Tetsuhiro Matsumoto, President and CEO, Hitotohito Holdings Co., Ltd.

2026.08.19

Without trying to be someone you're not, just be yourself.

■ Profile
Born in Ishikawa Prefecture in 1974. After graduating from Seiryo High School, he enrolled in the Faculty of Commerce at Nihon University. After working part-time while still a student, he joined Nippon Sogyo (now Hitotohito). Subsequently, after working in sales for a foreign-owned real estate company, he returned to management in 2011. In 2019, he became President and Representative Director of Nisso Holdings (now Hitotohito Holdings).

Hitotohito Holdings Co., Ltd. went public in April 2026. Tetsuhiro Matsumoto, President and CEO, has always valued "connections with people" throughout his career. Various experiences and encounters have shaped his journey and his philosophy as a business leader. What is the background behind this?

During my university years, my life revolved around part-time jobs. I had been playing baseball for a long time and entered university on a sports scholarship. However, it wasn't all baseball; I did a moderate amount of baseball and studying, and I was really passionate about my part-time jobs.
As a baseball player, I faced reality many times. When we went from junior high to high school, everyone thought they were superstars. But once we actually entered a top-tier high school, we realized there was always someone better. I think more than half of us gave up along the way back then. However, through the tough world of team sports, we learned firsthand about our roles and responsibilities—what we needed to do given our current position in order to win with this team. This has been incredibly useful in my current job.　
My first encounter with the company's founder was in the fall of my high school years. We won the national championship and were scheduled to go on a trip to Taiwan, where the founder accompanied us as our caretaker. Later, I went to university in Tokyo, and by chance, I was standing at Jingu Stadium for the opening game when I unexpectedly ran into the founder again. So many connections have led me to where I am today.
And the part-time job I was so passionate about during my university days is now at Hitotohito (formerly Nippon Sogyo). I'm what you might call a "part-timer who got a full-time job"—I started out as a student part-timer and then got a full-time position.
After that, I used the maximum two-year leave of absence period allowed by my school to study abroad in the United States. I interned at Microsoft and discovered the fascinating world of IT. I had so much fun that I didn't want to go back, but since my stay was limited and I didn't have a visa or money, I returned to Japan. I still had some credits left to complete, so I worked in sales at a company while attending school, and I successfully graduated.

■My core principle in my career is "cherishing connections with people."

My career has consistently been guided by the principle of "cherishing connections with people." I started in sales and rose to the position of section manager. However, in 2006, I left the company and joined a foreign-owned real estate company. There, I had many opportunities, but in 2011, the sudden death of the founding president prompted me to make the decision to return. In the end, it was an action driven by the realization that I must cherish my connections with people.
After returning, I was involved in all aspects of management in my capacity as a department head and executive. During that time, I also gained experience as head of sales, head of administration, and in planning. Over the course of about eight years, I felt like I had come full circle through various departments across the entire company. Through this experience, I was able to completely grasp how the company as a whole operates.

■ A company that started with cleaning Jingu Stadium

Our company started out by undertaking tasks related to events and performances. This included cleaning Jingu Stadium and ticket-taking. As times changed and security became increasingly important, we expanded into the security industry. From there, we further broadened our business to various areas requiring human resources, such as staffing agencies, and that's how we got to where we are today. People often ask, "What kind of company are you in one word?" and that's a very difficult question to answer. We're not a security company, nor a staffing agency, nor an event management company. However, at the same time, we're a company that does all of those things. Conversely, I think that's also our strength.
Our company went public in April of this year. I believe there are three reasons why our company has been able to grow this much.
The first thing is to "do it." Not based on theory, but simply doing it relentlessly. Always keep your promises to customers. If you say you're going to get a deal in sales, get it. There are twists and turns, processes, parts that are based on logic and parts that aren't, and all sorts of things. It was really tough back then.
The second reason is that I was able to ride the wave of the times. There's no point in resenting the company's positioning at the time. People may choose a company based on criteria such as a good starting salary or being a well-known company, but that's for people who "can choose." I didn't have the choice. That's why I didn't run away. At that time, a new law was enacted that made large-scale construction possible. Taking advantage of that trend, shopping centers rapidly expanded, and we were able to make great strides in our business.
The third point is to motivate people. You can't do your job alone, so you need to effectively motivate others. I highly recommend Dale Carnegie's book, "How to Win Friends and Influence People." It's a book I encountered when I realized that I had no choice but to motivate people.

■I want to work with people who can express their own sensibilities.

What we want to work with are people who possess sensibilities that we lack. This connects to our company's management philosophy: people who "cultivate their humanity and have the ability to express it." We also want people who can clearly express their own sensibilities. Individuality is a very diverse concept. We don't think that being quiet and not speaking up is a bad thing at all. What matters is having a strong sense of "self." Expression isn't just about words. It might be about actions, and we look at that aspect from multiple perspectives. No one is 100 percent perfect. Everyone has feelings, they get hit by the rain and wind, and they take time off when they're not feeling well. A company is a collection of such people. So, on average, it's about 60 points. Our know-how is to nurture those 60 points, raise them to 80 points, and create strengths. We want outstanding people, but being 60 points isn't a bad thing. I think it's also important to be able to objectively view yourself. Cultivating your inner self and having a sense of self. If you have these, we truly welcome anyone.

■Message to students

Our company operates in a wide variety of locations, from Hokkaido to Kyushu, including baseball stadiums and commercial facilities. We have a large number of students working here, and it's a place where everyone can shine and be the star. The friends you make here will be lifelong treasures. If you're even slightly interested, we encourage you to apply to our company.

Interview with Risa Ukita, a second-year student at Tokyo Woman's Christian University, published on December 3, 2026 by Student Newspaper Online

Sakura Yamashita (4th year, Tsuda University) / Chiharu Yamada (2nd year, Information Management Innovation Professional University) / Reina Inomoto (1st year, Kyoto University of the Arts) / Risa Ukita (3rd year, Tokyo Woman's Christian University) / Hideya Tanaka (1st year, Nihon University) / Satsuki Sakakura (4th year, Tokyo Metropolitan University) / Aoi Morikawa (2nd year, Hosei University)