{"id":309,"date":"2024-03-11T13:45:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-11T04:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/km.lne.st\/?post_type=contents&p=309"},"modified":"2026-03-09T09:47:45","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T00:47:45","slug":"kobashi-nakatani-ikeda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/km.lne.st\/en\/2024\/03\/11\/kobashi-nakatani-ikeda\/","title":{"rendered":"KOBASHI Group] The Evolution of Local Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises through the Shift to Knowledge Manufacturing \/ A Fusion of Philosophy, Speed, History, and Innovation. The \"way of seeing things\" has completely changed."},"content":{"rendered":"

Top management\u2019s decision-making is essential for organizational change. However, without the efforts of the employees on the front lines, the organization cannot truly change. An agricultural machinery manufacturer founded in 1910,Kobashi Industries<\/a>based in Okayama, a subsidiary ofKOBASHI Group<\/a>Since Shojiro Kobashi, the fourth-generation president, took office in 2016, the company has continued to launch a series of initiatives that are redefining the image of regional small and medium-sized enterprises. So how do KOBASHI\u2019s employees perceive this shift within their company, how have they responded, and how have they ultimately changed as a result? Two homegrown employees working on the front lines of this transformation shared their candid thoughts with one another.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u2192The KOBASHI Group's \"CEO \u00d7 Next Generation Dialogue\" isthis way (direction close to the speaker or towards the speaker)<\/a><\/strong>
\u2192The KOBASHI Group's \"Mid-Career Hires\" isthis way (direction close to the speaker or towards the speaker)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n\r\n
\r\n
\"\"<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n

Executive Officer, Development Department, Kobashi Industries, Inc.<\/strong>\u3000Mr. Kiminori Nakatani <\/strong>
He joined Kobashi Industries, Ltd. as a new graduate in 2000 and, as an engineer, developed numerous new agricultural machinery products, such as cultivator tines and rotary tillers. In 2018, he joined the Tokyo Research Laboratory and subsequently served as Director of the President\u2019s Office at KOBASHI HOLDINGS, Inc. In 2020, he participated in the launch of KOBASHI ROBOTICS Co., Ltd. and subsequently served as General Manager of the Manufacturing Support Department. In 2022, he was appointed Executive Officer of the Development Department at Kobashi Industries, where he is engaged in the development of new agricultural machinery products.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n
\"\"<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n

KOBASHI ROBOTICS, Inc., Knowledge Production Department, Specialist<\/strong>\u3000Mr. Koji Ikeda <\/strong>
In 1998, he joined Kobashi Industries Co., Ltd. as a new graduate and, as an engineer, developed numerous technologies that were firsts in the agricultural industry. He gained experience in product planning, proof-of-concept development, mass-production development, mass production, and sales support for products such as automatic ridge-forming machines, vegetable harvesters, and wireless remote controls with voice guidance. He has also received an invention award. In 2018, I joined the Tokyo Research Laboratory and subsequently assumed my current position as a Specialist in the Knowledge Manufacturing Department at KOBASHI ROBOTICS Co., Ltd. I am engaged in startup support activities, including core technology development, mass-production design, cost reduction, and assembly.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Every action we take each day is connected to \"cultivating the Earth.\"<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Ikeda<\/strong>Mr. Nakatani and I both joined the company as new graduates a few years apart, and we\u2019ve now been with the company for over 20 years. We also share a career path, having both worked in the Development Department as designers the entire time. In 2018, we were assigned to the Tokyo Research Laboratory\u2014a research and development hub established within the \u201cCenter of Garage,\u201d an incubation facility operated by Ribboness\u2014 There, we worked to solve challenges facing the agricultural sector while collaborating with manufacturing startups from around the world and small local factories across Japan. We were also assigned to the Tokyo Research Institute\u2014a research and development hub established in 2018\u2014and together took on the challenge of \u201czero-to-one\u201d manufacturing, a departure from Kobashi Industries\u2019 traditional approach.