X Influencer Mr. Ogawa, who actively shares the latest on Matsuyama, has been visiting every single spot 🙀

"I visit every place, listen to stories, and then share them."
Masato Ogawa (34), who posts daily about store openings and closings and continues to share "the latest in the Matsuyama area" on X (formerly Twitter), is the Fujiko Holdings Executive Director.

It's incredible. However, a new question arises.
Why go that far, even though it doesn't seem directly related to his main business...
In this #Hikidashi note, I will unravel the mystery of Mr. Ogawa, one of the top non-professional influencers in Ehime Prefecture who shares the latest information.

I have been mutually following Mr. Ogawa's private X account for a while (a small boast of mine).
Mr. Ogawa was also the first to post about the closing of Katsuyama Kyoshoku on X.
Taking this opportunity, I reached out to him on X about this note, and he reposted it, causing my access numbers to skyrocket 😯
My usual 500 views a day increased nearly tenfold.

What incredible influence 💦
My interest was suddenly piqued.
Since I was acquainted with Yohei Uematsu, a #Hikidashi member and a pro at digital talent development, the president of TECH I.S. I asked him for an introduction, and a company visit was realized right around the time Mr. Ogawa reached 10,000 followers.
👇️ The note introducing Mr. Uematsu.

Fujiko Holdings (Headquarters: 1-chome, Ichibancho, Matsuyama City) started with billboard advertising as its founding business and has expanded into diverse fields such as real estate, hot spring facilities, hotels, parking lot management, linen services (cleaning sheets and towels used in hotels, etc.), and food and beverage. Furthermore, they also operate an NPO for employment of people with disabilities.

I have been taken care of by Hotel Flower in my younger days, and I still use Flower Parking locations everywhere.
And above all, I commute every day while looking at the Fujiko Group building.
So, I had a vague impression that it was "a company that does a lot of things."

However, I was curious why the executive director continues to share "the latest in the Matsuyama area," such as store openings and closings, on X.

"Information started coming to me, through DMs," Mr. Ogawa recalls.
Encouraged by his wife, he opened an X account in 2023 to let people know what kind of company Fujiko Holdings is.
He was mainly tweeting about his group's business and renovation work. Then, inquiries and information unrelated to his direct duties, such as "What is being built here?" or "It looks like that shop is closing," started arriving.

Mr. Ogawa seems to be a very serious person.
He visits the sites in response to many DMs and tweets about them.
"It's amazing, isn't it? He's constantly diving into the field," says Mr. Uematsu.
He is the third generation counting from the founder. He spent his elementary, junior high, and high school years in Matsuyama City, and university in Kyoto.
He devoted himself to rugby during his student days.
Perhaps that is where his breakthrough power was cultivated.

It seems he even "infiltrated" the preview of E:N BASE, a public-private co-creation facility opened by Ehime Prefecture in late May. (Even though he wasn't invited 😁)

He values the accuracy of information, and while earning it with his feet, he also verifies it by inquiring with relevant organizations.
He puts journalists to shame.

On the other hand, Mr. Ogawa still stands in the field at his company.
He is at the headquarters for only 1 to 2 hours a day.
The rest of the time, he travels by car every day to various bases scattered throughout Matsuyama City, such as real estate (tenants), hotels, hot springs, parking lots, and linen services.
He sweats in the same workplace as people with disabilities.

Fujiko Holdings established a linen service company over 40 years ago to internalize (provide in-house) the cleaning of sheets and towels used in the hotels and hot springs they manage, and gradually began employing people with disabilities.
In 2006, the system for Type A and Type B continuous employment support was created, and preparations for the establishment of NPO Sanae began the following year. Today, all of the more than 200 users are involved in all of the group's businesses.

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Fujiko Holdings has many bases (more than 30 just by looking at the site).
Mr. Ogawa collects information and verifies it during his "detours" while patrolling for his main business.
It's an effective use of time.

While repeating the information gathering (field assaults) that he started with a spirit of service in response to requests via DM, he began to receive thank-you DMs.
Voices like, "Thanks to your post, I was able to go to the izakaya of my memories, which I went to with my first paycheck, just before it closed," and "I was able to taste it one last time."
Now, Mr. Ogawa's motto is "to eliminate the 'if only I had known' moments."
There are many times when people think, "If only I had known," about both store openings and closings.
This is because he himself regretted not knowing about the closing of Strawberry Candle (3-chome, Tachibana, Matsuyama City, 1999-2025), which was famous for its omelet rice.

Furthermore, he says it has gradually led to his main business.
If you grasp information quickly, it is useful for the real estate business, and it is also advantageous for linen sales to hotels other than your own. He says there have even been cases where he was able to lead to a contract.
"I wasn't aiming for it from the beginning, it just became useful for my main business later on," he laughs.

◆

After the interview, I looked at the Fujiko Holdings website again, and my eyes stopped on the words listed as the company's motto.

The phrase 'Righteousness first, profit second,' derived from the philosophy of the ancient Chinese thinker Xunzi, means that if you prioritize human morality and social contribution (righteousness), profit will naturally follow.
I was surprised to find that the modern approach of having insiders (managers or employees) become influencers while maintaining their main jobs aligns perfectly with corporate philosophy.

◆

After Ogawa-san told me, 'You should definitely go,' I visited the cafeteria (open to everyone) run by NPO Sanae a few days later.
It's on the 6th floor of the Fujiko Building at the Katsuyama intersection. Paid parking is available.
I knew it existed, but I had never been there before.

Tempura udon was 350 yen! The nori-tama rice ball was 100 yen.
The udon had a gentle broth with noodles that weren't too firm but had just the right amount of chew. The tempura had a nice crispy texture, which was GOOD.
The taste and portion size were perfect for an everyday meal!
I'll definitely go again😃
Closed on weekends, open from 12:00 to 13:30. There were plenty of other menu items as well.

I also took a peek at the cafe on the 2nd floor.
It is also closed on weekends and open from 10:00 to 15:00.
You can sit for two hours for just 150 yen😯 (with unlimited access to magazines, etc.).
They sell artificial flowers and small items, making the space look quite vibrant.

On the other hand, there are also models of battleships and fighter planes made by the staff on display.
It's a space that both men and women can enjoy.

※ Both Ogawa-san and the cafe staff mentioned, 'It might be a bit much if it gets too crowded...' as there is a limit to how many people can be accommodated.
Please keep the existence of this place a little bit of a secret.
(Since this is a small blog, I'm not worried, but still.)

That is all.

In this note, we will introduce people involved in #Hikidashi and publish columns. This time is a special edition. ㋶

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