Since I moved from Fukuoka to Tokyo, I feel that the speed of my work has changed. In regional cities, there are many branch offices, so there was often a week-long lag in negotiations and business negotiations because I had to check with the head office. In Tokyo, the headquarters of major companies are concentrated, so the speed at which internal agreements are reached is faster and business can be conducted more efficiently. The environment is conducive to taking on new challenges, and my work is becoming more and more interesting.
Tokyo has a network of subways, buses, and other transportation systems that make it easy and convenient to get around. Since I became a manager, I have been making more business trips to stores located near the Kanto region and across the country, so it is great to have quick access to airports and major terminal stations from the headquarters in Ueno, Taito-ku.

Taito-ku, where my workplace is located, is one of the areas in Tokyo with many retro cityscapes and long-established restaurants. Although I had fewer opportunities to eat out due to the Corona disaster, there were always plenty of Japanese restaurants such as soba, sushi, tempura, etc., which made my lunch time more fulfilling.
Since I recently moved near my office, I often take a walk around Asakusa on my days off. On the Nakamise Street in front of Sensoji Temple, there are many traditional handicrafts and food stalls. At Aishodo, products with a "Japanese" flavor, such as maiko masks and Sakura series basic cosmetics, are very popular, so I also check the trends in the design of Japanese accessories and Japanese sweets, and use them as a reference for marketing.

Since my days in Fukuoka, I have always nurtured the stores I am in charge of to become number one in sales. The most important thing in a sales job is to develop human resources. I have taught them all the skills I have, including product knowledge, how to talk, and how to care for customers. The joy of working in sales is that you gain self-confidence through serving customers and learning. I have tried to pass on this joy to my staff. Since I became the sales and human resources manager, I have proposed many sales promotion campaign plans related to the high season for tourism. The president has a strong spirit of challenge, so I was able to implement most of the plans and contribute to increasing sales.
As a salesperson, it is important to have absolute confidence in the products you handle. All of Aishodo's cosmetics and health foods are made in Japan, and we are particular about the ingredients and manufacturing process. I use the products myself and recommend them to my family. Chinese and other foreign tourists have a high level of trust in MADE IN JAPAN, and our products are characterized by a large number of repeat customers. When I was working at a duty-free store in Fukuoka, we used to receive as many as 4,000 Chinese tourists on a typical day, and 20 sales staff members were in charge of serving them. Chinese tourists have a lot of questions and requests, and I think the results of my efforts to introduce products that fit their needs are reflected in the repeat customer rate. I like to communicate with people, so even though I was busy, I enjoyed it. I have worked hard every day to make our customers happy by making them beautiful.

Last year, I was appointed as the sales manager and was supposed to be involved in a lot of store development, but since the number of foreign tourists plummeted due to the Corona disaster, I am now focusing on strengthening our e-commerce site for the Chinese market in cooperation with a Chinese IT company. The highly rated comments from customers who have purchased our products in Japan and become our fans have served as a catalyst for us to grow into a brand that is well known in mainland China. The trust and popularity of Japanese products is not limited to China, but is shared by people all over the world, and we hope to enhance our e-commerce site to make Aishodo a global brand.
In the sales field, I was mainly dealing with tourists, but after I became a manager, I had to negotiate and make presentations to Japanese managers and businessmen more often, and the first year was tough. I often made mistakes and regretted them, such as not understanding the unique Japanese business manners or not being able to speak. Each time, I was helped by the president and my colleagues, and I overcame these difficulties by studying hard myself. I am grateful that I am the person I am today, having grown up, because of that difficult year.
In order to realize your dream of working in Tokyo, it is important not to set limits to your potential. It may be difficult to get everything right the first time, but I have learned from my own work experience in Japan that as long as you are willing to keep learning, you will definitely succeed. You only live once, and there is no time to stop and think. Believe in your own potential and move forward one step at a time.