Throughout my time at MC, I have been involved in launching LNG projects, and more than half of my career has been spent overseas, including in North America and Southeast Asia, where cultures and personal values differ from those I had experienced in Japan. In some of these regions, progress toward social advancement for women has been limited due to cultural traditions, and at times I was left guessing what matters I should bring to the attention of my male managers. By repeating a process of trial and error to communicate thoroughly and establish relationships that allow for frank, one-to-one discussions, I believe I built up the ability to get my point across when breakthroughs are necessary at work.

I have been involved in power plant asset management for many years. Looking back, what I most often recall are the difficulties as well as the joys I experienced when I was seconded to another company. Since this company was in the start-up phase, not only was I carrying out duties as a line manager, but I was also actively involved in setting up corporate functions such as general administration and accounting. Out of these, I found recruiting staff to be especially difficult. First of all, we needed to develop HR systems, and after recruiting staff, we faced conflicts between our diverse group of employees, among other HR-related issues. It was difficult to monitor the overall situation while keeping the organization running smoothly, but it was a rewarding experience unique to a management role. New business proposals also presented some difficulties, and although I was almost at a loss after a series of failed proposals, I continued meeting with our partner companies to identify their concerns and refined the plans with my team members and power plant staff. When we finally came to an agreement on a new business that reduced both costs as well as environmental impacts, I was delighted with the team effort. This experience also changed my own personal values, and ever since, I have felt a responsibility to provide new value to our customers at hand.

Through the mentorship program*, I was able to discuss my concerns about management-related issues with an executive who had experienced similar problems, and I was relieved to know this was a path everyone goes down. I benefited from the valuable advice my mentor provided based on personal experiences.

Indeed. The mentorship program was an excellent opportunity to obtain advice from different perspectives. My mentor also helped me to build up confidence by encouraging me to challenge myself, and I believe we both learned something from the experience. For my mentor, the lesson was a better understanding of women's mindsets when they are in management positions and how they approach their work.

My impression is that the working environment at MC has changed significantly compared to when I first joined the Company. The necessary systems are now in place to provide more options for women who want to advance their careers while maintaining a balance with childcare needs. With a little support, women can achieve career growth by seizing the opportunities provided by MC. Because of this, I will do my best to encourage my subordinates and serve as a role model for them. The ability to make good decisions comes from accumulating diverse experiences, and once you acquire this skill, you are ready to take on more responsibility. My message to my junior colleagues is that you can make decisions and offer opinions based on your experiences and career, irrespective of gender.

There are circumstances where not only female employees, but also male employees have to deal with various situations such as caring for children and other family members when their spouses also work. I encourage my male colleagues to take paternity leave, and I even talk about my own family situation at times. Moving forward, I believe it is important for every employee to adopt a mindset of contributing to MC while respecting each other's individual circumstances. To achieve a balance between work and childcare, we need to recognize the value of real-time communication with our colleagues. Furthermore, managers can achieve work-life balance by overseeing the key aspects of their work while delegating other tasks to colleagues and subordinates. These are all connected, and I believe they are beneficial for MC and its employees. Everyone should take on challenges with a positive attitude, and not shy away from being seconded or assigned to management positions.