Representative Director and President of Kyotaru Co., Ltd. In September 2023, he joined Choshimaru Co., Ltd. as Director of the President's Office. In 2024, he became Executive Vice President. In 2025, he became Representative Director and President. He is working to further develop Choshimaru by utilizing the extensive experience and knowledge he has cultivated in the restaurant industry.

Choshimaru is a "theatrical gourmet conveyor belt sushi restaurant" with a unique culture in which the restaurant is referred to as the "stage," employees as "theater members," and customers as "audiences." Ken Ishii, president of Choshimaru Co., Ltd., which operates the restaurant, aims to provide the ultimate in "nigiri sushi" made by skilled craftsmen and bring joy to customers. The company has implemented various measures that emphasize employee growth and motivation, and while overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic and strengthening existing restaurants as its immediate priority, it is also considering expanding its business through M&A, working to create high-quality dining experiences for the future.

■ Student days and the origins of my career

Looking back on my student days, I divided my time between 1/3 studying, 1/3 working part-time, and 1/3 club activities. I was by no means an honor student. I chose the Faculty of Law because it was said at the time that it was a good place to study, and I didn't have a clear desire to become a lawyer. However, ever since my student days, I have always felt that "making customers happy is my joy," and I believe this has led me to my current path in the restaurant industry.
The part-time job I had the longest was physical labor at a construction site. It was physically demanding work, such as bringing in carpets and renovating offices, but the hourly wage was unusually high at the time, and the appeal was that you could earn money even in a short amount of time. For example, even if you finished work in 30 minutes, you were guaranteed a minimum of 2500 yen, so it was a popular part-time job among students. I still keep in touch with my part-time coworkers and seniors from my club activities from back then, and we go out together to play golf and other activities.
I joined a company called Kyotaru as a new graduate in 1988. It was the latter half of the bubble economy, and I remember that they were hiring hundreds of new graduates, including university graduates. Kyotaru mainly handled takeout sushi and dine-in sushi, and it was there that I learned the differences in how sushi is made depending on the type of service. What was particularly impressive was that for takeout sushi, they took into consideration the time that had passed between when the customer purchased the sushi and when they took it home, and adjusted the way the rice was cooked and the amount of vinegar used so that the sushi would still taste good even when it had cooled. This experience is still useful in the development of Choshimaru's current takeout products, and I believe it is connected to my consistent "customer perspective."

■ The uniqueness and strengths of Choshimaru

Choshimaru's greatest feature is its unique concept of calling the restaurant a "stage," its employees "troupe members," and its customers "audience." This was established by the founder, and I personally find it "a little unusual." Unlike its competitors, which offer "flat-rate conveyor belt sushi" (although in recent years they have also introduced products at a variety of price ranges), Choshimaru offers "gourmet conveyor belt sushi," with a wide range of prices that pursue the latest seasonal ingredients and high-quality products.
I emphasize that Choshimaru's greatest strength is the fact that we offer "nigiri sushi" made by skilled craftsmen. We are so particular about this point that we even tell our employees, "It's nigiri sushi because it's made by hand." With a workforce of approximately 500 full-time employees and 3000 part-timers, we aim to hire 20 new graduates per year, and our policy is to promote both store expansion and human resource development. In order to open a store, our business model requires four to five employees, including store manager, head chef, and troupe leader, per store, so human resource development is essential. I believe that "training and store openings must be in sync, otherwise we won't be able to recreate the Choshimaru Theater."

■The President talks about reform and human resource development

One of the challenges I've felt in the two years since I took up my post at Choshimaru is recognizing the differences in corporate culture and history. For this reason, rather than simply applying my own experience, I make an effort to instill it in employees using words, procedures, and steps. Furthermore, aiming for an "open organization," I strive to create an atmosphere where employees can freely express their opinions, and I hold one-on-one meetings and lunch meetings with department heads. I also sometimes use "communication" in the evenings to deepen communication.
We are particularly focused on an initiative called "Honki Juku," where full-time, part-time, and casual employees at each store gather to review store management policies. We believe this is an important activity for raising awareness and motivation at stores, which are the front lines of customer interaction. I always say, "The stores are the front lines of customer interaction, and headquarters is responsible for supporting those stores." I have also found that hearing direct feedback from customers at stores, such as "It was delicious" and "I'll come again," helps to blow away my own fatigue. For this reason, we place importance on creating a system in which store employees can work well as a team, focusing on customers and working hard every day, and on establishing systems to reflect this in evaluations and treatment.
Furthermore, Choshimaru does not simply pursue sales growth; it also puts effort into technical contests open to all employees and makes every effort to motivate its employees.
These efforts are an important factor in raising employee motivation in their daily work and encouraging them to strive for improvement. By creating an environment where each employee can work with a goal in mind and enjoy their work, we are able to improve the quality of customer service and ensure the company's sustainable growth.

■ Vision for the future and leadership

Regarding future prospects, they will first focus on polishing up their existing stores and prioritizing efforts to improve quality so that customers will say, "Choshimaru is a really great store." Furthermore, they will prepare to open new stores if suitable properties become available, and in the medium to long term, in light of the declining population due to the declining birthrate and aging population, they are considering expanding through M&A (mergers and acquisitions) of small and medium-sized enterprises that are having trouble passing on their businesses. In this way, they are constantly on the lookout for possibilities to expand their scale. Furthermore, given the current situation where prices continue to rise, they are keenly aware of the challenges ahead, stating that they must consider whether they can raise employee wages at a rate that exceeds the increase in prices.
As for my own dream, considering my age, I believe that Choshimaru will be my last workplace, so I strongly hope to spend the rest of my life "increasing the number of things that make customers happy and making Choshimaru a company that my current colleagues think is great to work for." I also have a strong desire to pass that baton to the next generation.

■Message to students

Finally, I would like to convey to all students the importance of being passionate about something. Whether it's studying, club activities, or part-time work, the experience of devoting yourself to one thing will definitely be useful once you enter the workforce. In particular, the lessons you learn from team activities will be useful even after you enter the workforce. I would also like to say that even after entering the workforce, it is important to set aside time to study for self-improvement in order to seize job opportunities.
In the service industry in particular, where conversation with customers is essential, communication skills are essential, as is logical thinking in business, where numbers are key to making decisions. I believe that cultivating these skills will be extremely beneficial for you in the future. To grow as a working member of society, it's important to recognize once again the importance of having good rivals and making time to improve yourself. I hope that this interview conveys that Choshimaru not only provides its customers with the best "nigiri sushi," but also values ​​each and every employee, deepening their bonds as "theater company members" who grow together.

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on July 11, 2025 by Ayuki Erikawa, a first-year student at the University of Information, Management and Innovation

Kanamaru Hayato, 1st year student at Tokyo University of Science / Iwai Miho, 3rd year student at Gakushuin Women's College
Reina Inomoto, first-year student at Kyoto University of the Arts / Ayuki Erikawa, first-year student at Information, Management and Innovation Professional University