E-fran Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, President and Representative Director: Taishi Kasono, hereinafter "the Company") conducted a one-day bus tour for employees hosted by Chairman and Representative Director, Kikuo Watanabe. This "Bus Tour with the Chairman," held as part of the Company's employee benefits, provides a valuable opportunity for staff who usually work in different departments or regions to gather and deepen their relationships.

This time, participants enjoyed cherry picking in Yamanashi Prefecture, savoring seasonal flavors, and a robatayaki meal in a charming old Japanese house. This article conveys the real appeal of our company through the lively scenes of the tour and the firsthand accounts of participating employees. We hope to share the attractiveness of our company with those interested in E-fran's corporate culture and benefits during their job or career change search.

[Image: Chairman and Representative Director Kikuo Watanabe with Employees]

| Savoring Seasonal Flavors! A Cherry Picking Experience Full of Smiles

[Image: Cherries at Shimamura Farm]

The first destination of this bus tour was "Shimamura Farm" in Koshu City, Yamanashi Prefecture. It was a special visit as it was the farm's opening day. The vast farm cultivates 13 varieties of cherries, and participating employees enjoyed the exceptionally sweet cherries growing high on the trees to their heart's content.

Young employees who participated exclaimed, "They're incredibly sweet!" and "So juicy and delicious!" It was a wonderful time to refresh both mind and body in nature. Through such shared experiences, communication among employees naturally arises, fostering vitality for their daily work. Having an environment that values and rewards employees is one of the major reasons why our company is chosen during job and career change searches.

[Image: Employees Enjoying Cherry Picking]

| Exquisite Robatayaki in an Old Japanese House and a Surprise from the Chairman

[Image: Luxurious Robatayaki Lunch]

For lunch, we visited "Sanrokkuen," a renowned robatayaki restaurant in Fujikawaguchiko Town. The location, a stately old Japanese house steeped in history, initially थोड़ा intimidated the young employees, but their faces soon lit up with smiles at the sight of fresh seafood, vegetables grilled over charcoal, and Koshu beef, a local premium wagyu.

Furthermore, the Chairman surprised everyone with a gift from his own pocket: "a complimentary addition of single dishes up to 2,000 yen per person," allowing them to enjoy luxurious ingredients like giant lobsters.

Enjoying this luxurious "time" together, which is rarely experienced in daily life, further strengthened the bonds among the employees.

[Image: Employees Enjoying Luxurious Robatayaki]

| Heated In-Bus Events! A Lively Bingo & Karaoke Competition

Plenty of activities were planned to keep the employees entertained during the bus ride. On the way there, a bingo tournament with luxurious prizes was held, filling the bus with laughter and excitement over a variety of prizes, including Matsusaka beef and unique "Billionaire" toilet paper.

On the return bus, the customary karaoke battle erupted. This time, a first-year new graduate employee boldly challenged the Chairman, showcasing the flat organizational structure unique to our company. Although the Chairman won based on the scoring, the new graduate employee who bravely took on the challenge received 20 loaves of bread from "Hakone Bakery" as a prize for their valiant effort. At E-fran, we value open communication that transcends differences in entry time (new graduate/mid-career), age, and position. By creating an environment where employees can easily communicate with each other, we are able to strengthen our organizational structure.

[Image: Scene from the Bingo Tournament]

| "Let's Energize Japan!" The Passionate Team Saitama Area

Many young staff members working at stores in Saitama Prefecture also participated in this tour as "Team Saitama Area." They passionately declared, "First, we want to make our customers smile at the store, and from there, energize all of Japan!" Their words conveyed a strong sense of proactively creating a vibrant atmosphere, prioritizing communication with customers in their daily store operations and customer service.

At our company, we entrust responsible positions to employees who wish to take on challenges from a young age. In our merit-based system, the presence of passionate and ambitious staff like them is a major driving force for the company.

| Young Employees Speak! What We Truly Feel is the Charm of Our Company After Joining

During the tour, we conducted individual interviews with participating young employees. One employee, a store manager at a regional branch in their second year with the company, said, "In a normal company, it's almost impossible to interact with the Chairman at such close proximity. There's so much to learn, and this environment itself is truly attractive. I'm truly glad I joined E-fran."

Another first-year new graduate employee smiled and said, "At first, I was so nervous I couldn't look the Chairman directly in the eye, but the Chairman kindly initiated conversations, and now I can talk to him while looking him in the eye." This proximity to top management and open corporate culture is one of E-fran's significant attractions.

[Image: Young Employees Talking About E-fran's Appeal]

| Cross-Departmental Communication Fosters Diverse Careers

The head of the business trip event department, who participated in this bus tour, enthusiastically shared, "The event work I'm currently in charge of is very enjoyable because I can talk more deeply with customers than during regular business trip purchases. It's incredibly rewarding!"

In this way, the bus tour also serves as a great opportunity for staff from various departments, including in-store purchase operations, business trip purchases, and events, to gather and exchange information. Hearing real stories from colleagues in different roles provides new perspectives and insights. For those in job or career change searches, or those looking for a company, why not find a position that suits you and draw your own career path within our company, which has a diversified business development?

[Image: Chairman and Representative Director Kikuo Watanabe Chatting with Young Employees]

| To Job Seekers and Career Changers

"If you work hard, you can succeed. Paths open up depending on your effort. There's also substantial support from those around you, so don't hesitate to jump in!" This confident statement from an employee, heard during the bus tour, perfectly encapsulates our company's merit-based and forward-thinking corporate culture.

E-fran Co., Ltd. is convinced that the growth of each employee directly leads to the company's steady growth, and we will continue to focus on creating an environment where employees can work comfortably and perform at their best.

We sincerely welcome applications from those who wish to lead "Takakau-kaitori Otakaraya," which operates over 1,880 stores nationwide (*1), to further success, and who want to achieve both career advancement and high income in a merit-based environment regardless of age or tenure.

For E-fran's recruitment information and applications, please visit our special recruitment website.

| Click Here for the Special Recruitment Site!

- E-fran Mid-Career Recruitment Site: https://e-fran.jp/mid_career/

- E-fran New Graduate Recruitment Site: https://e-fran-recruit.jp

| Notes

*1: Store count is based on data as of July 2026.

| Overview of E-fran Co., Ltd.

Company Name: E-fran Co., Ltd.

Established: March 2000

Chairman and Representative Director: Kikuo Watanabe

President and Representative Director: Taishi Kasono

Location: 15F, Queens Tower B, 2-3-3 Minatomirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 220-6115

Homepage: https://e-fran.jp/

Owned Media "E-Life!": https://e-fran-elife.jp/

Business Activities: Reuse business, Luxury Jewelry, Watches, and Precious Metals Dealer "Otakaraya", Healthcare Business "Fitness & Stretch Kenko no Mori", Golf Business "E-swing -PREMIUM-", Franchise Business, Auction Business, Real Estate Business, Marine Business, Sightseeing Bus Business

| Contact Information for Inquiries Regarding This Matter

E-fran Co., Ltd.

Executive Officer and General Manager, Advertising Strategy Department, Advertising Strategy Headquarters: Kai Yaegura

TEL: 045-330-4410

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  • Source: PR TIMES
  • Category: 社内Event