As a disabled employee, I was surprised by the company’s free and proactive corporate culture.

After graduating from university, and while working as a general affairs manager, I became visually impaired. I had to work with a handicap that blurred my vision and made it difficult for me to see my feet. At that time, SEGA was hiring for general affairs positions for people with disabilities. I had been familiar with the company since I was a child, so I thought it was fate and I applied for the position, which led to my employment.

Shortly after I joined the company, I had a memorable experience. When I asked my boss a question, he asked me, “What do you think?” Up until then, I had thought that if I didn’t understand something, I should ask someone to explain it to me, but this experience made me realize that it was important to think for yourself first because even if you are wrong, you can always ask questions, take note, and correct yourself. This is the attitude I still keep in mind today. Another thing that surprised me was that the people in the company called their superiors and managers by “san-zuke.” I think it is a very good culture to be close to your superiors. How you dress is also left to your discretion; I usually work in fairly casual clothes.

Aiming for “what it should be,” taking into account the differences in the way of thinking and the culture of each company.

The employees at SEGA SAMMY Holdings, where I currently work, are from various backgrounds, including those from SEGA, Sammy, and SEGA SAMMY Holdings, as well as people from group companies. Naturally, each company has a different environment, culture, and way of working, as well as their own way of thinking. In such a situation, it is both difficult and important for us, the General Affairs staff, to find a way to coordinate them and establish rules. For example, each company has its own way of filling in the details of internal application forms, so we have to make adjustments to unify them.

In such cases, we do not unilaterally impose “this way.” While conveying the general affairs policy to each company, we listen to the opinions of those who are running the business and find the right balance. What is important is to find out what the “ideal” situation would be. After clarifying the basis for our decisions, we try to unify and standardize them into a good format.

People with and without disabilities. What I can do because I understand the feelings of both parties.

I always place importance on “understanding” and “empathy.” Since my disability was acquired rather than being congenital, I can understand the feelings of people with or without disabilities. For example, I would like to make use of this to ask people with disabilities what they are struggling with, and to ask able-bodied people what they don’t understand about working with people with disabilities, so that we can create a comfortable working environment. Among the different types of people with disabilities, some are like me and talk openly and some do not. However, it is easier to work if you understand what parts you can do and what parts you can’t do, which can only be communicated by the people involved. For this reason, it is important to have communication that deepens mutual understanding.

Because SEGA SAMMY has a wide variety of employees and a free and friendly corporate culture, I believe that the concept of “it’s good to have all kinds of people” will spread further in the future.

Message to students and those who want to join our company

Whether it is in your job hunting activities or in your daily life, I encourage you to make contact with a variety of people and talk about yourself. This is a good way to expand your own world, and at the same time, expand the world of others. The two worlds may not always intersect, and you may never work with the person you talked to, but the contact itself is meaningful. “Making Life More Colorful” is in our group mission and I believe that as each of us expands our world, society as a whole will truly become more colorful.