Preserving the Gold Leaf Their Father Loved. The Resolve for Succession Made at 20

First, please tell us about Hakuza Inc. and Takaoka Seihaku Inc., as well as how you became the president.

I decided to take over the company when I was 20 years old.

Originally, the gold leaf business was started by my grandfather. Therefore, having gold leaf at home was normal for me since childhood, and I didn't consider it something special. After my grandfather, my father took over as the second president.

I was raised as the second daughter among three sisters. During my childhood, I naturally assumed that my older sister would continue the family business and become the third president.

However, at one point, my sister declared that she would "pursue what she wanted to do" and would not take over the family business. The moment I heard that, I resolved, "I have no choice but to do it myself."

At that time, I didn't have strong feelings about gold leaf. However, I had witnessed my father's deep affection for gold leaf and the company since I was a child. For my father, gold leaf and the company that developed it were vital. That’s why, as someone who understands that love, I didn’t want to see the company come to an end.