President's Message

Bringing Employees’ Hearts Together as One, Striving to Become a “One Trillion Yen Company”

What is the direction HighChem aims for?

HighChem has established the slogan “All for 1 for All” in pursuit of its dream of achieving one trillion yen in sales.

What do you think is necessary to realize “All for 1 for All” and unite everyone’s efforts toward this go

To bring everyone’s hearts together toward the one trillion yen goal, there are three important principles that I hope every HighChem employee will value.

The first is having “the courage to embrace challenges.”​
I can say this with confidence: nothing will happen if you simply wait. Whether in work or in life, unless you carve your own path, you will spend your time wishing things could be different, only to see nothing change in the end. Even worse, human beings naturally tend to avoid facing something new. Therefore, I want everyone to have the courage to take on challenges in everything they do.

The second is having “positive perseverance.”​
Being positive and looking forward is not a matter of personality; I believe it is a conscious choice and commitment made by those who decide to move forward. Maintaining that attitude is extremely important. Anyone can gather courage for a moment and choose to look ahead. We need the perseverance to continue moving forward without fearing change.

And the third is having “an open and tolerant mindset.”.
When you take on challenges, you will inevitably fail. Rather, I believe that a challenge without failure is not a true challenge. Therefore, it is very important that we continue to embrace failures that result from ambitious challenges with tolerance.

We will continue to instill and foster courage, perseverance, and tolerance as the fundamental corporate culture of HighChem.

The Ideal Talent We Seek: Those Who Take Action Rather Than Just Talk

What kind of mindset do HighChem employees possess? Please also tell us about the type of talent you are looking for.

I believe the mindset shared across our company can be summed up in one phrase: “meritocracy.”
More specifically, the kind of ability HighChem values is the ability to put things into practice. That is why HighChem always seeks people who “take action rather than just talk.” Rather than those who wait until they have 100% preparation or a near-perfect chance of success, I believe the people who thrive are those who start taking action while thinking along the way if there is even a 70% chance of success. No matter how brilliant a plan may be, you will never know whether it is correct unless you actually put it into practice. Likewise, some people may easily identify problems in the current situation, but those who only point them out without taking the initiative to improve them themselves, leaving the responsibility to others or their subordinates, will never truly succeed. The reality is that we often discover far more through action and practice than through theory alone.

The even bigger reason is that I believe “if you do not take action, you are not truly thinking seriously.” This is because actions come with responsibility. If you hold a knife, you cut vegetables; if you hold a screwdriver, you tighten screws. You would not simply wave them around carelessly, would you? It may seem obvious at first glance, but that is because actions always come with responsibility.

HighChem has experienced many failures throughout its growth journey, but each time, we have made gradual improvements and corrections, leading us to where we are today. This has undoubtedly been made possible by a culture that celebrates challenges and embraces failure with tolerance. To continue being a growing company, above all, we want people who take their work seriously, face challenges without fear of failure, and become our new colleagues.

More specifically, when it comes to new graduates, we place great importance on character. We seek people who can approach everything with sincerity, honesty, and an open mind.

For mid-career hires, we are not looking for managers who only focus on administration or planners who only create brilliant concepts. Instead, we seek people who can demonstrate leadership by taking action themselves and becoming role models for those around them.

To Become the Best Company in Asia

What kind of workplace do you want HighChem to become?

As a management team, I believe the things we can provide to our employees are “meaningful work” and “good compensation.” Therefore, I want HighChem to become a company where employees can find the most rewarding work in Asia while receiving excellent compensation. HighChem continuously monitors social trends and salary levels across industries, while working to increase its base salaries accordingly. In addition to basic salaries, we also allocate significant resources to performance-based compensation and incentive programs linked to business results, creating a system that allows us to generously reward employees who support the company’s growth. 

However, I believe that a strong compensation system alone is not enough. In addition to attractive compensation, the ideal workplace is one where employees can find fulfillment in their work and achieve personal growth. This requires not only individual satisfaction at work, but also a sense of organizational effectiveness — the feeling that each employee is needed by the organization they belong to, while also having a role where they can make meaningful contributions. 

Simply put, it is about balancing “I can do it” and “We can do it.” When employees feel that both individuals and the organization need and support each other, and when they can see their daily lives gradually improving, I believe a company will inevitably continue to grow.

Creating More Bridges for the World Under the Spirit of “We are the BRIDGE”

What is the spirit that HighChem values most?

For more than 30 years since the founding of its predecessor, 21st Century Trading, HighChem has served as a bridge between Japan and China, connecting the two countries through chemistry, technology, and human relationships, supported by both societies and many customers. Looking ahead, new gaps different from those of the past 30 years will emerge. The chemical industries of both countries are entering an era of major structural transformation.

Japan is facing the restructuring of petrochemical plants, while China is moving toward a process of consolidation amid intense competition. At the same time, many new opportunities will emerge. Chemical products are essential infrastructure supporting every aspect of daily life, and their demand will never disappear.

Japan and China are neighboring countries that are geographically close, yet they possess remarkably different strengths. If we continue to bring these strengths together and transform them into new value, I believe HighChem can become an indispensable presence not only for the chemical industries and societies of both countries, but also for this rapidly changing world.