{"id":4556,"date":"2026-04-01T10:21:26","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T01:21:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/univacap.com\/uni-sight\/?page_id=4556"},"modified":"2026-04-01T10:21:26","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T01:21:26","slug":"vol148-uni-square","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/univacap.com\/uni-sight\/en\/vol148\/vol148-uni-square\/","title":{"rendered":"vol148-uni-square ENG"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\r\n UNI-SQUARE\r\n <\/p>\r\n

Connecting through learning from NAKAMA
\u2212UNIVA BUSINESS SCHOOL<\/h1>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n
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\"Go beyond company boundaries, learn from NAKAMA, and connect with NAKAMA.\"<\/p>\r\n

As a new mechanism for \"learning and connection,\" the UNIVA BUSINESS SCHOOL was born within the UNIVA Group.<\/p>\r\n

Language, management, travel skills\u2014the themes vary, but what they share is that all instructors are NAKAMA from the UNIVA Group.<\/p>\r\n

Leveraging the human capital within the UNIVA Group, NAKAMA share business-focused knowledge and experience with fellow NAKAMA. This is neither a simple internal training program nor a skills workshop.<\/p>\r\n

\"Learn \u2192 Enjoy \u2192 Connect.\"<\/p>\r\n

Using these three keywords, NAKAMA within the group build new relationships. UNIVA BUSINESS SCHOOL is the first step in this journey. On February 26, 2026, the commemorative first session was held. It was \"Learning Corporate Finance Basics You're Too Embarrassed to Ask About Now\" by Yosuke Sakuta, CFO of UNIVA Oak Holdings and certified public accountant. NAKAMA gathered from group companies both domestic and international, with 7 offline and 22 online participants (29 total). A new place for learning quietly, yet surely, began to move.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Reclaiming the \"NAKAMA Spirit\"!
\r\n The Reason This Project Was Born\r\n <\/h2>\r\n
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Mr. Asakura<\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n

This project was conceived by Mr. Shosei Asakura, Chief Branding Officer of the UNIVA Group.<\/p>\r\n

He explains, \"UNIVA BUSINESS SCHOOL wasn't created solely for NAKAMA training or educational purposes. There was a specific concern driving it. In recent years, we observed cases within the UNIVA Group where young employees\u2014who had been selected as Shining Stars at the UNIVA AWARDS, meaning they were likely achieving results\u2014were resigning.\"<\/p>\r\n

When asked about their reasons, one phrase stuck with him strongly:<\/p>\r\n

\"There was no one in a similar position to consult with.\"<\/p>\r\n

The workplace brings various stresses and pressures.<\/p>\r\n

Not achieving results, being overwhelmed, clashing with superiors\u2014<\/p>\r\n

However, that wasn't why he chose to resign. He said it was because he had \"no colleagues to consult with.\" This was a major revelation for Mr. Asakura. \"As you all know, UNIVA operates under the principle of 'human capital-based management' and has a culture of referring to employees as NAKAMA. If that sense of NAKAMA was fading, I felt it would shake the very foundation of the group's existence and was an issue the entire group needed to address.\"<\/p>\r\n

As a result, Mr. Asakura requested special discussion time at the UNIVA CAPITAL board meeting and proposed a project to rethink the \"essence of NAKAMA.\" After extensive discussions with the board members, the definition of \"NAKAMA\" within the UNIVA Group was redefined and clarified.<\/p>\r\n

\"NAKAMA\" means:<\/p>\r\n

a professional mindset focused on growth and results,
\r\n who create an environment where opinions can be shared openly,
\r\n and who persistently take on challenges through communication that engages others.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n

Mr. Asakura particularly emphasized the aspect of \"communication that engages others.\" He stated, \"I believe the entire group's strength will grow significantly if each NAKAMA fosters relationships where people think, 'That person might know' or 'I should consult that person,' even across different companies.\"<\/p>\r\n

One idea born from this concept was UNIVA BUSINESS SCHOOL.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n

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NAKAMA teaching NAKAMA
\r\n Leveraging human capital through learning\r\n <\/h2>\r\n
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Mr. Sakuta<\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n

The defining feature of UNIVA BUSINESS SCHOOL is that all instructors are NAKAMA within the group. Asakura explains, \"Actually, the UNIVA Group has professionals in various fields. The concept of this school is to leverage that human capital, where NAKAMA teach NAKAMA.\"<\/p>\r\n

The instructor for the first session was Mr. Yosuke Sakuta, UNIVA Oak Group CFO and certified tax accountant. He clearly explained the fundamentals of interpreting financial figures and understanding profit in corporate management. Mr. Sakuta's course consists of three sessions; the third session will be held on April 22nd. Regarding his reason for accepting the role, Mr. Sakuta shared:\"I believed that sharing my knowledge with the group would spread expertise and ultimately lead to improved performance for the entire group.\"<\/p>\r\n

There was a reason for choosing \"fundamentals\" as this session's theme.<\/p>\r\n

\"Unfortunately, there are currently quite a few loss-making companies within the UNIVA Group. I also felt that in some cases, management wasn't sufficiently communicating the importance of profit to employees. It goes without saying that a business cannot continue without generating profit. I wanted each member of NAKAMA to firmly grasp this perspective.\"<\/p>\r\n

