天美影视

Hiramatsu:
I am an internal transfer student from the high school division. The system allows you to advance to the faculty you want to go to based on your grades, and I chose School of Business because my parents are business owners, so I was interested in people and organizations, and I imagined that it would be directly useful when I entered society. Accounting and other subjects are included in the classes, so I thought I would be able to learn the basics for working, which is why I chose School of Business.

Sato:
I entered the university at the age of 28 after having worked in the public sector. My father, mother and uncle were all company managers, and I always felt that I had to be like them, so I actually entered the public sector and started my own business in my 20s. As I interacted with many people, I realized that some people grew faster and others grew slower, and that I was on the slower side. I met many excellent managers in my work, but even when I was able to talk to them, there were times when I didn't understand what they were saying. I don't read books on a daily basis, and I thought that I couldn't continue like this, so I decided to quit running a company and study hard at university.
When studying at a university, the environment is also important. I thought that being in an environment like Omotesando, where many people with good taste gather, would help me hone my own taste. However, when I actually enrolled, I ended up staying at the Sagamihara campus until my second year (laughs).

Igarashi:
Like Hiramatsu, I was also an internal transfer student, but there was an open campus that internal students could attend, and the classes were so interesting that I decided to enter School of Business. I originally liked history, so I was also considering College of Literature Letters, which has Department of History, but I decided to attend a trial class at the Faculty of School of Business, which I thought would be advantageous for job hunting. It was there that I first learned that in society, products are developed and sales methods are decided based on these motives. Everyone spends money in life and always buys products. That's why I decided to enter the Faculty of Business Administration, because I wanted to be on the side that knows how society works.
As for Department of Marketing, I wasn't really sure about the differences when I was choosing, but I've always had photography as a hobby and I've been interested in production, so I thought I'd be able to be involved in creativity, so I chose Department of Marketing.

Igarashi:
It's true that there weren't many business management classes at The Aoyama Standard, and I was reluctant at first because I thought, "Eh! That's all?" But the philosophy and history classes were interesting, and even when I became a third-year and the range of options expanded, I still wanted to take at least one literature-related class. Looking back, I think it was because of The Aoyama Standard that I was able to broaden the scope of my knowledge and interactions.

Sato:
I wanted to learn a wide variety of things, so I thought it was a great system. I took philosophy classes and learned about Socrates. At the time, I didn't think it was a very important class, but when I entered society, I realized that I was being taught very important things. My ability at the time was low, so I didn't understand the importance of it (laughs). So, even if it was difficult at first, I thought it was good to have the opportunity to experience such classes when I was young.

Yamada:
Sports were compulsory for the first and second years at The Aoyama Standard. I liked soccer, so I took it, and it was more fun than I expected. Even though sports became optional from the third year onwards, I chose soccer until the fourth year. I went to Sagamihara campus just for soccer.
Earlier, some negative opinions were expressed about the Sagamihara campus (laughs), but I had a positive image of it, and I remember thinking, "What a beautiful school building!" the moment I first entered the campus. When I took the entrance exam, I was at Aoyama campus, and at the time the school building was old, which I thought was a bit disappointing.

Sato:
Those who are about to enroll are in a fortunate position. You will be located in Aoyama for all four years, and the Aoyama campus has been renovated.

Igarashi:
At The Aoyama Standard there were classes that students took as a class. There were also joint classes where two classes took classes together.

Hiramatsu:
That was the case for compulsory subjects and English.

Sato:
That's right, and then before a test comes around, I suddenly become friends with people who take a lot of notes (laughs).

Igarashi:
That's right. When I was attending Sagamihara campus, I often went to the house of a friend who lived alone in that area.

Yamada:
Speaking of the atmosphere at the university, I thought there were a lot of fashionable people. Since I came from the countryside, I felt there was a sophisticated feel to it that was city-like.

Sato:
Unlike my hometown Sapporo, Tokyo has its own unique towns, with Sibuya being a town for young people and Ginza being a town for adults. So, when I thought about Omotesando, I had an image of charismatic hairdressers' hair salons and sophisticated shops, and Aogaku has exactly that image. At first, I was conscious of the clothes I would wear.