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Nakatani<\/strong>Both were founded in 2020.KOBASHI ROBOTICS<\/a>You\u2019re also one of the founding members of ROBOTICS, Inc. (hereinafter \u201cROBOTICS\u201d; the company provides a next-generation manufacturing platform service that comprehensively supports every stage of the manufacturing process\u2014from prototyping and development to mass production and maintenance\u2014using the expertise and resources KOBASHI has cultivated as a manufacturer). After that, Mr. Ikeda remained at ROBOTICS, while I returned to the Development Department.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Ikeda<\/strong>We\u2019ve both gone through some truly dizzying changes over the past few years, haven\u2019t we?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Nakatani<\/strong>I feel like I\u2019ve become a completely different person from who I used to be. It\u2019s that feeling of running full steam ahead and then realizing, \u201cBefore I knew it, I\u2019d changed.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Ikeda<\/strong>It\u2019s exactly the same. If I had to name one specific catalyst, it would be the current president taking office. The strong message that \u201cwhile preserving our history is important, we must change for the sake of the future\u201d has really taken root throughout the entire company.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Nakatani<\/strong>The symbol of this is the philosophy of \u201ccultivating the Earth.\u201d Before it was redefined, the phrase \u201creplacing manual labor by farmers with machinery\u201d was so directly tied to our day-to-day operations that, to be honest, we didn\u2019t really think deeply about its meaning. However, since switching to our current philosophy, I\u2019ve found myself reflecting on it repeatedly in everything I do. That\u2019s because, even though I understand the importance of the \u201cCultivating the Earth\u201d philosophy, translating it into concrete work is truly difficult\u2014and there\u2019s no single, clear-cut answer. Now, I constantly ask myself, \u201cIs this project truly \u2018Cultivating the Earth\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Ikeda<\/strong>\u3000I, too, find that my daily actions are naturally guided by our mission statement. For example, even when I\u2019m looking for information, I unconsciously adopt the perspective of asking, \u201cWill this help solve the Earth\u2019s problems?\u201d I feel that this redefined mission statement has changed my behavior and broadened my perspective.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Nakatani<\/strong>\u3000That\u2019s right. Since it\u2019s a phrase that can be interpreted in many ways, it took me a while to fully grasp what it meant\u2014to think, \u201cOh, I see\u2014that\u2019s what it\u2019s about\u201d\u2014but my perspective has definitely changed. I think the same is true for the company as a whole. As proof of that, when I interact with people from other companies at industry association meetings, I find myself thinking, \u201cAh, that\u2019s how it used to be,\u201d or \u201cWe were thinking about agriculture, but we weren\u2019t thinking about the planet.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Ikeda<\/strong>\u3000I think I understand. Not that what I did before was wrong, though.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Nakatani<\/strong>\u3000As our philosophy changed, so did my perspective. My approach to work shifted through my experiences at the Tokyo Research Laboratory and in the ROBOTICS division, and startups became part of my daily interactions. As my horizons gradually broadened in this way, I found that\u2014before I even realized it\u2014I had developed a completely different \u201cway of seeing things\u201d than before. Although the extent varies from person to person, this same transformation is happening to every employee at KOBASHI today. Since the company name and our business operations remain essentially the same, it may not appear to have changed much from the outside, but in reality, the mindset of every employee has shifted. It has truly become a completely different company from what it used to be.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Let's rediscover the mindset of exploring challenges from scratch<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Nakatani<\/strong>\u3000Aside from redefining our philosophy, what really left a strong impression on me was, of course, the Tokyo Research Institute. With the support of Ribane, those were a few years during which we threw ourselves wholeheartedly into a project to \u201cbuild something from scratch,\u201d including collaborations with manufacturing startups.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Ikeda<\/strong>\u3000The most striking difference, by far, was the sense of speed. Up until then, my approach had been to \u201csolidify my ideas before moving forward with development,\u201d but at the Tokyo Research Laboratory, the expectation was to \u201cthink as you go, just build it, and get things moving as quickly as possible.\u201d It was truly eye-opening.