Shotaro Hisamoto

Since joining the company in 2006, I have worked in the ocean export department for about 9 years and in a department mainly dealing with automobile-related customers for 4 years, and since 2019 I have been working at NISTRANS INTERNACIONAL DE MEXICO, S.DE R.L.DE C.V. Head Office Silao Branch. NISTRANS INTERNACIONAL DE MEXICO, S.DE R.L.DE C.V. Head Office opened its office in 2011 when Japanese automobile-related manufacturers began to actively advance into the Bajio (Central Plateau) area. In 2013, we established the Celaya branch and currently operate four branches. The Silao branch currently responds to all requests from customers related to logistics, including warehouse operation of over 10,000 m2, international ocean and Air transport to and from Asia and Europe, truck transport between the United States, Mexico and Canada, and transport and installation of large equipment, mainly for customers in the automobile industry. As a local corporation with a short history within Nissin Group, as a manager, one of my important duties is not only to manage and train local staff, but also to create a work environment and rules that are easy for them to work in.

We have received gratitude from customers for arranging extremely urgent cases without any hitches, but the best part is that we were able to acquire new customers and expand our warehouses and staff. Expanding the scale of our business entails a lot of risk, so it's not easy to take the plunge, but once we do, we have to work hard, so we are still working hard to expand even further. Moreover, this was a case that was connected to us through an introduction from an existing customer, so it made me realize that my daily sales efforts were not wrong, and it was a case that made me want to continue doing it.

It goes without saying, but since you'll be working with someone who grew up with different languages, cultures, customs, and everything else, I think it might be more difficult to find similarities. If you live in Japan, you might be told to "understand it by the atmosphere," but sometimes even if you explain it in words, let alone the atmosphere, it doesn't really get across, and even if I think it's something you can understand if you think about it with common sense. In the first place, this common sense is the common sense of the Japanese people, and we must understand the reality that we may seem insane to them. Even if we give instructions via email or phone, we always talk face-to-face to make sure the other person understands, and always check on the progress of the work.

If you are aiming to become an expatriate, I think the most important thing is to acquire the ability to think, make decisions, and take action on your own. As expatriates are very expensive, there are only a few of them in each country, and they end up in higher positions than when they are in Japan, so if the number of people they can talk to is limited, it would be better for them to be consulted by the staff themselves. There will come a time when you will have to make a decision or something. In preparation for such times, if you develop the habit of always asking questions, imagining the future, thinking and acting, such as ``Why is this happening?'' and ``What will happen if I do this?'', you will be able to cope with anything. I think he will be a capable person. Even if you think about it that much, you won't get bored because many things will happen that will easily exceed your expectations. Is it still the language? Unfortunately, English education in Mexico is slower than in Japan, and I can only communicate in Spanish in my private life. That's one of the best parts of being stationed here, so I'll do my best to speak English as well as I can for the rest of my time there.

You may have the image that expatriates play golf, and that is correct. Mexico has a bad security situation and a high risk of encountering crimes such as robbery, so I try to avoid traveling alone as much as possible. Golf courses have good security, so it is one of the few entertainments where I can play with peace of mind (this is the most important thing). I'm not very good at it though... Also, when I attend staff weddings and birthday parties, there is always a dance time, so I am practicing it along with golf. I am also planning a trip to the Caribbean islands and South America, which are quite difficult to get to from Japan.

Even though it is small (30-40 people), running a branch is like being the owner of a castle in a country, so I would like to expand NISTRANS INTERNACIONAL DE MEXICO, S.DE R.L.DE C.V. Head Office as a whole with this base as the center. Although there are many companies in Japan, they have a long history, and the reality is that it is difficult for new companies to enter the industry. On the other hand, there are many companies that have recently entered this country, both large and small, and it is rewarding to work in sales because you may be able to start new business with companies that you would not be able to interact with in Japan. Therefore, I would like to increase the number of new customers here and aim to use the information in Mexico to connect to jobs in other countries.