Discover industry perspectives from a distinguished manufacturer in Kazuno City, Akita Prefecture, Japan.
Joytam Co., Ltd.
Kazuno City, Akita Prefecture, Japan
Manufacturer of control panels, distribution boards, switchboards, and electrical harnesses.
Munetaka Nemoto
President & CEO
─ Last November Zuitt had no track record. What convinced you to host its very first cohort?
I’d long been interested in the Engineer/Specialist visa. Two things clinched it—trust in CEO Mr. Kato, founder of RareJob, and Zuitt’s commitment to language training. Outsourcing that bottleneck was huge.
── You hosted 15 cadets for a one-day try-out. How did you design the tasks and what did you look for?
We gave them a teamwork blueprint task under time pressure, focusing on respect, time discipline and initiative over technical perfection.
──Your top-ranked candidates chose other firms. Why still hire three cadets?
Electrical designers are virtually non-existent locally. Hiring three together lets them learn from each other and gives us better long-term payoff.
── What concrete improvements do you hope to see in their first 6-12 months this autumn?
A brighter shop floor and fresh drive. Their goal-oriented mindset should spark Kaizen ideas and lift quality across the board.
── Many SME leaders worry about ① language, ② quick turnover to big cities, ③ staff push-back. What are your thoughts about it?
- With AI translation, native fluency is an outdated requirement.
- Japanese staff switch jobs too—raise company value and pay, and people stay.
- We’ve already succeeded with foreign workers; a one-day trial erases most fears.
── What rural-specific onboarding tactics, commute, or housing are you using?
We used vacant-house grants before. Now we’re building a 10-unit apartment next to the plant and subsidizing half the rent.
── How will you keep attracting and retaining top talent long-term?
We’ll build the organization around excellence, not passports—even at management level.
── Finally, any advice for fellow rural manufacturers?
- Rural firms need foreign talent the most—there’s no alternative.
- Even if it fails, non-financial risk is tiny; treat it as a 5- to 10-year investment.
- The younger the leader, the more they must—and naturally will—look ten years ahead, enabling bold moves.
Closing Thoughts
Joytam’s leap shows that decisive action—not perfect conditions—creates new possibilities for rural manufacturers.
