ISOWA NEWS LETTER

Vol. 138: Utilization of Foreign Human Resources through the Technical Intern Training Program

10/01/202009/30/2020ISOWALeave a comment

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ISOWA NEWS LETTER
2020/10 Vol. 138
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The ISOWA NEWS LETTER is a newsletter for the benefit
of special customers only.
Each month we bring you information about our company
and its products – information you won’t find on our home page
or in our catalogs.
We hope the ISOWA NEWS LETTER will help you feel closer to us.

─┬─────────────────────────────────────
1├　Utilization of Foreign Human Resources
through the Technical Intern Training Program
2├　Jibun-gatari by three mid-career members
From President Isowa’s Blog, ISOWA DIARY
─┴─────────────────────────────────────
Hello everyone!
I’m Kazumi Kato from the Export Department.

Here in Japan, once we entered September, we finally started to get cooler weather,
and it feels a little like autumn.
This summer, it was very hot every day. Here in Nagoya, Aichi prefecture,
where we live, the average temperature for a day in August was 30.3 degrees Celsius,
and 22 days out of the month were “extremely hot days,” which is the official classification
for a day where the maximum temperature exceeds 35 degrees. This was the largest number
of days on record since record-keeping began in 1890.

I’d like to tell a quick story about a trip I took with the other three members
of my family to Hokkaido last year. About one year ago, from August 18 to the 20th,
we spent a two-night, three-day stay. Myself, my wife, and our two daughters
went sightseeing around Sapporo on the first day. On the second day, we went to
Furano and Biei, where there is a lot of beautiful scenery and nature.
On the final day, we visited Otaru, a port town where there are warehouses
and canals from the town’s burgeoning past.

Hokkaido is so vast in scale, and nature is so magnificent that we felt like
we had traveled to another country. It has a unique atmosphere compared
to the rest of Japan. All the towns and regions we visited, and the things we saw
and felt remain with me today as good memories. Another thing Hokkaido
is known for is its delicious food.
There are famous Hokkaido dishes like fresh seafood and delicious ramen,
as well as a BBQ lamb or mutton dish called Genghis Khan, which is very popular
with locals and visitors alike.

With sightseeing and traveling in summer, and winter sports like skiing and
snowboarding in winter, Hokkaido is now a popular destination for fun year-round,
even for international visitors.
Currently, the whole world is facing difficult times due to the impact of Covid-19,
but I am certain that it won’t be long before we can go back to our normal way of life.
If any of you are thinking about taking a trip to Japan in the future, please add Hokkaido
to your list of possible destinations. I definitely recommend it.

And now, let’s turn to Vol. 138 of the ISOWA NEWS LETTER.
We hope you like this edition.
———————————————————————
Utilization of Foreign Human Resources
through the Technical Intern Training Program
———————————————————————
Hi, I’m Nagisa Inui from the Customer Support/Service Department.
In Japan, a new Work Style Reform Bill came into force in April of last year.
Here at ISOWA, each one of us is thinking harder than ever every day as we work
in order to reduce overtime hours.

At a time like this, when the topic of work style reform is on everyone’s lips,
one change that has come along with overtime limits is the utilization of foreign human resources.

The number of foreign workers in Japan has been growing every year.
A new status of residence (*) was introduced in April 2019,
and now it is said that there are 1.66 million foreign workers employed in Japan
as of the end of February 2020.

Let’s take a look at why Japan is increasing its intake acceptance of foreign labor.
There are two main reasons.

1. Decline in the productive domestic population
The productive population refers to people aged 15 to 60, and it has been in
a steady decline since 2008.

This population peaked in 1997 with 86.99 million people, and by February of 2019,
it had dropped to 76.28 million.
I was surprised to know that it had dropped by 11.71 million in just 22 years.

Some data suggest that this population will drop to 63 million by 2036.
The birthrate is declining, and the population is aging at an alarming rate.

2. High level of jobs-to-applicants ratio
Currently, it has dropped slightly due to the impact of Covid-19, but even so,
as of July 2020, the effective jobs-to-applicants ratio is 1.08.
This means for every hundred people looking for work, there are 108 jobs.
Before Covid-19, this ratio had progressed to around 1.6 and was remaining high.

Simply said, Japan is in a situation with plenty of jobs, but not enough workers.

Now you see this is where “Utilization of Foreign Human Resources” comes in.

There are several different statuses of residence for foreign workers in Japan.
Here I will discuss some issues specific to the paper machinery and corrugated paper industry.

Most of the foreign workers in the corrugated paper and packaging industry
are “Technical Intern Trainees.”

“Trainee” is a type of status of residence.
The purpose of the Technical Intern Training Program is to make international
contributions by helping people to acquire skills, techniques, and/or
knowledge cultivated in Japan so that they may go on to utilize those skills
in their home countries and assist in the development of the industry.

In order to stay in Japan as a technical intern trainee, it is necessary to pass
regularly-scheduled examinations.

At the end of the first year: Trainees, who pass the written and practical exams,
progress to Technical Intern Training (ii) and are able to continue their training in Japan.

At the end of the third year: Trainees, who pass the practical exam,
progress to Technical Intern Training (iii), and after temporarily returning
to their home country (for at least a month), they are able to work in Japan
for two more years.

The program allows the trainees from overseas to stay for a maximum of five years,
but apparently, in practice, most of the trainees return home after three years.

Now I’ll introduce some customer voices from companies who are accepting
foreign human resources.

Company A

When we accepted our trainee, we first set a variety of rules and
developed a work instruction manual. We had to introduce him to the lifestyle
and culture of Japan, which was difficult at times, but the young man who came
is very hardworking and is quick to learn things.
He still can’t understand Japanese very well, but he is a good person and earnest.

Company B

We tried advertising for part-timers, but we couldn’t get enough people,
so we decided to try accepting foreign human resources.
Teaching them was a big task, but thanks to the foreign trainees coming,
our employees talk to each other more, and the worksite has gotten much cheerier.

Company C

As they need to send money to their families living back in their home country,
they’re very serious about their work.
They observe the work closely, and light up with lights or bring spot-coolers
(portable air-conditioner) when necessary without being asked.
I feel like Japanese people could learn a lot from the way the trainees learn
by observing the senior members.

Although it may seem like the Technical Intern Training Program has
a lot of good points, the process can take half a year at best, to a full year,
for a company to finally be able to accept trainees.

The process Japanese companies go through in order to accept
technical intern trainees is as follows:
1. Personally, go overseas to the sending organization to interview
and select candidates.
2. Prepare a technical intern training plan for each trainee and receive accreditation.
3. Once the technical intern training plans are accredited, apply for
Certificates of Eligibility for the Status of Residence.
4. Once the Certificates of Eligibility for the Status of Residence are acquired,
apply for visas.
5. Once the visas are acquired, the trainees can come to Japan.
6. After entering Japan, the trainees undergo a month of statutory lectures.

After all that, they can finally begin their technical training.

In order to use the Technical Intern Training Program, it’s necessary to
be very well-organized from the planning stage onward.
There is a range of restrictions in place for both companies and workers,
so this program won’t easily solve Japan’s labor shortage.

Foreign trainees who come as technical interns often can’t speak Japanese,
but I think the way they tackle their work diligently and earnestly can teach
today’s Japanese people a lot.

In the future, I hope that a system for longer-term residency will be made
available to the and corrugated paper and packaging industry as well.
When that day comes, I will announce it in the ISOWA NEWS LETTER!

Thank you very much.
—————————————————————
Jibun-gatari by three mid-career members
From President Isowa’s Blog, ISOWA DIARY
—————————————————————
Although Obon holidays in Japan had finished, there was still pre-shipment
inspection for overseas customers.

▼To read more about it, visit the below website
(President Isowa’s blog, ISOWA DIARY)
http://h-isowa.blogspot.com/2020/09/jibun-gatari-by-three-mid-career-members.html
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

We thank you for reading through the ISOWA NEWS LETTER.
How did you like our press letter?
If you have an interest in a particular subject,
please kindly inform us. We are willing to bring your subject to the press.

Vol. 137: ISOWA America Relocation 2/2

09/01/202008/28/2020ISOWALeave a comment

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ISOWA NEWS LETTER
2020/09 Vol. 137
———————————————–

─┬──────────────────────────────────
1├ ISOWA America Relocation　2/2
2├ Customer’s Words That Made Us Delighted
From President Isowa’s Blog, ISOWA DIARY
─┴──────────────────────────────────
Hello everyone,

My name is Vanessa Nunez. I joined the Isowa team back in August of 2018
and am currently working in the accounting department at the Phoenix office.
I was born and raised in Phoenix and am of Hispanic descent. My parents are both
from Chihuahua, Mexico. In this segment, I would like to share with you some
of my Mexican culture, our traditions, and our celebrations.

There are a number of traditional holidays and celebrations that are unique to Mexico,
such as Dia de los Muertos or Day of the dead, which is celebrated November 2nd.
Altars are built in honor of the departed and adorned with flowers as well as
the departed’s favorite foods. The appearance of the Virgin Mary to an Indian man
named Juan Diego is celebrated on December 12th. Dances of different kinds are
performed to honor her. This celebration is followed by Las Posadas. Posadas
is a nine-day celebration in which people re-enact Mary & Joseph’s Journey
to Bethlehem to search for a place to stay. Friends and family will go from door
to door carrying candles & singing, asking for a place to stay until the owners open
the door. When the door is opened, everyone gets together to enjoy food, such as
tamales and Champurrado, as well as treats for the kids. Another big celebration is
a young ladies’ 15th birthday. Also known as a Quinceañera. During this event,
the girl’s father will change her shoes from flats to high heels as a symbolism
of the Quinceañeras transformation from a girl to a young lady. The event
consists of lively music such as Mariachi. Common Mexican food such as rice,
beans, salsa, and tortillas are served with the main entrée.

Our cultural values include family and respect. Family comes first.
We are taught to treat our parents with a high degree of respect.
When we have visitors, they are meant to be made feel comfortable.
Children are taught the importance of honor, good manners, and respect
for our elders. We are generally very close with our extended relatives and
invite everyone to family functions such as birthdays. We try to always be
there for one another during both happy and difficult times.

I could go on longer and tell you about our myths and legends, such as La Llorona.
Tell you about our Mexican arts, which involve pottery, bright-colored garments,
mosaics, and tiles. Even talk to you about our indigenous people. However,
I think I will save that for another segment.

