Working To Improve Quality of Life for Pets and Their Owners – Finding Her Groove After 18 Months With the Company as a New Graduate

Today I'm having the daily set meal at Nikutomo in Nihonbashi, Tokyo. Our company cafeteria offers great value and convenience, and I often eat there, but sometimes I like to venture into the Nihonbashi area within walking distance of the office and find a new, delicious lunch. Today I was planning to splurge a little and have the roast beef bowl – this restaurant's specialty – but I changed my mind when I saw the grilled chicken set meal as the daily set offering.
I am a bit of a foodie, but I often decide what to eat on the spot. Since the balance of my diet inevitably gets thrown off when I have plans for the evening, I’ve been trying to balance my meals across the day. The salad that comes with the set meal at Nikutomo is large, full of vegetables and very satisfying!

During my first year with the company, I was involved in new business development, focusing on the insect-derived protein business in marine feed and pet food. This initiative aims to utilize insect-derived proteins as feed for fish and livestock. Insects are attracting attention as alternative, next-generation protein sources because of their low environmental impact relative to other protein sources in terms of production. Here I was able to gain experience in what might be termed a genuine "sales position," calling and e-mailing a wide variety of customers, from manufacturers and aquaculture companies to restaurants, and introducing them to our products.

Now, in my second year with the company, besides supervising the operations of companies in China, I am working hard to develop and market healthcare products for pets in cooperation with a domestic skincare product manufacturer. Stress in pets can be directly related to stress levels in their owners, and through this project we hope to improve the quality of life for anyone who lives with pets. We also hope to contribute to society by distributing samples of products in development at animal shelter events where members of our unit volunteer, and by educating the public about pet health.

I think it was when we began to see progress on the development of a new product I'm currently in charge of. When I first joined the company, I often had trouble understanding how to proceed with new projects and had to rely on my supervisor, but gradually I realized I was in charge and took responsibility for driving projects forward. I've learned that sharing even what may seem like trivial opinions and suggestions with collaborators helps us find ways to push a project forward.

In addition to my work, as mentioned I participate in events organized by a cat and dog shelter that aims to eliminate the killing of unwanted animals. Since pets are not permitted in the company dormitory where I live, being able to interact with animals alongside my Sumitomo Corporation coworkers is one of my greatest pleasures.

I like music and have many hobbies, including going to concerts and festivals, and taking long drives. Basically, I like to dabble in lots of different things. I recently started playing golf and find the chance to go fairly often. Working in the city, I don't get out in nature enough, so I feel that golf kind of kills two birds with one stone, allowing me to exercise in a pleasant environment surrounded by lush greenery. When I can take a longer vacation, I sometimes travel abroad: in my first year with the company, I went to Thailand, Morocco and France. I hope to travel to more countries for work in the future.