Kana and Bianca, Welcome to The Plant! Vol. 1

The Plant is a system development company with around 69 global members based in Japan, Australia, and China. Using their open-source SDK "QOR," they have developed e-commerce sites, Content Management Systems, and mobile apps for various global brands.

The Plant Ambassadors - Kana (left) and Bianca (right)

In this column, our writer Goro will talk with Kana and Bianca, The Plant Ambassadors, about various topics related to EC and IT. We will cover topics ranging from women in the IT industry, time management techniques, and trends in the EC industry.

As this is the first installment, we asked them to introduce themselves and tell us about The Plant’s corporate culture!

Kana:
Hello, my name is Kana Hihara, and I am a project manager at The Plant. I also help out with business development tasks, PR, and marketing.

Bianca:
My name is Bianca Codognet, and I am an account manager. My area of expertise is digital marketing and e-commerce.

Goro:
Did you envision yourself working in the IT industry since you were young? Can you tell us a little bit about how you developed your careers at The Plant?

Kana:
I was born and raised in Tokyo but am Japanese / Taiwanese. I also attended an international school, so I have mixed cultural roots. After high school, I decided to attend an American college, where I got to study abroad in Shanghai, Sydney, and Firenze! During my senior year, I was torn between returning to Japan to work, or staying in the US. I knew I wanted to reconnect with my Japanese heritage and learn more about the work culture in Japan. That’s how I ended up living and working in Tokyo.

First, I joined a famous Japanese e-commerce company as a new graduate. I was part of the promotional campaign group, which planned and managed point campaigns for the e-commerce site. The work environment reminded me of school because it was fun and youthful. I made many friends and learned a lot as they provided in-depth training for new grads.

After quitting my first job and traveling for a couple of months, I found The Plant. I instantly fell in love with the company and the people. Even in my first interview, I felt a sense of comfort within the first few minutes. Post-interview, I immediately called the recruiter and told him I needed to join this company. And now, 4 and ½ years later, I am here and very much enjoying my job.


Bianca:
When I was in high school, I came to Japan for my parents' work and went to a French school in Tokyo. I then went to university in Paris, where I studied "The Transition from Japanese Silent Film to Sound Film in the 1920s and 1930s.” After graduation, I returned to Japan and attended a university in Tokyo before working for a TV production company.

So I never thought about IT at all (laughs).

I then moved on to work for a Japanese company and a foreign company, where I happened to be in charge of e-commerce operations. I shifted from video work to digital work. Both video and digital work are similar in that they require an audience (customer) in addition to creating content. It was a very natural progression for me to be working in IT, even though I never imagined working in this industry as a student.

Funny story, I had experience working with The Plant with my previous company, so I moved from the client side to the agency side. At my job, it's fun to get a glimpse of different clients with so many different personalities! I am very happy to be able to work with such great people.

Goro:
I would love to hear more about what makes working at The Plant so interesting as well as what makes the company unique!

Kana:
We are blessed with a great environment and people. The culture is soft and flexible, and I can exchange opinions with my boss and teammates in a balanced relationship. People are also free, open-minded, and good at adopting new ideas.

Although The Plant is a Japanese company, we have employees from Japan, Korea, China, Australia, the U.S., Thailand, Canada, and other countries. The culture is similar to a Silicon Valley startup. Rather than us adapting to the company culture, it is our various experiences that create the company culture.

The work environment is very global.

The Plant also has a remote work system. I commute to the office only once a month. It allows me to have a good work-life balance, and I can go to the gym during my lunch hour.

Bianca:
While I enjoy the "freedom" of being able to do whatever I want, I also have "responsibility.” What I enjoy about the plant is the freedom and responsibility we have to think for ourselves and do what is best for our own well-being. This is very important at work as well.

Along with responsibility, our daily work requires adaptability, creativity, and the ability to listen and analyze. This environment, which requires me to absorb new knowledge constantly, also helps me to keep a positive outlook and think outside the box.

As for remote work, I am actually living in a container house on Miyakojima Island in Okinawa. I like to say that I have two home bases, one here and the other in Tokyo.I love the ocean and the coral reefs. Another good thing is that there is no hay fever in Okinawa (laughs). I think this kind of work-life balance is a unique feature of The Plant.

Goro:
Now, I have the impression that both of you can work efficiently while keeping a creative point of view. Could you both tell us about working in Japan and what kind of people you are looking for at The Plant?

Kana:
In Japan, I feel that there are still many situations where old business practices remain. If we can soften the rigid culture just a little, I think society will become freer, more active, and better overall. In terms of human resources, I would like to see people who are open-minded and who are not shy about sharing their thoughts and ideas.

Bianca:
For example, cashless payments and procedures are increasingly digitized in Japan, but there are still some situations in which digitalization has not been fully implemented. But that may be a good thing. I feel that it is more efficient to digitize only what benefits society. By learning from other societies with advanced IT, we can understand the benefits and harms of a digitization.

As for human resources, prospective employees must be trustworthy and able to exchange opinions in a straightforward manner. It is very important to exchange opinions in order to create quality work.

Goro:
Today we learned a lot about Kana and Bianca and the culture of The Plant. Last question. Can you tell us what foods you both like to eat? I was wondering if your favorite food is also global (laughs).

Kana:
I love rice and natto. I like to top it with a raw egg, shirasu (baby sardines), shichimi (seven spices), and togarashi (red pepper).

Bianca:
Tofu Yo is an Okinawan delicacy. It is a fermented food made by marinating Okinawan island tofu in Awamori, malted rice, and red malted rice for about six months. There are also fruits, like peaches and cherries. Japanese fruits are very delicious. The only drawback is that they are expensive in Tokyo. I also grow figs, which I love, in my garden in Miyakojima.

Goro:
Oh, you all seem to be very Japanese when it comes to food (laughs). Thank you both for a fun talk today! 

Click here to read the Vol.2 of the series.