Japan’s first big success in the post-war recovery and then in the world, was in heavy industries such as steel and shipbuilding, followed by manufacturing, especially automobiles and electronics. Even today, some manufacturing companies such as Toyota are still competing for global supremacy, but the majority of companies have lost their presence over the past 20 to 30 years. In the manufacturing of electrical equipment, it is said that digitalization has caused the loss of the technological superiority of Japanese companies. Also, in the field of smartphones, which are rapidly expanding all over the world, Japanese companies have fallen behind the US, Korea and China. This is an event that Japanese people, including myself, do not like to admit, but it seems that Japanese companies have lost their competitive edge due to the rapid growth of manufacturing in Korea and China. The global market is larger than it was in the 80’s and 90’s when Japanese companies had their presence in the world. Unfortunately, Japanese companies have not been able to create new value.

I believe that the most important thing for the continuous development of a company is the creation of new value. In a situation where the speed of change is frighteningly fast, businesses with low barriers to entry will instantly become unprofitable due to competition. Also, it is difficult to make the same kind of profit if you start a business by copying a profitable business that other companies are already doing. I believe that the basic principle of business is to create value by doing something that others have not done before. There are many examples of successful businesses that are not only completely new businesses that have never existed before, but also businesses that are reworkings of existing businesses with Columbus’ egg-like innovations.

The second thing that is necessary for the growth of a company is to build an absolute circle of trust with business partners and suppliers. Many business owners often talk about trust, but in reality, there are many business owners who act in a selfish way that is far from trustworthy. I believe that one of the joys and pleasures of business is to have a group of people who truly trust each other and complement each other in order to grow together. By expanding this circle of trust, we hope to build a strong company.

Another important thing is not to do any business that will cause trouble to people or society. We will never get involved in a business that will cause trouble to others just because it seems to generate short-term profits. I think we should make good or bad business decisions before making a profit. I believe that we should only invest in businesses that are good for the seller, good for the buyer, and good for the world.

Finally, in order to increase the value of a company, I think it is important to contribute to society as a mission of a company. Our first priority is to create businesses that contribute to society for the benefit of Japan. We will focus on the important things for the bright future of Japan, such as supporting the education of children who will carry the future on their shoulders, supporting researchers who support Japan as a country of technology, and supporting young entrepreneurs. In addition to these activities, we will continue to be actively involved in activities overseas that we believe will be of benefit to society.

I would like to ask for your continued support and guidance, and I look forward to working with you at Rising Sun Traders.