音元出版会長 和田光征の「巻頭言」2019年9月：先代会長から私へ、そして私から次の世代へ伝えるもの

バトンタッチ

私は1944年5月13日生まれ。今年75歳を迎えて、52歳の永井光晴君に代表取締役社長職をバトンタッチし、私は代表取締役会長に就任した。

先代の岩間正次会長は、28年前に入院先の虎ノ門病院へ私を呼んだ。午後8時頃から語り始めた。その第一声は「分かってるだろう…」。最後を予見していて、「ワイフ、そして娘たちを頼む。会社のことは安心しているが、ともかく社長を譲る時は君の思うようにやればいい。しかし、会長になり、相談役になり、顧問になり、会社からは絶対に目を離さないでくれ。離れないでくれ」と頼まれたのだった。無論私もそう考えていたので、「ご安心ください。会社もしっかり守ります」と約束した。

創業家の会長ご夫妻の子どもは女性三人で、男子がいなかった。そこに九州の田舎から上京してきた私が職業安定所の求人を見て23歳で音元出版に入社し、25歳には「オーディオ専科」の編集長になり、かなりの実績を挙げていた。田舎者を拾ってくれた会長へのご恩は忘れたことがない。私が立っているとそっと肩を組んできて、ご夫妻から息子のように大切にしていただいた。

40年ほど前のある日、当時の岩間社長が外から帰ってきて、「大変なことが起こった。広告代理店が組んで広告をボイコットすると言ってきた」と言う。私は慌てる訳でもなく「大丈夫ですよ。この件は私が片付けますからお任せください」と答えた。その頃私はオーディオ専科の編集長になって2年以上経過していたが、メーカーや販売店の上層部と顔がつながっていたし、信頼されていた。一社一社回ってあらためて挨拶をして、却って信頼関係を深めることができた。そしてその後は広告代理店とも密な関係を築いてきたのは言うまでもない。

「業界の建設的発展に寄与する」という当社の理念をさらに強固にし、私の名は業界に広がっていった。メーカーや販売店各社との絆は強まり、ほとんどのトップ、幹部の方々から可愛がっていただいた。それとともにオーディオ専科の存在も大きくなり、業界のメジャーになっていった。また1982年に創刊した「季刊オーディオアクセサリー」は部数7万部を達成するヒットとなった。

そんな私が社長になったのは35年前の39歳の時。まさに音元出版の隆盛期だと言っても過言ではないだろう。お客様をしっかり見てお応えするスタイルは不変であり、音元出版が永遠に天から与えられたテーマであると認識している。

余談だが、私は体力にもおおいに自信があった。上京して19歳の時、富士山の5合目から頂上まで1度も休憩せず、3時間20分で登りきったことがある。また私が入社して半年の頃、当時体重70kgを超えていた岩間社長が大阪で関節炎になり、新幹線で戻ってくるのを5人ほどの同僚と迎えに東京駅に行った。皆が右往左往する中、体重50kgそこそこだった私が社長をおぶって東京駅の階段を駆け下りタクシーに乗せた。高校時代に米1俵を担いでいたので自信はあったのだ。のちのち岩間社長はあの時が一番怖かったと白状し、大笑いとなった。

そして今、誇れるのは素晴らしい社長と社員がいることである。私のように幸せにしてやりたいと思いながら、未来に向かって次のステップを築いている。音元出版は変わらず「業界の建設的発展に寄与する」理念のもと頑張って参ります。ご支援を賜りますようお願いを申し上げます。


ENGLISH
Baton Pass

I was born on May 13, 1944. As I have turned 75 this year, I have passed the post of representative director and president of Ongen Publishing over to Mitsuharu Nagai, 52. I myself have been appointed representative director and chairman of the company.

Twenty-eight years ago Masatsugu Iwama, the former president of Ongen Publishing and my predecessor as chairman, called me to Toranomon Hospital, where he was hospitalized. It was about 8 in the evening when our conversation began. His first words were, “You understand the situation, I’m sure . . .” Clearly anticipating the worst, he said to me, “Take care of my wife and daughters, please. I’m not worried about the company. I leave the choice of your successor as president to you. Just do what you want. But even when you become chairman or counselor or advisor, never take your eyes off the firm. Never leave.” Of course, that was my intention anyway, so I promised him, “Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of the company too.”

Mr. Iwama, the founder of Ongen Publishing, and his wife had three daughters; there was no son. Coming to Tokyo from the countryside in Kyushu, I entered the company at the age of 23 after seeing a job vacancy ad at a public employment security office. I became editor-in-chief of the Audio Senka magazine at the age of 25 and was rather successful in the position. I will never forget my debt to Mr. Iwama for literally picking a country bumpkin like me up off the street. When I stood, he would gently put his hand around my shoulders; he and his wife treated me just like a son.

One day, about 40 years ago, then President Iwama returned to our office and announced, “A terrible thing has happened. Advertising agencies have banded together and are saying they will boycott ads.” I replied calmly, “Don’t worry. Just leave this matter to me. I’ll handle it.” At that time I had been the chief editor of Audio Senka for more than two years, so I had good connections with the top brass in makers and retail stores, and I had gained their confidence. Again I made calls to the companies one by one, and actually that approach served to further deepen our relations of trust. Needless to say, I subsequently built close relations with the advertising agencies too.

As I further consolidated our corporate philosophy of “contributing to the constructive development of the industry,” my name became well known in our industrial circles. My ties with makers and retail stores grew stronger, and almost all the executives and managers of those companies treated me with affection. At the same time, the presence of Audio Senka grew, and it came to play a major role in the industry. In 1982 we also launched the quarterly Audio Accessory, which became a hit with a circulation of 70,000 copies.

Thirty-five years ago, at the age of 39, I became president of Ongen Publishing. It is no exaggeration to say that that was the golden age of Ongen Publishing. Our style of closely observing and responding to our customers is unchanging. I see this as the eternal mandate that has been bestowed on Ongen Publishing from above.

To digress a little, I must say that in my younger days I was very confident in my physical strength. When I came to Tokyo at the age of 19, I climbed from the fifth stage to the summit of Mount Fuji nonstop, without a rest, in 3 hours 20 minutes. And about six months after I joined the company, then President Iwama, who weighed more than 70 kg at the time, came down with arthritis when he was in Osaka. About five of us employees went to Tokyo Station to meet him when he returned by Shinkansen. While everyone else was running around in confusion, despite weighing only around 50 kg, I gave Mr. Iwama a piggyback ride down the station stairs and put him in a taxi. In my senior high school days I used to carry heavy bags of rice, so I didn’t think twice about it. Later Mr. Iwama confessed to me, with a laugh, that it was the most frightening moment in his life!

I am proud that today we have such a wonderful president and employees. Wishing to make them all as happy as me, I am now in the process of building the next step to the future. Ongen Publishing will continue to do its best under our unchanging corporate philosophy of “contributing to the constructive development of the industry.” I look forward to your support in this endeavor.