When you say Narita, many people probably think of Naritasan Shinshoji Temple, but it is not the only thing to see. In Narita, there are many people who provide hospitality to visitors, and I would like you to know about them. Here, we will introduce them to you as “People of Narita”!
Our guest this time is Toshihiko Ishihara, CEO of Housei Kohgyo Co., Ltd. The company has relocated its headquarters to Narita and is promoting a "cheering culture". We spoke with him in detail about his activities in Narita and the unique attractions of Narita.
ーI would like to ask you briefly about your work.ー
In a nutshell, I do all kinds of work related to social infrastructure.
In the big picture, we are in the construction industry, but we are not in the middle of the construction industry, I do cement and concrete testing for building materials in the area, building maintenance, building management, building repair, and inspection and investigation of bridges and tunnels. Last year we began repair work on an aging bridge.
ーPlease tell us about your career to date.ー
I was born in Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture, and my father was a transferee, so I went to three elementary schools. It's a little sad that I don't have any childhood friends(laughs).
When I entered junior high school, I moved back to Kawagoe, Saitama, and stayed there until my senior year of high school. I went to college with relatives in Tokyo, and in 2000, I graduated from college and started working in Ibaraki.
I was employed by Hitachi Construction Machinery, a company that made excavators, and for seven years I worked in the research department and production engineering, installing equipment onsite and changing the layout of equipment.
In 2007, the founder of Hosei Kohgyo, my wife's father, became ill and was expected to die in three years. From there, I thought, well, it looks interesting, so I decided to do it. Four years later, the predecessor passed away, so I became president in 2011 and have been in this position ever since.
ーWhat kind of activities are you involved in at Narita?ー
It has been about five years since we started trying to create "cheering culture" where everyone supports each other, and since our employees have come to work energetically and happily as a result, I think it would be great if we could expand the circle of people who enjoy working through such activities and have fun in both their private and professional lives. I want to increase the number of energetic adults (laughs).
ーDo you feel that Narita is uniquely attractive?ー
What I like about it is that when I go to bars, I see people from all over the world, and compared to other towns, the bars are very active (laughs). I think that's the great appeal of showing up at such places and interacting with all kinds of people.
I also think the accounting system is attractive. In Narita, there are some bars that charge in advance. It's like that in foreign countries.People who want to drink do so, and those who want to treat, treat (laughs). I think that kind of culture is great.
ーThere are some restaurants that only allow foreigners in.ー
I see. That kind of restaurant is also typical of Narita.
ーDo you have any other personal favorite spots?ー
I like OLIVETO. They serve good wine.
Also, Naritasan. When I am staying at the Center Hotel, I run about 2 km in the morning to Naritasan (laugh). I like power spot-like places.
