【Interview 3_tashiro coffee co., ltd】Business Succession to Daughter: President Tashiro's Thoughts and Daughter Hikaru's Thoughts- PREX Island

Enterprise managers SDGs
Intaview 3: The Future of Tashiro Coffee

When I contacted them for an interview, I knew that the president had fallen ill and was hospitalized for three months, and his daughter had decided to take over the company.
I had many opportunities to hear from President Tashiro and various presidents about their difficulties in taking over the company, and this interview was an opportunity for me to be touched by President Tashiro’s and Hikaru’s thoughts and feelings, and to be shaken by them at that very moment.

*PREX’s Okumura, Araki, and Kojima interviewed President Tashiro and his daughter Hikaru in January 2024.

The reason for working is joy and connection

[PREX Okumura]
What does sustainability mean to President Tashiro?

[President Tashiro]
It is about creating an environment where employees can continue to grow and work.
We want our employees to be able to think for themselves, find issues, add value, and solve problems on their own, and to develop the ability to create added value.

I have learned from many years of experience that the time when employees feel their work is worthwhile is when they receive praise from customers.
I believe that at that time, the purpose of working is no longer money.

: With sales floor staff at the Hanshin Department Store, Umeda Main Store

I had a subarachnoid hemorrhage last July and died once.
Until then, I thought I still had time to live, but now I am trying to live without regrets.
I feel completely different from the person I was before.
I have heard that there will be a second time for this disease, but before then, I would like to tell what I need to tell my daughter, who has made up her mind to take over.

: Ms. Hikaru (center) with a woman from a local farm

[Ms. Hikaru]
At first, I had no intention of taking over his business.
After I reiterated this feeling to my father, he collapsed.
At that time, my mother and I were discussing how to fold the company, but my father, who had recovered, collapsed once again.
Later, in September, while my father was in the hospital, Mr. Ronnie and his team came to Japan, and my father participated in Zoom from the hospital, and I and his employees handled the situation.
When I met Mr. Ronnie and his team in Honduras in March, we did not have much time to talk, but when they came to Osaka, we were able to set aside some time for a thorough conversation.

At that time, I felt that it would be a waste to end this wonderful relationship of trust and connection that had been built up over the years with one word: “I won’t take over.

My mother and I also talked about what a waste it would be.
All the employees seemed very happy that they came all the way from Honduras to Japan.
It was more significant for them to come here than for me to go to Honduras.
It was a big deal that I went to Latin America, that my father collapsed, and that Mr. Ronnie and the others came to the store.

: Ms. Hikaru preparing for cupping.

Good coffee has been a natural part of my life, so I can’t say that I have that much passion for coffee.
But I love communicating with customers and producers, and I want to stay connected.
I am still working hard to set personal goals, such as learning Spanish and English, and learning accounting, but I am determined to do my best.

President Tashiro’s Dream

[PREX Okumura]
I believe you mentioned before that you wanted to start a quality improvement project in Honduras.

[President Tashiro]
Local people want to dry them quickly in the sun, but because sun-drying is too hot, they are now drying them in the shade in plastic greenhouses.
To improve quality, it is important to dry and process them immediately after harvest.
Quality improvement is becoming increasingly difficult due to the need for speed and care.
Therefore, I was wondering if we could purchase one machine for sorting and drying harvested coffee cherries for the village.
A machine would greatly reduce the amount of water needed.
If there is one machine in the village, everyone can use it.

: Drying in the sun

: Drying in the shade inside a plastic greenhouse

[PREX Okumura]
Finally, can you tell us about President Tashiro’s dream?

[President Tashiro]
Due to changes in the natural environment, the number of quality beans suitable for specialty coffee will decrease dramatically by 2050, and price competition will be limited to low quality beans.
I hope that all our peers will work to promote specialty coffee, and that price competition will cease.
To make this wish come true, I would like to establish a coffee research group with my colleagues who share my ideas, and I would like to do direct trade with its members.

: There are three types of coffee beans: (1) those that leave the fruit, (2) those that leave a little of the fruit, and (3) those that leave only the seeds, each with a different flavor.