Our mission is "Empowering Global Business from Nagasaki" Looking at the challenges of ONE DEJIMA, which is more than just marine transportation!

During Japan’s Edo period, Dejima in Nagasaki served as the nation’s only window to the world while the country was closed off to foreign nations. Taking inspiration from this historical landmark, ONE DEJIMA was established in December 2023. Contrary to what some may think, ONE DEJIMA is not the Nagasaki branch of ONE, a container shipping company. While currently operating as a subcontractor for ONE, they aim to expand their services in the future by working with companies beyond ONE. As a completely new entity, they aspire to become a supportive presence for global businesses.

In this article, we sent a ONE correspondent to ONE DEJIMA to get an insider’s perspective. We spoke with ONE DEJIMA President Naoto Toyama, and the company’s current members to learn more about what ONE DEJIMA does and what drives their passion at work.

In pursuit of the dynamism of business: The journey of ONE and Toyama.

To understand how ONE DEJIMA came to be, we first explore the journey of its president, Naoto Toyama, and the events leading up to his appointment.

His career did not begin in shipping, but in the Systems Department of an automobile company. Within three months of joining, he was sent on a business trip to Poland, and three months later, he was transferred to the Philippines and then Thailand. As the company expanded its overseas operations, he found himself deeply involved in a dizzying array of system construction projects across multiple countries. Despite the challenges, he recalls feeling a great sense of fulfillment.

"To be honest, it was tough after I joined the company because I didn't know what I was doing,” he admits. “But I enjoyed feeling the dynamism of business every day. It was exciting to think that I was part of the global economic cycle as Japanese companies expanded abroad."

Inspired by this “dynamism,” he made the leap to the shipping industry after working eight years in automotive. His expertise led him to oversee car carrier operations before transitioning to roles both in Japan and internationally, managing information system related matters.

In 2016, Toyama participated in the container shipping business integration project that resulted in the launch of ONE. Over a brief period of about 1.5 years, the project to implement an IT system for the newly established ONE and to expand its BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) operations across India, the Philippines, and other countries was extremely challenging. Shortly after ONE’s launch in 2018, it encountered a major upheaval but by taking a lead role in the project, the company was able to navigate these challenges and emerge successfully.

ONE has since overcome the turmoil of the COVID-19 pandemic and has entered a phase of sustainable growth as a global container shipping company. As part of this strategy, the decision to establish ONE DEJIMA in Nagasaki was made, and Toyama was selected to lead the new venture as its president.

"If I had only been focused about getting ahead in my career, I probably wouldn’t have to leave my previous role. However, when I thought about my future, I realized I wanted to work in a role where I could engage with the dynamism of business while envisioning and shaping the future. The opportunity from ONE was precisely in line with what I wanted to do, and I was very surprised at the coincidence when it came my way."

This is how Toyama, a leader in pursuit of business dynamism, became the president of ONE DEJIMA.

Opportunities unique to Dejima’s history and inspiring atmosphere.

ONE DEJIMA, which commenced operations in April 2024, was founded on an idea of becoming a “global KPO company from the region."

For those unfamiliar, KPO stands for “Knowledge Process Offshoring,” referring to the outsourcing of a company's core business operations. From Nagasaki, ONE DEJIMA is entrusted with supporting specialized operations for ONE, which is headquartered in Singapore.

"For ONE to continue to grow sustainably in the future, we must, above all, secure a large number of talented professionals globally. However, it has been difficult to find enough talent to support growth within Singapore alone. On the other hand, I believe that there are many untapped human resources are available in Japan’s rural areas. I thought this might be the field where ONE DEJIMA could play an active role,” Toyoma explains.

One of the services ONE DEJIMA handles is human resources-related tasks, but it aims to expand its portfolio to include human resource development and compensation evaluations, while building the expertise necessary to handle more complex work. The company is also actively recruiting new talent while sharing its knowledge acquired from the Singapore head office and jointly holding events. Similarly, the company has begun accepting contracts for agency management, accounting services, and market research and analysis, and continuously refining its expertise in these fields. As it took on more projects, ONE DEJIMA received inquiries such as, “Can you take on this kind of work?” and the scope of our responsibilities has been steadily expanding.

By the way, why was Nagasaki chosen as the company’s base out of all the places in Japan? According to Toyoma, it came down to two factors: “fate” and “romanticism.”

“We’ve had a history of cooperation with Nagasaki through various events. After ONE was invited to the ‘Dejima Organization Summit,’ we hosted the ‘Container Shipping Summit’ three times in both Singapore and Nagasaki. Moreover, Nagasaki has a long-standing connection with the shipping industry. We are taking a fresh approach to shipping in a location that once served as Japan’s only gateway to the world during its period of isolation, a place where the nation’s history of shipping started. I thought this was a romantic story.”

