RISSHODO

Q.What made you decide to join the company?

Although I was interested in a job related to manufacturing, I was having a hard time finding a company that I wanted to apply for. When I was worried and unable to see my path forward, a teacher at school recommended Risshodo.

I remember seeing the words “Junmai Senbei”, which I often ate at home, and immediately feeling a sense of familiarity as I realized that they were made in a place so close to me. Thinking that this was fate, I immediately applied for a factory tour.

However, it wasn’t just the manufacturing site that struck me during the tour. The employees were very kind and treated me with kindness, even though I was just there to visit. I fell in love with the warm atmosphere of the entire company, and that’s why I’m here today.

Q.What are your current job responsibilities?

I am mainly in charge of the seasoning process to ensure the unchanging deliciousness of our Junmai Senbei.

For example, one of the important tasks is to constantly check whether the oil and salt used to season the rice crackers are coming out of the machine properly. If there is not enough salt, you need to add more and keep working so that the operation does not stop.

In addition, we also “sort” them to see if they are well seasoned, if they are in good shape, etc. When I first joined the company, it was hard for me to judge, but now, with more than five years of experience, I have grown to the point where I can instantly tell if a rice cracker is good or bad.

Currently, I am also in charge of training new employees. I give them guidance with the hope that they will quickly get used to the job, and as a result, I get to see them become able to do things they couldn’t do before, which is actually very rewarding.

Q.Have you ever had any difficulties in your work?

By working on the production line, I feel extremely sorry when the process is stopped because of my mistakes.

Soon after I joined the company, I accidentally put a bowl inside a large baking machine. I remembered thinking, “There’s no place for me here anymore…” when I saw the precious machine breaking down, making an unheard-of noise.

Even though I was like that, thanks to the kind support from those around me, I was able to continue working for more than five years. By taking careful notes of my mistakes and being careful not to make the same mistakes again, the number of mistakes I made gradually decreased.

Q.Please tell us about the atmosphere and environment of the company.

The atmosphere in which one can freely express their opinions even to superiors may be one of the reasons why people want to continue working at Risshodo.

Because I can clearly express my thoughts and then have a discussion, I am often able to accept that “I was wrong this time”. This not only leads to our growth, but also helps us discover ways to work more smoothly. I think that this atmosphere is very important.

In addition, you can generally take regular breaks, and there is almost no overtime work. The newly renovated cafeteria is also beautiful, so I think it’s a great working environment.