From TIMEWELL's Hamamoto
This is Hamamoto from TIMEWELL.
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A First-Class Architecture Office Committed to the Job Site
Committed to the job site: how the 5th-generation leader of Fujita Construction found his own way.
Fujita Construction has been weaving its history in Kamata, Ota Ward for over 70 years. President Takano became the 5th-generation leader after succeeding his father. Why did he choose to take over? How has he shaped the company? We asked him directly.
Fujita Construction was founded in 1947 by Chiyomatsu Fujita in Kamata, Ota Ward. Fujita-san, originally from Mito, invited my father — who was also from Mito and worked as a carpenter — to join him. By the time I was born, my father had become the master carpenter of Fujita Construction.
As a child, I often tagged along with my father to job sites on Sundays. I'd play in piles of sand, bring my baseball glove and ask the tradespeople to play catch with me. The job site was a fun playground. My father ran the site — he didn't just do his own work but also efficiently orchestrated the tasks of all the other carpenters. During breaks, he'd eat quickly, take a brief nap, and then sharpen his tools before getting back to work. At home, he was calm and never complained or badmouthed anyone. I liked him a lot and thought he was remarkable. Gradually, I came to want to work alongside him.
With that feeling growing inside me, I went on to study civil engineering at university. Since that program didn't offer architectural licensing, after graduation I spent a year at a trade school and earned my second-class architect qualification. Then I joined Fujita Construction. My father never directly told me to come work with him — but I later found out he had been telling people around him "my son is going to join me." He was apparently very happy about it.
Starting as an Apprentice
I started as an apprentice, accompanying my father to client sites. When we'd take a break, clients would offer us tea and cigarettes. It struck me as strange — we were there to work, and yet they treated us that way. They were paying us, and yet they still said "thank you." I realized that this kind of relationship was built on trust.
At the heart of that trust was thorough quality. Your work speaks for itself and builds the relationship. Instead of following a manual, you build genuine rapport with each individual client — I discovered the depth of that, and found it fascinating.
My father was a craftsman through and through — he could do everything from working the timber to raising a building from scratch. I apprenticed as a carpenter too, but I knew I couldn't match him. He told me so himself: "Rather than doing the work yourself, you'll be better suited to directing people." I ended up doing more management-side work — apprenticing as a site supervisor, and eventually earning my first-class architect license after being encouraged by a client advisor.
The company was passed down from founder Chiyomatsu Fujita to his wife after he passed away, and then to one of the founding-era colleagues as the third-generation leader. When I was in my 30s, my father took over as the fourth president. The two of us worked together, and I became more productive than ever.
My father was also vice chairman of the local neighborhood association, and he valued community involvement deeply. Many of our clients lived locally, and he saw community activities as part of the work of the neighborhood. Even for volunteer activities, he never cut corners — and through that, he met people who felt "I can work with this person," which often led to new business.
A Difficult Time After the Bubble, But Working with My Father Was a Joy
The post-bubble period was economically challenging, but working with my father was a joy, and I was pushing forward with a positive outlook. Then, without warning, those days ended. My father passed away.
His death was sudden — there had been no time for any kind of handover. In addition to the work itself, there were neighborhood association duties and shopping district responsibilities that the two of us had shared, and I was suddenly carrying all of it alone. My father had been extraordinarily hardworking, so the volume was immense. While I was grateful for the work, the pressure became overwhelming. I developed depression.
Nothing was going right — not the company, not my own health. I was desperate for a way through. Then, in the aftermath of my father's funeral, the temple we'd become parishioners of happened to practice Zen, and I discovered zazen meditation. I found out about a temple in Kita-Kamakura where you could practice, and started going for weekend sesshin retreats.
At first, I was going to zazen to escape from work and from where I was. But there I met a wonderful teacher, and as I concentrated on the practice, my mind gradually settled. I couldn't take time off work because there were things only I understood. But when I was deeply stuck, answers would sometimes surface on their own.
I slowly adjusted the volume of projects down to something I could handle on my own. There was also a lot of non-site work, so I streamlined what I could through digitization.
My Father Was a Pure Craftsman — Exceptional at His Trade
My father was pure in his love of building things — an outstanding craftsman. I could never match him as a carpenter. But what I had built was management: rigorous financial and operational oversight, reliable tradespeople, and careful attention to each job. Our footing was different, so I couldn't surpass him on his terms — but I came to see that doing work that fit my own nature was the right answer for me.
I like planning and preparation by nature. Drawing on that, I started doing everything from drafting plans to managing schedules and coordination, running morning briefings at job sites myself, checking progress, and thinking carefully through every detail.
For example, the sequencing of tradespeople on a job. If different trades show up without coordination, nothing works well. I assess when each tradesperson can best apply their skills and manage the scheduling accordingly.
First-class architects are often pictured giving directions from an office. That's not me — I'm a site supervisor. When needed, I draw the plans myself, translate what needs to happen onto the site, and work it out directly with the tradespeople. Seeing what I envisioned actually built correctly is what gives me satisfaction. It's where my sense of purpose lives.
Without quite realizing it, the company has evolved into a form that suits me — and that has become its own kind of originality. But some things haven't changed. The relationships with clients that have been handed down through the generations. The sense of trust I first felt as a boy following my father to job sites is something I still hold very dear today. As I enter later life with more lived experience behind me, I want to keep doing careful work and deepening the trust I've built with our clients.
This Interview Was Produced by
This interview was produced by the challenger assistant service "TIMEWELL."
TIMEWELL supports business process outsourcing and handover assistance for companies facing labor shortages due to parental leave, resignations, or mental health issues. If you're facing these challenges and would like to inquire or schedule a consultation, please reach out via the contact link.
