The Power of a Sumitomo Corporation Professional Turning Ideas Into Reality – Japan's Young Lions Representative Shows Her Strength

You've been interested in creative activities from a young age. What led you to join Sumitomo Corporation?

Why did you decide to take on the Young Lions Competitions?

Because my work involves media, entertainment content and digital marketing, it felt like a great learning opportunity. I was also interested in global insights and consumer communication.

At integrated trading and business investment companies, business is basically a team sport, and you can't always control when you'll come up to bat. I was looking for a stage to express my own spirit of challenge – and perhaps also feeling the "passing of my twenties."

How did you spend the six months between the domestic competition, which you passed with flying colors, and the finals?

We practiced intensively, especially in the last month before Cannes Lions. Of course, I kept up with my day job, but every evening and weekend went into preparation. Because the Digital category combines digital media platforms, entertainment and technology, I also researched overseas services to come up with ideas.

For the domestic competition I didn't use our company name and entered purely as an individual. But once I was chosen as Japan representative and started getting featured in the media, I decided to "go all the way" – I reported it to the company and mentioned my affiliation with Sumitomo Corporation.

Sumitomo Corporation's Lifestyle Group has been sending employees to observe Cannes Lions since 2023, and support from across the organization – especially from past delegation members – was a huge encouragement.

The finals were a 24-hour sprint. How did you tackle it?

My teammate Okada and I approached the challenge by dividing roles from the moment the brief was announced through to the presentation. I was mainly in charge of understanding the brief, digging deeper into it and determining the axis of evaluation, while Okada focused on generating ideas through individual brainstorming. Then I shortlisted and ranked the ideas, and together we decided and refined the final proposal.

What kind of creative concept did you go with in the end?

What was your biggest takeaway from Cannes Lions?

I realized that the strongest ideas for reaching and involving many people are those you can express "in a single line." On a global stage, regardless of background, people have to understand instantly – that's everything.

I also learned that ideas with "empathy" or "surprise" can, in themselves, create major impact. Careful planning is important, but the gravitational pull of a strong concept matters even more – especially in B2C fields or when addressing other industries.

We were disappointed not to make it onto a shortlist, but it was an invaluable experience encountering so many different values and perspectives.

What impressions did you have of the other countries' teams?

Their presentation skills were out of the park. People would go on stage without preparation and speak confidently – I honestly thought, "We can't match that." The strongest teams – like the UK, Australia and Canada, which won multiple awards – combined humor with overall quality.

Everyone was genuinely committed to addressing social issues, and there was a shared desire to "change the world through the power of creativity." Experiencing that level of passion firsthand was incredibly inspiring.

How did your experience at Sumitomo Corporation contribute to this challenge?

My work experience at Sumitomo Corporation was a major asset in taking on this challenge. In particular, being in an environment where even younger employees can grasp the big picture of management and the industry as a whole became a real strength. The perspective I usually keep in mind – what I call "the dual wheels of creativity and business" – was something that executives in the creative industry were genuinely interested in and attentive to, which was an invaluable experience. It also allowed me to deliver a persuasive presentation that went beyond simply proposing an idea. This meant incorporating feasibility and benefits for stakeholders – a skill I developed thanks to managerial perspective gained at Sumitomo Corporation.

Were there moments during the preliminaries and finals where you felt the unique strengths of Sumitomo Corporation professionals really came through?

I believe our analytical and structural thinking abilities were undoubtedly put to good use. To understand Cannes Lions' evaluation criteria, I analyzed past winners to find common elements and figure out why they were valued. The ability to navigate the rules of an "unknown game" without an instruction manual is exactly like business. In other words, it’s the ability to understand unwritten rules in society and map out a winning strategy.

Another strength was action. To gather information that would help us interpret these unwritten rules, I reached out to past domestic preliminary judges and participants and spent hours listening and learning from them.

That "person-to-person" approach is very much the way integrated trading and business investment company employees operate.

Yes, that's true. In addition, I think my ability to understand the interests of diverse stakeholders was also valuable. At Young Lions Competitions, it's important not only to demonstrate creativity and technical feasibility but also to convincingly show the benefits to all parties involved. In that sense, I feel that my practical experience in the media industry enabled me to propose ideas that were both win-win and highly feasible.

As an aside, while I faced jet lag and some trouble with accommodations on site, hearing stories from colleagues with experience in business trips and being posted overseas helped me handle the situation calmly. It really reinforced for me that integrated trading and business investment company employees excel at "making things work" even in unfamiliar international environments.

What do you see as the significance of developing creativity within an integrated trading and business investment company?

What challenges do you want to take on in the future?

Looking ahead, I want to take what I’ve learned from this experience and share it within the company, while also diving into more creative, hands-on work. I'm not yet sure whether that will entail launching new businesses myself or supporting business development with my expertise.

Do you have a message for anyone thinking about tackling a similar challenge?