[Internal Interview #16] Ash from Australia Shares Tips on Choosing a Game Company to Work for in Japan | Taking Ownership with Creative Freedom in Your Work

Today, I’m about to interview Ash, a creative director who joined YAOYA mid-career from Australia!

Excited to hear your thoughts, Ash!

Encountering a Japanese Company That "Encourages Unrestrained Creativity"

What motivated you to consider a career change?

I was working in an advertising and digial marketing agency in Australia called, Isobar for many years when I decided that I would like the chance to use a working holiday to see what it would be like to work in Japan. While I was doing freelance work, I received contact from the president Fukumoto-san who asked if I would be interested in joining the company, at the time called, Miraidenshi Technology.

When choosing your next workplace, what factors were most important to you?

I was interested in working for a company that was forward thinking and not afraid to try new things. It's important to me that leaders have a strong vision about something they want to change and improve for the better. I had also heard many negative things about working for Japanese companies in the past and so I was looking for somewhere that respects not only the whole, but people as individuals. As a foreigner in Japan, I wanted to experinence with Japanese, but I also wanted to not be absorbed into a system that would take away my ability to think freely.

What made you choose YAOYA Corporation, and what stood out to you?

At the time I joined I was very encouraged by Fukumoto-san's goals to not only make good services, but to affect culture too. I have a very strong desire to make really, really, really good things that are different and are go beyond what people expect. I thought that by joining the company I would have the opportunity to use my ability and skills to do this, and to also help others in the company also make things that would help, excite, and enteratain their clients and customers

Being Entrusted with a Broad New Frontier "I've Never Explored Before"

What kind of work are you currently responsible for?

I am currently the officer and the chief creative director in charge of YAO! Games operations, which includes the development and exploration of our game HakoBon, as well as the YAO! Games Lab which creates frequent game content to help establish YAOYA's image and impact in the game space. I also oversee the image and branding direction of YAOYA as a whole, setting the brand themes and identity we use to connect to the world.

Are there any differences you've noticed compared to your previous job?

There are many cultural differences, but one main thing I have learned during my time working at YAOYA is that compared to my experiences working in Australia, people are less specialised in skills and their position at a company and tend to work in very broad areas across different roles. When people start their jobs or are given new roles, they are often blank slates. The difference from Australia is that we tend to expect people know what to do and how to do it at the start. It is still something I struggle to work with, however, it is also a very positive thing as it means that often people willing to approach doing things with an open mind.

Have you experienced any gaps between your expectations before joining and the reality after joining the company?

The biggest gap from working at Isobar and as a freelancer I've faced is that the people I have worked with in the past were 'experts' of their domain of skill. At YAOYA, it is very much more a spirit of trial and error, and experimentation. People are encouraged to try and take charge of things that they may not have ever done without prompting. It has both positive and negative aspects to it, but I think that it leaves people with the understanding that they are always free and able to explore and try new things.

Each individual needs to become more of a specialist.

What are your impressions of the work environment and your team members?

Even though I think that YAOYA is quite different from the typical Japanese company cutlure, in many ways I think it is still very 'Japanese'. I think that people are always looking to help, and because everyone is still quite young, there is a lot of enthusiasm in pursuing goals and new directions. I like that YAOYA doesn't get stuck doing things a certain way just because it is accepted by everyone. It can be chaotic at times, but I think it does help them break the mold of expectations.

Were there any concerns or uncertainties when joining the company?

My biggest concern is about YAOYA's skills and capacity to adapt to markets and consumer expectations. Specialists are going to become more and more of a commodity as we enter into an automated digital future. Customer and client expectations for quality and that the person they are consulting with in an expert is only going to increase as what is currenlty now seen as 'typical' will be easily done by AI and other forms of automation. I don't think it's enough to just have 'interest' in an area or to repackage other tools and services for the long term. I don't think it is enough to just read or consume media about what everyone else is doing. I would like to see a cultural shift where people are encouraged to take hold of a domain of expertise and become unbeatable masters that define the future for others.

What do you like most about YAOYA Corporation?

As an Australian, I like that I can authentically myself, even when it comes to clothing and appearance. We tend to be very relaxed in Australia without a lot of formalities. Over-politeness can be seen as cold and even, ironically, rude. Just being yourself is what makes us comfortable. I think that this is a really strong point for YAOYA.

Further enhancing brand strength

What are your future goals or ambitions?

I want to ramp up dramatically the brand impact of YAOYA in the near future. YAOYA needs to stand out as an industry leader, not just as a company participating in the industry. What this means from a brand perspective is that YAOYA needs to meet and go beyond what people expect from well known companies, even on a basic level. Our approach to service quality, our presentation and design needs look as if is competing with Notion, Mercari or even Google. This means that everything we do, whether it is a slideshow presentation, or a sales-call, or even a brochure - everything should tell our clients and customers that we are professoinal and we are specialists. Practically, this means really becoming serious about our own work and always considering the broader impact - where we learn to collaborate as specialists together. Design with marketing. Marketing with IT. Always consulting with each other to make our work the best.

Finally, do you have a message for those reading this article?

YAOYA is really flexible company that encourages growth and exploration. To head to the future, YAOYA also needs to take charge and come out in front as leaders and visionaries. Because of this, I think it's a great environment to start to build this base and allow people of a similar mindset to find their niche and grow, if they make the effort and investment towards the future.

Thank you Ash-san!