[Symposium x Networking] Why Has Recruit Continued to Grow So Much? Unraveling the Identity of the Culture Created by the Founder ~ Culture Designer Symposium 2026 ~

Zeroin Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Mitsuyoshi Oshiro), a company specializing in general affairs consulting and BPO services, will hold a symposium titled "The True Identity of the 'Culture' Created by Recruit's Founder ~ Approaching the Source of a Company That Continues to Grow" on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at Vision Center Shimbashi (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo).

This seminar will feature Yasuyuki Onishi, economic journalist and author of "Entrepreneurial Genius! Hiroshi Ezoe: The Man Who Built Recruit, an 8 Trillion Yen Company"; Akira Ishikawa, President of Incubator Inc. and author of "Deep Skill"; Tetsuya Maeda, co-founder of Intelligence Inc. (now Persol Career Inc.) with Yasuhiro Uno and others; and Ken Namikawa, former director of Zeroin and current President of OFC Inc. Together with Zeroin President Mitsuyoshi Oshiro, they will unravel Recruit from both inside and outside, offering hints for modern organizational culture building. After the symposium, a networking reception (optional, paid) will be held to deepen learning and expand connections.

▼ For details and registration: https://www.zeroin.co.jp/soumuservice/seminar/20260715/

What is the Culture Designer Symposium? The Culture Designer Symposium is a series organized by Zeroin for everyone involved in designing organizational culture. Zeroin refers to those who foster an organization's unique character beyond departmental boundaries and permeate its unique culture throughout the organization as "Culture Designers."

The first symposium held in November 2025, themed "The Significance of General Affairs in the AI Era," attracted 104 participants with a 97% satisfaction rate. 97% of participants answered that "culture design is important."

This series explores from various perspectives what culture is and how to design organizational culture.

Event Overview

Title

The True Identity of the "Culture" Created by Recruit's Founder ~ Approaching the Source of a Company That Continues to Grow ~

Date

Wednesday, July 15, 2026

Time

[Seminar] 16:00-18:00 (Reception 15:30-) [Networking] 18:15-20:00 *Optional, paid *Partial attendance and early departure are allowed.

Venue

[Seminar] Vision Center Shimbashi [Room 1702] Uchisaiwaicho Heiwa Building 17F, 1-5-2 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo *3 min walk from Shimbashi Station, 3 min from Uchisaiwaicho Station, 7 min from Hibiya Station *No parking available. [Networking] Vision Center Shimbashi [Room 1605] (Same building, 16F)

Participation Fee

[Seminar] Free [Networking] 3,000 yen (tax incl.) *Payment method: Credit card / PayPal (payment via Peatix, details provided in acceptance email) *Payment deadline: Monday, July 13, 2026, 9:00 AM

Capacity

100 people

Registration Deadline

Monday, July 13, 2026, 8:30 AM

Notes

*Please bring your business card on the day. *Applications from competing companies may be declined.

Details & Registration

Session Details

Part 1: Keynote Dialogue 16:10-17:00

"Unraveling the Genealogy of Recruit Founder Ezra's Culture Building from Books" Three perspectives: Recruit from the outside (journalist Yasuyuki Onishi), Recruit from the inside (new business Akira Ishikawa, back office Mitsuyoshi Oshiro) delve deep into the DNA of Recruit's long-cultivated corporate culture. Facilitator: Ken Namikawa (President, OFC Inc.) ■ What is the organizational culture that has produced a company that continues to grow? ■ Diversity management, culture of not fearing failure, and initiative that Ezra valued ■ From Showa to Reiwa: How to apply Recruit's DNA to modern organizations

Part 2: Live Session 17:10-18:00

"Love and Anger Horizon x Amazing Wall Hitting! Collaboration Project" ~ I'll answer your worries! Answering 100 worries that energize work ~

"Love and Anger Horizon" is a popular advice column that Oshiro has been serializing for over 35 years in Recruit's in-house magazine "Kamome." "Amazing Wall Hitting" is a method proposed by Akira Ishikawa in his book (published by Sunmark) to deepen issues through dialogue.

Ishikawa, Maeda, and Oshiro will answer real worries about culture design, organizational building, and careers collected from participants in a live wall-hitting format. An interactive session utilizing real-time questioning tools. Facilitator: Tetsuya Maeda (President, Works Entertainment Inc.)

Part 3: Networking 18:15-20:00

After-talk networking reception to deepen learning and expand connections (light snacks and drinks provided)

Fee: ¥3,000/person *Optional only ■ Free exchange among participants ■ Information exchange on organizational and culture change issues ■ Networking with like-minded professionals

Speaker Profiles

Yasuyuki Onishi

Journalist / Non-fiction writer

Born 1965 in Aichi Prefecture. Graduated from Waseda University Faculty of Law in 1988, joined Nihon Keizai Shimbun. Stationed in Europe (London), served as Nikkei Business editorial board member, and became independent in 2016. His book "Entrepreneurial Genius! Hiroshi Ezoe: The Man Who Built Recruit, an 8 Trillion Yen Company" (Toyo Keizai) was nominated for the Kodansha Non-fiction Award. He is a leading economic journalist in Japan.

Akira Ishikawa

President, Incubator Inc.

Joined Recruit Co., Ltd. in 1988, consistently involved in new business development. As secretary general of Recruit's new business proposal system "New RING," a symbol of the company's corporate culture, he was involved in over 1,000 proposals. Later participated in founding the comprehensive information site "All About" as a Recruit employee (listed on JASDAQ in 2005). Became independent in 2010, founding Incubator Inc. Author of "Deep Skill" (Diamond) and "Amazing Wall Hitting" (Sunmark). Specially Appointed Professor at Shizenkan University.

Ken Namikawa

President, OFC Inc.

Born 1961. Joined Recruit Co., Ltd. in 1984. Produced in-house magazine editing and company-wide general meetings and anniversary events in the public relations office. After serving as deputy editor-in-chief of information magazines and video production producer, became independent in 2002. Specializes in events, video, and in-house magazine production focusing on corporate internal communication. Served as director of Zeroin from 2009, vice chairman from 2019, and retired in 2023. Currently also serves as Chairman of the Japan American Football Association.

Tetsuya Maeda

President, Works Entertainment Inc.

Born 1963 in Kyoto Prefecture. Graduated from Meiji Gakuin University, joined Recruit Co., Ltd., general affairs department office.