Sanpo-yoshi Communication

President's Column] Senior Activities

Last month, we went to Disney Resort for a company trip.
Our company trip program began when the company celebrated its 30th anniversary, and has been well received over the years, with the program now split 50-50 between labor and management, with employees also able to participate once every two years while accumulating funds. There are several courses available, and employees can choose the course they wish to take. Employees may bring their families (up to two family members are subsidized), and no group banquets are held. This is a popular benefit program for many years because it is almost like a "family vacation" in the relaxed atmosphere.
As the number of employees increases, the company's cost burden is becoming excessive, and we are wondering how long we can continue and whether we should scale back.

My wife and I have been to the Disney Resort about 15 times in the past, having spent our college years in Chiba Prefecture. What I noticed this time was that many of the "crew members" (people who work in the parks) were seniors. Many of them seemed to be of the same generation as me or older.

In my past memory, most of the crew members were mainly part-time student workers, and it has been a very popular part-time job since I was a student (more than 30 years ago). I think the charm of Disney is that they provide an overwhelmingly enjoyable and dream-filled "place" by working with high motivation and smiles on-stage. Their hospitality has created many legendary episodes. I am sure you have heard of one or two of them.

Senior in such a "dreamland"?
Although I am of the same generation as them, I felt uncomfortable during the first half of the first day of my trip. However, as the second half of my stay progressed and I often saw them actively conversing with the cast members (customers), I began to think that perhaps it is the seniors who are creating the current atmosphere of this dreamland. I even thought that it was the seniors who created the current atmosphere of this dreamland.

We do not know if they are part time or full time employees. We also don't know how they came to work there. It would be uncivil to ask such a question in the park. It didn't look to me as if they were full-time Oriental Land employees who were transferred from inside to the field due to a shortage of part-time workers. It is possible that some long-time employees have stayed on. Oriental Land has no age limit for hiring new graduates, and there does not appear to be an age limit for cast members (part-time workers) either.

It seemed to me that each of the seniors was working vigorously, complementing the lack of communication among the younger crew members.
It would be amazing if retirees and other seniors had applied for and been hired by Disney, and through training had achieved such success, but I could not believe that they could achieve such success after years of working in a completely different culture.

In any case, I thought it was important for a company not to lower the value it provides to young people, whose numbers are scarce in an aging society with a declining birthrate, while senior workers complement them with their experience.

The high level of perfection of new-age attractions such as "Anna and the Snow Queen," "Beauty and the Beast," and "Fantastic Flight" is nothing short of amazing. Although the prices have risen with the times, the value offered is on a different level from that of previous attractions, and I believe there is a reason why they have been loved for so long.