Work, recognition, beliefs... and encounter with marine life

- Mr. Suzuki was honored to receive the Grand Cordon of the Rising Sun on behalf of the business community this spring.
Last fall, Nakamichi received both the ``Agency for Cultural Affairs Commissioner's Award'' and the ``Agency for Cultural Affairs Arts Festival Grand Prize.''
It is great news for all of us at Riviera that these two, with whom we have always had a close relationship, have received the highest honor in quick succession. Congratulations.

- Prior to receiving this award, Mr. Suzuki bravely retired as chairman of the Japan Securities Dealers Association. He currently serves as an honorary advisor to Daiwa Securities Group.

Suzuki: Daiwa Securities, where I worked, celebrates its 120th anniversary this year. I am who I am today because of the hard work and hard work of my predecessors. This 120-year history overlaps directly with the history of Japan's securities industry.
I believe that receiving this award is not so much an award for me personally, but rather as an award on behalf of everyone who is working hard in the securities industry.

- Mr. Suzuki started his career during a period of high economic growth and distinguished himself from a young age in the world of securities and finance, where he could see the real deal.However, he also enjoyed music, fishing, golf, tennis, cruising... He is famous for being an expert in the field of hobbies.

Suzuki: It was a time when Moretsu employees were considered a virtue, so I worked like a workhorse. The work was interesting too.
No matter how interesting your job is, if you do it with all your might, stress will build up and you will fail. After working hard, you need to have plenty of fun to relieve stress and restore your energy for work.

- When you were president of Daiwa Securities, you took the drastic measure of ``leaving work by 19:XNUMX pm'' to improve your work-life balance.

Suzuki: Because it was by far the fastest in the securities industry, there was some opposition from those in the field.
Some customers say they won't meet us until after 8pm, so does the president want to tell us not to work? To them, that would have been a very serious appeal.
However, if I visit a customer at 8pm and start preparing materials after returning to the office, no matter what I do, I have a lot of time in the morning. If that kind of thing continues every day, even if the person thinks he or she is working hard and working long hours, the time he or she is actively working is never long enough.
How can I approach customers during working hours? How can we increase the productivity of our work? I asked everyone to do trial and error. I want people to question "common knowledge in the industry" and work on it.

Suzuki: However, there are many people who have a hard time finding that ``fun'' thing.

- This may be the case for people who have dedicated themselves to work and have worked hard to advance.

Suzuki: I have had many hobbies since I was young, and have enjoyed my weekends and early mornings to the fullest.
Still, I think it was great that I became a member of the Riviera Resort Club and that it made me realize how much fun sailing was.
The higher your position in the organization, the greater your responsibility.
Moreover, the higher up a person is, the more lonely they are in an organization. I don't want to go out to eat with younger employees because I might be seen as showing favoritism. However, if all I do is work, I don't have any friends outside of work...
That's why I recommend clubs like Riviera to people who have reached a certain level of status and can afford it.

- Mr. Suzuki's words are an encouragement to the current generation of executives working in organizations.
There are many discoveries to be made just by being taken on different types of ships, and also encounters with new people. Because you can find "fun things" that you didn't know about.

Nakamichi: I think that the Agency for Cultural Affairs Commissioner's Award was not only based on my accomplishments as a musician, but also on my 35 years of activities, and said, ``You've worked very hard for a long time.'' .
Concerts in small towns, outreach activities, and activities at elementary schools in disaster-stricken areas. I was very happy because I felt like I was able to shine a light on the accumulation of each and every steady activity.
The Art Festival Grand Prize, on the other hand, will be awarded to the results of the solo recital "Fantasy Patterns" held at the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan last fall. I was greatly encouraged by the high praise I received for ``Today's Ikuyo Nakamichi'' as a performer.

- One of the "steady activities" that was recognized with the Agency for Cultural Affairs Commissioner's Award is "Music ga Hirak Mirai, a general incorporated association" of which Mr. Nakamichi is the representative director.
Mr. Suzuki is also a director of this corporation, which Riviera is also involved in as the secretariat.

Nakamichi: This is an activity to spread music that is supported by Suzuki-san and Riviera.
However, when we use the word "spread", we generally think of it as "making it big," but with "Music is the Hirakku Future," we have always aimed to convey the message in a small and careful way.
The two pillars of our activities are a program for 6th grade elementary school students living in Shichigahama Town, Miyagi Prefecture, and an awareness program for young people learning music in Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture.
Our activities in Shichigahama Town started in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake, but we have been able to continue them as part of our ``Music is Hirak Mirai'' activities.