In addition, there was a desire to “energize Japan from the countryside."

"In recent years, many have noted the decline in Japan's national strength, and I believe that one contributing factor is the concentration of people and jobs in large metropolitan areas. That’s why I wanted to establish a global company based in a regional city to serve as a model for others."

Uncovering and nurturing talent to “Empowering Global Business from Nagasaki "

ONE DEJIMA’s slogan is “Empowering Global Business from Nagasaki", reflecting the company’s ambition to extend its impact beyond ONE. But what exactly does this mean?

The tasks ONE has entrusted to ONE DEJIMA—from human resources and finance to research— are not exclusive to the shipping industry. By honing these areas of expertise, ONE DEJIMA aims to broaden its scope and provide services to a wide range of global companies. ONE DEJIMA will keep sharpening our expertise to meet the needs of global companies, both in Japan and abroad, supporting businesses worldwide. This commitment reflects the spirit of our slogan, “Empowering Global Business from Nagasaki ".

To achieve this vision, ONE DEJIMA is committed to recruiting fresh talent.

We seek individuals with the energy and drive to take on new challenges in a fast-growing start-up environment, as well as people experienced professionals eager to apply their skills and expertise in a global company, regardless of age, gender, or nationality. Due to these efforts, ONE DEJIMA has quickly grown into a vibrant company, so much so that in less than six months, our newly opened office already feels small.

"We believe that vitality and a growth mindset are important. As a new company, we must continue to embrace challenges. Together, under the spirit of ‘AS ONE, WE CAN’, we will succeed.”

The challenges of ONE DEJIMA, reborn in the land of Nagasaki, have only just begun. Just as the island of Dejima once played a vital role on the global stage, we believe that “even the smallest of beings can make a big impact.” ONE DEJIMA continues to move forward today, striving to empower the world and help revitalize Japan.

A new era: The trailblazers of ONE DEJIMA

What kind of employees have gathered at ONE DEJIMA, where the challenges have only just begun? We spoke to three employees to learn what drew them to the company and what motivates them in their work.

●Every day is new and exciting. I want to help bring energy to the region by recruiting talent who will “Empowering Global Business from Nagasaki" (Rikako Ikemoto)

 “I was born and raised in Nagasaki. I used to work in sales and administration for an insurance industry, but my family told me about a new company called ONE DEJIMA. After looking into it, I thought, ‘This is my chance to do something completely new!’ and I decided to join. Every day still feels fresh and exciting as we build the company from the ground up.

Currently, I’m in charge of recruiting and preparing for mid-career hires as well as internships for new graduates planned for the coming years. My focus now is to refine my English skills and expertise in human resources. I hope that ONE DEJIMA and its mission ‘Empowering Global Business from Nagasaki’ will gain widespread recognition, attracting more people to join us in the future. I would like to make Nagasaki and the world a better place through our work here at ONE DEJIMA."

●A Fated New Chapter in my hometown, Nagasaki (Atsuko Shimazu)

“I was born and raised in Nagasaki, and since then, I’ve moved around a lot from Tokyo to Singapore to Nagasaki, back to Tokyo, and then to Scotland. When I returned to my hometown Nagasaki for family reasons, I was looking for a job where I could use of my international business experience and fate brought me to ONE DEJIMA. I applied immediately and was lucky enough to join.

Now I’m part of the Corporate Planning Group, where I take on a variety of tasks, stepping in whatever I’m needed. My previous career, including as document control for new shipbuilding, often comes in handy. Every day, I keep our slogan "Empowering Global Business from Nagasaki" in mind, along with the phrase ‘Think GLOCAL’—work globally, but stay grounded locally.”

●I drifted along and found ONE DEJIMA (Nozomi Hirahara)

“I was born in Aichi Prefecture and went to a university in Tokyo, so I had no prior connection to Nagasaki. I left the first company I joined after graduation and traveled abroad for about a year. When I returned to Japan, I came across a job opening at ONE DEJIMA. I wanted to work for a company where I could make use of my English skills, I joined ONE DEJIMA. Nagasaki was an unexplored city for me, but now I love this city with its unique history, nature, and culinary culture.

My responsibilities include handling agency accounting as part of the work entrusted to me by the Singapore head office. I frequently interact with colleagues at the Singapore head office, so I make it a priority to actively communicate with them to build strong working relationships. When colleagues from the head office visited our office, I took on the role of a guide. I enjoy the dynamic atmosphere at ONE DEJIMA but as the youngest member of the team, I hope to see more young people join the company. My goal is to contribute to DEJIMA’S long-term development and success by bringing in younger talent to add even more energy to the organization.”