Philosophy(Our company’s founding spirit, values and mission)

The Quality Bakery

Our business is based, first and foremost, on integrity.

Our corporate philosophy is not a pre-existing idea, but rather something we have established over time, less a lofty idea than a down-to-earth “philosophy of life” created through unceasing, day-to-day work.

No matter how much the world changes, I believe every person strives for improvement and progress in their lives.

After spending seven years in active service during the war, I returned home and began this business. When I founded the company I felt, with every fiber of my being, how precious life is, and more than anything I wanted to create an outstanding business and make delicious products for people to enjoy. As I managed the company, I focused solely on baking authentic breads that families could enjoy at mealtime, so we could play a role in improving our customers’ diets.

We have always focused on doing the highest-quality work possible, and in this we have been guided by the principle that businesses are all begun by amateurs. Through this we have created our own, original business plans that have challenged us to enter new, unexplored areas. These ideas have helped us to forge ahead, pioneering and implementing innovative business practices and products that other companies have not, or could not, match. We have not done this to ensure our market share in an existing market, but to develop totally new markets. The result is a spirit of true coexistence and mutual prosperity for our industry, a spirit that not only produces profit in the truest sense, but forms the foundation for sustainable growth in the industry.

It is critical that a business always have a strategy to respond to change. Consumers’ values and desires change over time, and for a business to respond to these changes it must meet consumers’ needs and enhance their lives. This is the true role that a business must play in the world.

Our company manufactures and markets a symbol of a culture that is originally foreign to Japan, namely bread. It is not enough, however, that we make and sell excellent baked goods. It is critical that our high quality products look beyond short-term savings, and provide the true meaning of what it means to be economical, as well as improve people’s lives. And we must continue to communicate this to our customers. This communication, starting within the company, should reach out in many directions and extend as far as possible.

A business is created by the quality of the people who are in it. Fostering our human resources not only makes for more satisfied employees, but helps the business grow and develop. When it comes to training, the company and its employees must have shared goals and must always strive to attain these goals in a spirit of cooperation.

In all aspects of operating a business, maintaining and improving health and safety are a must. We work in order to improve the quality of life, so any aspect of business that causes a hardship to employees or problems for those around them is meaningless. The true purpose of any proactive safety measures must be to make our world a better place.

Shunsuke Takaki
founder of Andersen Group