Yukihiro Kawamata, President and CEO of Keikyu Corporation

2026.01.15

By combining mobility and urban development, we will capture changes along the railway line and co-create new value.

■ Profile
Born in 1964 in Tochigi Prefecture. Graduated from the Faculty of Commerce at Yokohama City University. Joined the company in 1986. Has been involved in the hotel business for many years, including being appointed Senior Managing Director of Hotel Grand Pacific Co., Ltd. in 2013. Has served as Head of Group Strategy Office, Managing Executive Officer, and more, before being appointed President and Director of Keikyu Corporation in April 2022.

Keikyu Corporation creates value by spiraling up its platform of both "mobility" and "urban development" along its diverse railway lines, stretching from Shinagawa to the Miura Peninsula. President Kawamata, who rose to the top after a diverse career that included the hotel business, spoke about his experiences as a university student seeking the sun, the human skills needed in a changing society, and the future of co-creation he aims for.

■ Sports in the sun and trial and error in the developing room

Looking back on my university days, I focused more on club activities than studying, and was a member of both the softball and photography clubs. I made a complete change from the kendo club I had continued in high school, and decided to "play an outdoor sport in the sunlight" at university. On the other hand, I joined the photography club because I had a desire to express myself. I was absorbed in the tension of capturing a moment with the limited amount of film available. Perhaps I was unconsciously learning about artistic thinking and aesthetic sense.
I also needed money for both living and leisure, so I worked part-time jobs. I worked day and night, using my body more than my head. The only academic subject I took seriously was a seminar on business strategy. I studied corporate strategy by Igor Ansoff and others, and now, 40 years later, I realize that the theories of that time are relevant to management today, and I appreciate the importance of the basics.

■The excitement of being able to participate in "town development" and "manufacturing" even in the humanities field

When I started my job search, I wasn't aiming to work for a railway company. I had hoped to work for a trading company, but a visit to my local Keikyu Railway Company towards the end of my search was a turning point.
That's when I learned that railway companies don't just run trains, they also develop towns and cities. People with liberal arts backgrounds can get involved in town development and manufacturing, even if they're not in a manufacturing or technical position. I thought that it was precisely because a railway company is involved in such a diverse range of businesses that I would be able to realize my vision, so I decided to jump into this world. After joining the company, I actually had a long career not in the railway business, but in hotels and management departments. Next year will mark 40 years since I joined the company, but more than half of my time as a salaryman has been in hotel-related work.

■His time as a hotelier, where he continued to interact with customers

Throughout my career, the thing that has had the greatest influence on my current management decisions is undoubtedly my experience in the hotel business, where I was involved for many years. A hotel is a business that provides hospitality itself as a product. "Who are our customers?" "What are they looking for?" "What can we offer them?" If we don't constantly keep these three things in mind, the business won't be viable. While planning weddings and banquets, I sometimes made mistakes and was scolded, but the experience of seeing customers happy with my own plans was irreplaceable.
The same customer-focused approach applies to the railway business. We uncover the latent needs of our customers and consider how to provide value that only Keikyu can provide. Being sensitive to market changes and continuing to face our customers is the foundation of my work, which I developed during my time at the hotel.
Originally, I didn't have any ambition to become a company president. I'm the type of person who likes freedom and not being tied down. But from a young age, I've always been conscious of finding enjoyment in the work in front of me and finding fulfillment in it. Keikyu is a very generous company, and even if you're a bit of a free-spirited person like me, they have a culture that leaves you to do what you want to do. I think that saved my career.

■ Value created through "mobility" and "urban development"

Our business strategy is to combine a "mobility platform" and a "city creation platform" to mutually provide value. If a city is attractive, people will move there, and if transportation is convenient, the city will be revitalized.
Keikyu's business area has a wide variety of faces, from Shinagawa in the city center to the gateway of Haneda Airport, the entertainment and industrial Kawasaki, the business hub of Yokohama, and the naturally rich resort of Miura Peninsula.Recently, the characteristics of the areas along the line have been changing, with the development of a next-generation energy hub in Kawasaki, the formation of an innovation district in Yokohama, and the development of luxury resorts on the Miura Peninsula.
We cannot develop a city by ourselves. This is where co-creation becomes important. We provide a venue where specialized businesses with excellent content and local residents can participate. Through co-creation, we deliver new value to the people living along the line, making them say, "This is Keikyu too!?", and increase the value of the entire line.
As a concrete example, we are developing an area management initiative called "newcal." We want to form communities tailored to the characteristics of each region, and turn stations into places where people gather and new things are born, rather than simply passing through, as gateways to the region. Our goal is to realize the prosperity of the entire area along the railway line through the formation of communities not only in terms of hardware but also in terms of software.

■Message to university students

I want all of you who are about to enter society to have the experience of learning about yourself. We live in a convenient age where information is overflowing and AI is there to support us. You may be afraid of failure and are overprotected to avoid getting hurt. However, once you enter society, you will inevitably encounter situations that you cannot handle on your own. This is why I want you to choose difficult paths and put yourself in harsh environments while you are still a student, and gain the experience of knowing your limits. Knowing how much you can endure will help you protect yourself. And it is precisely by knowing your own weaknesses that you will understand the importance of working together with your peers.
What is needed to survive in the coming era of accelerating change is the ability to perceive change, a spirit of trying without fear of failure, and basic "physical strength as a human being." Enjoy change together with your colleagues and create new value. We at Keikyu look forward to working with people who share this same ambition.

Student Newspaper Online December 1, 2025 Interview by Yuina Yamamoto, 3rd year student at Keio University