Emika Nakata focuses on creating an environment that maximizes the company’s “human” potential to fulfill the Tajima Group’s vision. Through open dialogue, she connects employees with management, serving as a bridge. By shaping Tajima’s corporate culture, she lays the groundwork for its ambition to be “the world’s No. 1 embroidery company.” We spoke with her about her daily efforts and approach to this important role.
Creating a Cycle Where People and the Company Grow Together
Ms. Nakata began her career at a major automotive manufacturer but took a career break to focus on her family after getting married and having a child. When she reentered the workforce, she started as a writer for job advertisements and gradually took on management responsibilities. Over time, she built a versatile career spanning multiple industries, discovering her strengths in strategic planning and managing people and organizations. This experience led her to play a pivotal role in implementing wide-ranging reforms in human resources and corporate culture.
She joined the Tajima Group in 2024 and has since focused on advancing employees’ career development, enhancing engagement, and fostering a corporate culture rooted in the company’s philosophy. “I want to unlock the limitless potential of each individual and create a cycle where both individuals and the company grow together,” she says.
Building a Foundation to Be the World’s Best
The Tajima Group’s vision is “surprising and inspiring customers around the world.” Achieving this goal requires both the company and its employees to align their perspectives and share the same vision. Ms. Nakata emphasizes her desire for every Tajima Group employee to feel that working for the company supports their personal life ideals and self-actualization. She also strives to ensure they experience a sense of fulfillment in their work.
Since joining the company, she has held one-on-one meetings with many employees, focusing her energies on getting to know the employees as “people.” Says Ms. Nakata, “Having a conversation provides a deeper understanding of how the individual perceives things and what their feelings are. This allows us to develop a human resources strategy with a grasp of the organization’s feelings that are not visible using surveys alone.”
At times, a gap develops between the vision outlined by management and the image held by the employees. Ms. Nakata believes that resolving such differences is another important role for the Human Resources Division. “I use these opportunities for dialogue to convey management’s expectations to employees,” she explains. “I want to serve as a bridge that connects workers and management.”
Making the Company an Exciting Place to Work
Ms. Nakata says that in order to have the company be a “platform for making dreams come true” for each employee, it is extremely important to align the company’s vision with the individual’s life vision and have employees be able to act independently. Creating a highly engaging environment where employees can work with excitement and enjoyment is a major step towards fulfilling both the company’s and the individual’s visions.
To further strengthen the symbiotic relationship between the organization and its employees, we will involve staff from each division in shaping organizational and human resource development, offering comprehensive (accompanying) support throughout the “company-wide innovation activities.” These initiatives, in which employees drive the future, aim to boost self-motivation at both the individual and organizational levels, while establishing a foundation to sustain business and organizational growth in any environment.
“By faithfully executing corporate branding based on our corporate philosophy, we are sure to become the world’s No. 1 embroidery company,” says Ms. Nakata, who envisions this future as she takes on the mission of laying the groundwork for both the employees and the organization.
Executive Officer Human Resources Department / Emika Nakata
Joined in 2024
Ms. Nakata’s experience includes positions as an executive secretary for a major automobile manufacturer, working in hospitality promotion for a major hotel business, rebranding a major telecommunications firm, development secretary and introducing ISO at a manufacturing company, supervising operations at a food and beverage service company, and serving as a director of a civil engineering logistics company.
Since joining the Tajima Group, she has been dedicated to realizing its vision through an integrated approach to organizational and human resource development.
