I am Kaoru Kitamura from Universe Tokyo Main Store.
I will write a blog for the first time in a long time.

January 1 marks the 17th anniversary of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake.
I was once again surprised by the passage of 24 years.
Fortunately, I, my family, and my house did not suffer much damage, so you may think so, but...

Since I moved to Tokyo for college, I only go back to Kobe once or twice a year.
The year before last, I was fortunate enough to be in charge of setting up the Kobe branch.
I spent a few months in Kobe for the first time in more than 20 years since I graduated from high school.

I was in the first year of high school when the disaster struck, and I lived in Tokyo for two years and a little later.
Every time I went back to my hometown, I thought, "The power of people is amazing."
On that day, just a few minutes of tremors devastated nature, something that people had built over a long period of time.

I witnessed a violent and devastating collapse and extinction that made me feel overwhelming hopelessness that human beings are too powerless.

That's what made it an astounding revival.
I was deeply moved by the sight of the city of Kobe gradually, no, being revived at a much faster speed than I had imagined.

I think it was because of the extraordinary efforts of those who worked hard for the reconstruction and the desire of the residents at the time to revive the city of Kobe.
It's easy to break, but it's not easy to put it back together.
However, I am truly amazed by the power of people who were able to restore it to such a wonderful city in such a short time, in such a short time that it would be unimaginable that such a big earthquake had occurred here.

It will be eight years in March since the Great East Japan Earthquake.
At the time of the Great East Japan Earthquake, just seeing the terrifying video of the tsunami made me think that Japan was finally dead.
I myself was in Tokyo and was not injured, so I cannot imagine the feelings of those affected by the disaster.
If you think about it, the country of Japan is hit by natural disasters almost every year.
I really think it's amazing that they have the strength to recover from this physical and mental damage every time, and that they don't lose hope.
If the country had no money or had a weak national power, wouldn't it be strange if the country called Japan had already disappeared?
It's really amazing that such a small island country can be called a developed country in the world, even though such a lot of troubles happen so often.

It's been a long time, but I wanted to say that the power of human beings is amazing, and I think Japanese people are amazing.

The number of staff members who were not born at the time of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake has increased.
Year by year, I thought that the number of conversations that I couldn't understand increased, but the age difference is now about that of a parent and child.

The universe club is also in its eighth year this year.
It's only been 6 years since I joined the company, but I've become an old-timer in this company.
The company, which was like a private store with a few employees, has grown rapidly into a company with 13 branches and 100 employees.

Young people, people who have gained social experience in other companies, a lot of individuality has increased.
Among them, staff like me may no longer be considered old.
You may be an old person who is bound by the old system forever and can't change the old way of thinking.
However, there is one thing that I think about both old and new: everything is for your satisfaction.

Members who have been supporting us since we were still small and using only mobile devices,
The process of growth, the transitional period of the universe, and even now it's just that time, members who patiently tolerated our clumsy response and continued to use,
Members who joined because of the nationwide expansion and scale merit,
We would like to provide a service that satisfies everyone.

I believe that systems and methods change day by day depending on the flow of time, personnel, and scale.

However, in a typical company, it takes about five years for an employee to become a full-fledged employee.
UNIVERSE is a brand new company, just 8 years old.
I don't think I can reach the 8th year if I get carried away in 10 years.
Even if it is said that it is old and old, I may have to change the way I do it, but I would like to keep my feelings unchanged.
With the feeling of the time when Kida was running around 365 days a year after setting up by himself, I will cherish each and every member and aim for the best matching.

We have many shortcomings, but we would appreciate it if you could continue to guide us in the future.

I'm sorry for the unorganized and boring content every time.
Thank you for your association until the end.

Kaoru Kitamura