Updated: July 2023, 7

Mr. Shimizu, what kind of work specifically are you involved in at your company?

Recently, my main focus has been consulting on administrative procedures for virtual currencies.
In Japan, a registration system called virtual currency exchange business started in April 2017, and I have been in charge of it since the beginning.

That's right. Why did you decide to start virtual currency consulting?

I had always been interested in fintech-related fields, but I thought, ``It's new, it has a promising future, and it looks interesting.''
That was my honest impression.
As I researched it, that feeling became stronger and I felt like I was digging deeper and deeper.
I also felt that it was in line with "decentralization," which is a keyword for the future economy.
This is why I decided to put more effort into this field.

What does "decentralization" mean?

"Decentralization" refers to the development of information technology, which means that information that was previously concentrated in specific people or organizations can now be distributed.
This means that resources such as equipment will be distributed.
A good example is a business like Uber or Airbnb that leverages people's resources.
There is a rise. Of course, not only resources but also information can now be easily obtained on the Internet.
For this reason, the decision-making power over what to buy, which had previously been held by companies, has shifted to consumers.
In this sense, I think it is true that decision-making power is also dispersed.

I see. I didn't know that, but there is a trend toward decentralization.

I think so.
So, I think virtual currency also fits into this general trend. Of course, there is the question of when it will become popular, and it is currently attracting a lot of attention as an investment and speculation target, but it has very high future potential. In addition, there are few people in the industry who understand administrative procedure consulting related to fintech, so we thought it had a chance of winning as a service.

I feel that I am following the flow of the world. I think that in order to go with the flow, you obviously have to read where the world is going, but how do you read the flow?

I usually try to look ahead as much as possible, but it's not that big of a deal (lol).
However, there is a book that I read recently that was very helpful.
The book is called ``Thinking ahead of the future'' (Koyo Sato), and I was very satisfied with the point that ``technology that solves people's problems cheaper and faster than existing methods will almost always spread.''
Just as Airbnb solved people's need to stay overnight in a way that was more convenient than existing hotels, virtual currency also has the potential to solve the cost and time issues of remittances. That's how I try to see what's coming next.

However, in actual work, I feel that it is very difficult to try something completely new...

I like new things, so it doesn't bother me too much.
I also like learning things I didn't know. Additionally, the structure of our work makes it easy to take on new challenges.
For example, if you want to open a restaurant, there are many things you need to do, such as renting land and a building, hiring people, purchasing ingredients, etc., but if you get food poisoning, those investments will be lost. turn into. Usually, you can't try something new without taking a huge risk.
However, because our work creates value from our knowledge of the subject matter and know-how on administrative procedures, the risks are relatively small. That's why I think it's easy to take on new challenges and adapt to changes in the times. Also, a lot depends on the company environment.
There are some characteristics of my work as administrative procedure consulting, but I feel that the company has an environment that encourages me to take on new challenges. In fact, personally, I have gradually come to feel that it is more risky not to try new things.

In terms of trying new things, I heard that Mr. Shimizu has traveled to various countries and worked as an international volunteer.

Yeah (lol) I'm mainly driven by curiosity and a sense of adventure.
I've been to about 10 countries so far for travel, study abroad, and international volunteer work, but it's exciting to go to new places, make friends with local people, and experience values ​​that are completely different from our own.