Sanae Takasugi: Wanting to Change the World with Pizza

The sparkling surface of Gulliver Pond (Kamoike), and the scent of the pig farm drifting in depending on the weather and wind direction. More than the four years of university spent in Hiyoshi or Mita, it was the six years at the SFC Junior and Senior High School that formed my core. "Independence and self-respect" posted in the hallway in front of the faculty room. "The Mission of Keio University," which was always on the math tests and which I desperately memorized because I knew I would get points just for writing it down. My alma mater was not a place to cram knowledge, but a place to learn how to face life and meet the people with whom I would build it.

Currently, I run a pizza restaurant called "Pizza 4P’s" in India. With the vision of "Make the World Smile for Peace," I hope to create a world where people can realize the "happiness that is already there" through pizza. I can almost hear voices saying, "It's just a pizza shop..." but I view the restaurant as a medium, putting my heart into every touchpoint, and truly aiming to make people all over the world smile. The first store opened in Ho Chi Minh City in 2011 has now expanded to five cities in Vietnam, as well as Cambodia, Indonesia, India, and Azabudai, Tokyo, totaling 40 stores across five countries.

Working in foreign countries, I feel as if my family is growing across the world. When I first arrived in Vietnam, the people overflowing on the streets congested with motorcycles were collectively just "Vietnamese." However, as we clashed seriously through work, they turned into colleagues with precious names like Trang and Hoa. In India, the cultural differences and racial distinctions from Japanese people are even more pronounced. Nevertheless, as we desperately spend our days together from pre-opening preparations to the days after opening, the collective concept of "Indians" disappears, and they become precious colleagues with names like Surya and Arun. There are irreplaceable happy moments when second and third hometowns outside of Japan are born in the world, and I can truly feel that "we are all children of the same Earth."

In writing this contribution, I returned once again to the meaning of "independence and self-respect." The spirit of protecting the dignity of oneself and others, and taking responsibility for one's own judgments. This philosophy has been the unwavering axis for walking with colleagues toward the same vision in an environment full of diversity, without being swayed by prejudice. Those words posted on the wall, which I wasn't conscious of at the time, are supporting my current challenges overseas.

I believe that pizza can surely change the world for peace. Believing this, I will continue to move forward.