Although I studied robotics in my undergraduate years, I chose a medical image processing laboratory when I moved on to a graduate course since I wanted to pursue something new. I then joined Ricoh on an offer by an alumnus of the laboratory. I was to work in development of software application for the optical filing systems of medical imaging. The project had just started and since then I have had many chances to take part in new business development.

An advanced level of security is required in the medical field because personal information is involved. But at the time we had no engineer specializing in security around our project. So a senior colleague and I decided to work on this on our own. As I grew more involved in the security technology, the people around me began thinking that I was a security expert. As I always wanted to challenge myself in new areas, I thought of this as an opportunity. Sometime later, I was transferred to the research laboratory and started research on applying the security technologies to electronic document management systems for general-purpose. The research involved a system that ensures the originality of data, which in 2000 was commercialized as “TrustyCabinet.”

At that time, there was no product in the market that guaranteed the originality of electronic documents, which can be duplicated or falsified easily. In contrast to the enthusiasm of our research team, the people at the company seemed skeptical about developing a new business from this kind of product. Looking back, I can see that we failed to present persuasive arguments about operational profitability and customer value. But we continued making proposals to relevant departments, and finally a planning division manager decided to support us because we were so serious about the project. He said, “We’re not sure about the immediate profitability of the business, but there are some companies who might be interested in this technology and become partners. So maybe there“s potential.” We then made numerous visits to customers and companies with potential interest so we could explain the technologies while working on product development. Feedback from these visits was reflected in the product and I learned a great deal from the experience. I really appreciate the manager and people in charge who made it possible.

After that, I gained more confidence about my security technology specialty, through obtaining a security certificate for our products in line with ISO15408, international standards for information security, and developing the product called “Ridoc Policy Base,” for protection of confidential documents. On the other hand, I started to become somewhat unsure about continuing to concentrate all my efforts on security technologies alone. In the back of my mind I had a continuing desire to challenge myself in a new area if I had the chance.

The turning point came unexpectedly. I was being interviewed during the exam for promotion to management, and I put forward the achievements in the security area. A director then asked me what other skills I had obtained besides security. I felt as if that director had seen through the uncertainty in my mind. This was in my 10th year after joining Ricoh.

But this did not mean that I found a solution right away. It was around this time that I visited Ricoh Innovations Inc. (RII) in Silicon Valley, and learned about a very interesting research activity going on there. It was called “customer research,” which tries to develop products by identifying customers’potential needs while observing their business activities.

Up to that point, I had continued with research and development work to develop products that fill the gap between an ideal state for the customer and actual situations. At RII I learned that customers know what they need. They are just not aware of the needs, and our role is bringing out those needs and developing products accordingly. When I learned about this approach to research and development I felt that I had seen the light. As soon as I returned to Japan, I proposed to my senior manager that similar activities also be pursued in Japan. Things developed quickly thereafter. A dedicated team was organized to start taking these new approaches to research and development, referring to the RII method.

In 2008, I was transferred to my current position when the R&D division was reorganized. I am again engaged in a new area. Our mission is to conduct market surveys, evaluation and analyses with a vision for desirable directions that Ricoh can pursue in the future, and create products, systems and services that offer new value. At the outset, everyone around us said we should present businesses that would be Ricoh’s mainstays in the future, and this made me tense. But recently I finally learned to put the pressure aside (laughter). We just finalized the concept and a plan for product development. That would be a market-creating-type product which could innovate the work styles of our customers. I am confident this big project would be a success because there are many reliable members in the project and managers who support us. Each time I have found myself in a deadlock I have been helped by the people around me and been able to keep going. These colleagues are my most important assets.

I think Ricoh is an excellent working environment. But we should not let this situation spoil us. Ricoh has given me many opportunities. I need to positively capitalize on these, and if I make upmost efforts the people around me will give me their cooperation. With this cooperation I naturally feel more and more motivated, and I can maintain my determination to overcome difficulties. This is a part of the corporate culture at Ricoh. Maybe I just get flattered and encouraged (laughter). This is an ideal workplace for someone like me, who wants to take challenges in new areas and exploit opportunities by making efforts. This lets me continue to develop myself.