Winning WorldSkills Gold Isn't the Finish Line

── Let's start at the beginning. What first sparked your interest in manufacturing?

When I was four years old, I saw my brother, who was six years older than me, building a Mobile Suit Gundam plastic model, and it made me want to try building one myself. Making one with my own hands turned out to be so much fun. I gradually began taking on more advanced model kits, and I still remember how happy I felt when I showed the finished models to my parents and they praised me.

After that, I kept building plastic models while also experiencing hands-on manufacturing through "Muran,"* an idea contest hosted by DENSO, where my father works. I also made a Styrofoam model of the ODM gear from the anime Attack on Titan and played with it.

* Muran is an idea contest hosted by DENSO once every two years.

── After graduating from junior high school, you enrolled in DENSO TECHNICAL SKILLS ACADEMY. Had you already decided on your future path by then?

Yes. I had watched my two older brothers, who were both several years older than me, devote themselves to sports and academics and decide where to study and work, so I began thinking about my own future early on. Around the time I started thinking, "I want to pursue a career in manufacturing," like my father, who works at DENSO, I learned about DENSO TECHNICAL SKILLS ACADEMY.

Drawn to its well-equipped facilities and an environment where I could immerse myself in both academics and manufacturing, I thought, "This is where I want to test my skills."

── You also spent three years in the technical high school course while belonging to the track and field club. Does that experience still support your skills today?

Yes. My specialty was the high jump, and in junior high school I competed in the Nippon Junior High School Tournament, the national sports competition for junior high school students in Japan. Continuing on from there, I kept competing at the academy, and during practice I would watch videos of my own jumps and constantly analyze how I could move my body to jump higher and what skilled athletes were doing differently.

That habit of viewing myself objectively also seems to have helped me learn technical skills. I became good at observing and imitating the movements of experienced senior technicians. I believe that copying the movements of skilled people is the best shortcut to improvement.

── What did you study at the academy?

The curriculum alternates each week between academic subjects, such as Japanese and mathematics, and hands-on training in practical techniques and skills.

In this hands-on training, we learn skills that can be applied immediately in the workplace after graduation, such as machining steel and performing electrical wiring. For about the first six months after entering the academy, all students take part in common training. After that, selected students move on to a course aimed at the WorldSkills Japan National Competition (hereafter, the "national competition"). I was selected for that course.

── Were there any particularly memorable experiences during your academy life?

The overseas training I took part in during my second year in Canada left a strong impression on me. For one week, I stayed with a host family while visiting DENSO's local plant. I realized that the plant’s strong commitment to quality and safety and the uncompromising attitude of every employee were also characteristic of Japanese manufacturing.

── So, you were greatly inspired by your experience overseas. What do you think is appealing about the academy?

I feel the academy's appeal lies not only in the chance to further develop my technical skills, but also in its focus on "personal growth" and in an "environment that fosters independence." The academy uses a small-class system of about 30 students per grade and places emphasis on each student's growth. Students can also learn in well-equipped facilities, and dormitories are available for those who live far away.

There are also many events and activities, with plenty of opportunities to interact beyond the boundaries of courses and companies through sports tournaments and ekiden (long-distance relay) races with other companies. These experiences help us learn the importance of teamwork.

── After learning so much at the academy, you graduated and devoted yourself to training as a competitor for the national competition. Have you ever felt like giving up?

Actually, in 2021, my first year after graduation, my practice results had been strong enough to aim for a gold medal, but I stumbled in the actual competition, unable to fully demonstrate my abilities, and received a Medallion for Excellence. Because I had been so confident, I was deeply disappointed and even considered stepping away as a competitor, thinking, "Maybe I'm not suited for this."

But my coach said to me, "Why don't you just do it the way you enjoy?" That made me realize I had been too focused on results and had been putting too much pressure on myself. After that, instead of thinking about results, I focused on giving everything I had. As I continued training, I was able to let go of that pressure, and I won the following year. I am grateful for the support of those around me.

── How did you feel when the 47th WorldSkills Competition finally arrived in September 2024?

It is a competition that every competitor can enter only once in their lifetime. I strongly wanted to live up to the expectations of the people who had supported me, including my instructors and my parents. Once the competition began, all I had to do was trust everything I had done up to that point. I was truly happy to win the gold medal, and I also felt relieved.

── In the Industrial Mechanics category, competitors spend a total of 20 hours tackling four tasks. Which part was the most challenging?

It was a task called the main module, which involved a heavy workload and was worth a large number of points. We had to build the base unit from scratch and then mount a pump and motor on it to make it fully operational. A number of unexpected issues arose during the task.

Competitors were not allowed to bring their own tools because the competition organizers were supposed to provide them. But the tools I was supposed to use were not available on site (laughs), so I had to use different ones. The task also didn't start as scheduled, and I had to wait on site for about 45 minutes.

── Does that really happen?!

It seems that preparations at international competitions can sometimes be handled somewhat loosely. However, I had already practiced how to deal with unexpected situations before the competition. I practiced using different tools and starting the task at different times. So in a way, the situation was still within my expectations.

As a result, even under constrained conditions, I was able to work as precisely as possible, earn additional points, and complete the task without falling behind competitors from other countries.

── What do you keep in mind when unexpected situations arise?

I think the key is not expecting everything to be perfect. Rather than panicking and stopping thinking, it is important to calmly sort out what you can and cannot do.

Then I shift my mindset and tell myself, "I'll do as much as I can and aim to earn points." This helps me keep working steadily without losing my composure.

── Through this competition, in what areas do you feel you have developed?

My mental strength. Unexpected situations are the perfect opportunity to remain composed and put the logical thinking and adaptability I have developed to the test. That's how I approached the competition, and I believe it allowed me to perform to the best of my ability.

── What do you value in manufacturing?

I always try to objectively understand what the customers who will actually use the product are looking for. In WorldSkills, that means looking at my work from the judges' perspective and quickly producing highly precise work that will reliably earn points, regardless of who evaluates it.

I have watched my senior colleagues at DENSO refine their sense of touch to the point where they can detect differences as small as one-thousandth of a millimeter, while maintaining a strong commitment to precision and speed. I hope to pass those skills and that mindset on to the next generation.

── You have now finished your career as a competitor and are working as a coach, correct?

Yes. I am now teaching younger colleagues who, like me, are aiming to win a gold medal in the Industrial Mechanics category at the WorldSkills Competition. Because each person has a different feel for the work, the challenge is finding a way to put these skills into words and communicate them clearly. By thinking every day about how to explain these skills clearly, I hope to continue growing as well.

In addition, it has been decided that the 2028 WorldSkills Competition will be held in my home prefecture of Aichi. I want to do my best together with the younger competitors so that as many people as possible will support us.

── It seems that manufacturing and passing on skills also require strength of character.

Exactly. I think DENSO places importance on personal growth, including mental strength and the ability to think about how best to apply our skills. In WorldSkills as well, it is important to keep honing your skills and growing with a clear idea of what you want to gain through the competition. Ultimately, I believe that will also lead to results.

WorldSkills is a tool for learning customer-focused manufacturing. WorldSkills itself is not the goal.

── Are there any challenges you would like to take on in the future by drawing on your WorldSkills experience?

I would like to be involved in work that turns something intangible into something tangible. I am interested in fields involving things that do not yet exist and areas where much remains unknown.

When I think about my own career, I see my father as a role model. He is involved in airbag-related work at DENSO and contributes to saving people's lives.

I want to devote myself to work that benefits society and, in the future, become someone many different people can turn to and rely on.

* This article reflects information as of January 2025.