Kento Kashiwagi

KENTO KASHIWAGI

Development Department ／ Year joined: 2009

Study all your life and
be in your prime all
of your life
The workplace always has
something new. It is fun
and exciting.

Tell us what prompted you to join the company.

It all began when I became fascinated by the craftsmanship I saw at the Knife Festival in Seki.
There are many automated processes, but ultimately it was the craftsmen’s manual work that attracted me to this industry.

Tell us about your work.

I am an operator of an automatic grinder. I am responsible for installation and data creation. My work involves 3D modeling and predictions, such as how actual materials might differ.

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

I was part of the work that received an award overseas. It made me proud of our work and I was very happy. I find my current work environment rewarding because I can try many new things, including our current equipment. The entire workplace changes almost every six months. The work environment is exciting, because it is always changing, with leading technologies and craftsmanship working in synergy.

Tell us about your future goal.

I want us to actively introduce new technologies into our work. My dream is, by 10 years’ time, to buy a company that has no successors, because in the knife industry the aging of managers and lack of successors are serious issues. I then want to make the company Ono Knife’s second factory and direct it (laughing).

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

Mitsuo Aida famously said “Study all your life and be in your prime all of your life”. To be in your prime all of your life, you need a flexible mind. In other words, you need something to immerse yourself in. If you share this kind of view, this will be a great workplace for you.