[OKUDAYA CONNECT Opening Commemoration Special Interview] Special Interview with Director Nobuko Okuda

The Aspirations of Director Nobuko Okuda, Born into the Okuda Family and Nurtured at Okudaya Giken
From her grandfather and father—two very different leaders—she learned the spirit of “Okudaya First.”

—From your perspective, what kind of people were your grandfather (founder) and your father(second-generation leader)?

My late grandfather was an inventor; whenever he came up with an idea, he would rush to grab a pencil and jot it down as if something took over him, passionately sharing it with engineers, and always pursuing “what products truly serve people.” As the first president, he started from a small factory and developed the first pallet truck within ten years, laying the groundwork for today’s foundation.

My father emphasized the essence and philosophy behind everything, treasured relationships and heartfelt connections, and never compromised when he sensed, “this is it.” He naturally rallied, brought people together, and played a crucial role in globalizing Okudaya Giken.

Did your grandfather and father share any common traits?
They both consistently upheld the spirit of “Okudaya First,” always putting employees first and dedicating themselves to the business.

What feelings do you, Director Nobuko, hold toward Okudaya Giken after observing them?
The Okuda family, into which I was born, has consistently supported the company’s growth and succession, sharing both its challenges and victories. I wish to bridge their aspirations, focusing on achieving sustainable corporate growth and enhancing the quality of life (QOL) for everyone involved with Okudaya Giken.

■ Okudaya Giken’s Unique Global Expansion
Okudaya Giken values our people deeply, appreciating not only the individuals themselves but also the ideas, values, and innovations that emerge from their collaboration.

Okudaya Giken has two major global teams overseas: Malaysia and China, correct?
We have group companies in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, and Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. In Malaysia, OPK INTER-CORPORATION SDN. BHD. (OIC) was established in 1995. They operate their factory and sell to the ASEAN market through their OPK MARKETING SERVICE SDN. BHD. (OMS). In China, OPK CHANGZHOU CO., LTD. was founded in 2006. 
Like OIC, they have their factory and sell domestically through branches in Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Both leaders, MD Yee of OIC and GM Li of Changzhou OPK, studied in Japan?
Yes. Having lived in Japan and worked for Japanese companies, they have a deep understanding of Japanese culture and customs.
They grasp subtleties beyond mere words—mastering the cultural skill of reading the air.

How would you like to strengthen face-to-face relationships among global bases?
We want to increase personnel exchanges. For example, launching global team projects where we visit each other’s sites and try group work online. Malaysia is multi-ethnic, multicultural, and multilingual; staff at OIC/OMS speaks Tamil, Hindi, Malay, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Hokkien and communicate in English. With AI translation, language barriers can be overcome; even without perfect fluency, we can still communicate genuinely and close the distance through seeing faces and hearing their voices.

■ The Necessity of Internal Branding
We aim to strengthen internal branding to drive future career growth.

Amid the mid-term plan, WAKEUP73, you were appointed Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) director around 2023?
In theory, D&I typically means focusing on the importance of leveraging diverse backgrounds to co-create value.
When appointed, I reconsidered what a manufacturing SME should value. I grappled to find my answer until I realized—people centered management. That mindset, passed down from my grandfather and father, is the essence of D&I.

Why did that make you see the need for “global internal branding?”
I realized we had never had a unified opportunity to share our corporate philosophy—not forgetting but leaving each person to interpret it individually. Even monolingual teams struggle to share awareness. With OPK Group’s global makeup, D&I prompted me to start internal branding. By understanding and empathizing with our values and vision—and acting on them—we can improve individual Q.O.L.

What Should Be Communicated via SNS and Owned Media
What matters more than follower count or likes is authenticity and the process.

Why choose SNS and owned media for internal communication and branding?
SNS transcends physical distance and is familiar to everyday life. It makes accumulating content and retrospectives easy. Owned media, our platform, minimizes external influence. From a forward-looking perspective, consolidating content into owned media converts it into a lasting corporate asset.

What does the name “OKUDAYA CONNECT” signify?
CONNECT means “to connect, to unite.” It embodies creating a space that connects everyone—inside, outside, and globally. The name was proposed by Takagi from the SNS project team, and the logo/font was designed by Isogai, our SNS and media supervisor. The logo motif is a chain symbolizing connection, with three links forming the character “を” (wo)..

What do you value most beyond followers and likes?
It may be Okudaya Giken’s uniqueness, especially our people‑centered mindset. It is essential and ingrained in the design process we carry out with Nexus Co., Ltd., which supports that mindset. I believe that process is essential in itself.

What kinds of content and information do you want to share?
As a global team, I would like to share content about our collaborators and their cultures. I want to see updates from various projects and teams. I hope even families of our staff can enjoy the owned media, sparking connections via shared hobbies and interests.

How do you expect this internal branding effort to contribute to your global strategy?
By understanding our languages and cultures and sharing our corporate core, we are building a “diverse organization united by our philosophy, that serves as the foundation towards  our global strategy.

When passing the baton to the next generation, what do you want to leave behind?
The corporate culture we cultivated—empowering challenges as a manufacturing company. Individual efforts are like points; connected, they form a path. The president-owner often said, “Don’t worry about mistakes you make within your capacity.” Learn, apply, embrace change, keep challenging, and preserve a compassionate, caring heart.


Interview date: July 2025
Interview support: Okudaya Giken Co., Ltd.
Director: Nobuko Okuda

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