And now, let’s turn to Vol. 137 of the ISOWA NEWS LETTER.
We hope you like this edition.
—————————————————————
ISOWA America Relocation　2/2
—————————————————————
Hello, everyone! Continuing with the previous issue, this is Ron Miller,
President of ISOWA AMERICA.
This is the second issue of “ISOWA America Relocation.” As most great
efforts are a result of a team effort and carry with it the shared dreams
of the future, so too is this effort for the relocation. In this issue, I would
like to share with you what some of our team members had to say about
the move and the future from their perspective.

Mr. Hagopian from our Phoenix Operations Team In preparing for
our physical move, there were many things that needed to be reviewed
and prepared for, which required months of planning and effort.
We decided to do the physical move ourselves, and I must begin
by giving credit to a great team who made it happen safely
and at the same time, allowing us to continue to operate without interruption.
All members contributed and took on additional responsibilities for the move.
We had two working groups. One team was responsible for the design
of the new office as well as coordinating the transfer of the many
services we need to operate with. The other team was responsible
for coordinating the physical move of over $3 million in inventory,
dismantling, laying out, and re-installing all the racking and
moving the office furniture.
During the entire process, there were many additional details
that came up with the remodeling of our new building. From deciding
the location of a new water fountain and light fixtures to the type of
warehouse floor sealer. It was a lot of work, but one I will always
remember with fondness as the result was proof of a great team effort.

Ms. Smith from our Administration Team
Greetings! My name is Akemi Smith, and coordinating our safety program
is one of my responsibilities at Isowa America. Everyone’s safety is essential
to us, and our management put a lot of effort into planning and
preparing our new Phoenix facility with “safety-first” in mind.
Our new facility is equipped with many improved safety features
and space needed to support our growing operation.
Isowa America’s new facility includes the following:
• State-of-the-art security system with real-time video monitoring
and electronic key card access on all entrances.
• Motion-activated LED lights throughout the facility, which is also very eco-friendly.
• ADA (American with Disabilities Act) compliance measures throughout the facility.
• Ergonomically safer work stations with electric height-adjustable desks,
desktop monitor arms, and comfortable ergonomic chairs.
• A spacious warehouse with extra-wide aisles where our staff can
operate safely, especially with the larger corrugator and FFG parts.
• Additional egress routes and emergency services access pre-coordinated
with local fire officials.
There are more that I can add to the list, but maybe you will be able to
see with your own eyes when you have an opportunity to visit our
new facility in the future.

Mr. Fazzolari & Mr. Lourenco from our South America Team
Hello, this is Andre Fazzolari and Paulo Furlan Lourenco from Brazil.
The South America territory was incorporated into ISOWA America
16 years ago. Since then, ISOWA America has been able to more
closely support existing customers with service and parts and also
expand the continent with new machine sales. Our team
understands that it is necessary to be local to succeed in South America,
and this means local support and fast shipped parts.
The ISOWA America people are now writing a new chapter in our history
to be able to keep our machines always running and acquiring new fans
to keep in the industry vanguard.
The new office will increase and smartly improve our parts stock to
ship parts even faster, and we can offer more complete demo trips
visiting machines running and ending the visit at our office for
questions and further presentations. We will also be able to provide
different training and support levels to managers, supervisors, and
operators remotely and at our new location.

Mr. Erbe & Mr. Sander from our Sales Team
For the second time in the past 10 years, Isowa America has
moved to another, larger facility – that’s great news for Isowa
and our current and future customers! We’ve been very fortunate
in these 10 years that our new machine sales, service, and parts
activity levels have increased year after year, necessitating this
latest move completed in March. Our growth and position in
the corrugated market demanded this move, and we’re now enjoying
a newly renovated facility three times the size of our last location!
We’re now in a great location west of downtown Phoenix and only
15 minutes from Phoenix International Airport. The new building
is close to good accommodations and a variety of good restaurants,
as well as some fun activities and the good golf for which Phoenix is known.
Most importantly, we have a huge space to accommodate further
increases in parts inventory; there is room now for comfortable
and professional workspaces for current and future team members,
and a dedicated Customer Support Center where our Service and
Parts personnel are able to collaborate in the same work area.
And finally, we now have a large and suitable location where we can
host full company meetings, executive and sales meetings, and full-
fledged training sessions for larger customer groups. We very much
look forward to seeing our customers and friends in Phoenix and
showing off the new Isowa America!

Mr. Meline & Mr. Imura from our Service Team
The service team is excited about the new office as the training
opportunities and possibilities are greater here now than we have
ever had before. In recent history we have improved our training
on site at the customer’s location, both in the classroom and on the machine.
We have always had a need for the ability to train a group here in the states
rather than have them go all the way to Japan, even though the people
that went to Japan enjoyed it very much. The new training room
and work area are the biggest features. The warehouse bay that has
been set aside to house a machine for us to use as a training and
work tool for Isowa personnel and customers is awesome.
We moved during the Covid19 Pandemic so we have not fully utilized
the new facilities yet. We look forward to using and improving
the new office as we can and in the end improving our ability to
teach or train our customers either in person or remotely.
Technology keeps improving, and these new facilities will help us
to keep up and provide better support now and into the future.

Ms. Serafin from our Administration Team
With advancements in technology and the growing number of threats
to IT security, the importance of protecting company networks and
data has become a critical part to a thriving business.
As we were planning the move to our new facility, we wanted to take
advantage and make some improvements to our network infrastructure,
including hardware, software, and device upgrades. We upgraded to
a more robust security gateway with a Two-Factor Authentication,
increased our wireless network capabilities with access points
throughout the facility, installed a cloud-based telephone system,
and increased our uninterruptible power supply (UPS) capacity.
We equipped every employee with laptops to allow remote working,
which fits nicely with the SAAS (cloud-based) ERP system we implemented
a few years ago. The final stage of our “move in” upgrades was
the installation of dedicated fiber optic internet service to improve
our remote connection capabilities, which will be especially helpful
to our engineers as they assist with customer troubleshooting.
Additional improvements to our network are expected over the next
two years to be implemented in phases.

Ms. Nunez & Ms. Benesch from our Administration team
Our new workstations are an L shaped desk, measuring six feet
on each side, with a radiused (rounded) inside corner instead of
a 90-degree corner. The rounded inside corner is much more comfortable
and enables the full use of the workspace area. The workstation
features an electronic height adjustable side with a 3-legged base
that gives us the option of having a stand-up desk. This option
allows us to use the correct ergonomic posture to reduce the strain
of repetitive motions and helps to increase blood circulation.
As a person with shoulder/neck problems, I personally like that I can
either sit or stand and train my shoulders to be in a relaxed position.
Not only are the workstations long enough to accommodate our paperwork,
they also include a small file cabinet to store paperwork and supplies
needed to accomplish our tasks. The desks are equipped with
dual articulating computer monitor arms so we can be more efficient
in our work, while also maintaining proper ergonomic posture at all times.
On top of the ergonomic benefits, the new workstations are beautiful!
The workspace is a speckled white and grey to accent the rest of
our décor, and we added tack boards against the wall of a lovely blue
to represent ISOWA’s signature color.

After “the move” was completed, we asked some of our team members
how they felt about the effort. Here are some of the responses from
Mr. Saucedo in our Parts Department, Ms. Nunez from our Administration
Department, Mr. Glow our Project Engineer, and Mr. Fukumoto our Electrical Engineer.

a. What do you remember the most about planning and moving to the new office?
Mr. S: Working together with our team and being able to
coordinate on what we needed for the new facility.
Ms. N: The thing I remember the most about planning and
moving to the new office was when we were having to choose colors,
flooring and furniture. I was worried that it would not match and that
the rest of the team would not like it.
Mr. G: I wasn’t part of the planning process as I was away on machine
installations. However, I remember the physical labor involved
in the actual move. Turns out parts can be heavy…
Mr. F: The move was a good opportunity for me to judge whether
old documents and tools needed to be thrown away or packed up.

b. What is your favorite thing about the new facility?
Mr. S: My favorite thing would be the warehouse we have.
We are able to organize our parts better and relabel everything
to be more presentable for everyone.
Ms. N: My new favorite thing about the new facility is our workstations.
However, I also enjoy all the space we have now. Every room is
bigger than what we had before.
Mr. G: I love the room to grow in the new building. The warehouse
is way larger, and the open office concept will lead to more communication
as well.
Mr. F: My favorite is there is a kitchen room for eating lunch,
and an electrical drawing room was extended. In the old office,
we ate lunch in the conference room.

c. Why was the move important to you or ISOWA America?
Mr. S: It reflects a sign of growth and expansion for our
company, and the new warehouse will allow us to more easily
complete our day to day work.
Ms. N: The move was important to our business because it will
allow us room for expansion and growth and the new workstations
will allow me to complete my work more comfortably.
Mr. G: I think it shows a forward-thinking mindset with an eye on growth,
and the open office concept will lead to more communication as well.
Mr. F: The Parts room in the old office had a shortage of space
for parts. The new office has extended space, and we can
stock more parts for emergency troubles. We can also use the training
room to help operators.

I am not sure these words can paint the full picture and feeling of
excitement the team has for our collective future. The new building
is both practical and symbolic at the same time. The steps that we continue
to take are intended to improve the NOW as well as motivate and
prepare ourselves for the FUTURE.

We appreciate both the new as well as the long-lasting relationships
we have with our trusted customers. We are confident that our progress
continues to improve our relationships and abilities, and this
new facility is another step in the 100-year story of ISOWA.
————————————————————————————
Customer’s Words That Made Us Delighted
From President Isowa’s Blog, ISOWA DIARY
————————————————————————————

Hope everyone reading this is doing well during the Covid-19 pandemic.
At ISOWA, some of the installations and repair works have been put on hold.

▼To read more about it, visit the below website
(President Isowa’s blog, ISOWA DIARY)
http://h-isowa.blogspot.com/2020/08/customers-words-that-made-us-delighted.html
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Vol.136: ISOWA America Relocation 1/2

08/01/202007/30/2020ISOWALeave a comment

———————————————–
ISOWA NEWS LETTER
2020/08 Vol. 136
———————————————–

─┬──────────────────────────────────
1├ ISOWA America Relocation　1/2
2├ Remote Installation?!
From President Isowa’s Blog, ISOWA DIARY
─┴──────────────────────────────────
Hi everyone,
I’m Tomonori Matsumura from the Overseas Service Department.
When it comes to Japanese summer events, fireworks displays
spring to my mind.　There are nationally-famous fireworks events,
and even regional cities have big displays.
In recent years, fireworks can be seen more and more at Christmas,
New Years, and other times of the year, but summer will always be
synonymous with fireworks in Japan for me.

