Hiroki Kimoto
The Determination and Resolve to “Make It Here”
I joined Saiki Marine Products over 30 years ago, when I was 19. I still remember the interview with the previous president and the current president. The previous president sometimes showed a stern expression to his subordinates, but at heart, he was a kind person. At the time, Saiki Marine Products was diversifying its business, including wholesale, selling fishing bait, and ice production.
From the moment I joined, I liked Saiki Marine Products, and I had already decided that I wanted to be assigned to the marine products wholesale division. After competing with colleagues, seniors, and rivals, I finally got into my desired department. Even after I was assigned, I worked tirelessly to maintain my position.
After being assigned to the wholesale division, I began traveling across Japan to source marine products such as dried sardines (iriko), dried whitebait (chirimen), and dried fish fillets. On one occasion, while making purchases in Kansai, I was told, “If it’s Saiki Marine Products, we’ll cover it for you.” That moment made me realize how widely the Saiki Marine Products brand was recognized and trusted. It was a turning point when I reaffirmed to myself, “This is where I’ll make my stand.”
However, things were not always smooth sailing for the company or its business. The performance continued to decline, and there was a time when the department head suddenly resigned, leaving only the president and myself as the remaining executives. I was overwhelmed with a sense of urgency, thinking, “Next, it might be my turn to leave,” but at the same time, I felt the intense need to focus all my energy on every decision I made. After discussing with the president, we decided to stop the fishing bait and ice production businesses and concentrate all our resources on the wholesale business. The company, which once had 22 employees when I first joined, had shrunk to just 13.
After about three years of managing the business through focused efforts, the president told me, “You don’t need to attend any more procurement bids. I want you to take charge of expanding into the retail business.” I instinctively felt that this was going to become a core business for Saiki Marine Products in the future. The president entrusted me with the company’s future. I took this responsibility to heart and, for the next 11 years, I was in charge of “Saiki Umi no Ichiba〇,” overseeing the overall development of the store.
A store that only features products capable of winning through their deliciousness.
The products we carry are different from the ones featured in regular TV commercials. Our loyal customers won’t buy something just because it’s “decently good” after a quick taste. They need to be wowed, with something so delicious that it’s “irresistible, you just can’t stop eating it,” before they’re willing to open their wallets. What we can offer to customers who specifically come to Saiki Umi no Ichiba〇, instead of shopping at their local supermarket, is a wide selection of exceptional, one-of-a-kind products that can only be found here.
At our store, manufacturers and producers from all over the country come to pitch their products. It’s only when more than 10 staff members taste a product and agree that it’s “delicious” that it finally makes it onto the shelves. Our product shelves are like a battlefield. I want to showcase this product, and that product, but space is limited. When we add one item, we have to remove another. We always make these decisions with a firm resolve.
Even during business hours, the store has a style born from trial and error. We only neatly arrange products when we first open. For example, if there’s a very popular item and we want various customers to pick it up, will the shelf remain neat and tidy? If the products are slightly disheveled from being handled by customers, that’s actually a sign of popularity. We intentionally avoid making the shelves too perfect.
A person who can persistently overcome each obstacle.
For certain products, I personally stand at the store and directly explain the grilling and eating methods to customers. At one point, the sales of mirin-dried mackerel, which I was personally promoting, surpassed the sales of our main product, dried mackerel fillets. The key to getting customers to make a purchase is, after all, found in the customers themselves. I often tell my staff, “If you have time to tidy up the product shelves, go out and talk to the customers.”
One of the employees once said, “Shouting out won’t increase sales.” I realized that what I thought I had communicated was not getting through at all. In recent years, I began to feel like I had been missing something. There’s nothing we can’t do. I want the younger generation of employees to truly feel this. The communication and vibrant atmosphere that come from engaging with customers will ultimately lead to increased sales.
It’s okay if you don’t remember things quickly. I’ll teach you again, whether it’s two or three times. Even if it takes a longer path, I want you to aim for the goal. With determination, resilience, and kindness, I want you to overcome each obstacle. When producers have to take unsold products back, I want them to feel, “I’m sorry for the leftovers. I’m sorry for taking it back. Tomorrow, I’ll make sure it sells.” That’s the mindset I hope for from the workers and the producers..
I want to make the business of the Michi-no-eki (Roadside Station) a success.
It was sudden when I was entrusted with the role of station master at Michi-no-Eki Yayoi. I was invited to a meeting of the “Yayoi Revitalization Group,” and when I arrived, I saw familiar faces coming to pour drinks. Seeing this, the president surprised me by saying, “Become the station master.” It was unexpected, and at first, I was resistant. I’m not particularly good at managing people. However, the president was adamant and didn’t back down. And so, I was appointed as the station master of Michi-no-Eki Yayoi.
I still intended to continue overseeing Freshness Ichiban and Saiki Umi no Ichiba〇. But I knew that simply giving instructions without being on-site didn’t suit me. I understood that doing so wouldn’t improve performance. I wanted to be with the people on the ground, feeling both successes and failures together, and lead them to the goal. This has been my approach to work so far. Saiki Umi no Ichiba〇 took 11 years of painstaking effort to build from the ground up. Although I felt torn, I decided to hand over the responsibility to my successor.
Michi-no-Eki Yayoi is operated by Saiki Marine Products as the designated manager. We do not manage everything with a profit-driven motive; instead, it is supported by the local government, meaning it is funded by the taxes of citizens. Our immediate goal is to stop relying on subsidies and create a system where we can operate independently. In the Oita area, there are at most only two or three roadside stations that generate satisfactory profits. This is why we are determined to grow Michi-no-Eki Yayoi within five years into a station that can generate sufficient profits without any subsidies. With this goal in mind, we are working hard every day alongside our employees.
