"When I was a child, I loved plastic models. Looking back now, I guess I've loved manufacturing since then."
He then entered a university in the engineering faculty, and by chance, the part-time job he took was at a mold manufacturer.
Ishii, captivated by the enjoyment of mold manufacturing there, went straight from a part-time worker to a full-time employee.
"Creating something tangible from nothing was creative and interesting. Moreover, without molds, plastic products cannot be created. In other words, molds are the origin of creating things."
Since his part-time job at the mold factory, Ishii's passion for mold manufacturing has not changed.
He finds immense enjoyment in taking customer requests and turning them into three-dimensional objects.
"It was interesting that I was doing something enjoyable and getting paid for it. For me, it felt less like working and more like doing something fun."
For Ishii, "work discussions" consulted by customers are "enjoyable discussions." That's why he can gladly listen to any customer consultation.
This is why Ishii became an easy person for customers to talk to.

Ishii genuinely loves manufacturing.
He says he has been reading material and product catalogs from the first page since he was young.
He inputs what kinds of shapes exist. He doesn't learn this out of a sense of obligation, thinking "I have to do this." It's simply enjoyable to know what shapes exist.
"Even when there's a request for a difficult shape, I have a stock of images in my mind that I can refer to. Based on the inspiration of 'Can I do it this way?', I visualize it in 3D in my head."
Because he has a vast stock, he can visualize any difficult shape in 3D in his mind.
"Isn't it great when you can create something from a difficult order? It's self-satisfaction. But then the customer is also happy. And that makes me happy too."
Challenging difficult orders is not painful for Ishii.
By trying out ideas and bringing them to fruition, he can enhance his technical capabilities and feel the joy of manufacturing. On top of that, customers are pleased. For Ishii, it's nothing but joy.

Among difficult orders, some are not only about shape but also about price.
This is the case when a request is made with a budget lower than the usual quotation.
"While there are parts that cannot be reduced, such as labor costs and material costs, we consider how to make a profit and accept the order."
What he does for this is efficiency improvement.
"For example, if finishing in 10 hours results in zero profit, then finishing in 8 hours yields 2 hours' worth of profit. In that case, we think about what to do to shorten it by 2 hours."
By devising and accumulating efficient procedures, arrangements, and machine operation methods, he reconfigures the system to generate profit through efficiency improvements.
When the system itself changes in this way, the profits from conventional operations also increase.
Regardless of how difficult an order is, he doesn't just refuse it but searches for possible methods.
For Ishii, difficult orders might be a catalyst for evolution.

Ishii Kanagata's factory is exceptionally clean.
Tools and materials are neatly organized, and there are no oil stains on the floor.
"Year-end cleaning isn't fun, is it? Spending your day in a dirty space isn't fun either, is it? If oil spills, just clean that spot immediately, and you can spend tomorrow in a clean space too. If it's clean every day, you don't need to do a big year-end cleaning, which makes it easier, right?"
If items are scattered, the time spent searching for them is painful. If you know where everything is, you can concentrate on your work without that pain.
If the floor is clean, the risk of slipping and getting injured is also reduced.
Ishii creates a beautiful workplace to avoid unpleasant tasks and to create an environment where people can work enjoyably. This leads to operational efficiency and cost reduction.
He also says there are external effects.
"Customers who come for a factory tour say that the clean factory is wonderful. And they think that molds made in such a clean factory must be good quality."
Ishii's underlying feeling of "enjoyment" is generating positive effects in all aspects.

It might be difficult to convey Ishii's "enjoyment" spirit to employees.
"People have different upbringings, educational backgrounds, and nationalities. So, I don't think my ideas would be accepted if I forced them just because I'm the company."
What Ishii encourages, therefore, is 'failure'.
Instead of just doing what they're told, employees gain strength by thinking for themselves, failing, and then correcting their mistakes.
"If you fail after being taught, you tend to blame others. If you fail after thinking for yourself, you can reflect on why you failed and apply that lesson to the next attempt."
By gaining strength in this way, they begin to feel enjoyment in completing tasks and achieving success.
"No matter how many failures there are, the aspiration to improve one's skills is what's important."
When products created in this way please customers, a great sense of accomplishment is gained, and one's approach to manufacturing changes. This makes manufacturing even more enjoyable.

Ishii Kanagata has introduced an injection molding machine.
By conducting prototyping in-house, which was previously outsourced, costs such as time and labor can be cut, and lead times can also be shortened.
Furthermore, by having employees involved in mold manufacturing also perform injection molding, they can understand the customer's perspective and provide feedback for creating better molds.
Additionally, a sales department has been established.
"Going forward, Ishii Kanagata will continue mold manufacturing as is, and I intend to make the molding division and sales division independent as separate companies."
Instead of expanding the size of Ishii Kanagata, the aim is to create an environment where employees can work freely and enjoyably, utilizing their respective strengths, by forming a group of independently managed companies.
Employees who draw their motivation from "enjoyment" will surely create even greater enjoyment.