The session became a lively learning environment, with participants actively asking questions.Many registrations have already been received for upcoming sessions. The second session (March 25) had 6 offline and 23 online participants, while the third session (April 22) is scheduled to have 8 offline and 22 online participants. Registration is still open for the sessions. Apply here! \uff08https:\/\/forms.gle\/VDAUbcHJrHSk4LhZ9<\/a>\uff09<\/p>\r\n

Additionally, on March 19th, we held a \"Business English Workshop\" by Snowy, followed by \"Smart Travel Techniques\" by Nao Shimamura on March 27th. Snowy shared the inspiration behind the workshop:<\/p>\r\n

\"I often heard people within the company say, 'I want to study English, but I just can't seem to get started.' I thought it would be interesting to create an opportunity to casually engage with English.\"<\/p>\r\n

Thinking you \"have to speak\" makes English feel like a high hurdle. That's precisely why she emphasizes starting with casual exposure.<\/p>\r\n

\"I believe that getting your message across to the other person is more important than perfect grammar or pronunciation.\"<\/p>\r\n

Meanwhile, Nao Shimamura leads \"Smart Travel Techniques,\" drawing on her experience as a former ANA ground hostess.<\/p>\r\n

\"I'll share techniques to minimize travel stress and maximize your performance on location.\"<\/p>\r\n

For businesspeople who travel frequently, the quality of their travel directly impacts the quality of their work.<\/p>\r\n

\"A little extra knowledge can make a big difference in travel comfort. I want people to make airports and planes their allies.\"<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n

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Learning Connects NAKAMA - What Participants Felt<\/h2>\r\n
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Left: Snowy, Right: Shimamura<\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n

The first session drew diverse NAKAMA participants not only domestically but also remotely from overseas group companies. Shinichiro Hatase from Naturally Plus Singapore reflected:<\/p>\r\n

\"Though the theme was beginner-level, the concrete examples provided a chance to think about how to apply this to my own company.\" What stood out was the explanation using actual company profit and loss statements. \"It gave me a fresh opportunity to think about how to maximize profits.\"<\/p>\r\n

Seiji Hosaka from UNIVA Naturally Plus Healthcare Vietnam also shared, \"The differences in costs based on business type were striking,\" adding, \"It renewed my desire to build a company that generates profit.\"<\/p>\r\n

Fuki Hirayama of Naturally Plus Japan admitted she was initially a bit apprehensive. \"Honestly, I thought it might be a difficult explanation.\" However, her impression changed significantly after participating. \"There was almost no jargon, and the content was very easy to understand. While not immediately applicable, I believe it will definitely impact my work going forward.\"<\/p>\r\n

Shinya Takeyama of North Energy highlighted the cross-group learning aspect. \"I felt it was a great initiative for employees across group companies to share knowledge and perspectives.\" He was also impressed by the participants' learning attitude.\" I sensed that this attitude of learning with intellectual curiosity contributes to organizational vitality and performance.\"<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n

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Transforming Learning Circles into Group Strength<\/h2>\r\n
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The goal of UNIVA BUSINESS SCHOOL isn't merely acquiring knowledge. Mr. Asakura concluded by saying:<\/p>\r\n

\"The ultimate goal is 'connection.' Creating relationships where NAKAMA can consult each other, and having that circle ripple out. I believe that becomes the group's strength. We must eliminate situations where 'not having members in similar positions to consult with' becomes a reason for resignation. The UNIVA Group is a collective of mid-sized and small companies. This means that individually, each company may not be competitive compared to others. However, by sharing knowledge and cooperating, we can transform that into a driving force for growth. This is precisely the meaning embodied in the name UNIVA: 'UNITE THE VALUES'.\"<\/p>\r\n

Currently, numerous ideas for new courses have already been proposed, covering AI utilization, video editing, design, web coding, asset management, and more. This school will grow even more as NAKAMA members connect with each other. \"We encourage you to volunteer as instructors or propose new courses! We're waiting for your ideas!\" (Asakura).<\/p>\r\n

We're also seeking ideas for course themes and instructors. Apply here! (https:\/\/forms.gle\/VDAUbcHJrHSk4LhZ9<\/a>)<\/p>\r\n

UNIVA BUSINESS SCHOOL is a project that has only just begun. It's also a project that will wither away unless everyone participates voluntarily. However, if it becomes a place where NAKAMA learn, enjoy, and connect, it will expand even further. It allows you to grow yourself, and ultimately, transform that growth into company growth. Currently, courses are primarily in Japanese, but going forward, we aim to leverage the global nature of the UNIVA Group and expand course offerings in multiple languages.<\/p>\r\n

We invite you to join UNIVA BUSINESS SCHOOL and experience the joy of connecting with NAKAMA.<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n\r\n <\/article>\r\n \r\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"UNI-SQUARE Connecting through learning from NAKAMA\u2212UNIVA BUSINESS SCHOOL \"Go beyond company boundaries, learn […]","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":4543,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-discussion.php","meta":{"_locale":"en_US","_original_post":"https:\/\/univacap.com\/uni-sight\/?page_id=4541","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-4556","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","en-US"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/univacap.com\/uni-sight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4556","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/univacap.com\/uni-sight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/univacap.com\/uni-sight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/univacap.com\/uni-sight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/univacap.com\/uni-sight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4556"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/univacap.com\/uni-sight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4556\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4558,"href":"https:\/\/univacap.com\/uni-sight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4556\/revisions\/4558"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/univacap.com\/uni-sight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4543"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/univacap.com\/uni-sight\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4556"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}