7:20 AM

Get to the office

I started coming in early when I was studying for my hazardous materials handler’s licensing exam, and it ended up becoming a habit—so I start work before the start time. There aren’t any interruptions early in the morning, so I get a lot of work done!

9:00 AM

Office work

In the morning I typically handle things like estimate requests and arranging appointments with clients. I always make sure that no requests fall through the cracks or get left out.

12:00 PM

Lunch

If I’m in the office that day, I eat one of the delicious bento boxes my wife makes for me. Afterwards I sometimes close my eyes at my desk for a few minutes to reset so I’m fresh and ready to start in the afternoon.

2:00 PM

Outside appointments

I usually meet with up to three clients for sales negotiations. I explain things in person rather than just in an email—especially when something like a price increase occurs.

5:00 PM

Report to supervisor

When I get back to office, I report the results of the sales negotiations and meetings to my supervisor. I get advice in return and talk about what is next. I’m never embarrassed to ask questions when I don’t understand things in order to brush up my skills.

5:40 PM

Finish work

I typically leave work early and almost never do overtime. I head straight home to spend time with my kids, since I don’t get to see them in the mornings.

8:30 AM

Get to the office

I wake up at 5 AM to go jogging, and then drive to work. When I get there I check on emailsfrom clients and look over The Chemical Daily (a trade paper), the Nikkei, and other news sources.

9:00 AM

Team meeting

We have a regular sales team meeting on Monday to start out the week. We report on the previous week’s sales activities, review what we’ll be doing in the coming week, and report on the progress of ongoing projects, and so on.

12:00 PM

Lunch

Sometimes I eat a bento in the office, and other times I go to a nearby restaurant with my coworkers. I get right back to work immediately after I eat. Making the most of the in-between moments helps me get my work done most efficiently.

1:00 PM

Outside appointments

Since I work in sales, I spend about 60% of my time out of the office. Our sales area covers all of Tohoku, so I drive a lot. There’s heavy snow in some areas, so I always make safety my first priority.

5:00 PM

Office work

Once I get back to office, I check on sales data or review orders. When I have to prepare for the documents, I try to get them done in bits and pieces during spare moments so that I can turn them in well before the deadline.

5:40 PM

Finish work

Enjoying a drink after work is my pleasure. I have a lot of opportunities to eat out with clients. I rarely work overtime, so I can spend enough time with my family after work.