Noboru Ichihara

NOBORU ICHIHARA

Inspection Department ／ Year joined: 2004

I feel we are a unique
company even on a
global level, that is truly
the number one in the world.

Tell us what prompted you to join the company.

I had worked for a trading company and a food company, but I had always been interested in local knife manufacturing, so I decided to change jobs.

Tell us about your work.

My job is to use a microscope to check whether there are any flaws in product quality.

Tell us what you find exciting, fun and motivating about your job.

In the early days, I worked through the night for every shipment. Producing 30,000 knives a month was beyond our dreams. But within only one or two years after I joined, we achieved that goal. It made me extremely happy. We did not have as much equipment as we do now and had less than half the number of people as we do now. It was a great achievement (laughing).
I still think of that time fondly.

Tell us about your future goal.

Our Shun brand is highly recognized and evaluated overseas, but not so much yet in Japan. I hope we can raise our brand recognition in Japan. I want us to maintain the world’s number-one quality and continue to evolve, so that we will never be number two.

Do you have any message to people who are considering joining the company?

We are truly a company that is making the number one products in the world. I do not think, even on a global level, there are many companies that can be called the number one. Personally, you would fit in well if you are very forward type, almost to the point of being mischievous. So please appeal yourself to us assertively. We look forward to working with you!