Marui Group's "NEW NORMAL CAMP" Human Resource Development Training in a Town of 3,000 People | LOUNGE
LOUNGE / FEATURES
August 29, 2023

Marui Group's "NEW NORMAL CAMP" Human Resource Development Training in a Town of 3,000 People | LOUNGE

Sponsored

LOUNGE | NEW NORMAL CAMP

Marui Group conducted a four-night, five-day human resource development training program for its young employees. The training took place in Kamikawa Town, Hokkaido, a town with a population of approximately 3,000.

The training program was organized by Goodpatch, a design company. Why would a design company run a training program? And why choose this particular town as the venue?
We will introduce the content of the training program, which we covered, along with the reasons behind these choices.
We hope this article offers insights for business owners and managers grappling with human resource development.

The Misconception of "Design" as Mere Surface Styling

First, for those who wondered why a design company would engage in human resource development, the answer lies in a misunderstanding of the word "design."
In Japan, the word "design" often conjures images of "superficial decoration." However, its original meaning is closer to "planning" or "engineering."
Design, in its true sense, refers to the entire process from goal setting and planning to output. The decorative aspects commonly associated with the term are merely one element of that output.
From the Goodpatch official website
Indeed, Goodpatch is involved in a wide range of businesses, including strategy planning and product development, and was the first design company to go public. They have also established a joint venture, Muture Inc., with Marui Group to support DX promotion from strategic and tactical perspectives.
This human resource development training was organized as part of their collaborative corporate reform efforts.

Kamikawa Town, Hokkaido: Exploring New Forms of Collaboration Between Local Government and Corporations

Kamikawa Town, located in the center of Hokkaido, has a population of about 3,000. Several years ago, it established a Tokyo office and has since entered into numerous collaboration agreements with private companies across various industries.
Typically, when local governments form agreements with companies, it's often to gain access to the company's systems or expertise.
However, Kamikawa Town's approach is to foster "co-creation" between the town and its corporate partners.
Kamikawa Town is a naturally rich area, situated in the northern part of Daisetsuzan National Park, Japan's largest alpine national park, with a significant portion of the town's land designated as national park.
Due to declining birthrates and an aging population, municipalities are desperately trying to increase their populations amidst a nationwide demographic decline. Consequently, towns and cities are often competing against each other for residents.
This town, however, accepts population decline as an unavoidable reality. Instead of focusing solely on increasing permanent residents, it concentrates on creating "related population"—people who engage with the town.
By actively offering the town as a field for corporate demonstration experiments, Kamikawa Town aims to build a network that connects companies and people, originating from the town itself.
For example, in 2021, Kamikawa Town signed a collaboration agreement with the apparel company Columbia Sportswear Japan. Not only did they open a concept shop within the town, but they also jointly developed products for the "furusato nozei" (hometown tax donation) program and designed uniforms for town hall employees, demonstrating a speed of execution unusual for a local government.
Columbia Field Store Mt. Kurodake Ropeway Store

Goodpatch is one of Kamikawa Town's collaborative partners. Since last year, they have been dispatching their employees to Kamikawa Town through the "Regional Revitalization Entrepreneur" system.
This training program was realized through Kamikawa Town's cooperation with Goodpatch's human resource development initiative.

"NEW NORMAL CAMP": Interacting with Leaders and Diverse Residents Connected to the Town

This human resource development training by Marui Group, facilitated by these connections, spanned five days and four nights. Here is a general outline of the program:
The program content was developed by Mr. Yoneda, a Goodpatch employee who relocated to Kamikawa Town and incorporated his research from living in the community.
Mr. Yoneda of Goodpatch
Throughout the program, participants listened to the stories of leaders involved in Kamikawa Town and experienced their work firsthand. In a place they might never have visited otherwise, they interacted with people they would likely never encounter in their daily jobs.
The opening ceremony held at the Kamikawa Town Hall

Why Do They Do It? Leaders Who Practice and Inspire Others

These included Kazuhiko Ochi, a town hall official in Kamikawa Town's Regional Future Creation Section, who leads projects such as tourism facilities and relocation initiatives; Toshio Tsukahara, founder of Kamikawa Taisetsu Sake Brewery, who opened a restaurant with French culinary master Chef Mikuni and subsequently launched businesses like a sake brewery and cheese工房; Takayuki Baba, who works at the town's social welfare council supporting the elderly; and Nariaki Adachi, a freelance forester involved in forest management across Hokkaido. Their fields were diverse.

The top row of images shows Toshio Tsukahara of Kamikawa Taisetsu Sake Brewery. The bottom left shows Takayuki Baba, Deputy General Manager of the Kamikawa Town Social Welfare Council, and the bottom right shows forester Nariaki Adachi.

What they shared was a drive fueled by their personal values. Participants didn't just listen to their lectures; they experienced their work.
Furthermore, it wasn't just about receiving wisdom from life's seniors. Participants were also given the opportunity to articulate "what work means" and "why they work for Marui Group" to high school students in Kamikawa Town, who have less life experience than the participants, and present their findings as teams.
This involved articulating and outputting their reflections from interacting with Kamikawa Town's leaders and their own daily work experiences.

Finding the "Why" That Moves People

The final day of the training program was a concluding session called the "Grand Retrospective."
After absorbing insights from interactions with leaders and outputting through presentations to high school students, participants presented their learnings from the training to their peers.
The facilitator was Kenta Yoshimoto, a former Goodpatch employee who now works independently as the representative of KAMISORI WORX.
He told the participants, "Performances like 'I will change starting tomorrow' are unnecessary."
"What's essential is the 'Why.' Finding a good question is crucial, and that leads to growth."
This sentiment was also written on the first page of the booklet distributed to the training participants.
When participants eventually take on leadership roles, they might be able to get their team members to complete tasks by explaining "How." However, this alone won't inspire proactive engagement. It's because the "Why" isn't deeply understood.
In our increasingly diverse society, a lack of this understanding can prevent a team from maintaining motivation.
This training aimed to provide an experience of "the power to involve others" by directly interacting with leaders who embody and inspire this "Why," drawing others in with their passion.
Participation in this human resource development training was voluntary. Although the participants applied willingly, they were already employees working on the front lines at Marui Group. They might have initially felt that four nights and five days was a long time to be away from their daily duties. However, considering they will work for another 30 or 40 years, five days is a mere fraction of that time.
We will also share excerpts from the survey conducted with participants after the training.
The survey asked whether this program should be continued within Marui Group.
a
● It contributed to my mindset, team building, and personal growth, so I genuinely want others to experience Kamikawa Town too!!! Honestly, while five days felt long, all the programs were essential to the final day, so this duration felt necessary.

● I feel I gained a deeper understanding of dialogue. I believe this was possible not by staying in Tokyo for a retreat, but by coming to Kamikawa Town, hearing from various people from different perspectives, and cycling through input -> dialogue -> input...

● My motivation to keep moving forward comes from a desire to contribute to organizations and environments. Encountering the "Why" of various individuals made me realize that motivational resources differ for everyone. Encountering questions and discomfort when faced with values different from my own provides an opportunity to re-examine my own thoughts and values.
a
The participants' feedback was overwhelmingly in favor of continuing the program, with many stating in their responses that the program would benefit the company and their junior colleagues.
Human resource development is not something that can be achieved overnight.
By continuously seeking questions, asking oneself "why" each day, and growing, one develops "the power to involve others." These five days were merely a catalyst.
When the participants grow into individuals who can rally the entire Marui Group, this training will bear fruit.
Provided by:Goodpatch

Photo Gallery