Igarashi:
It's true that in the first year, girls were very conscious of what they wore, but by the third and fourth years, they had gotten used to it and it seemed like T-shirts and jeans were okay.

Seminars begin in the third year and students move on to specialized learning

Yamada:
In the third year, you start taking seminars and start studying business management in earnest. In my second year, I chose Professor Yazawa's seminar because his classes were interesting. The seminar covered a wide range of accounting topics, but it especially focused on corporate valuation within financial accounting. We theoretically calculated how much a company was actually worth and discussed how to increase its value.
Every time I gave a presentation in the seminar, the professor would give me some sharp comments and questions, which I had to answer in the next class. Then in that class, I would have to give another presentation, and then I would be given some homework. As the class progressed, the amount of homework kept increasing, but it was a great experience because it meant I had a lot to think about.
We did our presentations as a team, so we often researched things together. We would stay at school until the security guards kicked us out, and when we got home we would talk on the phone, researching and discussing things, and we often stayed up all night.
In addition to Professor Yazawa, School of Business has other professors who specialize in accounting. For example, Professor Yoon is a professor who specializes in international accounting, and he helped me out when I was stuck.
Accounting discussions are inevitably divided into two camps: internationally, this is how it is, and in Japan, this is how it is. When I receive an opinion that it is internationally, I cannot answer unless I go to the library and thoroughly read international papers. Currently, there are international accounting standards in the field of accounting, but when I was a student, it was just a time when Japan was deciding whether to introduce them or not, and there were no international accounting standards sections in bookstores. By the time I graduated from the seminar, every bookstore had an international accounting standards section, with many specialized books, and as the latest books kept coming in while I was studying, I felt like I was at the forefront of academia, which was a lot of fun.

Hiramatsu:
I took a seminar on organizational theory taught by Professor Masaru Yamashita of Department of Business Administration. I was in Department of Marketing, but I thought organizational theory sounded interesting, so I chose it without knowing anything about the professor. When we were deciding on our seminars, the professor was studying abroad in the United States and was not in Japan, so there was no interview, and I couldn't hear from the seniors who had taken his seminar, so I decided without knowing anything. However, I later found out that he was the professor of a required business administration course in the first year, and several people said they took Yamashita's seminar because it was easy to understand.
In terms of content, we mainly studied leadership theory, motivation theory, and reality shock, which is the gap you experience when joining an organization. We read one book a week and were given assignments every time, but at first, I didn't really understand what the assignment was asking me to do, so I came up with a different answer and the teacher pointed it out to me. Professor Yamashita's comments were very sharp, and at first, we didn't even understand what he was saying.
In addition to the regular seminar, there is a sub-seminar with 3 or 4 people, and we finish one thesis in 3 months. I remember that at first, we didn't know how to write it and did it all by ourselves. Because the professor was obsessed with hypotheses, it was difficult to decide on a topic, and even if we came up with dozens of topics, they were cut off and we had to think about it again from there.

Sato:
I studied under Professor Nagai, a professor of linguistics in Department of Marketing Department. He was a very kind professor, and listening to the two of them talk, I was surprised to learn that there are such strict seminars. Normally, if you enter School of Business, you would choose a seminar related to business, but I had my own purpose and went to Professor Nagai. Before choosing the seminar, I heard the following story. A Korean manufacturer was rapidly increasing its sales in China, and their strategy was different from that of Japanese manufacturers: they first lived in China to learn about the culture and lifestyle, and thoroughly researched the demand. I thought that learning about culture and lifestyle would be the foundation of all business. So I decided to learn from Professor Nagai, who is well versed in these subjects.
I was the only student in his seminar class in my year. Professor Nagai's office is lined with countless books on the entire wall. When I asked him, "Have you read all of them?" he said, "Yes, I have" (laughs). I asked him to recommend 100 books to me in a year, and he made it a teaching style where I read 3-4 books a week and we discussed what we read during seminar time. This also led to a lot of misunderstandings on my part, so he instructed me to read as much as I could. I read books and discussed them with him, and it felt like a philosopher and his disciple. By the way, Professor Nagai not only helped me out during my time at university, but also met me after graduation and even came to my wedding.

