I’ve always liked looking at sports cars and was interested in niche, specialized worlds. When I first saw this company’s job posting, I couldn’t even imagine what kind of products they made. But when I was given a tour of the factory, I saw people completely absorbed in manufacturing, and I thought they looked really cool. That made me decide, “I want to challenge myself too!” and I applied. It seems there had been no female manufacturing staff before me, but in the actual work, gender doesn’t matter, and even for tasks that require physical strength, there’s no problem if you use tools. The company warmly accepted my desire to take on the challenge, and that’s how I was able to join.

I am in charge of machining processes within the manufacturing line. Since welding uses heat, distortion inevitably occurs in some materials. To address this, I use machines to shave parts in order to correct distortion, improve appearance, and sometimes to machine parts from scratch. The machines and techniques used vary depending on the type of part and material, so there is a lot to learn. From my fourth year at the company, I have also been assigned as the leader of the machining team. I act as a coordinator with other departments such as welding, assembly, design, and materials, and I am also responsible for checking the work status of team members and allocating tasks so that workloads do not become unbalanced.

I was interested in machines and mechanics, but I came from a humanities background and had no specialized knowledge at all. So I had no choice but to learn everything after joining the company. In the beginning, even with a simple task like drilling a hole in a part, I was full of questions such as, “Why is the way you drill different for stainless steel and iron?” and “What’s the formula for the cutting speed of the drill?” I did make mistakes, but I was saved by my seniors who supported me, saying, “There are things you can’t understand unless you fail, so it’s okay.” Even so, as I accumulated various experiences, I was gradually able to do more on my own and could feel my own growth.

Since I started doing this job myself, I’ve had more opportunities to hear women say things like, “I’m interested in manufacturing too,” or “I’d like to try it if I get the chance.” In our company’s case, I myself am proof that this is a job women can do. In terms of work style as well, our working hours and leave system provide an environment where it is fully possible to balance work and family. Recently, I was also given the role of managing our social media accounts, to promote the appeal of our company and the interesting aspects of our work. Regardless of gender, I hope more people will become interested in our company and that we can increase the number of colleagues who create things together with us.