Vol.51

I want to support as a back office so that everyone can work with peace of mind.

One of the members supporting the back office at the Imabari headquarters is Ms. Aoki, who is in charge of general affairs and accounting. In addition to handling the day-to-day administrative work, Ms. Aoki supports the creation of a comfortable working environment from behind the scenes, drawing on her nearly 10 years of experience working for a labor and management firm. We asked Ms. Aoki to tell us what she is conscious of in her work.

Department of Management Director Aoki

I am amazed at the way they take choices that others would not.

My name is Aoki, and I am in charge of general affairs and accounting at the Imabari Head Office.

I am from an island called Omishima, located in the middle of the Shimanami Sea Route, and I came out to Imabari from high school.

Although I grew up in Imabari, I had no particular interest in towels before I started working at my current company. I was familiar with Imabari towels, but I had the impression that towels were not something you buy, but something you receive from others, and I never paid particular attention to the names of towel companies.

I joined IKEUCHI ORGANIC in 2016.

I had originally been working for a company labor lawyer’s office for about 9 years, and I was looking for a job in general affairs because I thought I could make use of my previous experience in a general affairs-related job. I found the current position at the company and learned about the company for the first time at that time.

When I started researching the company for the interview, I found out that it is a very unique company. They introduced green power even though the electricity bill was deliberately high. They also went out of their way to purchase organic cotton yarn, which is more expensive than regular yarn.

In order to achieve their corporate philosophy of “maximum safety and minimum environmental impact,” they dare to make choices that ordinary companies would not make. I was surprised to see this.

I wanted to know more about it, so I read the book “‘Tsurutsuruku’ Management” written by the president (Keiji Ikeuchi). Thanks to that book, I was able to learn more about how they arrived at their current state. I was also interested in meeting the representative because of his very gentle tone of voice.

When I spoke with the representative for the first time at the interview, I remember thinking, “He really is just as he is written in the book.

Prepare what you can do as early as possible.

As for my current duties, I am in charge of accounting and general affairs in general.

Specifically, in accounting, I am responsible for issuing invoices, managing accounts receivable, making payments, and creating forms. In general affairs, I am mainly in charge of labor management, including payroll calculation, attendance management, social insurance procedures, and management of employee benefits.

Currently, I am the only one in charge of general affairs and accounting at the Imabari head office, and my immediate supervisor is President Abe. It is almost like a one-man department.

However, I am also working while raising a child, and my child is still small. Therefore, there are times when I have to leave the office because my child has a fever or something, and in that case I ask President Abe to take over for me.

With this background in mind, I try to prepare what I can do as early as possible.

I try to prepare as much as possible ahead of time, even if it is only a little. I also prepare manuals so that even if someone other than myself is put in charge, he or she can work without hesitation. I always try to keep this in mind.

However, there is a limit to what I can do on my own, and I am constantly receiving help from everyone at the company. Not long ago, I was allowed to take maternity and childcare leave, which really helped me out.

Also, perhaps it is natural for me as someone in charge of the back office, but I am conscious of keeping up with the details.

Perhaps because of this, when customers come to the Imabari Open House or other events, the representative often introduces me with a smiling face, saying, “This is our detailed accountant. The representative says it is a compliment, so I would like to continue to be a detailed accountant.

I want all employees to be able to work with peace of mind.

What I feel while working at this company is the high level of awareness of trying to make sure that all employees can work with peace of mind.

If there is an employee who is having trouble, or if an employee asks for a system to be considered, the president or representative will proactively consider changing the system or structure. In some cases, they may even approve something that exceeds the standards set by the government.

I feel a kindness in such a company’s attitude, and as someone in charge of labor management, I would like to contribute as much as I can to making it easier for workers to work.

I feel that we need to acquire the latest information on labor-related knowledge and be able to make proposals on what is the best way to do things in the context of our own company.

From a back-office standpoint, I hope to continue to support everyone working at IKEUCHI ORGANIC.

Interview September 2023
Interview and text by Keiji Ide
Photographer / Yuji Kimura