"Boredom" prohibited.

The other day, a certain senior colleague said to me, "You're probably tired of Heaven's Pig by now, right?" It's been almost three years since the incredibly rich, egg-heavy pudding launched. Five years since product development began. "Ah, this is the weakness of advertising people," I thought.

Probably every single person in an ad agency loves "planning." Setting aside its strict definition, they're absolutely hooked on the thrill of starting something new. On the other hand, I don't think they've experienced much of the joy that comes from repeating the same tasks day after day, gradually honing their skills within that process. Maybe that's why, when discussing new business development with younger colleagues in the company, the topic of "How do we launch it?" gets everyone excited, but when it comes to "How do we keep it going consistently?", it suddenly feels like someone else's problem, and the enthusiasm fades.
It goes without saying, but to be the main player actively driving marketing, you can't just throw it away saying "I'm bored." That seems to be a major hurdle for advertising people to become true marketers.

My friend since college, Norihiro Kumagai, is the 10th-generation owner of Kumagaiya, a Sendai traditional candy shop founded in 1695. Back in our student days, he used to say, "I love fresh cream, but I absolutely hate sweet bean paste." Yet after over twenty years in this field, he's become a true master of Japanese confectionery.
Sendai traditional sweets originated in townhouses and farmhouse kitchens using ingredients like broken rice. They developed uniquely alongside the tea ceremony culture cherished by Lord Date Masamune. By the Meiji period, nearly 300 shops operated, making it a culture of the common people.
Among these, the flagship product of this venerable shop boasting one of the longest histories is "Yubeshi." It's a sweet and savory rice cake flavored with sugar and soy sauce, a traditional confection also found in places like Fukushima. Kumagaya makes two varieties: "Walnut" and "Sesame." I prefer the walnut flavor, so I overwhelmingly recommend the former. Beyond that, they offer over 50 varieties, including "Usagi-dama" (a blend of malted barley and sweet bean paste), "Miso Pan" (using Sendai miso), "Kinako-nejiri," and "Shihogama."

The other day on a business trip, I had drinks with Kumagai-kun for the first time in ages. While tipsy, I blurted out, "Aren't you going to expand your business more?" and "Honestly, don't you get bored doing the same thing every day?" His response was:
"It's not really about getting bored or not. Making traditional sweets every day is my job. Consistently making the same thing perfectly every single time is incredibly difficult. Of course, I do take on challenges. My grandfather, the 8th-generation Kumazō, created 'Sasara Candy' as a new Shōwa-era traditional sweet, and in my generation, we've done collaborations with anime characters based in our local area, for example. We're making little challenges here and there. But you know, the core is still passing on the tradition of Sendai candy. See, they say 'business' (shōi) is 'never boring' (shokunai), right? (laughs)"
Even his dad joke at the end was full of the gravitas of the 10th generation. And I felt ashamed at how shallow my own question had been.

This column explores various aspects of "challenging innovation locally." Honestly, I believe many workplaces lack sufficient change and should proactively seek it more. But I realized we must strictly guard against the "fickleness" that often lurks behind that "desire for change."

From Mr. Kumagai's story, it's clear the biggest reason for not getting bored is that he genuinely shoulders the responsibility of his work and commits wholeheartedly to it. If it's just a fleeting interest, like "This seems kinda fun, maybe I'll give it a try," then you'll likely get bored.
Seeking bold change while simultaneously never neglecting steady, persistent effort. It was a night in Sendai, sipping the fine sake "Urakasumi," that I deeply felt the importance of achieving these seemingly contradictory goals.

Well, next time I'll take it easy again and write about some delicious food I've had recently.

Enjoy!