However, due to COVID-19, a decision was quickly made to
cancel the fireworks displays around the country this year.
Since most of such events are held on riverbanks and other open areas,
and a lot of people gather to watch the firework shows,
it’s hard to control people’s movement.
Of the 3Cs (closed spaces, crowded places, and close-contact settings),
it’s particularly difficult to limit crowded places and close-contact environments.
Many people use trains and buses to reach the location of the fireworks,
and those are also closed spaces.
The likely reason for the cancellations is because all of the 3Cs
can be found at fireworks displays.

Another big summer event is the Japanese High School Baseball Championship.
The top high school teams from each prefecture play baseball games
at the historic Hanshin Koshien Stadium for the title of best in Japan.
This year, because of COVID-19, not even qualifying games could be held,
and regional champion representatives from each prefecture could not
be determined, so the tournament had to be canceled.

High schools in Japan is a three-year program (age 16-18).
For the third-year student-athletes, this tournament is often
the final tournament of their high school life. It’s a shame
to think that those student-athletes could not show this culmination
of three years of hard work.
Some players at the tournament get noticed by pro league team scouts
and become professional athletes after they graduate from high school.
The cancellation of the event means the students have also lost
this opportunity to showcase their skills.
It’s heartbreaking to think of the frustration those students must be
feeling now.

We can only hope that a vaccine is developed and deployed so
that COVID-19 can be completely eradicated.
I hope I can enjoy summer fireworks and the High School Baseball Championship
next year.

And now, let’s turn to Vol. 135 of the ISOWA NEWS LETTER.
We hope you like this edition.
——————————————————————-
ISOWA America Relocation　1/2
——————————————————————-
Hello, this is Ron Miller from ISOWA America.

We wanted to take a moment and share some exciting news about
the future of ISOWA. As many of you know, ISOWA started selling
printing machines in the United States in the 1960’s and has had
a physical presence in the states since the mid 1980’s.
In 2001 that physical presence was further solidified
with the creation of ISOWA America. Now we find ourselves in 2020
and are excited to share the news that we have purchased and completed
our move to a new and larger facility in Phoenix, Arizona.

IA new office

Actually, this is the second time in the past 10 years that Isowa America
has moved to another, larger facility – that’s great news for Isowa
and our current and future customers! We’ve been very fortunate
in these 10 years that our new machine sales, service,
and parts activity levels have increased year after year, necessitating
this latest move completed in March. Our growth and position
in the corrugated market necessitated this move, and we’re now
enjoying a newly renovated facility three times the size of our last location!

We’re now in a great location west of downtown Phoenix and
only 15 minutes from Phoenix International Airport.
The new building is close to good accommodations and a variety of
good restaurants, as well as some fun activities and the good golf for
which Phoenix is known.

The decision to purchase and move to this new location was
a bit of a journey which really gained traction about 2 years ago
when we stopped and had a serious in-depth discussion about what
we really needed to do to improve our service levels in our market.
The answer was clear: we had to improve our lead time on parts.

The internal discussions from that point were difficult at times.
We had to look past the daily personal efforts of the team members
and look at the reality of the situation. The data proved we had a problem.
It was not a people problem. It was a focus problem.
That awakening led us to analyze everything related to our parts delivery effort,
and we began implementing several internal process improvements.

We also evaluated in great detail (and with many sleepless nights)
the pros and cons of setting up another location in which we could
manufacture parts locally in the US and/or serve as a second parts
and service support depot. It is difficult to convey all the variables
and contingencies we considered in this brief letter.
Although we were making incremental process improvements,
we were not seeing the significant improvement in delivery lead times
that we wanted to achieve. We needed more stock and more space.

After a lot of debate, we decided that one appropriately sized location
that could truly serve as our home base of operations was more beneficial
overall than multiple fragmented sites. Once the decision was made,
it was clear it was the absolute next best step for ISOWA to take in
support of our North and South American markets.
Then, it was off to the races for locating and planning a new location,
and I must say I have a great deal of respect for our customers
who set up new operations. It is a lot of time and effort.
In the end, we feel that not only did we address the need for increased
warehouse capacity, we also looked ahead and made sure we allotted
for future growth in staffing as well as provided for much needed
training facilities.
The new training facilities we have planned are a source of much
anticipate excitement which I hope we can share more news
about in the coming months. They will also be key to the advancement
of ISOWA’s commitment to the North & South American markets
and the future development of our team members. The two go hand in hand,
and it is my hope and expectation that this move will be a catalyst
for many great things to come in the future.

As most great efforts are a result of a team effort and carry with it
the shared dreams of the future, so too is this effort.
Therefore, I’d like to share what some of our team members had to say
about the move and the future from their perspective in the next volume.

————————————————————————–
Remote Installation?!
From President Isowa’s Blog, ISOWA DIARY
————————————————————————–
Hope everyone reading this is doing well during the Covid-19 pandemic.
At ISOWA, some of the installations and repair works have been put on hold.

▼To read more about it, visit the below website
(President Isowa’s blog, ISOWA DIARY)
http://h-isowa.blogspot.com/2020/07/remote-installation.html
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Vol. 135: ISOWA Logo renewal announcement

07/01/202006/29/2020ISOWALeave a comment

———————————————–
ISOWA NEWS LETTER
2020/07 Vol. 135
———————————————–

─┬──────────────────────────────────
1├　ISOWA Logo renewal announcement
2├　Retirement After Half a Century
From President Isowa’s Blog, ISOWA DIARY
─┴──────────────────────────────────
Hello everyone,
My name is Paulo Furlan, and I have been working as a field service engineer
at Isowa America. I live in Brazil, but in the last 4 years, I have had
the opportunities to visit 15 states in the U.S. from east to west.
I also traveled to Japan and Chile.

International trips bring unique and unforgettable experiences for me.
It is rewarding to meet new cultures, people, and visit numerous locations.
Sharing experiences with people from other countries is important to get
to know new cultures, customs, and opinions on various subjects in our daily lives.

Some trips and experiences were remarkable- witnessing the snow
for the first time in Boston, visiting the legendary Harvard University,
the famous US Constitution naval museum, the beautiful Niagara Falls,
the remarkable Multnomah waterfall in Oregon, the historic Nagoya Castle in Japan,
flying over the Andes in Chile, etc.

Another important aspect is the human being’s ability to adapt to interacting
with other people and respecting their customs and culture.
International travel has brought me cultural enrichment and
several valuable lessons for my evolution as a citizen.
My wish is that this story continues to upcoming years.

And now, let’s turn to Vol. 135 of the ISOWA NEWS LETTER.
We hope you like this edition.

——————————————————————-
ISOWA Logo renewal announcement
——————————————————————-
Thanks to your continuous and warm support, we are celebrating
our 100th year anniversary in 2020.
Please check ISOWA’s short introduction movie we prepared for
making you feel more familiar to us and for celebrating this memorable event
with you from the following URL!

http://www.isowa.com/

We are proud to announce the latest redesign of our company logo
as we celebrate the 100th anniversary.
The beginning was 100 years ago at the time of the founding of Minoda Iron Works.

At the time, the logo was a motif of a treasure ship.
It was a promising figure that brings treasures.

Ancestors of the ISOWA family were ship carpenters from Shima Peninsula
in Mie Prefecture, where the shipbuilding became prosperous due to the legend
that gods on a dugout canoe arrived at the shore.

The family name, Isowa/磯輪, is derived from “Ship=wheel/輪 of seashore/磯
or sea transport.” It might have been a destiny that the first president,
Genichi Isowa, encountered the opportunity of manufacturing
corrugator and finishing machines – his lifelong work, while the company
logo was a treasure ship at Minoda Iron Works.

After WWII, the company name was changed to ISOWA Industry in 1946.
The second generation of the company, Eichi Isowa, designed a logo,
a treasure ship with “IS mark” that resembled a dollar ($) sign on a sail.
He was under his medical treatments for tuberculosis when he designed this logo.
Later, it was developed to a logo with circled “IS mark” positioned next to “ISOWA,”
slightly taller than the current logo.

At the 70th anniversary, as the company name was changed to
ISOWA Corporation from ISOWA Industry, we redesigned the logo
to the current version. To express the robustness and stability of our machines,
the logo was slightly flattened by reducing the height, widened along the base,
and the traditional “IS mark” was removed.

At the 80th anniversary, we began our Corporate cultural revolutions.
Since the 90th anniversary, we have been working on
“Building a Strategic Narrative” project, and we are now approaching
the 100th anniversary. ISOWA logo is renewed to showcase the direction
of our future visually and clearly.

The metallic silver at the center shows our roots in the Iron industry
and our tradition and pride as a standing 100-year-old machine manufacturer
of corrugators and finishing equipment.

The blue at the bottom is what we call “ISOWA blue,” expressing
our corporate philosophy: “Creating a company with the best corporate culture
in the world that makes us and our families happy.”
The ISOWA blue gradation from the bottom shows how the ISOWA
organizational climate, which generally would be invisible from outside,
is gradually becoming visible as we are sharing the idea throughout the company.

The last color is red.
The philosophy alone may not be a new value or benefit to our customers.
But to deliver our philosophy as something tangible such as “i Machine”
or our “keeps you going, always on the go” service, it takes a great deal of energy.
This energy cannot come from external coercion. The passions and burning
desires in each “i,” ISOWA person, are the source of such energy.

The new addition of symbolic color, the red, used as an accent color
represents our ISOWA people’s souls.
The souls that declare to bring our masterpiece machines into “i-Machine,”
the services we provide to “NEXT” and “Premium,” new concept of service plan,
and to “Bring results from our corporate culture revolution
in the midst of day-to-day operations.”

At the 70th anniversary, the Japanese era was shifted to Heisei (平成), and
we changed our name to ISOWA Corporation on the wave of Corporate Identity boom.
As the era has been shifted to Reiwa (令和) and we celebrate our 100th anniversary
this year, we introduce our new corporate identity.

ISOWA is taking a new step forward to another 100 years with our brand-new logo!

ISOWA Corporation
President Hideyuki Isowa
———————————————————————-
Retirement After Half a Century
From President Isowa’s Blog, ISOWA DIARY
———————————————————————-
Mr.Y who has been working for ISOWA for more than 50 years just retired.

