We are a manufacturer of parts and equipment that are integrated into machine tools such as lathes and machining centers that process metal parts. We mainly make products such as lathe chucks that hold the workpiece in place, index tables that change the angle of the workpiece, and pallet changers that exchange workpieces.

Our main product is large lathe chucks. As experts in this field, we aim to meet all requests regarding the “clamping” of large workpieces. For example, when we say “large workpieces”, there are various types, such as cylindrical shapes, disc shapes, thin workpieces, heavy workpieces, etc. We want to be a company that can always respond to our customers' diverse needs, with the technology and products to provide what is needed.

In our long history of over 90 years since our founding, we have produced many custom-made products. We believe that some of these products have become the core of our customers' manufacturing processes. We are aware that we must be able to provide these products sustainably and responsibly even when they break down after many years of use. For example, we sometimes receive requests from customers to replace products that we worked hard to make and deliver 30 years ago. However, technology, equipment and people have changed significantly in the intervening 30 years. Nevertheless, we want to be a company that can respond to customer requests, rather than simply saying “no”.

As I have said, our company has a great social responsibility. In management, we are committed to stable business activities and to ensuring that our employees can live their lives with peace of mind, while avoiding unreasonable challenges and striving to manage our company in a way that is appropriate for our size.

Even within the scope of making the same lathe chuck product, I feel that we have to change in line with the times, in order to keep up with our customer’s needs.
For example, the population in Japan is declining, and the way people work is changing significantly. In order to respond to these changes, we believe that it is necessary to utilize new technologies to catch up to, or stay one step ahead of the times. There are more and more technologies that can be taken advantage of, such as IoT and AI. We want to actively incorporate these technologies to enhance our own capabilities and technologies.

In addition, the Japanese machine tool industry has a high ratio of exports, and both machine tool manufacturers and end users are expanding their operations worldwide. In this environment, we want to adopt a more global mindset, not just with our customers but also with a diverse staff. This is why we have started actively recruiting and hiring not only Japanese people but also people from overseas.

I think the advantage of working in Japanese small and medium-size machine tool manufacturer like ours is that you can look at, think about and learn about a wide range of things, not just staying within your own specialist area.
Since we are a small manufacturer, you can see and feel the whole process from product design to shipping. In other words, you can understand the position of your work within the whole process and carry out your work. Also, we sometimes receive repair requests directly from customers, so I think there are many opportunities to feel that the products we make are actually being used by customers.
Furthermore, I think it is also worthwhile to propose ideas for improvement based on what you notice in this process, and to feel the growth of the company as products and works are improved.

Those who have come to us for internships have told us that “the biggest thing I gained was the real experience of manufacturing in Japan”. Why is Japanese manufacturing so successful? What are the differences between our manufacturing and that of our home countries? We have received feedback from people who say that working at Kawatatec has helped them to see things more clearly.

When we recruit students, we are looking for “new perspectives rather than experience”. In the past, we have adopted an educational policy of having new employees learn their jobs by following senior staff for a long period of time after joining the company. However, in recent years, we have been creating an environment where new employees can learn and grow by participating in new projects and learning through trial and error in the workplace. We want to create a workplace where everyone can make full use of their abilities in projects and “teach each other rather than being taught”.

At our company, we want people who have a bond with us to work with us for as long as possible. And to that end, we want to hire people who really want to work here. In the past, we had a period when we gathered many people and screened them. However, now we believe it is important to create a situation where people want to work here, not just by knowing about the work through a certain period of time working together through a internship.

We run the program for a short period of time, but during that time we try to give as much information about our company as possible. All of the employees involved, including myself, communicate well with the participants and work to ensure that they really understand each other.

We consider whether the applicant is someone we can really work with, without any lies or falsehoods. We then decide on whether to hire someone based on whether they will be able to work with us for a long time, taking into account their abilities and whether they will fit in with our company culture.

If you get the chance, we would like you to apply, understand our company, and work on new projects and tasks. We are looking forward to your application!