Discovering My "Calling" at 60
I was born in 1960. Perhaps, due to the influence of my father being a former National Tax Agency official, I entered the path of being a tax accountant — a journey that has now spanned over 40 years.
To be honest, until I turned 60, I never questioned "Why did I choose this profession?" It was simply a job that makes a living. Thirty-seven years ago, seeking something more interesting, I managed to get into a foreign-affiliated audit firm despite not speaking English. Since then, I have focused exclusively on foreign enterprises with favorable profit margins.
However, just before my 60th birthday, while crafting my profile for a book I was writing for branding purposes, I had an inspiration. Why doesn't money circulate in Japanese companies? Why don't they address their bottlenecks? Why do they only get work through personal introductions? I realized that confronting these "why" questions has been the mission given to me.
Does your company face the same "why" questions?
Recently, I had the opportunity to observe silverback gorillas in Rwanda and Uganda. Watching the alpha male — protecting his group. Living in the present — I was struck by a realization. Without noticing, we have been infected by beta thinking: "Don't stand out," "Just fit in." We have become obedient to rules and standard.
In today's Japan, my generation — those born in the 1960s — still dominates, fearing change, with maintaining the status quo becoming the job itself. In gaming terms, we're like NPCs (Non-Player Characters) without our own will, merely existing. Many SMEs have fallen into this NPC state.
But think about it. That's precisely why — for companies willing to change — now is a vast blue ocean of opportunity. As financial institutions and healthcare organizations undergo consolidation, the wave of roll-ups will inevitably reach SMEs as well.
DX, IT, AI — this is an era where experts who can leverage these tools will be with you.
For 37 years, we have supported foreign enterprises in their Japanese business operations, resolving countless bottlenecks in finance, accounting, and tax. Only companies that recognize they're in a boiling pot and are willing to step forward without fearing change can advance to the next stage. And supporting that step forward is our mission.
What is your "exit strategy" to increase your company's value ten-fold?
Will you remain in the boiling pot, waiting for the countdown? Or will you, as an alpha, carve out a new path?
True to the name "SANSEI," we are committed to standing by our clients' needs and creating the future together. That is our resolve.