▼To read more about it, visit the below website
(President Isowa’s blog, ISOWA DIARY)
http://h-isowa.blogspot.com/2020/05/let-your-people-take-care-of-your.html

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Vol. 134:Global ISOWA people – ISOWA Style: Tips for Learning English 2/2

06/01/202005/26/2020ISOWALeave a comment

———————————————–
ISOWA NEWS LETTER
2020/06 Vol. 134
———————————————–

─┬────────────────────────────────────
1├　Global ISOWA people
– ISOWA Style: Tips for Learning English 2/2
2├　Let your people take care of your business
From President Isowa’s Blog, ISOWA DIARY
─┴────────────────────────────────────

Hi, this is Kyoji Nagai in the Overseas Service Department.
Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, I was working from home
four days a week from mid-April until the end of May. My commuting time
has been reduced to zero, so early every morning , I used that time to run for
an hour along the Kiso River cycling road near my home. Thanks to that,
I haven’t gained any weight.

COVID-19 began gradually spreading around the world in late January
and has caused an unbelievable collapse in medical systems. Lately, some areas seem
to have peaked and are on the road to recovery, which is cause for some relief,
but we mustn’t let our guards down yet.

In Japan, a (somewhat loose) State of Emergency was declared in mid-April.
Here at ISOWA, we adopted aggressive in-house measures under the slogan
“Not a single infected person at ISOWA.” As a result, we have been able to
continue providing parts and service support without causing much inconvenience
to our customers.

Therapeutic drugs and vaccines are still in the development stages,
and the future is uncertain. It’s hard to feel safe under these conditions,
but we hope that the whole world will band together to fight COVID-19 and
bring it under control as soon as possible.

STAY SAFE & HEALTHY!!

Right now, our contact with customers is limited to e-mail, phone,
and online services like Zoom. Still, everyone at ISOWA is looking forward
to seeing everyone in person again as soon as possible.

And now, let’s turn to Vol. 134 of the ISOWA NEWS LETTER.
We hope you like this edition.

————————————————————————-
Global ISOWA people
– ISOWA Style: Tips for Learning English 2/2
————————————————————————-

Hello everyone, I’m Akari Tsurumoto from the Export Department.
Continuing from the last issue, we once again feature interviews
with ISOWA people who are studying English!

Personally, I am continuing my online English conversation lessons,
while also shopping online to buy my favorite manga comic books
in their editions translated into other languages. When I read them,
I like to see my favorite works from a new perspective, and I often find
myself thinking, “Wow, so that’s how you say it!” It really helps with
maintaining my motivation.

I hope you can get some ideas for your own language study from
these interviews with ISOWA people.
[Mr. I. from Customer Support/Sales Service Department]

ISOWA has overseas customers, and I felt that English skills would be
more necessary in the future. I heard about the online lessons just
when I was thinking I wanted to study English. At first, I was using
learning materials for practical English conversation. However,
for the past month or two, I have been using a sort of newspaper column
with various topics each day as learning materials.

My biggest motivation is the feeling that I want to be able to speak English.
I feel a certain joy when I am able to use the words and phrases
from my lessons in conversation, and I can tell my knowledge is growing.
I always take notes whenever I encounter a new word or phrase during
the lesson, so I want to start working on summing it all up in my very
own personal vocabulary book!

I think the key to continuing with the lessons is to make them
part of your daily life. In my case, I always do it at a specific time
every weekday, so it’s a part of my daily schedule. When I watch foreign films,
I prefer subtitles over dubbing. Lately, I find myself noticing
when the actual lines spoken are slightly different from the subtitles,
and that’s when I feel like I have made progress.
[Ms. H. from the Administration Department]

My impetus for starting the lessons was because I felt like the English
study I did as a student never really amounted to much, and I regretted that,
so I wanted to give it another try. I usually use learning materials
like newspaper columns that talk about current affairs and fads,
as well as practical learning materials that teach specific English
for business situations. For some time after I began my lessons,
I was put in charge of import-related work.

I’m motivated by my gratitude to the company for providing this sort
of opportunity and by the support of my family, who understand my wish
to be able to freely communicate with people from overseas.

The other day, a machining tool that was made by a foreign manufacturer
stopped running at our machining plant. Since I have been studying English,
I was asked to be the go-between for the foreign manufacturer.
We went back and forth on e-mail several times, and when I finally
heard that the machining device was up and running again,
I felt glad that I had kept up with my lessons. I was also happy to think
that I was able to repay the company for supporting my studies
even in a small way.
[Mr. S. from the Export Department]

I wanted to make speaking-English a regular habit, so I began
taking the online English conversation lessons. At first, I used learning
materials for business English conversation, but I felt like just
going through the textbook wasn’t a good way to learn practical English.
Lately, I have been enjoying talking about a variety of topics through
free conversation with my teacher.

I am in charge of handling customers from the Philippines in
the Export Department. By learning about the Philippines through my lessons,
it gives me some ideas what to talk about with people from the Philippines,
which is one of my motivations. Previously, I hadn’t felt much of
a connection with the Philippines, but my biggest motivation may be
to use English and enjoy conversations with Filipinos about our
respective countries and learning about differences in our cultures.

With a textbook, you have to take time to prepare for the lesson.
However, when people are busy and not able to prepare, they tend to think,
“I didn’t prepare, so I’ll just skip the lesson today.” In that case,
I recommend starting with free conversations. If you are interested
in something, like the Philippines for me, the 25 minutes will pass quickly.

My next goal is to take a solo trip to the Philippines and learn
even more about that country.

——————————————————————————————————-

What did you think of these interviews?

Even with different countries and languages, one thing that
connects people is communication, and in this case, that is done
through conversation.
I think that being able to speak English is not just about acquiring
a skill. It’s about understanding a person’s opinion who has a different
background from yourself and making your own thoughts understood.
I also think that it’s a good way to increase the amount of information
you take in and expand your perspective.

I hope that everyone will take this opportunity to get on board
with this trend of internationalization and begin studying English.
I’d love to hear from everyone with your questions and comments!

————————————————————————-
Let your people take care of your business
From President Isowa’s Blog, ISOWA DIARY
————————————————————————-
At the beginning of May, we have one of the biggest holidays in Japan.
Right before those holidays, our shop usually gets full of
machines to be shipped out.

▼To read more about it, visit the below website
(President Isowa’s blog, ISOWA DIARY)
http://h-isowa.blogspot.com/2020/05/let-your-people-take-care-of-your.html
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Vol.133: Global ISOWA people – ISOWA Style: Tips for Learning English

05/01/202004/28/2020ISOWALeave a comment

———————————————–
ISOWA NEWS LETTER
2020/05 Vol. 133
———————————————–
The ISOWA NEWS LETTER is a newsletter for the benefit
of special customers only.
Each month we bring you information about our company
and its products – information you won’t find on our home page
or in our catalogs.
We hope the ISOWA NEWS LETTER will help you feel closer to us.

─┬───────────────────────────────────────────────
1├ Global ISOWA people – ISOWA Style: Tips for Learning English
2├ Essential Business Amid Pandemic
From President Isowa’s Blog, ISOWA DIARY
─┴───────────────────────────────────────────────
Hello All,
My name is Patrick, and I am responsible for installing all of the US
and South American ISOWA machines.
Spring is finally here, and we can look forward to warmer weather
and outdoor activities. I love spending time in nature with my kids.
Every year we go camping. We head up north where the temperatures are very nice,
and the smell of pine trees is everywhere. We have a campfire,
go hiking, shooting, building forts, fishing, and enjoy nature together.
Arizona has very diverse environments. Phoenix in the summer is hot and dry,
but if you drive 2 hours north, you get to pine trees and cool weather.
There are parts that get rain almost every day. This is where a lot of people
in Arizona go to camp, including my family.
On occasion, we will see some of the biodiversity that Arizona has to offer.
We have seen elk, deer, bald eagles, and even a bear or two.
As my kids have gotten older, this has become a tradition that all of us
look forward to. We get to spend time in nature and together making memories
and s’mores over the campfire.

And now, let’s turn to Vol. 133 of the ISOWA NEWS LETTER.
We hope you like this edition.

————————————————————————————————————-
Global ISOWA people – ISOWA Style: Tips for Learning English 1/2
————————————————————————————————————-
Hello everyone, I’m Akari Tsurumoto from the Export Department.

Last year, the Rugby World Cup was held in Japan and the whole country
got really excited. Although the Tokyo Olympics have been postponed,
visitors to Japan from overseas have been on the increase in recent years.

People don’t just come to Japan for sightseeing. More and more people are
coming to work here. I feel like English has become more and more important,
both as a way to communicate with people from around the world and
in terms of its convenience in business and for travel.

With this in mind, ISOWA, with its expansion into overseas markets,
began E-Tomo Project in 2009, in which the Export Department and
English proficient members of other departments became teachers
and taught English to other ISOWA people. Since 2017, ISOWA has been
supporting the English learning of ISOWA people by offering
a daily 25-minute lesson to employees who are interested.
They study with external teachers via an online English conversation lesson service.

For this issue, I interviewed several of the people participating in this English
conversation lesson to hear about their goals, tips on studying English,
and their overall impressions of the lessons. Here is part one of a two part series
featuring those interviews.

I hope this will be helpful for you who are thinking about studying English
and yet wondering if it might be hard to continue language learning
for an extended period.

——————————————————————————————————-
[Ms. T from Customer Support/Sales Service Department]

A few years ago, I had to take over some trading business work,
and I needed English in order to do that work. At that time,
my level of English was not enough to understand a lot of things,
and it took me a long time to complete tasks.
My feelings of frustration and irritation with myself motivated me to get better
at English, and that was the reason I started taking the online English
conversation lesson. Another of my reasons is a bit of a cliché,
but I like traveling overseas, and I wanted to enjoy my trips even more
by eliminating the language barrier.

Now thanks to a new junior employee in the Export Department who
can speak English, I no longer have to do the trading business work.
I face fewer situations where I have to use English.
Because of that, I don’t really have a clear work-related reason for the lessons,
but I keep studying English to be able to assist the junior employees at any time.

