Learn Fairwood for a sustainable future. ~ Nomura New Employee Training ~

Introduction

I'm Amano, and I'm in charge of employee education and training in the human resources development department at NOMURA Co., Ltd..
On July 28th of this year, we held the “MORIMACHI Production Area Experience Meeting” as part of the new employee training at NOMURA Co., Ltd.. This is a one-day program to visit the Nishikawa forestry area in Hanno City, Saitama Prefecture, and experience how trees are grown, processed, and turned into wood. In 2010, we made a declaration of support for Fairwood, and we are focusing on providing the value of space by making use of the value of domestic lumber to create rich wooden spaces. We have held production area experience sessions for our employees before, but this was the first time that we were doing this as part of new employee training. It was a day to connect with the forest side (forestry and timber industry business operators) and face the relationship with forests and trees. This time, I would like to write about the “implementation background”, “contents”, and “learning” of MORIMACHI production area experience event.
(*Fairwood is “legal/sustainable wood”)

Implementation background: Why a production area experience meeting in new employee training?

Isn't it quite rare for a company to hold a wood production area experience session in new employee training? First, I will talk about the background that led to the implementation.
This year's new employee training focuses on "understanding and empathy for Nomura's business", with the aim of having new employees perceive the company's initiatives as something that is more familiar to them. (I want people to like Nomura.) For many years, we have been working on the "Fairwood Project", which utilizes domestic and regional materials (*wood from regions close to consumption areas). One of the initiatives I'm putting in is that I wanted to create an original experience in order to gain more understanding and empathy.
In an era where you can quickly look up anything you want to know with one hand on your smartphone, there are times when you feel like you know something. I think I can speak in my own words about what I actually took time to visit and saw with my own eyes. And by meeting people in the land and listening to their thoughts, it will lead to deeper learning.
As a company that creates spaces, we wanted new employees to realize the importance of that.

Mr. Tomonobu Wakabayashi from Nishikawa Rafters LLC cooperated in coordinating the production area experience event.

Flow of one day MORIMACHI production area experience event

Here is a brief explanation of the flow of the first day of the trial session.
We gathered at Hanno Station at 9:30 and visited the following four places.
(1) Forest tour → (2) Log market tour → (3) Sawmill tour → (4) Review exchange meeting

(1) Forest tour (visited by Sorin Co., Ltd.)

We visited the forest cultivated by Mr. Junji Inoue, who has been in the forestry business for generations since the Edo period.
While walking in the mountains for about an hour and a half, he talked about how trees are grown, the state of forests and forestry in recent years, and the history of local forests.

(It is said that it takes at least 40-50 years from planting a sapling to grow into a full-fledged tree that can be used as wood. I was surprised at how long it took for the tree to grow. Some masks are removed to prevent infection.)

 

(2) Log market visit (Visiting Agano Log Center Co., Ltd.)

After lunch, first thing in the afternoon, we visited the typical log market in the Nishikawa forestry area.
Here, trees cut down in the mountains are sorted by size and species and put up for auction. He explained how to buy and sell raw wood, units, price ranges, and the characteristics of each type of wood.

(The timber in this photo is priced at 30,000 yen per cubic meter. Considering how long it takes for the wood to grow, it made me wonder if the value of the timber was properly evaluated.)

③ Sawmill tour (visited by Okawara Lumber Co., Ltd.)

At the lumber factory, we observed the lumbering process to see how the logs we saw at the lumber market turned into lumber.

(In general, it takes six months to a year to dry wood naturally. In the case of artificial drying, it can be dried in about a week, but natural drying is definitely the way to preserve the scent and texture of the wood. I heard that there are many requests for naturally dried lumber from buyers.)

④ Reflection exchange meeting

Borrowing the Hanno Chamber of Commerce and Industry, we shared what we learned from the hands-on session, and each group thought about what we could do under the theme of "What kind of wood and how do you want to use it?" . People from the production area who took care of us at the experience session also participated, and it was a place to deepen exchanges.

Blessed with the weather, we were able to finish the day safely. Finally, we will summarize what we learned from this experience.

≪Learning: Feel the charm of Ichiki with all five senses≫

Above all, the first thing I felt this time was the charm of wood itself.
Walking in the forest, I felt the vitality of the trees as if they were breathing, I enjoyed the soothing aroma at the log market, and I felt warm in the soft atmosphere of the wood at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Throughout the day, we received a lot of vitality from the tree and felt the charm of the tree.

≪Learning: Meeting people involved in Niki and experiencing their thoughts≫

I was able to hear directly from people involved in trees, and I was able to gain a lot of new awareness.
I was particularly impressed by the words of Mr. Junji Inoue, the owner of the mountain, "I want you to think about how to use the forest as a space, not just using trees." I felt that this single word broadened my perspective on how to use the space of the entire forest, instead of the objects that were perceived as trees and timber. I learned that a broad and long-term new perspective is required. New employees also commented, "I used to think of wood as a material, but I realized that I should look at the whole area." I was.
Throughout the day, I heard stories from people in the production area, and the stories and ways of thinking about trees expanded more than before.

≪Learning: Thinking about the environment surrounding Sangi and what we can do≫

After the trial session, many of the new employees' impressions were,
“I was impressed by the fact that trees take decades to grow, be processed, and become wood. I want to think about what I can do to raise it further.” A person from the production area also said, "Nowadays, when wood is not valued highly and the price of wood is sluggish, I would like you to think about what we can do together, such as using forest certified lumber."

I think it's important to think about what you can do in your own environment from a long-term perspective, rather than just one experience. I believe that there are things that only Nomura can do. To be honest, it may be difficult to think of something right now, but I would like you to put the realizations and thoughts you felt this time in your own drawer, draw them out from time to time, and make use of them in your future work. I also wanted to make use of it.

in conclusion

By actually visiting, seeing and feeling for yourself, listening to the thoughts of the people you meet, you can broaden your perspective. It has become a place to notice the importance of it. This trial session will be a memorable experience for new employees, and even in the long run, as a member of NOMURA Co., Ltd., Ltd. I think it's connected to a step.

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who cooperated in this event.

Production area coordination: Nishikawa Rafters LLC

Cooperation: Okawara Lumber Co., Ltd., Agano Baraki Center Co., Ltd., Nishikawa Baum LLC, Hanno Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sorin Co., Ltd., NPO Nishikawa Forest Market