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Nakatani<\/strong>\u3000I was also surprised by the difference in our perceptions regarding startups. From our perspective, \u201csafety first in manufacturing\u201d is common sense. For startups, however, that\u2019s not necessarily the case\u2014because they\u2019re in a phase where speed is the top priority. That was both a shock and a fresh learning experience. It was only by stepping outside of KOBASHI that we were able to gain so many insights into both our weaknesses and our strengths.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Ikeda<\/strong>\u3000I feel that our past hit products were born precisely because we explored user challenges from scratch. KOBASHI used to have several such products, and they have become the industry standard today. To create our next hit product, I believe we need to once again \u201cexplore challenges from scratch.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n
\"\"\r\n
Since its founding in 1910, KOBASHI has consistently made solving social issues the focus of its business.<\/figcaption>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n

Nakatani<\/strong>\u3000To begin with, the development and design processes\u2014especially in the early phases\u2014have an aspect where \u201cit\u2019s all about churning out results.\u201d After working at the Tokyo Research Laboratory and ROBOTICS, when I returned to lead the Development Department, the first thing I did was get the team to shift their mindset and understand the importance of speed. However, I couldn\u2019t simply impose the perspective I\u2019d cultivated through my experiences outside the company directly on the organization. I proceeded by carefully striking a balance, always mindful that my assumptions differed from those of my team members. As a result, it\u2019s true that, unfortunately, some people were unable to keep up with the changes. Overall, though, I feel that the number of team members who can think proactively has increased significantly.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Ikeda<\/strong>\u3000On the other hand, ROBOTICS\u2014the division I belong to\u2014is an organization within the group specifically dedicated to embodying the new philosophy of \u201ccultivating the Earth,\u201d and it has more new hires than long-time employees. Because they\u2019re so eager to reshape KOBASHI based on their past experiences, I, as a long-time employee, find myself completely outnumbered (laughs). I share that passion, but at the same time, KOBASHI has cultivated many strengths, a unique culture, established systems, and many positive aspects over the years. I see my role as preserving those while blending our history with innovation. For better or worse, clashes of values are bound to happen, and it\u2019s true that there\u2019s always some internal conflict. Even so, I want to use that very conflict to create new value and new knowledge.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Nakatani<\/strong>\u3000Organizational transformation isn\u2019t as simple as \u201cjust making changes,\u201d is it? Even so, I\u2019m convinced that KOBASHI can pull it off. Earlier, I mentioned that we \u201clearned the importance of speed from scratch,\u201d but even in the past, we moved quickly as long as the challenge was clear. After all, we\u2019re a company that has spent 100 years building up the \u201cmanufacturing prowess\u201d to rapidly iterate through trial and error. And this time, too, we face a challenge that is, in a sense, clear: \u201cWe must change.\u201d We should be able to move with a sense of urgency to resolve this.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Ikeda<\/strong>\u3000Exactly. To put it another way, we have a tremendous sense of unity. It\u2019s a sense of connection that cuts across the entire organization\u2014a sense of togetherness, or perhaps a shared purpose. And thankfully, our external partners also understand this and are supporting us. I truly believe that\u2019s a major strength.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Nakatani<\/strong>\u3000Yes, there\u2019s a strong sense of unity at KOBASHI, including our partner companies. Moving forward, let\u2019s work together as one to tackle the major challenge of \u201ccultivating the Earth.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Ikeda<\/strong>Yeah, let's do it!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u7d44\u7e54\u5909\u9769\u306b\u30c8\u30c3\u30d7\u306e\u6c7a\u65ad\u306f\u4e0d\u53ef\u6b20\u3060\u3002\u3057\u304b\u3057\u540c\u69d8\u306b\u3001\u73fe\u5834\u3092\u52d5\u304b\u3059\u793e\u54e1\u306e\u529b\u304c\u306a\u3051\u308c\u3070\u3001\u7d44\u7e54\u304c\u5b9f\u969b\u306b\u5909\u308f\u308b\u3053\u3068\u306f\u3042\u308a\u3048\u306a\u3044\u30021910\u5e74\u5275\u696d\u306e\u8fb2\u696d\u6a5f\u68b0\u30e1\u30fc\u30ab\u30fc\u30fb\u5c0f\u6a4b\u5de5\u696d\u3092\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":9021,"featured_media":313,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-309","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interview"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t