Can you tell us about your current role in AJ InterBridge Inc.?
My main responsibility is carrying out regular rounds of our machiya properties, handling maintenance across all facilities, and taking care of the administrative side of things like ordering supplies and arranging repairs. Through daily inspections I build up a detailed picture of each property’s condition, and my core role is keeping everything in a state where guests can feel at ease from the moment they arrive.
I also hold an electrical qualification, which allows me to assess and handle lighting and equipment issues directly on site. As Assistant Manager, I am conscious of supporting the team as a whole, whether that means helping to prioritize tasks, keeping everyone aligned on progress, or making sure things run smoothly day to day.
What interested you about this role?
I came to AJ InterBridge Inc. when I was considering a move to Kyoto. Through my brother, I was introduced to someone already working here, and the role caught my attention straight away. The idea of working hands-on with traditional machiya architecture, and contributing to the kind of environment that makes a stay genuinely comfortable, was something I found very appealing.
What do you keep in mind as you go about your work?
The most important thing for me is listening properly to the people around me. Rather than relying solely on my own judgment, I try to stay open to what colleagues notice and observe on the ground, and to actively take on board ideas that could make things better.
Because this is team-based work, how you treat the people around you and how you communicate matters a great deal. Even when things get demanding, I try to create an atmosphere where people feel that working together is something they enjoy. Building that kind of relationship, where the whole team feels motivated and positive, is something I care about.
What do you find most rewarding about working as part of a team, and is there a moment that stands out?
What I value most about working in a team is that the voices from day-to-day observations from the team are genuinely heard and reflected in how things are done. When ideas are shared, people feel free to speak openly regardless of their position, and that creates a positive energy that I find quite distinctive.
There is no single episode that stands out above the rest, but something I notice regularly is how visibly motivated team members become when one of their suggestions is taken on board. Seeing that shift up close, and knowing it came from a good idea being acted on, is one of the most rewarding parts of leading a team.
What do you find most interesting and satisfying about maintaining and caring for the machiya properties?
What I find most interesting about this work is that it never really has an ending. It is not just about fixing what is broken. There is a process of thinking ahead, imagining the guests who will be staying, and looking for ways to make things better than they were before. That process is where the satisfaction lies.
Day by day, the properties gradually improve and become more comfortable. When that effort comes back to us through guest reviews or direct comments, it makes the meaning of the work very clear. That connection between what we do and how guests experience it is something unique to this role.
How would you describe the atmosphere in your team and workplace?
We make a point of surfacing the issues and improvement ideas that each team member notices, sharing them with management, and actively adopting what works. When people see their input turn into real change, it raises both the sense of ownership and the motivation across the team, and I believe that ultimately shows in the overall quality of our machiya properties.
What skills or challenges are you looking to take on going forward?
Alongside continuing to develop my technical skills on the ground, I want to focus on people development and grow further as a manager. Learning to see the organization from a broader perspective, as a manager would, is a goal I am working toward.
Ultimately I want to bring out the strengths in each team member and build a team that runs reliably even when I am not there. That is what I am aiming for in my next stage as Assistant Manager.