―Riviera agrees that the activities of ``Music ga Hirak Mirai'' have more significance than simply ``introducing children to music'' or ``nurturing future performers.''

Nakamichi: Rather than sharing the skills and knowledge that I have, I wanted to think about what the meaning of playing music is in society, and what kind of action I can take through music. I hope this is a place where we can think together.
Music is described as ``enjoying the sounds,'' but there are various layers of ``enjoyment.''
If there is a life and richness that can be expanded by enjoying music at its deepest level, I would like to do activities that carefully open that up. I think so.

- Both of you, who have reached the top in their respective fields, please tell us about your mindset for the future and your enthusiasm for taking the next step.

Suzuki: I'm 75 years old. I took a break from the front line of business. Still, when I meet people and do things, I wonder if a different world will open up to me? I always have that expectation.
We have always had this attitude. I don't want to change this way of life.
What I really believe is that "successing socially" and "successing in life" are two different things. I want to choose to be successful in life. No matter how successful you are in life, if your family and friendships are in tatters, you can't say your life has been successful.
When I became company president, I was often asked, ``What's your secret to getting promoted?'' and my answer was ``luck.''
Luck is always brought to us by others. That's why I've cherished the encounters I've had with people, and I have high hopes for the future. I'm really interested in people who have completely different views than me.

- The coronavirus pandemic has not subsided yet, and sad events continue to occur in Ukraine. How do you both view the current situation in the world?

Nakamichi: Corporate initiatives, music activities such as concerts, and other things we had planned before the coronavirus pandemic have all been affected in some way.
As I was unable to meet people face-to-face and explored various new ways, the very nature of the music world itself changed. But it also gave me an opportunity to reconsider the meaning of music in society.
``Music is the Hirakku Future'' is a program that emphasizes ``dialogue'' in small and detailed ways, digging deeper and asking ``what you thought and how you felt.''

- Do you mean that you don't just listen to the music and play it, but also exchange your impressions and think about the composer's feelings?

Nakamichi: By having a dialogue about the music, children's perceptions go from superficial things like, ``It was a beautiful song'' or ``It was a great performance,'' to the memories that come from the music and the relationships they have with family and friends. I feel like this has become a place where everyone can share their thoughts. I want to continue to cherish these things.

- When I go to Nakamichi's concerts, I feel something different every time, even though the songs are the same. I think it depends on the listener's state of mind at the time, but does Mr. Nakamichi himself feel something different when he plays?

Nakamichi: Even if you've played a song over and over again for decades, the way you perceive it changes from time to time.

For example, when I look at Chopin's works, I can't help but think about the situation in Ukraine. During Chopin's lifetime, his native Poland was in a similar situation. In other words, what Chopin's songs convey now is not the sadness of 200 years ago, but a message that is realistic for those of us living today.
Music deals with emotions and sensations, so all the emotions and sensations experienced by the performer at the time are reflected in the music, and the way each listener perceives it will expand depending on their situation and experience. Thing.
Of course, location and environment also have a big influence. I used to think that I would be happy if I could see the ocean while bathing in a hot spring once a year, but after encountering the Riviera, I was able to enjoy the feeling of being bathed in natural light, listening to the sound of the ocean, and feeling the breeze. He taught me the richness of thinking. I think that had a big impact.

Suzuki: Seeing land from the sea is a rich experience.
When I was young, I worked at a branch in Kamakura and lived in Zushi. Living on the beach was something I had always dreamed of, but living by the sea was actually difficult. Yet, the sea tempts people's hearts. It's a strange thing.

- The sea has its troublesome and difficult aspects. However, in such a situation, when you feel the weather clearing up or feel the breeze, that moment is extremely precious. It's like life itself.

- Mr. Suzuki, you have experience as a country music performer since your student days. What are your plans not only as a director of “Music is the Future of Hirak” but also as a performer?

Suzuki: My performance is like my uncle's school play, and although I'm not the best at it, I think it's important that I try to get better.
We tend to make excuses that we don't have time to practice, but if it's something you really love, you can make up as much time as you like by waking up a little earlier. I'm happy when I'm working hard to become better.

Nakamichi: It's exactly the same for us professional musicians. It's important to try to get better.
I have continued to do this since I was a child, and the very act of doing so has become the meaning of my life, the meaning of my life.
I'm happy to be able to continue making music. A utopia is a place where you can continue to play music, spend quality time with people you care about, get close to nature, have delicious meals once in a while, and ride the boat you love... I feel so happy.