Also, I greatly admire people who can speak English, so I want to keep
doing it for my own sake. I think the best way to maintain a high rate
of participation in the lessons is to make it a part of your daily routine.
I motivate myself and work hard every day by telling myself,
“If you have time to play with your phone… If you have time to sit around…”

The other day, I saw a foreign couple at the station looking troubled,
and I was able to use English to explain which train they needed to
take to get to their destination. When I’m able to use it in real life like that,
it makes me feel like my daily efforts have really paid off. That experience
gave me the motivation to keep on studying.
【Ms. M from i Parts Group】

The two main reasons for me to take lessons were overseas travel and
the inconvenience of handling phone calls from overseas customers.
Even if I can manage the flight over, when I can’t understand English
at places like airport immigration and the front desk at the hotel, that feeling
of being left out makes me sad. When the hotel clerk is friendly it makes
me even more disappointed that I can’t talk to him or her directly.
Those feelings were a big impetus for me to start studying.

I am able to maintain my motivation while using learning materials
for daily English conversation, and imagining my future self happily speaking English,
but! I know that reality isn’t so simple. I don’t make as much progress
as I feel I should, and I sometimes find myself sighing in frustration,
but I know that if I quit now it will have all been for nothing, so I keep progressing,
little by little.

Honestly, one day I hope to be able to have witty banter in English.
Since that’s a difficult goal, right now I’m working on my current goal of
being able to ask my teacher a lot of questions. I’m always so busy
just trying to follow the lesson and I’m not able to think of anything to ask.
I’d like to get to the point where I can ask my teacher questions in the same way
I am able to show interest in the person I am talking to when I speak Japanese.

I know that I am the type to give up on new hobbies after just a few days,
so I try to study every day, and remember why I wanted to start studying English
in the first place. However, lately I have been skipping some of my lessons.
I used to make time for my lesson even if I felt unwell or had other things to do,
but I have decided that maybe it’s easier to keep it up if I don’t push myself too hard.

When I am able to communicate with my teacher, or when I’m able to catch
a phrase while watching my favorite foreign TV show, I feel like my slow-but-steady efforts
at studying have paid off little by little.
Steady progress is essential to language learning, but it can also be
very difficult to maintain. In the next issue, I’ll speak to three new interviewees
about their impressions and learning tips. Don’t miss it!

————————————————————————–
Essential Business Amid Pandemic
From President Isowa’s Blog, ISOWA DIARY
————————————————————————–
Hope everyone reading this is doing fine during the COVID-19 pandemic.
These days, we hear a lot about essential businesses/non-essential businesses.

▼To read more about it, visit the below website
(President Isowa’s blog, ISOWA DIARY)
http://h-isowa.blogspot.com/2020/04/essential-business-amid-pandemic.html
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Vol. 132: A half-century living and working with ISOWA!

04/01/202003/30/2020ISOWALeave a comment

———————————————–
ISOWA NEWSLETTER
2020/04 Vol. 132
———————————————–
The ISOWA NEWS LETTER is a newsletter for the benefit
of special customers only.
Each month we bring you information about our company
and its products – information you won’t find on our home page
or in our catalogs.
We hope the ISOWA NEWS LETTER will help you feel closer to us.
─┬────────────────────────────────────────────────
1├　A half-century living and working with ISOWA!
Candid interviews with employees with 50 years of continued service
– What is the ISOWA Service Award?
2├　New Machine Being Installed!
From President Isowa’s Blog, ISOWA DIARY
─┴────────────────────────────────────────────────
This is Hirofumi Ogura of the Export Department.

With the Olympic Games scheduled to take place in Tokyo this year, preparations
were continuing at pace. Unfortunately, Japanese officials announced that we have to
postpone it to 2021 due to the current serious situation by Coronavirus (COVID-19)
all over the world.

Given that the games was originally planned to be held in later July/early August,
very hot season in Japan (Tokyo), it was expected that the climate was going to
be a challenge to athletes and spectators.In fact, peak temperatures in Tokyo
last year in August recorded over 35 degrees for ten days in a row.

In order to deal with this problem, the Japanese Olympic Committee initially
considered a range of unique countermeasures, such as wet towels to
wrap around one’s neck, sprinkling the sidewalks with water, wearing umbrella hats ,
spraying fine mist and artificial snow, and laying heat insulated pavements.
However, none of this brought a real breakthrough.

More recently, newly proposed measures call for ice and chilled bathing facilities
for athletes, with freezers and freezer trucks to be deployed to supply the ice.
In addition, ice cream, salt supplement tablets, and sweat sheets will be distributed
to volunteers and support staff, and locations with sun-shading tents and drinking
water fountains for spectators are to be increased.
Even so, in the opinion of the Olympic Committee, the preparations are not perfect yet.

I think some of you readers will come to Tokyo to watch the Olympic Games.
When you come, please don’t forget to take protective measures against the heat
to avoid suffering a heat stroke while you focus too much on the games.
I hope you will have a good time enjoying the Tokyo Olympics in next year!

We hope that Coronavirus (COVID-19) will be stamped out as soon as possible
and could hold the Olympic Games as per postponed scheduled.

And now, let’s turn to Vol. 132 of the ISOWA NEWS LETTER.
We hope you like this edition.
———————————————————————————————————–
A half-century living and working with ISOWA!
Candid interviews with employees with 50 years of continued service
– What is the ISOWA Service Award?
————————————————————————————————————
Hello everyone.
This is Nagisa Inui from the Customer Support/Service Department.

This question may be a little out of the blue, if someone were to mention 1970,
50 years ago, what would you imagine?

I hadn’t been born back then, so I did some quick research on those days.
Some major events were
• The Apollo 13 was launched (the lunar landing failed)
• Japan’s first Kentucky Fried Chicken store in Nagoya was opened
• Japan’s first pedestrian-only areas in Ginza, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, and Asakusa were implemented
• The Beatles broke up
• The “Tomica” line of toy cars was first released
Among these and other events, I think the biggest one was
• The Japan World Exposition (Expo’70) held in Osaka.
The Expo attracted an astounding 64.21 million visitors.
Even now, the Expo is often cited when people look back on
Japan’s period of rapid economic growth.

In 1970, our company name was Isowa Industry Co., Ltd., and
the main model was the PS2: Printer Slotter.
After the PS2: Printer Slotter was released in 1964, 115 sets were shipped
in the three years around 1970. Later, 460 sets of the PS2: Printer Slotter
were shipped as well as 88 sets each of sister models PS3 and PS4 .
This is how ISOWA has since become known as
“ISOWA -Specialists for Printer Slotters.”

Back then was also the time when the flexo printers PS5B and PS6B
were developed.
Over the course of about ten years, 480 flexo folder gluers were shipped,
mainly to Europe, after forming a technical alliance with folder gluer
manufacturer UNIVERSAL in Switzerland .

I have asked four senior employees who joined the company in 1970,
and who this year look back on 50 years of service, about the secret
to continuing to work for 50 years in good health.
Mr. A (Service Department )

I think I have been able to keep working for 50 years thanks to a good boss,
colleagues, and the good relationships I’ve built at the workplace.
When I joined the company, I had a strong impression of a local ironworks
consisting of just one plant. Back then, many senior employees were
of the craftsman type, including some who often scolded me when I was
a new employee and sometimes got angry and threw tools at me.
I have always made efforts to look at my work as something to figure out
myself instead of relying on being taught by others.

I have been mostly in the Assembly and Service Department,
with some experiences at branch offices. Back then, remembering
which roads to take was a challenge because obviously, car navigation
didn’t exist. I still recall that even going to service sites felt irksome back then.

I recall that in the old days servicing appeared to be organized
in a way that a fair number of us went together to complete the work
and come back early. Customers seemed to be relatively relaxed.
When we encountered an unexpected problem during a repair job, although
it was hard work, we had fun sharing ideas and solving the problem together.

I hope that more ISOWA people, irrespective of their departments,
will continue to proactively act in the awareness of
“ISOWA keeps you going – always on the go!”

Mr. I (Assembly Department)

Blessed with good health, I have been able to work for 50 years.
The secret to good health is to separate work and private life, exercise often,
and work and play with one’s whole heart.

Since joining the company, I have worked mainly in
the Assembly and Service Department. Back then, our core production
was mostly Printer Slotters, and corrugators were mostly low-speed machines,
all relatively compact. Compared with today, the assembly area seemed
wider, but I think the extra space we had was cluttered with parts shelves.
Today, flexo folder gluers have become mainstream, and corrugators have
become faster and wider, and the machinery is larger.
Considering the effective use of the assembly plant and how to position
and distribute shelves and parts, we are striving to achieve a plant as a showroom.

In the old days, when installing a printing machine, there were
many problems with sheet misalignment and sheet discharge,
and even modification brought no improvement. There were times
when I was severely scolded by the customer’s department manager.
Today I still haven’t forgotten what it was like back then.

I think that today the barriers around each department of ISOWA
have become lower compared with when I joined the company.
I would like ISOWA to continue growing to become an even more comfortable
company to work for, where people talk to each other and discuss
and consider each other’s point of view.
Mr. U (Overseas Service Department )

After joining the company, I have worked mainly in
the Assembly and Service Department and was involved in the installation
of a whole line of the corrugator. I have installed about 20 lines so far,
which I think is the highest at ISOWA.

When I joined ISOWA, parking lots were not maintained, and
vehicles were parked on the unpaved ground around the plant
and on vacant lots. When it started raining, it was a real mess.
Since the working hours were from 8 am to 4 pm, it was easy to
enjoy recreational events on weekdays too.

My most challenging incident in installing a corrugator line came
when we were installing Double-Deck Corrugator CWDD. We had a hard time
figuring out the correct placement for avoiding misalignment and
single-faced web meandering at the inversion section on the second floor.

Also, an incident I had when I was working overseas was that
when I worked in China to install a corrugator, I got on the wrong bus
and was about to end up being a missing person. It was a palpable
experience that taught me the great importance of communication.

The reasons why I have been able to keep working for 50 years are
the good health gifted me by my ancestors, my wife’s cooking,
and the company’s wholesome management.

My wish for future ISOWA people is to practice awareness of the “why”
regarding their work and to have a rich imagination. I would also like you
to train your hippocampus and master a field of specialization,
just one is enough, in which you beat everyone else.
Mr. M (Purchasing Department )

After joining the company, I spent some time in
the Machining and Assembly Department, and since then,
I have been in the Purchasing Department for around 40 years.
In the old days, when cargo needed to be moved, we had very long
waiting times because there was only one cargo lift. And the slip entries
were handwritten back then, while today we are using a PC for processing.

