Both theater consulting and facility management are for the smiles of our customers.

Chief, Theatre Production Division

Fumika Higashi

Why does the back office let me blow in such a comfortable space?

- How did you join the company?

I joined the company in April 2015; I started as a part-timer in 2014 and then joined as a new graduate. At first, I was like, how am I going to follow you guys from now on?

- When you were a student?

I am a graduate of Showa University of Music, Arts Management Course. I studied cultural policy, production, and other methodologies to support artistic activities, and I also focused on internships. I also went to various sites through classes and worked part-time at a theater. To begin with, I went to a music high school where I played the saxophone with the goal of becoming a player. I had the opportunity to play at various local halls, and was impressed by how the staff would let me play in such a comfortable space.

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Theater Consulting and Facility Management Divisions Both Have the Same Goals

I am currently in charge of operational planning (software) in the theater consulting division, but shortly after I joined the company, I was assigned to the division that performs facility management. First, I went there for two months, including training, which I enjoyed very much. As soon as the training was over, I was assigned to work on the launch of LUMINE0, an event hall in Shinjuku, and after about a year and a half of working onsite at the hall, I was transferred to the theater production department, where I am currently doing consulting work.

In the operation and production department, I meet all kinds of people every day. I have many opportunities to interact not only with people who use the hall, but also with customers who come to events. I think my communication skills have improved, and I have gained experience that I can use in consulting. I believe that theater consulting is a job of creating, but facility management is a job of nurturing. I think the ease of catching the ball from those who produce to those who nurture, and from those who nurture to those who produce, is unique to our company.

- Is there a difference between the theater production division and the operation production division?

I think they are different. In the field of facility management, I work as a member of the hall's staff. It is difficult for our company's name to appear in the public eye. However, it was very reassuring to have a specialized theater consulting department within the company. Since we are the same company, we can consult with them immediately when any issues arise, and we have a relationship with them where they can come to the site. I felt that I could rely on being able to ask questions immediately, including about technical aspects.

When I was in the operations and production department, I felt that there were no limits to our services. However, I wanted to deliver the same good quality of service to everyone, and I think I learned how to organize and deliver it to everyone.
My goal in theater consulting is the same as when I was in the operation and production department: to put a smile on the customer's face. Although it is different from working with hall staff who directly interact with customers, I would like to do it by thinking about the customers beyond that while studying the laws and logistics related to facilities and operations.

- What do you mean by customers?

The people who use the hall, the people who perform on stage are customers, and of course the audience is also a customer. As a company, the building owner is also a customer, and we have all kinds of customers. Ideally, we want everyone to be happy, and I hope to be a lubricant for that.

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The theater is a meeting place

- What kind of team do you currently have?

In the theater production division, staff members who specialize in the hardware aspects of construction and staff members who are in charge of the software aspects, such as operational planning, work together on a single project. All of them are here with various experiences, including those who have worked in theaters in the past. I am learning every day by watching how the senior staff members behave and carry out their duties.

I am from Kagoshima Prefecture, and I am also in charge of a hall that is opening in my hometown, so I am very happy to be involved in a local asset that will remain here for years to come. After all, the hall will be used by the local people, so I hope it will be a hall for the local people that reflects the opinions of the local people.
I believe that our role is to listen to and organize everyone's opinions, and I believe that we are in a position to know more about the local community than you do. However, there are many things that we learn from the locals, and this was another opportunity for me to learn about a part of Kagoshima that I did not know. It is a sad fact that we are consultants, but although we are experts in the theater, we are strangers in a sense to the local people. I realized once again how important it is to be included in the community.

- How do you spend your days off?

I'm very lazy and don't go out very often, but... my hobby is going to the theater, not only to see plays but also to hear bands and classical music concerts, which is quite common in this company. I don't go unless my husband takes me out, but recently my husband has been taking me camping. I met my husband at a theater called Suzunari in Shimokitazawa, and it turns out that a theater is a place where you can meet people you would never normally meet (laughs).

Fumika Higashi

Chief, Theatre Producing Division

Joined the company in 2015 after working part-time.Graduated from Showa University of Music, Department of Music and Arts Management, Arts Management Course.He was in charge of Futakotamagawa Rise Studio & Hall and Lumine Zero in the facility management department, and moved to the theater production department in 2017.He is also active in consulting, drawing on his experience in the field of facility management.