We visited the Head Office of Rock Field Co., Ltd. on December 1, 2006 at an industrial complex on the reclaimed area of Higashinada-Ku, Kobe City. The building, formerly a warehouse and distribution center for a department store, was remodeled and refurbished by Tadao Ando and was quite posh. From the current appearance, no one would imagine that it had once been used as a food plant. The design of the building is quite strange; visitors must climb up a long slope to the top of the building to get to the reception desk. The aim of this design, as explained by the people in the company, is to make visitors imagine what the company is like while climbing up the long slope.

I noticed a day-care center for kids with a vast garden. The splendor and luxury of the center surpasses that of a normal day-care center or a kindergarten. Just 6 children slept in the center. I knew that Rock Field values the children and families of its employees, but what I saw there was beyond my imagination.

Maintaining such a fancy facility may cost the company a lot. Other ordinary companies may not able to provide their employees with fringe benefits to the level that Rock Field does. Does the president have any special affection for children?

That day, we were just scheduled to have a preliminary discussion with staff members of the President’s Room. However, a surprise awaited us; Mr. Iwata, the President appeared in the meeting room wearing a black suit like the ones worn by Steve Jobs of Apple Computer. He had the aura of a charismatic manager. The black suit that could be obtained at branches of Comme Ça Du Mode matched the monotone design of the inorganic building. He is very fashionable; from his appearance, his age is difficult to determine. The first impression I got was quite strange; he might almost not be a manager, but a cook or a craftsman.
Mr. Iwata is a cheerful person. After exchanging greetings, he told us about the hard days of his childhood, how he changed his career from chef to corporate manager, the difficulties in managing a company and other quite interesting stories.

After the eloquent talk, he walked to a test kitchen next to the guest room and talked with the chefs working there while tasting some fried food that they had made as a trial. Through the window, the food looked quite delicious. When a charismatic owner manager enters a kitchen, the employees should naturally feel some stress. However, the way the chefs talked to Mr. Nishikawa was not like that and they worked in an ordinary way while enjoying a chat with the manager. It impressed me, who saw it as perfectly embodying the management philosophy of Mr. Iwata.