As to work-related incidents, when a staff shortage at a foundry
caused a delivery delay, we went to the foundry ourselves from 9 am to 5 pm.
We did the centering work for the cast, the sanding and shot blasting
to remove the burr from the cast material after casting,
and the weighing and cargo collection by truck. I will never forget this.

I think I have been able to work for 50 years thanks to the support
from my bosses, both senior and junior, my colleagues, and the employees
from other departments. I have been able to enjoy many recreational
events such as barbecuing at Lake Biwa, cherry blossom viewing a
t Mt. Komaki, watching sumo wrestling, and cherry blossom viewing
at Meijo Park, helping me build good relationships with everyone.

I hope that ISOWA people will continue to communicate and assert
themselves yet more than before as ONE TEAM ISOWA.
What did you think of these interviews?
When a half-century goes by, surely there are various stories
to be told. I think that compared with today, the way we worked,
and the tools we used are completely different.

Long-serving employees are awarded commendations at the morning meeting
with all employees in attendance. This time, long-serving employees
were presented with a crystal shield, a gift of commendations slightly different
from the usual paper certificates. The engraved text is a message in the style
of ISOWA, which touches upon a work-related anecdote
and the personality of the awardee.
We would like to make ISOWA a company which senior members
can respect and which each year turns out employees
with a 50-year history of service.

All employees together will continue to strive across generations
aiming for ISOWA to be a company loved by customers.
———————————————————————
New Machine Being Installed!
From President Isowa’s Blog, ISOWA DIARY
———————————————————————
When I put a picture of a machine here, it’s normally our machine. But not this time.

▼To read more about it, visit the below website
(President Isowa’s blog, ISOWA DIARY)
http://h-isowa.blogspot.com/2020/03/new-machine-being-installed.html
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Vol.131: Why was ISOWA able to become a 100-year-old company?

03/01/202002/28/2020ISOWALeave a comment

———————————————–
ISOWA NEWSLETTER
2020/03 Vol. 131
———————————————–
The ISOWA NEWS LETTER is a newsletter for the benefit
of special customers only.
Each month we bring you information about our company
and its products – information you won’t find on our home page
or in our catalogs.
We hope the ISOWA NEWS LETTER will help you feel closer to us.

─┬──────────────────────────────────────────────
1├ Why was ISOWA able to become a 100-year-old company?
– A look back on ISOWA’s history.
2├ Milestone Recognition
From President Isowa’s Blog, ISOWA DIARY
─┴──────────────────────────────────────────────
Hello all, my name is Fernando Saucedo. I’m a parts-specialist at Isowa America.
Today, I would like to talk about the gender reveal party here in the USA,
as my wife and I also are getting ready to share this event with family and friends
for our baby on the way.

It has been an American custom to host a baby shower for expecting parents,
and most recently, in the last decade, gender reveal party has become
extremely popular. Gender reveal party is generally a small event with
close friends and family, and for the parents to find out and reveal the gender
of their baby on the way. There have been a variety of different and creative ways
that parents choose to find out or reveal the baby’s gender. One of the more first
and common approaches is to give a bakery the gender in a sealed envelope and
have them bake a special cake, adding either pink (girl) or blue (boy) coloring into
the cake mix inside. This way, when parents cut a slice of cake, they are surprised
by the color inside of the cake, revealing the baby’s gender.

Another common approach is to have a balloon filled with either pink or blue confetti,
and the parents will pop during their gender reveal party with family and friends.
Whichever way parents decide to find out the gender of their baby, these events are
a fun, exciting, and creative way to find out and share the gender with their loved ones.

And now, let’s turn to Vol. 131 of the ISOWA NEWS LETTER.
We hope you like this edition.
———————————————————————————————–
Why was ISOWA able to become a 100-year-old company?
– A look back on ISOWA’s history.
———————————————————————————————–
Hello everyone.
I’m Shunpei Inagaki from the Customer Support/Service Department.
I’ll be your host for this issue.

ISOWA is reaching our 100th anniversary.
In addition to ISOWA, there are 1,176 companies in Japan that will celebrate
their 100th-anniversary this year (according to Teikoku Databank, Ltd.),
among them are Mazda Motor Corporation, Ito-Yokado Co., Ltd., and Rinnai Corporation.
Of these companies, manufacturing is the category with the greatest number
of companies, which is 287.
We will be celebrating our 100th anniversary alongside such great companies,
thanks to the support of our customers. Thank you very much.
And thank you for your continued support in the future.
We will unite as a company to return the kindness bestowed on us and work
to continue to “keep you going – always on the go!”

There are a few current employees who have been at our company for
over 50 years, and they have stories from those early times. However,
that’s only the second half of 100 years of our history, and that era was
only able to happen thanks to the previous 50 years.
We share information about present-day ISOWA through e-mail, the president’s blog,
and so on, so this time we’ll take up “Why was ISOWA able to become
a 100-year-old company? – A look back on ISOWA’s history” as a theme and
present a short review of the time of the company’s founding and its following
developments in order to explore how the company has been able to continue
for 100 years.
[ISOWA’s Beginnings]
ISOWA began in 1920 with the founding of the Nagoya plant of Minoda Iron Works,
a paper converting machine manufacturer.
The headquarters of Minoda Iron Works was in Osaka, and it’s unclear
when it was founded. As the enterprise expanded, a Tokyo plant was established,
and in 1920, the Nagoya plant was established, where the founder of ISOWA,
Genichi Isowa, happened to see an advertisement for workers as
he passed by the plant. This was the beginning of everything.
He began working for the company. In 1929, due to the impact of
the Great Depression, the headquarters of Minoda Iron Works was in poor shape,
but the Nagoya plant had been performing well. So it formed a separate company,
and in 1931, the Nagoya plant of Minoda Iron Works Company was created.
At that time, Genichi Isowa joined the management. Only five months later,
President Minoda passed away. Genichi Isowa became the president, and in 1933,
he built a new plant in Kita-ku, Nagoya City, shifting from Nagoya’s Naka-ku,
and achieving his dream of independence.
In 1938, the limited-partnership-company was dissolved, and the Minoda family
left the company. As the Minoda name still had brand value at that time,
the company name was not changed to Isowa but continued to operate
as a private company under the same name.
[The Birth of Isowa Industry Co., Ltd.]
The company’s second president, Eiichi Isowa, studied mechanical engineering
at Nagoya College of Technology (present Nagoya Institute of Technology)
and received one year of training at Okuma Machinery Works
(present Okuma Corporation) before joining the Nagoya plant of Minoda Iron Works
in 1949. Although he entered the company with knowledge of state-of-the-art
techniques, at that time, half the work was jobs subcontracted from
Okuma Machinery Works, and Isowa was a small company with less than
20 employees. The Japanese economy improved due to special demand
from the Korean War in 1950, and paper converting machine work increased
as well, enabling the business to recover gradually. Thanks to this, Isowa Industry
Co., Ltd. was able to be established in 1952.
[ISOWA – Specialists for Printer Slotters]
“ISOWA – Specialists for Printer Slotters” is something you might hear
from time to time from senior members of the company.
Let’s try unraveling the story behind that phrase a little.
ISOWA began manufacturing and sale of printer slotters in around 1955,
and at that time, there were only about ten printer slotters in operation in Japan.
In following with a customer request, Isowa developed printer slotters
under the name, “Two-color Standard Transverse Printer with Attached Slotter.”
After that, Eiichi Isowa developed the successors to that machine,
the 6R and the 7R with the help of the design office.
However, another company developed a high-performance printer slotter,
and the day came when 6R and 7R became inferior machines, which caused
a small crisis for ISOWA. Eiichi Isowa spoke of that time as very difficult,
and he said “I had many sleepless nights.”
Still, the company pressed on, determined not to let another company’s
high-performance equipment win out, and worked at developing machines
with competitive functionality and more affordable prices. The PS2 was
unveiled in 1963, to a favorable reception, and from then on, customers
kept the PS series in high demand.
This is how the phrase “ISOWA – Specialists for Printer Slotters” began.
[In Pursuit of Further Development]
ISOWA made technical partnerships with several overseas machine
manufacturers, enabling it to incorporate overseas technologies that were
more advanced than what was available in Japan, in order to continue to
provide machines that were in line with the times. Here let’s look at four
such companies as we reflect on those days.
1. General Corrugated Machinery Company, Inc. (United States)
In the early 1960s, corrugated box production began to shift from
wire joint to glue joint, and folder gluers with high productivity were attracting attention.
Other companies were developing folder gluers through a technical partnership
with overseas manufacturers, but ISOWA developed independently
and got far behind with regards to technology.
That is why ISOWA aimed to form a technical partnership and
selected the American company, General Corrugated Machinery
as a possible candidate. After ten months of continuous correspondence
with the company, Eiichi Isowa went alone to the United States in 1964.
However, the company was not eager to respond to the requests of
a Japanese company they hadn’t even heard of, and he paid many personal
visits to the company. After one week of repeated visits, his persistence
was rewarded and he was able to secure a technical partnership.
This allowed the company to sell General Corrugated Machinery’s semi-automatic
gluer in Japan, but sales weren’t as robust as Eiichi had hoped,
and it didn’t seem as though the venture was producing results.
However, since General Corrugated Machinery didn’t manufacture
printer slotters, they approached ISOWA to say, “we would like to sell
ISOWA’s printer slotters in the USA,” and ISOWA made its way
into the US market in an unexpected way. In 1966, the first printer slotter
for the United States was exported, and it was evaluated as being comparable
to American machines, resulting in the shipping of a lot more.
2. Ward Machinery Co. (United States)
After the semi-automatic gluer, the industry turned its attention to rotary die cutters.
Eiichi Isowa was quick to pick up on the potential of rotary die cutters
and had already begun working on prototypes in 1963. However,
his in-house development didn’t go well as he had hoped. At that time,
only hard die cutters were produced in Japan, and Eiichi Isowa
was considering a partnership with Ward Machinery, who made the soft die cutters
that Eiichi Isowa believed would become the mainstream in the future.
Ward Machinery was the top manufacturer of rotary die cutters, and
Eiichi Isowa expected negotiations to be much more difficult than his experience
with General Corrugated Machinery. Ward Machinery had a short history
and little experience with technical partnerships, the negotiations
went smoothly, and a contract was signed in 1966.
Eiichi Isowa struggled to bring it to successful domestic production as quickly
as hoped. In November of that year, the public test run of the domestically-produced
rotary die cutter was achieved. After that, many customers ordered it,
and the rotary die cutter joined the printer slotter as a product that
contributed to ISOWA’s growth.
3. UNIVERSAL Corrugated Box Machinery Export Corp. A.G. (Switzerland)
ISOWA wanted to sell printer slotters to Europe, and so formed
a sales partnership with UNIVERSAL. In 1966, Eiichi Isowa went to visit
UNIVERSAL, which he had selected to be a distributor of ISOWA’s printer slotters
in Europe. UNIVERSAL was a specialized manufacturer of folder gluers
and had been wanting printer slotters, so a plan was begun to link
UNIVERSAL’s folder gluers with ISOWA’s printer slotters and sell them
on the European market and the sales partnership deal was made.
To develop a connectable printer slotter, ISOWA technicians traveled
to research European printer slotters, and they modified the PS5 and PS6
which were already under development and sent out new models PS5B
and PS6B for Europe. Successful market development in Europe was achieved,
and at that time, many more of those models were assembled at assembly plants
for the overseas market.
4. Koppers Company Inc. (United States)
At that time, Koppers was one of the top three corrugated machinery
manufacturers in the world. The other two companies were Langston and
S & S, which both had alliances with other Japanese manufacturers.
Koppers was looking to advance into Japan, and ISOWA was looking
for folder gluer technology. Both companies shared mutual interest,
and in 1969, ISOWA formed a technical alliance on flexo folder gluer
with Koppers. In 1972, a joint venture for corrugator technology was launched
with Koppers, called “Isowa Hooperswift, Ltd.” This company’s business was
to manufacture and sell automatic corrugator splicers, noise suppressors,
laminators, and more. It was the predecessor to the present-day
ISOWA-HOOPERSWIFT, LTD.
The “Hooperswift” in the company name comes from two companies
previously acquired by Koppers: a corrugator manufacturing company
called “Hooper” and a printing machine manufacturer called “Swift.”
Although it was a joint venture with Koppers, the name Hooperswift was used.
This alliance greatly advanced ISOWA’s corrugator technology.
At that time, our current president, Hideyuki Isowa, took some time off
from studying at university to spend about ten months working at Koppers.
There was an incident when an employee who did not know that the company
had the alliance to share technology with ISOWA asked him if he had come
to spy. Despite that, Hideyuki Isowa says he got along well with many friendly employees.
[ISOWA After That]
After that, ISOWA succeeded in developing Japan’s first INAC, mainly using
NC (numerical control) equipment, and “Exceed,” which has revolutionized
printer slotters, making it possible to do with two rolls what once required seven.
This led to SuperFlex and SuperFlex Plus.
Then in June 2001, Hideyuki Isowa became the fourth president of the company
and embarked on improving the corporate culture. He started,
“ISOWA keeps you going – always on the go!” and a part of that success
has been the massive hit flexo folder gluer IBIS and other “i-Machine.”
This has been a quick jog through the history of ISOWA. I’ll be glad
if you’ve read this and found something new that you didn’t know about
our company’s history.
Looking back, one could say ISOWA has incorporated what it needed during
each era and changed along the way. As the saying goes, “Companies are
businesses that adapt to changing environments.” Our history shows how
we have kept on going without fearing change.
We sincerely feel that we are able to celebrate our 100th-anniversary thanks to
the efforts of the many people who came before us, the cooperation
of our business partners, and above all, the support of our customers.
We would like to take the challenge one step further to make ISOWA a company
that will last 150, or even 200 years.
This has been a long article, but thank you for sticking through it.
———————————————————————
Milestone Recognition
From President Isowa’s Blog, ISOWA DIARY
———————————————————————
Like I mentioned before, 2020 is ISOWA’s 100th anniversary.
We have a lot of exciting anniversary events coming up.

