Why in Kamakura?
KAYAC has maintained its head office in Kamakura since 2002.
In terms of pure economic rationality, it would likely be more efficient and advanageous to have selected someplace like Shibuya or Roppongi where IT businesses tend to be concentrated. However, pursuing only economic rationality isn't any fun at all.
KAYAC has called itself the "The Fun-Loving Corporation" since its founding. We also believe that "fun" is "diversity". Economic rationality is not the only measure that is important, however things just always seem to head in that dull, uniform direction. For us, someplace with a lot of people who have deviated from the "norm", who all exercise and demonstate their own unique appeal and characteristics, definitely seems like it would be more fun. In this way, businesses and regions are kind of similar aren't they?
3 types of capital involved in "regional capitalism"
KAYAC advocates for "regional capitalism".
- Regional economic capital (sources of revenue and productivity)
- Regional social capital (relationships between people)
- Regional environmental capital (nature and culture)
We believe that converting these 3 types of capital into indexes and working to increase each in a balanced manner can contribute to diverse and sustainable growth in individual regions.
After World War II, most countries in the world came to pursue GDP (gross domestic product) as their KPI (key performance indicator). However, while GDP growth brought affluence, it has also brought about climate change, growing wealth disparity, and other issues.
As a publicly listed company, we also value growth and rationality. But at the same time, we also believe that a type of affluence can be achieved by connecting with the various people in a region and community, and by growing environmental capital in the form of natural and cultural elements.
Proximity between home and work and symbiosis with regional communities
KAYAC encourages a work-life style where employees live close to work. KAYAC pays a support for portion of the home rent for employees who live in Kamakura, Zushi, and Hayama through a "Kamakura Work - Home Proximity Allowance".
The various "Our Town XX" series of services, including "Our Town Preschool" and "Our Town Cafeteria", are aimed at providing support for child-rearing and dietary life for company employees who live in Kamakura, while while also providing points of contact for the people who work in Kamakura and allowing them to grow together.
We also recommend participating in regional volunteer activities, including the "Kamacon" community action group.
Work is fun. This is the most important value for KAYAC, however, if a person finds the region and community they live in fun as well, then their lives are sure to be two or even three times as fun.
We also hope to increase the number of shareholders who live in the Kamakura area.
If corporate value can be increased by having residents support, and sometimes supervise, local businesses, then not only can the businesses repay those investments in the form of dividends, but it will also lead to increased tax collection for local administrations and local job creation. Businesses must put effort into increasing the value of the region and community in order to win the support of residents. This should then in turn will further increase the value of the region and community, creating a virtuous cycle.
Businesses must operate with their roots in the local region and community. This makes it so that people end up working more for the region and community rather than just for a business. In order to achieve these goals, we carry out a variety of initiatives including "Our Town Human Resources Department" and "Regional Revitalization Entrepreneurs"
Why Kamakura?
Kamakura has many appealing points. The basic characteristics are the readiness to accept diverse values, capability to generate new cultures, and ability to offer information to the world.
For example, Kamakura has the Kamakura Religious Council. Since March 11 of 2011 when the Great East Japan Earthquake hit Japan, Kamakura has held meetings of the council made up of representatives of different religions including Shinto, Buddhism and Christianity. Every year, they pray together in their respective locations.
People with different values in different positions take each other arm in arm and respect each other’s values. This is a rare initiative anywhere in the world.
Kamakura has an atmosphere of acceptance of diverse values.
Kamakura also generates new cultures and values. For example, National Trust is originated in Kamakura. Some people say that Kamakura is the origin of NPOs. It has many more civic groups than other cities.
Kamakura also has Kencho-ji Temple, one of the first Zen Buddhism temples in Japan. While Zen and mindfulness has been attracting attention, Kamakura's original culture and value is highly compatible with enhancing personal spirituality, which will lead to enhanced creativity.
Besides, Kamakura has positive image and visibility in communicating such diversity and cutting-edge nature to the world.
We believe these 3 appealing points make this region perfect for communicating a new form of capitalism and redefining human affluence, and this is why KAYAC chose Kamakura.