Igarashi:
That's one way to study in a seminar. I'm jealous of the one-on-one classes with the professor. I took a seminar with Professor Kubota, who specializes in marketing. He doesn't just focus on selling things, he learns about marketing by considering the relationships between people and between companies.
Our generation was in the second year since the seminar was established, and when we joined the seminar, the professor told us, "The policy has not been decided yet, so I want you to think like a first-year student." At the beginning, about 15 students led by the seminar leader talked for about three hours in the classroom about what the theme should be and what we wanted to study under the professor.
The professor basically left the operation up to the seminar students, so the content of the seminar was free. We applied for a paper award sponsored by the Japan Advertising Association, and we did what we called case studies, where we summarized the efforts and operations of companies that we were interested in as much as we could and made presentations. Towards the end, we also did case studies with other seminars. I think it broadened the scope of our learning.

Hiramatsu:
I joined the seminar without knowing anything about it, but it was quite strict and, looking back, it was helpful. With the advice of the professor and by doing our own research many times, we were able to deepen our understanding of organizational theory and learn how to write a thesis.

Sato:
I was taught the foundation of doing something that may not be directly related to management, but is modest. There were difficult and boring books for me, but after talking with the teacher, it has become the basis of my life. In the end, I read about 1,000 books, and I felt that my worldview had broadened.

Igarashi:
What was really good about it was that I learned how to take in information. In my third year, my main activities were submitting a prize-winning essay, and in my fourth year, my thesis was submitted to the Japan Advertising Association, which also served as my graduation thesis. Even when deciding on a topic for my thesis, I learned how to find out what I was interested in. I was able to decide on a topic by doing market research, reading papers on advertising and promotion, and coming into contact with specialized magazines I had never read before.
In writing the paper, which was the output, I think I learned how to construct a theory and how to present an ambiguous theory in a reasonable way (laughs). In the seminar, I was able to learn both input and output in a well-balanced way. I think that the students in the seminar became good friends and developed a good relationship where they could stimulate each other, because we experienced many hardships and fun things together and built the seminar. It's been about two years since I graduated, but we still meet up and hang out together.
Like Yamada-san and his friends, we studied late into the night in the library, and when we got home, we would use Skype to work on our papers. The seminar I belonged to was a so-called "serious seminar," but if you don't shy away from serious seminars, it will definitely benefit you.

Yamada:
That's true. Although it was hard work researching and presenting, I gained a lot of knowledge and a new way of thinking.

Sato:
Also, what I thought from my experience in the seminar was that the professors in School of Business are very close to the students, and there are many who are very sympathetic. Since my second year, I have been personally using my position as a student to contact the managers I want to meet and interview them about what kind of people they are looking for. I contacted 100 companies, 200 companies, 300 companies, and met with anyone who was willing to meet with me. When I thought I couldn't expand it by myself, I told Professor Nagai about this activity and asked him for his cooperation. I also asked other professors, and they were surprisingly willing to introduce me to managers.
I had the impression that the relationship between teachers and students at university was weak, but that wasn't the case at Aogaku. I felt that there were many warm teachers who were willing to listen when I talked to them about something that was bothering me. If you get involved with them, there are many people who are really willing to help you.

A fulfilling student life with clubs and extracurricular activities

Hiramatsu:
I belonged to an intercollegiate double dutch (a team sport where you jump using two ropes) club. We were free to do activities almost every day on the vast grounds of the Sagamihara campus. We participated in competitions, went to school festivals at other universities as well as our own, and performed almost every week in the fall. My first and second years were spent completely absorbed in club activities.

Igarashi:
I joined the photography club because I was attracted by the darkroom. When I became General Manager in my fourth year, each member had a theme, and we showed each other the photos we had taken at club meetings and held exhibitions at school. We even rented a gallery in Sibuya to hold an exhibition of our photos in the summer and around graduation time, and it's a very fond memory. It's difficult to rent a gallery and hold an exhibition on your own once you become a working adult. After all, there was a club fee, and we were able to do activities that we couldn't do alone.
When I joined the club, there were seniors in the same department, so I was able to ask them about which classes were interesting, and about their studies and seminars. The photography club's club room is in a very dark place on campus (laughs), but I'm glad I joined.

