Career Changes Opening the Door to a New Future

After graduating from university, my first job was at a telecom carrier. I worked in mobile phone sales with the company’s partner retailers. I helped each location boost their sales of phones and other devices by planning strategies to reach monthly sales targets and devising new promotional campaigns. During the week, I would make my rounds visiting each sales location, and occasionally on the weekends, I participated in promotional events at shopping malls or major electronics retailers, sometimes even dressing up in a mascot costume to attract customers. I learned about the hard work that goes into selling every single cellphone, and I also gained a deep appreciation for our customers.

I had always wanted to work overseas, and that dream became a reality when I was sent on a two-year assignment to Thailand. My company’s clients were Japanese businesses operating in Thailand, and we offered comprehensive IT systems for their office spaces, factories, and warehouses. We handled a wide range of products including internet connections, servers, network equipment, and Wi-Fi setups, as well as teleconferencing systems, automatic door lock mechanisms, and security cameras. Despite speaking virtually no Thai, I was even tasked with the role of site supervisor at client facilities. My time in Thailand taught me the importance of communication when working among colleagues from a different culture. After returning to Japan, I worked on new project development and M&A for my company’s overseas telecom infrastructure business.

The telecom tower business is what ultimately inspired me to make the move to Sojitz. Sojitz is engaged in the construction of large steel towers that are leased to telecom operators for the installation of cellular base stations, and I was intrigued by the fact that Sojitz had entered this field at a much earlier stage than its competitors. Based on my time at the telecom carrier, I knew that the need for more base stations would only increase along with the transition from 4G to 5G service, and I was confident that the telecom tower business would see major growth going forward. At Sojitz, I was eager to leverage my career experience and knowledge to take on new investment projects in the overseas telecom infrastructure field.

When I first joined, I noticed that there was a larger proportion of junior employees at Sojitz than I had expected. I was impressed by the youthful energy and dynamism they bring to Sojitz’s company culture. Rather than taking a backseat, I was surprised by the way these junior employees work proactively to drive business forward. I also noticed that Sojitz employees generally have strong analytical skills and a deep understanding of the numbers and statistics that underpin their work.


While I am only in my second year at Sojitz, this dynamic working environment has already offered me many new experiences. My first assignment upon joining was in Sojitz’s telecom tower business department, which is the business that originally drew me to the company. This department is involved not only in the management and support of existing businesses in Myanmar and the Philippines but also new business development in Japan and overseas. I am proud to say that I was able to leverage my overseas experience and the knowledge I gained in my previous role at the telecom carrier and apply it to this work.


Last year, I was given the opportunity to further expand my professional horizons through a secondment to SAKURA internet Inc., a Sojitz Group company in the cloud computing field. SAKURA internet owns data centers and provides cloud and colocation services to its clients. My work involves sales and business development of GPU*1 cloud services for generative AI. The company leases GPUs to companies and research institutes conducting R&D on new technologies such as generative AI and autonomous driving.

To be honest, I had no knowledge or exposure to AI or data centers beyond a general interest in tools like ChatGPT before coming to SAKURA Internet. However, through my role I have had the chance to speak with clients conducting cutting-edge research and development at the forefront of their fields. I have come to understand the importance of the infrastructure we provide and feel fulfilled by this work. The tech field is also changing at a rapid pace, and I enjoy the excitement and anticipation of wondering what new innovations await us in the future.

*1 GPU: A graphics processing unit is a specialized electronic circuit designed for digital image processing and used in a range of other applications including AI and machine learning.

It may seem like there would be a great deal of overlap between my previous work at the telecom carrier and my current role at SAKURA internet as both involve digital technologies. In reality, the two fields are quite different. I was a complete newcomer to the world of data centers and generative AI, so I had to start from scratch to learn and build my competency. I pored over books and reports, attend seminars, and I took a Sojitz e-learning course*2 on generative AI that helped expand my foundational knowledge. I also receive advice and guidance from my SAKURA internet colleagues as I complete my work. It’s often the case that our clients possess key information, so I find it important to go onsite to visit clients and obtain information directly from the source. I still have much to learn, but I am enjoying embracing the challenge of diving headfirst into an unfamiliar field and working hard to acquire new knowledge and skills.

This dynamic chapter of my career has only been possible thanks to support I have received from Sojitz and SAKURA internet. Shortly after beginning my secondment, I took two months of childcare leave*³ to focus on taking care of my wife and our new baby. Both Sojitz and SAKURA internet support employees in building lifestyles that enable us to give our best at work, and I am very grateful to both companies for these opportunities.

*2: Employee development program and e-learning courses: For more details on Sojitz’s human resource development program:
Human Resource Management｜Sojitz ESG BOOK｜Sustainability｜Sojitz Corporation

*3: Childcare leave system: Sojitz’s program for supporting parents balancing work and childcare. For more details on the childcare leave system:
Diversity Management｜Sojitz ESG BOOK｜Sustainability｜Sojitz Corporation

I have a number of key missions to accomplish. My first mission is to unite SAKURA internet and Sojitz business. Of course, this process begins with leveraging Sojitz’s expertise in overseas business to expand SAKURA internet’s business, but my overarching aim is to combine SAKURA’s IT expertise with Sojitz’s wealth of knowledge as a trading company in order to achieve new levels of synergy and create innovative business opportunities.

My second mission is to ensure generative AI’s lifespan extends beyond this initial boom. We are currently experiencing a surge in development of new AI tools, but I want to make sure that this industry has longevity and develops into more than a passing trend. In the future, when my children are grown up, I am confident that AI will be even more integrated into every aspect of our lives and used in ways we have yet to even imagine. I hope that down the road, I can proudly tell my kids that their dad’s company provides the GPUs that make these important technologies possible.