▼To read more about it, visit the below website
(President Isowa’s blog, ISOWA DIARY)
http://h-isowa.blogspot.com/2020/02/milestone-recognition.html
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Vol. 130:Work-Style Reforms at ISOWA

02/01/202001/27/2020ISOWALeave a comment

———————————————–
ISOWA NEWS LETTER
2020/02 Vol. 130
———————————————–
The ISOWA NEWS LETTER is a newsletter for the benefit
of special customers only.
Each month we bring you information about our company
and its products – information you won’t find on our home page
or in our catalogs.
We hope the ISOWA NEWS LETTER will help you feel closer to us.

─┬─────────────────────────────────────
1├　Work-Style Reforms at ISOWA
2├　Happy New Year 2020
From President Isowa’s Blog, ISOWA DIARY
─┴─────────────────────────────────────
Hello everyone!
In an unexpected turn of events, I’ve recently been given a used road bike,
so if the weather is good, you can find me riding around the streets of Nagoya
on my days off. I’m Akari Tsurumoto from the Export Department.

Nagoya, where ISOWA’s Japan head office and plant are located,
is one of Japan’s five largest cities, and it has a robust public transportation system
in the city core, with trains, subway lines, and buses. I only learned this
once I started cycling, but Nagoya doesn’t have many bikeways, so I am often
faced with the choice of either riding slowly along the sidewalk or going out
into the street with the cars, despite the danger.

I once took a trip to the Netherlands, and in Amsterdam there were clearly
marked lanes for pedestrians, bicycles, and cars, so everyone was moving
along safely.　Bicycles are good for both the environment and the budget,
and not only can you make lovely discoveries around your neighborhood but
you can also improve your health. I think it’s one of the best forms of transportation,
so I hope Nagoya can someday become more welcoming to cyclists.

What is the street situation like in your town?
Some towns are great for walking, others are perfect for cycling, and others
are fun for driving. I think there are a lot of different types of places,
so if you have the chance, please tell me something nice about where you live!

And now, let’s turn to Vol. 130 of the ISOWA NEWS LETTER.
We hope you like this edition.
————————————————————–
Work-Style Reforms at ISOWA
————————————————————–
Hello everyone.
This is Shingo Saegusa of the Export Department.

Let’s get right down to business. Have you ever heard of telework?
Telework is defined as “a flexible work style that uses information and communications
technology (ICT) to enable people to make effective use of their time and place.”

Apparently, the government is promoting telework for the duration of the Olympics
in order to relieve traffic congestion.
It has recently become a word one often hears on the TV news.

At our company, we have implemented telework as a part of our efforts to create an
environment that makes it easy for ISOWA people to work, and in this issue, I’m going to
present the reflections of some people who are actually doing telework at our company.

If anyone is considering telework, hopefully this will be helpful for you.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
◆Customer Support/Sales Service Department H.S.

As part of revising the way I work, I began trying WFH (work from home).
Although it’s called “work from home,” it’s not just about working at home,
but rather it’s a way of aiming towards a more flexible way to work.

Thanks to the development of network environments and communication tools,
there are few tasks that must be completed at the office these days. It’s possible
to do the same level of work at home, out and about, on a business trip, or anyplace,
as it is at the office.
There’s nothing wrong with working at home, or out somewhere, or at the office.
I think what’s important is to work efficiently.

I think one huge plus is the time and effort saved by not having
to commute. Two hours each day swaying in a packed train
just to go to work and back really causes stress to build up.
By simply removing that element, I’m able to spend quiet moments
thinking or helping out around the house, and I begin to feel
more relaxed in both body and spirit.

At this point, I haven’t found any drawbacks in particular, but I find
that my “work from home” has been nothing more than a way to rethink
my way of working.
I think our role is to think about how to make an environment that
is truly easy to work in, based on the philosophy of, “Creating a company
with the best corporate culture in the world that makes us and
our families happy.”
Now at ISOWA, even if there isn’t a precedent, if you think of something
that really fits with the philosophy, they will encourage you to “give it a try!”

I’m going to visualize a completely different work style that we might
have in ten or twenty years, as I exchange ideas with my colleagues
in order to make it happen.
◆Customer Support/Service Department N. H.

I have access to the same network environment outside as I do
in the office, which enables me to work at any time or any place.
I can do things that I once did in the office while I’m on the move
or on a business trip, and this has improved my work efficiency.

I’ve worked from home several times, and I found it very relaxing
for my body and spirit to be able to get straight to work without having
to deal with the hectic commuting time. I had more time to help out
with my kids in the morning and communicate with my family, and so
I really felt that there were benefits both for my work life and my private life.

When my private life is stable and fulfilling, this has a positive impact
on my work life as well, so I think I’d like to do it more often in the future.

However, since nobody is around to see what I’m working on
and I can also tend to develop a communication deficit, I have to be
even more disciplined with myself, and I also feel like I have to work more
actively with my everyday communication.

Currently, I’m doing it on a test basis, but I think more people
should try working from home or telework to improve both their work
and home lives.
◆Customer Support/Service Department S. I.

First, some concrete examples of current telework are:
• Working on the Shinkansen (in transit)
• Working at a hotel
• Working at home

When I’m away on a business trip, I mainly use the Shinkansen train.
Before, I was using my iPhone to do work while riding the Shinkansen,
and there were limits to what I could do and it wasn’t very efficient.
Since I was provided with a computer for telework, I’m now able
to work while on the Shinkansen in the same way as I do at the office.

Before, even if I got an urgent question from a customer, I had to
reply with “I’m very sorry, I’m currently on the Shinkansen..,” but now
I can respond with “I’ll look into it and get back to you shortly.”
And depending on the content of their question, I can often respond
very quickly.

I used to return to office after a business trip if I had some time
before the end of the business day. But now, I just go straight home.
I feel like I’m able to work more efficiently, because I can work at home.

When I was working at the Tokyo Domestic Sales Office, riding
a packed train was like doing work before my workday even began,
but when I tried working at home, that time was eliminated and
I felt much more relaxed both physically and mentally.

With a flexible work style, we can work towards a better work
environment and I want to continue to use telework (working from
home) and explore its effects.
◆Customer Support/Service Department K. S.

I’m currently working from home two or three days per week in
conjunction with my reduced working hours due to childcare .

The life of a married couple changes completely when
their childcare begins. Daily trips back and forth to daycare,
from preparations in the morning to putting them to bed
at night, there is never enough time in the day to do it all.

The best thing about working from home is that it eliminates
the time required for a commute.
This benefit gets even greater the further one’s house
is from the office.

