Keizo Mitani, President and CEO of Atom Chain Headquarters Co., Ltd.

2025.10.15

The choice of an electronics store continues to grow thanks to the connections with customers that mass retailers don't have.

■ Profile
1986 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
　　　　Head of Domestic Home Appliance Marketing
　　　　Sales company president (local electronics store, home appliance retailer)
Doshisha University, 2021
　　　　Industry-government-academia collaboration, venture start-up support
2022 Atom Chain Headquarters
　　　　Director in charge of corporate planning
　　　　President and Representative Director

Atom Chain Headquarters continues to provide "the local electronics store of choice" in the 21st century. In an age where many people shop online or use mass retailers for home appliances, what is the presence of Atom Denki, the "local electronics store"? We asked about the strengths of its commitment to contributing to the community and the unique services it offers that mass retailers cannot offer.

Ever since I was a student, I had wanted to become independent as soon as possible. This desire may have been influenced by the fact that my parents ran a small local factory, and I saw them working independently from an early age, as self-employed individuals rather than as salaried employees. I was born in Kagawa Prefecture, but I decided to leave my parents' home and become financially and socially independent, so I went on to university in Kyoto. While working three part-time jobs to make a living, I also participated in club activities to expand my circle of relationships. Rather than being completely absorbed in one thing, I think my time as a university student was one in which I gained experience that valued independence.

■The attitude of a president formed through the support of his benefactor

I joined Matsushita Electric (now Panasonic) as a new graduate and worked there for 35 years. During those 35 years, I met three people who mentored me. The first was a trainer during my new employee training. He taught me the words, "Achieving your personal best under limited conditions leads to personal growth." It means that you can do your best at the time, despite the many rules and restrictions. And accumulating your best efforts will make a big difference in the future and lead to growth. These words remain deeply etched in my mind, and they apply to any position I'm in. For example, even if I became president, I still don't have the freedom to do whatever I want. In fact, I'm in a position where the restrictions are increasing. I think that by doing my personal best, even in a position where the restrictions are increasing, I was able to be entrusted with greater responsibility and authority. I still keep these words in mind.
The second person was a manager at my time at Matsushita Electric. In a company where perseverance was a big priority, he was the one who used theory to guide me on how to advance the company's business. He was like a scholar, constantly revising our business methods over and over again, making me think about them over and over until my head was burning. He taught me the importance of logic and how to put theory into practice. He also drilled into me the fact that tacit knowledge cannot be communicated to others unless it is transformed into theoretical knowledge. I think this was extremely important in advancing business.
The third person is an employee working on-site at the company. If employees don't take action, no results will be achieved. No matter how sound the theory, there will be things that are correct in practice and things that are not, and they accept that and work hard. It was the employees at the time who taught me the importance of on-site capabilities.
A memorable experience for me was when I was president of a sales company that oversaw the Tohoku and Hokkaido regions. I was assigned to this position in 2013, two years after the Great East Japan Earthquake, but reconstruction hadn't progressed, destroyed houses remained as they were, roads were difficult to use, and temporary housing remained in place. At that time, I had the opportunity to work with a local electronics store that was working hard in the area, and they had a very strong sense of "we grew up doing business in this area." I was moved by this passion, and at the same time, I learned firsthand that it is because of people like these that the community exists. This experience led me to want a job that would allow me to contribute to the community. After that, I came across this company, which aims to expand its business while supporting local electronics stores, and decided to join.

■ Because we are still a developing company, we want to amplify the voices of our employees.

Currently, Atom Denki is a franchise chain that allows self-employed individuals to become independent and open their own "21st century electronics stores," with approximately 870 stores nationwide. I feel that what's important in this business is not just selling electrical appliances to customers, but also building relationships with them. I think one of the attractions of this job is being able to contribute to the local community and society by talking to customers and building connections through electrical appliances. Also, because we're a small company with around 50 employees, each individual has a lot of discretion in their own work, so I think the degree to which we can be directly involved in our work is another attraction.
I think this company is still in the development stage. One of the differences between a sole proprietorship and a company is that it is an environment where employees have the authority to do what they want to do. After a few years, employees working at the company will begin to think independently and put their ideas into action. When that happens, I want the company to be one that fosters growth, with a system that allows employees to contribute to the company's goals, contribute to affiliated stores, and create their own futures. In that sense, being able to work together to create a new way of being as a developing company is a big attraction for me.

■Connections that allow us to remain the customer's choice

I think local electronics stores are one option. There are options other than mass retailers, such as online shopping, and the choice of store will depend on the customer's needs. If you know what the actual product is like, you'll want to buy it online, and for larger items, you'll want to see them in person, so you'll buy them at a mass retailer. These are good choices. Another important point is repairs. It's fine when you're buying, but if you think about repairs after you've bought it, a local electronics store may be an option.
Customers choose products based on their own values. As long as there is a need for this, I believe there is a reason for the existence of a "local electronics store." I believe that the benefit of being able to interact with each customer individually is the benefit and need of being a sole proprietor. A newsletter is an important tool for responding to this. A newsletter is an important way to reveal what kind of store we are.
The content written at each store is different, but as you do this more and more, you will develop closer ties with your customers, and I think that your store will become the first choice when customers come to buy or ask about home appliances. This is an advantage of being a privately owned business that mass retailers cannot offer.

■Message to university students

I want you to live this moment "right now" seriously. And while you're at it, constantly think about "Who am I?" "Who am I?" and "Why do I live?" The reason is that a company or a job is not the purpose of life, but merely a means to an end. So, "What is my purpose in life?" I think you can't even think about that unless you're living "very seriously" first. That's why I want you to live your life "very seriously" and get to the bottom of what your life is.

Student Newspaper Online August 19, 2025 Interview by Senshu University sophomore Hoshi Moeka