Overcoming job hunting challenges by utilizing learning and networks

Hiramatsu:
How was your job hunting? When I was in my third year, an internship information session was held at school, and the company explanation by a certain manufacturer was very interesting, so I applied and it led to my current job. During the five days of the internship, I was able to accompany a sales person and I could see that everyone loved their own products very much, which resonated with me and made me interested in manufacturers. I thought it would be fun to be able to sell something I like. I liked stationery, so I was looking at stationery manufacturers, and then I was hired as a salesperson by my current company.
During the final interview, when the topic of the seminar came up, there was an executive who was knowledgeable about organizational theory, which I had studied, and we had a lively conversation, which made me feel glad that I had studied there. I also visited alumni who had found employment at manufacturers, consulted with my professor, and had my club seniors look over my application form. I really appreciate everyone's help during my job search.

Yamada:
While studying accounting in a seminar, I wanted to deepen my knowledge, so I went on to graduate school at another university. That's why I didn't look for a job, but I think the reason I'm able to do my current job is because of my classes and seminars.

Igarashi:
I didn't even visit alumni, and I was at a loss as to which industry to work in. I went to internships in a variety of fields, narrowed down the fields I liked, and then applied. After that, I wanted to work with people, so I applied to my current company. There are two Aogaku graduates at the head office, but I wasn't able to contact them on my own before joining the company, so I think it's better to actively visit alumni and listen to what they have to say.

Sato:
I had completed all the credits I could obtain by the time I was in my third year, and with the desire to make high-quality products in Japan, export them overseas, and do something that could go global, I started a manufacturing company in my fourth year.

What did you learn in School of Business that is useful to you now?

Yamada:
Now, my clients are financial institutions, and I am consulting on their accounting work, so my accounting knowledge is directly useful. Also, in terms of communication with people, the team activities I did in the seminar are very useful, as they are similar to my current work style of processing accounts as a team. I am a team leader at work, so I think I learned in the seminar what instructions I need to give to whom and when, and what discussions I need to have at what times.

Hiramatsu:
I am currently in Personnel Affairs Department, and I interview employees to set up the company's systems. At that time, I really feel that the experience of interviewing many people to write a paper in the seminar is useful. I feel that it is easier to do my job because I understand the basic format of making a hypothesis, conducting interviews, and drawing a conclusion. I owe it to the seminar that I know how to put together a system well, and it has become one of my strengths.

Sato:
After graduating from university, I realized that my growth rate is completely different from before. That's for sure. Now, as a manager of a manufacturer, I need to think together with professionals in each field, such as quality, function, and design, and consider whether everyone's thoughts are all connected. To do that, it's difficult if I can't understand what they're saying. Before, I only understood about 50% of what they said, but now I think I understand more than 90%.
Language is interesting, and even though we usually communicate in Japanese, I think it is impossible to understand each other 100%, including the nuances. That is why, through many conversations with Professor Nagai, I learned that unless you make an effort, you will not get close to 100%. And if you can understand the other person more accurately, your own judgment will be correct. I think that Professor Nagai's repeated comments have helped me to deepen my understanding of the other person's words.
I think it's very important to find a mentor in life. I actually found one at university. Meeting my teacher is a treasure to me.

Igarashi:
There are many things that were useful from my experience at Aogaku, but one of them is that I am currently working in the sales promotion department, thinking about campaign promotions, and since things are changing so rapidly, I need to keep catching information, and in the seminar I was able to learn how to catch information. I learned how to keep my antenna up.
Other than that, the wide range of things I learned, starting with The Aoyama Standard and including history, are now useful to me. The other day, I spent three hours talking about Christianity with a colleague from my company who had lived in China for a long time and a Muslim person. This conversation led us to discuss how our ideas don't resonate well with others when communicating in sales promotion. I think it's because of my studies at Aogaku 's School of Business that I was able to have this kind of conversation.

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