Personally, thanks to saving time on my commute,
I’m able to relax and I think I’ve developed an improved
attitude towards not only my family and my children but
to other people as well.
This, more than anything, has helped me begin to feel
that I am working for myself and my family, which is based
on the company philosophy of “make us and our families happy.”

Another benefit to my work is the concept that “being at
the office = working” was eliminated from me.
Thanks to that, I’ve begun thinking about work more, even outside
working hours, and I feel like the things I learn in my day-to-day life
or taking care of my children has also helped provide me with ideas for work,
more and more.

At ISOWA, we’re not yet at a point where everyone can telework,
but as one of the first people who has been able to try it, I honestly
can’t help but wonder what people who are doing work the usual way
are thinking about me, and I wonder what sort of things they might
be saying… So that is one thing that makes me feel a little insecure.

Still, I think of it as an opportunity that I was lucky to receive,
and I want to value this process while producing results that
people can see in order to gain their approval.

I want to work to make our work more efficient and paperless,
for a future where telework can be an option for lots of people,
not just people who have to care for children or elderly relatives.

I believe that the more people who can achieve a good work-life
balance and tackle their work with a sense of satisfaction,
the more this will result in providing even better value for our customers.
◆Public Relations H.M.

The reason why I began working at home was my
husband’s job transfer.
I wanted us to live together as a family, but I didn’t want to
quit my job.
I felt as though it was a pretty selfish request, so
I was half-prepared to be fired when I told my true wishes
to my boss, but I was told, “I think you can do your job
from home.”
This was a very unexpected and generous proposal.
I remember feeling so happy that I almost cried.

In many cases, WFH means that a person might have
one day per week when they don’t go into the office, but
in my case, I moved really far away, so I mostly work from home
and once every week or two I go in to the office.

When people who normally work at the office work a day
at home, they probably think it’s just about “Doing
whatever work can be accomplished at home.”
But as a result, the stance of “doing work that can also
be done at home” results in nothing but a subset of work that
can be done at the office .

In my case, I hardly ever go in to the office, so if I try
to move forward with this way of thinking, I wind up just
being asked to do odd jobs, and odd jobs which contribute little
to the company at that, which isn’t worth the amount
the company pays for my salary.

Because of this, I realized I needed to adjust my thinking.
Many tasks can be completed easier while working from home.
(I had already begun working at home for
a long time before I had this realization, so I can’t be too proud about it. )

The overwhelming advantage of working at home versus working
at the office is that I am able to fully immerse myself in my thoughts.
Although one downside is that it’s hard to obtain information,
the other side of that coin is that it is the perfect environment
for me to focus in my own world. I think the key to successful
working at home is to do a work that maximizes the benefits.

Finally, working at home only works because of my colleagues
in the office, and looking at it one way you could say they’re letting
me have all the fun. I just want to make sure I never forget
my gratitude for that.
At a manufacturing company like ISOWA,
there are limits to the types of positions that can be done at home.
I feel bad that I’m in the lucky position of being able to work
at home when so many others cannot. But this is why I work hard
so that people will feel glad that I stuck around although I work at home,
rather than quitting completely , and that is the best way for me to
repay the kindness of my colleagues and of my company.
I’m not always confident to say I am achieving
that goal with my work, but I will always keep trying.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
What did you think of these reflections on telework?

I think the approach changes depending on the department and
position of the person, but the most important thing is that
by using telework, we can increase the work style options so that
people can be fulfilled in both their work and private lives.

I’ll be interested to read your thoughts on this issue.
————————————————————————–
Happy New Year 2020
From President Isowa’s Blog, ISOWA DIARY
————————————————————————–
Happy belated New Year! I hope 2020 is treating you all well.
I’d like to have a quick look back at what happened at the turn
of the year at ISOWA.

▼To read more about it, visit the below website
(President Isowa’s blog, ISOWA DIARY)
http://h-isowa.blogspot.com/2020/01/happy-new-year-2020.html
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Vol. 129:Our Efforts with the National Trade Skills Tests

01/01/202012/25/2019ISOWALeave a comment

———————————————–
ISOWA NEWS LETTER
2020/01 Vol. 129
———————————————–
The ISOWA NEWS LETTER is a newsletter for the benefit
of special customers only.
Each month we bring you information about our company
and its products – information you won’t find on our home page
or in our catalogs.
We hope the ISOWA NEWS LETTER will help you feel closer to us.
─┬───────────────────────────────────
1├　Our Efforts with the National Trade Skills Tests
2├　Guests from the US
From President Isowa’s Blog, ISOWA DIARY
─┴───────────────────────────────────
Happy Holidays
This is Scott Sander – Sales Manager at Isowa America.
For many the upcoming New Year is always a time for setting/resetting personal goals
– both professionally and personally. Most cultures think it’s a good time to celebrate,
reflect and look forward.
One of my favorite writers wrote that the best things in life should be thought of
as pebbles in a jar. The assumption should be that the pebbles are finite —
you should withdraw them with care, one by one, never doing it by random or
distractedly. If you withdraw them too rapidly, you are being greedy, and will hasten
the day when they are gone. If you hoard them, if you are miserly in keeping them
in the jar, then you will rob yourself of the experiences the good things should give you.
There’s no perfect way to do it. The closest you can come to perfection is
to know just how precious those pebbles are, and to value each one.
I think it is the same with a New Year. Here is one true thing: You have one
less New Year remaining than you did a year ago today. A year from today you will
have one less New Year remaining than you do right now. That can worry you or thrill you.
Choose to let it thrill – your New Year is just the beginning. The pebbles fill your
New Year’s jar – withdraw one and savor the opportunity of a New Year.

And now, let’s turn to Vol. 129 of the ISOWA NEWS LETTER.
We hope you like this edition.
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Our Efforts with the National Trade Skills Tests
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Hi, I’m Nagisa Inui from the Customer Support/Service Department.
In this issue, I’m going to talk about some of
our efforts with the National Trade Skills Tests.

Every year at ISOWA, our junior employees on site take the National
Trade Skills Tests.

First of all, what are the National Trade Skills Tests?
→It is a national certification system that began in 1959 that
was created in order to evaluate the level of skills acquired or
required for work.

People who pass the tests are issued certificates and are permitted
to call themselves certified skilled workers.

I asked this year’s examinees for their
thoughts and impressions.
K <Working at ISOWA for ten years>

I took the 1st Class Machining Center Worker test . I was confident
in my practical skills, so I wanted to take the test to prove myself.
My department always shared past test questions and offered
test-taking advice, but starting from this year, I had to personally
ask someone who had passed the test for advice and gather materials
on my own so that was really hard.
Also, since I had to practice on a machine that is used during everyday
work, I had to find a way to practice without hindering the production plan.
Long story short, I passed. Starting from next year, I want to use my
experiences to help other examinees so that they can pass it on
their first try.
B <Working at ISOWA for ten years>

I took the 2nd Class General Purpose Milling Machine Worker test .
A senior employee recommended that I take the test, so I did.
Once I started practicing, although it is the same machine I use
every day for work, I realized the content was totally different and
I got flustered.
I worked at it with the feeling of a beginner learning a new skill.
As I practiced, my ability to switch my way of thinking to focus on
the next task, the way I moved my body, and the way I used my time
changed, and my level of awareness improved.
I want to instruct future examinees by telling them about my
experiences and helping provide a foundation for their motivation.

I <Working at ISOWA for three years>

This time, I took the 2nd Class General Purpose Milling Machine Worker test.
I wanted to try again after failing last year, so I asked to retake it.
I reevaluated my style of practicing and attitude towards making an effort
that I had last year, and practiced over and over.
I particularly focused on eliminating unnecessary movements.
Before I started studying for the test, I didn’t have a clear image
of my own work, and I realized that I had a lot of unnecessary movements.
After I took the test, my boss told me, “You have far fewer unnecessary
movements” and I was happy to hear that.
It’s not just about passing the test. I feel the biggest thing I gained from
this experience was a true feeling of growth in regard to my day-to-day work.
That’s all for reflections from examinees.

When the testing day gets closer, the examinees start practicing after work.
When I tell people outside the company about this, they are often surprised,
but this practice does not count as overtime. That’s because it’s not
a work order, but a “personal decision to take the test.”

Once employees get the qualification, they are evaluated in terms of
contributions to work and positive influences on their surroundings,
but they don’t get any special allowance just for obtaining the qualification.
Although examinees start out with the intention of passing
the test, there are times when they feel overwhelmed.
But once they get started with actual practicing, they lose
track of time having fun in competition with their peers, and
work hard at it until late at night.
It is the kind bosses and senior employees who instruct
the examinees, and the coworkers who create an environment
that makes it easy to focus on practicing that makes them work
even harder to practice and pass the test not only for
themselves but for everyone supporting them.
Junior employees feel this atmosphere and decide to
take a test the following year, and people who have passed
the tests use their experience to support them.
The skills people build in preparation for these tests
in turn builds a better ISOWA’s Manufacturing Department.

This is why approximately ten people at ISOWA take National Trade Skills
Tests every year. It has truly become a part of ISOWA’s corporate culture.

Practicing for the National Trade Skills Tests is only possible
with the cooperation of TASUKE people who share an understanding
of the importance of passing down skills in order to keep the flame of
manufacturing burning bright.
I think this must be one important reason why examinees are
so motivated to do their best.
※ISOWA calls our subcontractors “TASUKE people”.
And at ISOWA, where process is valued more than results,
Hideyuki-san threw a party for all the examinees and
instructors before the results announcement to celebrate
their hard work.

People who passed their tests this year will be instructors
for examinees next year, so I think it was a meaningful time
for them to hear the thoughts and feelings of the instructors directly.
I heard from one participant that the party was also an opportunity
to hear about other tests, and inspired this person to try another
one that might benefit his own department.
You can see pictures of the event on the ISOWA blog.
https://blog.goo.ne.jp/h_isowa/e/d75927bd5871c80b31272bbee935fa3e
(In Japanese only)

ISOWA’s Manufacturing Department puts our heart and soul into
every part we make. The aggregate of those parts becomes an “i Machine”.
ISOWA employees will continue to work hard to serve our customers,
with each one fully taking in the corporate philosophy.

Thank you very much.
—————————————————————
Guests from the US
From President Isowa’s Blog, ISOWA DIARY
—————————————————————
Some of you might recognize one of the guys in the picture.

▼To read more about it, visit the below website
(President Isowa’s blog, ISOWA DIARY)
http://h-isowa.blogspot.com/2019/12/guests-from-us.html
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